About 
scend Property Group
scend Property GroupAscend Property Group is a privately held real estate firm based in New York City. Since its founding in 2013, Ascend has partnered in the development of over $1 billion in real estate assets.
Our roots are in banking – specifically lending – so we look at each opportunity from an underwriter’s perspective. If a conservative bank wouldn’t invest in a project then it is not likely to be one that we would select.
Ascend entered the real estate market as fund manager, becoming equity partners in major New York City development projects, by raising funds from individual investors.
We boldly entered the development arena identifying and co-developing major projects in the southeast.
Our focus is on the development of assets in emerging markets with high-growth potential. We systematically and strategically identify target markets based on our curated model and pursue assets that have strong potential and may have been overlooked by other developers and investors.
Executive Team
Dan Shields
President and CEO
Dan Shields
A seasoned banker, investment manager and attorney with over 25 years of successful experience, Dan excels at identifying and structuring debt and investment opportunities for institutional and high net worth investors that offer above market returns and significant downside protection.
With a background in law and credit, Mr. Shields applies a unique risk mitigation approach to real estate development that is attractive to investors and lenders seeking well-considered and thoughtful projects.
As principal of AscendAmerica, a company he founded and directs, Dan served as an integral member of various real estate development teams, providing equity for large-scale development projects totaling over 4 million square feet and nearly $1B in cost. Most notably, under Dan’s leadership, AscendAmerica is a participant in the Domino Sugar redevelopment project, a ground-up construction project of a master-planned, mixed-use (primarily multi-family), rental community of five buildings on the East River waterfront, in Brooklyn, NY.
Mr. Shields received an M.B.A from the Wharton School of Business and a J.D. from Cardozo School of Law. He practiced as a real estate associate at Paul Weiss, an international law firm and subsequently was a senior executive at M&T Bank, a top 25 commercial bank noted for its strong credit culture, where he managed an $8 billion loan portfolio and a team of 40 lenders and portfolio managers.
Anne Holzer
Chief Operating Officer
Anne Holzer
Anne is creative, analytical, organized, energetic and, above all else, detail-oriented. This unique blend of talents along with 25 years of involvement in a combination of the marketing, real estate and finance industries, gives her the experience and expertise to create a clear and strategic framework, that delivers measurable results.
Experienced in varied industries from non-profits to finance where compliance and discretion is of utmost importance, Anne understands the need for due diligence and adherence to policy.
A graduate of Yeshiva University, Anne began her career in the media and marketing, planning and executed marketing initiatives for global brands including Coca-Cola, Proctor & Gamble and GlaxoSmithKline before moving over to the financial domain. Her ability to blend a strategic approach with a creative outlook brings a perfectly balanced to the projects she directs.