Yamal Yidios leads Ytech’s strategic direction, the pursuit and capitalization of development opportunities, along with the company’s culture, overall management and performance.
Since founding Ytech in 2006, Mr. Yidios has guided the company’s development and redevelopment of more than $2 billion in real estate.
Mr. Yidios’ real estate expertise and thoughtful, strategic approach has positioned Ytech for success in Miami’s residential condominium market, where the company has a current development pipeline of more than three million square feet in the prestigious Brickell neighborhood, equating to more than $3 billion in future development.
Mr. Yidios is a third-generation civil engineer and real estate developer. He holds an executive master’s degree from Harvard Business School and completed executive education in Architecture and Design Thinking in London’s Royal College of Art. He also has a master’s degree in Engineering with a focus on real estate development and construction management from the University of Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil and structural engineering. Mr. Yidios is also a graduate in financial mathematics from Stetson University, where he played NCAA tennis.
Active in the local Miami community, Mr. Yidios has worked with a number of professional, art and cultural organizations including the Urban Land Institute’s Southeast/Caribbean Advisory Board, the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board, and the Coral Gables Museum. He is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), the Latin Builders Association, and the American Society of Civil Engineers. His philanthropic efforts are focused on education, and he resides in Miami with his wife and three children.
John Breistol oversees the development of all Ytech real estate projects, taking them from concept to completion while relying on his more than 30 years of experience in construction and development to ensure that projects are finished on time with the utmost diligence and attention to detail.
Mr. Breistol has led organizations and delivered projects that include; Fontainebleau II Hotel and Condominium Resort, 600 Brickell at Brickell World Plaza, the renovation of the Jackie Gleason Performing Arts Center in Miami Beach, the Miami Beach Convention Center and Sunrise Harbor in Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Breistol previously owned Florida Consulting Company, representing owners, contractors, developers and financial institutions in South Florida on various real estate, development and construction matters.
Mr. Breistol is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction. He has held a Florida Class-A general contractor’s license since 1991 and is active in the local community and various industry associations.
Andrew Kraynak oversees Ytech’s go-to-market strategy, which includes sales and marketing, and is also responsible for ensuring the company has the technology and information systems capable of fulfilling its long-term vision. He focuses on creating successful strategies, teams, processes, systems, and governance to take advantage of competitive opportunities and ensure a winning culture at Ytech.
Prior to joining Ytech, Mr. Kraynak’s work focused on helping venture capital and private equity-backed companies develop teams, positioning and go-to-market strategies that enabled smaller firms to successfully compete and win against larger, more established competitors. His work includes two successful exits, including technology unicorn Fleetmatics (currently marketed as VerizonConnect) where he led global marketing post-IPO. Previously, Mr. Kraynak led Adcom’s digital strategy, analytics and optimization practice serving home improvement brands Sherwin-Williams and Moen among others. He also worked for Cleveland Clinic, the second-ranked hospital in the US, where he led brand consolidation efforts and provided strategic marketing direction for cancer-related care.
Mr. Kraynak graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ohio University and has completed the University of Chicago’s Executive Program in Corporate Strategy.
Sarah Garrido Pooley maintains and grows Ytech’s reputation for exceptional luxury developments in Miami. She oversees all aspects of the company’s communication strategy, including internal and external global communications, corporate branding, and strategic brand partnerships.
Before joining Ytech in 2019, Mrs. Pooley was a managing director at Jeffrey Group, where she led corporate communications programs for Fortune 500 companies, including Marriott, PepsiCo and Airbus. Earlier in her career she worked on real estate and hospitality clients including Douglas Elliman, Rockefeller Group, and Mandarin Oriental. Mrs. Pooley also worked in media relations for Burson-Marsteller’s travel and tourism practice.
She holds a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing from New York University, where she served as a graduate-level instructor in integrated marketing. She also earned her Bachelor of Science in communications from Florida International University and completed an executive education course from Harvard Business School in Transforming Customer Experience.
Gustavo Barros is responsible for overseeing the financial activities of the company, implementing policies and procedures to ensure the proper accounting, and strategic use, of organizational funds. He is also responsible for treasury, human resources, corporate administration, and risk management.
Mr. Barros holds an Executive General Management degree from Harvard Business School and is a Magna Cum Laude graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida International University, where he also earned a Master of Science in International Real Estate and Real Estate Finance. He is also an alumni of the Leadership Institute at the Urban Land Institute of the Southeast/Caribbean.
Stuart T. Kapp is a founding partner of Kapp Morrison LLP, a boutique law firm focused on corporate and commercial real estate transactions in Florida and nationwide. He provides Ytech with expertise in corporate and real estate matters, including acquisitions, development and sales.
