The Calida Group has promoted Joshua Nelson to president, a move the vertically integrated multifamily platform is positioning as central to its next phase of national expansion. In his new role, Nelson will oversee the firm's day-to-day operations, investment strategy and execution across all business lines while continuing to serve on the company's Executive Committee and Investment Committee. He will work alongside co-founders Douglas Eisner and Eric Cohen to guide the firm's continued expansion and long-term strategic growth.
The promotion comes as Calida prepares to deploy approximately $1 billion of capital in 2026 across development, acquisitions and operations. Under Nelson's leadership as Chief Investment Officer, the firm has expanded beyond its historic Western U.S. footprint into Texas, Florida, Georgia and other high-growth markets throughout the Southeast, significantly increasing its geographic reach and investment pipeline. The firm has now established offices in Texas and Florida to support that expansion.
Douglas Eisner, co-founder and co-CEO of The Calida Group, said Nelson has been instrumental in building Calida into one of the most active multifamily investment and development platforms in the country. "His leadership, and ability to execute across acquisitions, development and operations have helped drive our expansion into new markets and positioned us for sustained growth," Eisner said. "Josh has earned the trust of our team, our partners and our investors. We are excited to see him lead Calida into its next chapter."
Nelson joined Calida after serving on the corporate development and mergers and acquisitions team at Liberty Media and Liberty Interactive, a Fortune 300 investment company. In that role, he was responsible for identifying strategic investment opportunities and leading due diligence efforts across technology, media, telecommunications and renewable energy sectors. As Chief Investment Officer at Calida, Nelson oversaw the firm's acquisitions, development and asset management activities while helping establish one of the industry's most active multifamily investment platforms.
Eric Cohen, co-founder and co-CEO of The Calida Group, said Nelson has been a key pillar of Calida's growth strategy for more than a decade. "He has consistently demonstrated the ability to identify opportunities, build exceptional teams and execute at the highest level," Cohen said. "As we continue to expand our platform and deploy significant capital across the country, Josh's leadership will be critical to our success. This promotion reflects both his contributions to date and our confidence in his ability to help lead the firm for many years to come."
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The promotion reflects the continued evolution of Calida's leadership structure as the firm expands its national presence and institutional capabilities. In his role as president, Nelson will assume broader responsibility for coordinating the company's investment, development, operational and strategic initiatives, allowing the firm's leadership team to further enhance its focus on long-term growth, investor relationships and new market expansion. The restructuring comes at a pivotal time for the company as it continues to scale its national platform.
Founded in 2007 by Douglas Eisner and Eric Cohen, The Calida Group has developed or acquired more than 30,000 multifamily units, with senior management combining over 100 years of real estate experience. The firm invests roughly $1 billion annually across three primary strategies: development, value-add acquisitions and core-plus acquisitions. Calida operates on behalf of a series of discretionary commingled funds serving the family office and ultra-high net worth communities, as well as forming partnerships with many of the nation's largest financial institutions.
The Calida Group's investment approach begins with strategic and creative deal sourcing methods to identify investment opportunities that are often completely off market or otherwise less competitively advertised. The firm then leverages its lifestyle-oriented design capabilities and operational expertise to tailor unique business plans for each asset. By meticulously implementing these business plans while managing construction risk, conservatively financing each property and employing thoughtful tax planning, Calida aims to create superior investment opportunities with lower risk than would typically be expected in deals of similar return profiles.