Get to Know Us
Loopston’s visionary, Tina Ho, has been a passionate advocate for women for several years. She serves on the boards and volunteers for various organizations that empower women and their communities at large.
Tina is responsible for the overall strategic planning, investor relations, operations and financial activities of the company. She has 14 years of experience in real estate investment and development to marketing and management consulting for small to large businesses. She is an Advisor to Homebit, a tech-enabled platform designed to provide proactive care so homeownership is easier, safer and more equitable. She also advises other minority and women-led startups in the tech-driven real estate space. Get to know our founder below.
What inspired you in this mission?
I have been abundantly blessed since my 20s to have met and learned from some incredible mentors who taught me everything I know today. They have had tremendous influence on my accomplishments and I’m very grateful.
Recently I launched the Women’s Leadership Series for an organization called OPEN Houston. There are three incredible women who are leading the series. One of the topics that came up in our discussion included women and investing. Why are there so few women interested in investing? Why are there not enough women teaching other women about investment opportunities? These questions then led me to discuss the topic with the women around me.
Around this time I started a new fund. I had reached out to a few male friends that I knew would be highly interested in a real estate opportunity fund. What I didn’t realize was that my list of investors did not consist of any female friends. I then decided to ask one of my close friends, “Why is there such a gap between men and women when it comes to money and investing?”, and “Why don’t women talk or ask about these things?” It’s always men that ask me about my real estate business. For example, I would be asked questions such as: what is the ROI, where are the value add opportunities, what is the cost of construction, etc. and hardly any woman has ever asked me about these things.
What she told me was striking: “Have you ever thought of asking your female friends to invest with you?” And, “Maybe it takes someone like you who is trustworthy and credible to start talking about it to motivate other women to learn about investing in real estate.”
I was guilty of making the assumption that many women are not interested in taking charge of their financial wellness. Rather, it’s a simple two-way question. If more women talk about it, it will open up the conversation amongst ourselves to say, “I wish you had asked me. I’d be interested to learn more about it. I just didn’t know how or where to go or who to reach out.”
I now have female friends who are investing with me and are excited to be a part of this real estate venture. I make it a personal mission now to teach and ignite a sense of adventure for women who may be reluctant or afraid to dabble into an industry that was once – and still is – predominantly male dominated.
I was fortunate to have the mentorship and partnership of great men in my life. It’s important to have them on this journey because we all need each other. And likewise, I feel that it’s now my responsibility to give back and share what I learned as a way of showing my gratitude to my mentors and to do the best of my ability to impart the wisdom they shared with me. If I could make a difference in the life of one woman (or man), that would make a life worth living.
What are the goals for women who work/seek mentorship at Loopston?
I think that the important thing is for women to realize their value and potential. We have doubts, insecurities and many fears. But that shouldn’t stop us from trying. If we fall 7 times, we must get up 8 times. I want to create a company culture where women feel powerful and fearless. Nothing is impossible if we keep trying. Granted some days are bad but we must always remember to ask ourselves two questions when facing challenges:
What is the problem?
How do I fix it?
When it comes to what we want for our career or professional development, Loopston women can expect to discover that when you make your passion your work, and you do it with the people you want to be around, it will change how you view work and life. The right synergy and shared values are important for a team to carry on the work.