Previously Mr. Kapp worked at Proskauer Rose, where he was partner and head of the firm’s Florida real estate and corporate transactional practice. Mr. Kapp was named one of Florida’s Legal Elite by Florida Trend Magazine and is featured in Florida Super Lawyers. He is the founder and co-chair of the Commercial Real Estate Council, an organization consisting of South Florida’s leading commercial real estate lawyers.
He is a graduate of Cornell Law School and holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College. He also studied at the London School of Economics.
Gia Zapattini earned a Master of Architecture from University of Kansas, and a Master of Interior Architecture and Product Design from Kansas State University. By practicing as an architect and an interior designer, Gia brings over fifteen years of multidisciplinary, human-centered design thinking to her work.
Mrs. Zapattini has been actively engaged in the Miami AIA Chapter, and as leader in the A & D community, was President in 2018 and 2019 and is currently serving in the Executive Board. Gia is currently a member of the Urban Design Review Board of the City of Miami. The Board’s purpose is to review and recommend to the Director of Planning and Zoning based on Miami 21 Code, urban quality, compatibility and contribution to the architectural and social fabric of the City of Miami. This board has a direct impact in the urban fabric of the city of Miami.
Jack Henry Kapp manages Ytech’s acquisition strategy and helps locate, analyze, negotiate, and process the purchase of real estate properties that further our strategic vision.
Prior to joining Ytech, Mr. Kapp worked for Brookfield Asset Management, a global alternative asset manager with over $750 Billion under management. At Brookfield, Mr. Kapp was a key player on the firm’s hospitality investment team where he acquired, developed, and executed plans for several full-service and luxury hotels owned by Brookfield’s opportunity funds. Before Brookfield, Mr. Kapp worked for JBG, the largest owner of real estate in Washington, D.C., Eastdil Secured in London, and The Related Companies in New York City.
Mr. Kapp holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Finance, Accounting and Real Estate from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. He is a member of the Human Rights Campaign and an Emerging Entrepreneur on the Cornell Pillsbury Institute for Entrepreneurship Board.
Ana Despres heads Ytech’s creative direction and graphic design with the responsibility of concepting and executing the firm’s brand identity. With over fifteen years of experience working with institutions, individuals and companies, she leads a wide variety of design principles for Ytech including visual identity, art direction, digital and environmental.
Prior to joining Ytech, she worked at an international branding firm in New York where she was the graphic designer for luxury residential and commercial projects such as 60 White, St. Regis Bahia Beach, Ocean Bleu Miami, and Turnberry. Her discipline has taken her across the globe, giving her the opportunity to work in Argentina, France, Mexico, London, New York, and Miami.
Ana holds a Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design from the University of Buenos Aires. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in User Experience Design from ITBA, Buenos Aires.
Nabil Yidios plays a lead role in planning, executing, monitoring and closing out specific projects in connection with the company assets. His roles are vital to the implementation of programs to optimize asset, construction and property management.
Mr. Yidios holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance & International Business from Florida International University ,where he is also completing a Masters degree in Construction Management & Sustainability.
Our acquisitions team is strategic and knowledgeable, giving Ytech the edge to quickly assess, negotiate and close on investment opportunities. Ytech has a history of successfully identifying and purchasing underused commercial and residential real estate throughout the United States that our development and management teams transform into high-value assets for sale or long-term income.
Our internal finance professionals secure debt and equity for the investments that we make and developments that we build. Ytech’s treasury executives also ensure that we continue to be a self-sustaining company that secures capital through our income producing portfolio and through property sales.
Our development group guides projects from inception to completion. Ytech’s in-house experts manage all aspects of our real estate projects, from site evaluation to design and public approvals, from construction challenges to marketing and sales.
Ytech’s design team travels the globe to bring the most innovative designs and interior finishes to our projects. We collaborate with preeminent architects and top-tier interior designers to create the Ytech concept of enduring luxury investments.
Ytech’s heritage of excellence is ingrained in our construction managers, who oversee all areas of building, from design and preconstruction to finishes and turnover. Our team applies extraordinary thinking and deep expertise to guarantee the highest quality outcome.
Our sales department works in tandem with our marketing team to identify and meet the unique needs of our luxury customers. As a result, Ytech’s ability to build solid relationships with customers allows us to achieve maximum sales.
Ytech approaches property management from an ownership perspective to provide a complete range of services. Our proven property management expertise leads to consistently high occupancy rates and added value to our assets.
Ytech’s accomplished legal team provides high-level strategic counsel and support for transactional, corporate, land use, development, operational, and risk management matters with a commitment to results and compliance.
Ytech’s accounting department is responsible for internal policies, procedures and controls to ensure every department’s transactions are accurate and timely. The department maintains a separation of duties with complete transparency for all financial and tax reporting functions required by lenders.