The culture at Sharestates, a real estate crowdfunding platform based in Great Neck, N.Y., is best described as a fun-loving, family environment. The Sharestates team is tight-knit and values kindness, respect, commitment, and a dose of good humor.
After two years of building a network of investors and borrowers, co-founders Allen Shayanfekr, Radni Davoodi, and Raymond Davoodi officially launched the Sharestates platform in February 2015. In the five years since, Sharestates has grown into a powerhouse lending platform that has closed over 2,800 loans worth 2.5 billion.
Behind this growth is a dedicated team who have kept the Sharestates values of kindness, respect, and commitment alive since day one. Rooted in the idea of family, the team values quality time over shared meals. Sharestates employees take part in everything from informal birthday lunches to monthly team outings and barbecues. The love of food and a shared meal is a small but important part of creating a sense of family at Sharestates.
Within this work family, Sharestates is committed to upholding diversity and inclusion as central to its culture. It demonstrates this commitment by hiring a diverse staff and creating a dynamic, respectful environment where every team member feels empowered to share their ideas. And, as a team that loves to break bread together, Sharestates employees are encouraged to celebrate their cultural backgrounds through food at company potluck dinners.
This positive team culture is reinforced by giving back to the community together. For example, last year, Sharestates raised $100,000 for children in need at its annual charity poker tournament benefiting Share4Kids. This year, in lieu of in-person fundraising, employees have been working to give back to essential workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic on the front-lines. Employees switched gears from crowdfunding real estate deals to crowdfunding donations to feed workers at local hospitals.
In addition to adapting its fund-raising efforts, the team continues to stay close during the pandemic with virtual happy hours and trivia nights. Sharestates’ leadership believes the closeness of its team is fundamental to the success of the company. Its unique culture enables employees to not just love what they do, but also love their job and take pride in where they work.
