Alice Benner

Principal, Managing Director
Bamboo Equity Partners

Location: Creve Coeur, MO
Founded: 2012
Industry: Real Estate Investments

Alice Benner focuses on leadership skills, management and most importantly mentorship.

“For me the status quo was never acceptable,” said Benner, principal and managing director, Bamboo Equity Partners, a private equity real estate company. “We are a society pushing for education, productivity and innovation, and that will unite us and set us up for success in the future.”

Becoming an owner just over five years ago, Benner joined Bamboo with more than a decade of experience in corporate and institutional asset management. Today, she manages all aspects of Bamboo’s business and investment activities and implements the firm’s strategic objectives, in addition to collaborating on acquisitions, strategic planning, project development, portfolio optimization and real estate technologies.

Benner explained this strategy focuses on acquiring and repositioning undervalued real estate investments using entrepreneurial strategies. She added that key regional properties acquired include: Clayton Plaza, Ballas Place, Parkway Tower and 5651 Phantom.

She also helped execute the successful repositioning and disposition of assets, including the Conway Business Center in Chesterfield that went from 80 percent to 97 percent occupancy before it was sold in August 2019. Bamboo Equity Partners investors have realized gains of more than $20 million since Benner joined and have seen value creation of close to 46% since inception. The total value of all Bamboo properties exceeds more than $230 million.

Benner said she envisions the firm will establish itself as one of the nation’s leading micro-real estate managers. “You must take risks to be successful and to reward investors,” Benner said.

And there is no denying that Benner’s true passion is people.

As sponsorship chair for CREW-St. Louis, she raised more than $300,000, a record for the region’s premier real estate organization. She is active in marketing to the community with investor education events and is a visiting professor for her alma mater, the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Her philanthropic interests include serving on the board of directors for the Cancer Support Community of St. Louis. She is a founding member of the Saint Louis Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, a board member of Southside Early Childhood Center, and a councilperson in Ward 3 for the City of Creve Coeur, MO. The company has been recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as Best Places to Work, with an emphasis on work/life balance, community involvement and incentive programs.

Benner said her leadership style is based on staying curious, exploring ideas, and challenging positions and thoughts.

“Growing our team and nurturing their skills and passions has driven our investment performance and success to new levels,” Benner said. “Most days I need to pinch myself at what we have accomplished.