Meet the Team
With years of proven success, our team has the experience, expertise, and insight to identify valuable real estate investment opportunities. Each of our team members has a unique ability and perspective that contributes to Prana Equities’ continued success.
Katherine Cartagena
CEO & Founder
Katherine Cartegena is a Real Estate Professional & the Founder of Prana Equities. Her dynamic talent to source, structure and negotiate real estate opportunities has led her to establishing one of the fastest growing Real Estate Investment Firms in the United States.
Before establishing Prana Equities, Katherine worked in investment banking where she specialized in arranging debt & equity financing for commercial real estate transactions. In 2011, Cartagena led a private equity real estate expansion division in Latin America which was focused on investment opportunities in Colombia & Panama.
The successful entrepreneur graduated Suma Cum Laude from New York University (NYU) with a Masters degree in Real Estate Finance & Investments. Katherine was also a semifinalist in the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Real Estate Case Competition in 2016 — Representing New York University. During her studies, the scholar was awarded (2) scholarships: The Association of Real Estate Women Scholarship and New York Women in Real Estate — a WX scholarship.
Betsy Salih
Asset Manager
Betsy Salih is an American Real Estate Professional with executive experience in asset management. Salih sits as a Senior Asset manager with Prana Equities, where she oversees asset & portfolio growth of Prana Equity holdings.
The talented professional is responsible for Prana Equity’s fast growing portfolio through her role in effective strategy implementation. The result of Betsy’s precise implementation has resulted in profitable expansion of Prana Equity’s diverse portfolio which includes office, industrial, retail & multifamily assets.
Stephanie Grandelli
Asset & Project Manager
Stephanie Grandelli is a Real Estate professional with a variety of experience & assignments ranging from ground-up new construction to historical renovations. In her career, she has focused on urban commercial development and planning in New York City & outer boroughs within the greater New York Metropolitan area. Grandelli is known as a well rounded advisor in the range of commercial construction project applications, which she has proven throughout her successful career.
Grandelli’s specialty in commercial management projects includes: Early stage pre-construction, conceptual design planning, & project timeline execution(s). Stephanie aligns her insight & capabilities to clients, design professionals, & project-related personnel to ensure projects are implemented & executed.
The successful Real Estate Advisor holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from George Washington University & Masters Degree in Real Estate Development from New York University.
Daniel Francess
Advisor
Daniel Francess is a Real Estate Entrepreneur & Investor with experience in purchasing, selling, & selecting various real estate asset classes across Hudson County. Francess sits as the founder and MD of Francess Investment Company. The successful Real Estate professional is known for his unique skill set which includes: Obtaining financing, Deal structuring, Sourcing & acquiring property, & asset management.
Francess has participated in over 170 complex real estate related transactions throughout his career — In various asset classes such as Industrial, Hotel, Multifamily & office. Prior to founding Francess Investment Company, Dan worked with institutional real estate acquisitions for a top ranked real estate private equity firm.
Francess holds a Masters Degree from NYU in Real Estate Investing.
Daniel Yaghoubi
Advisor
Daniel Yaghoubi is an American Entrepreneur & the founder of Pop-Bar — A gourmet gelato shop with over 40 locations nationwide. The successful entrepreneur is an integral leader within the organization & a large reason why the company has succeeded through franchise expansion.
As of 2017, Yaghoubi began to expand his empire further by venturing into Construction & Real Estate Development. By doing so, Yaghoubi has successfully allocated, sourced & built 100 luxury apartments in the heart of Brooklyn. NY.
Since his establishment into real estate, Yaghoubi has continued to grow in his Real Estate endeavors. In 2021 Daniel began investing in industrial real estate in out of state markets & plans to continue to grow his holdings throughout 2022 & beyond.