The team behind
the grid
Decades of ground-up development, mission-critical construction, capital markets and institutional finance — now pointed at the fastest-growing asset class in America: data centers and the power that drives them.
Capital & Site Strategy
David Kulkarni
David is a principal of Ascendant, where he directs capital formation and site strategy for the firm's data center platform — sourcing land, structuring institutional capital and aligning power and infrastructure partners behind each campus.
He brings two decades of institutional real estate finance to digital infrastructure. David previously sourced and developed over 4,000 units, served as Managing Director at Stout Risius Ross Advisors specializing in real estate investment banking, and as Senior Managing Director of HFBE Capital raised more than $400 million in institutional equity, financing over $1 billion in acquisitions and new development, alongside $1 billion in closed M&A transactions.
Investments & Power
Richard Owen
Richard is a principal of Ascendant, where he leads investments and the legal and commercial structuring behind the firm's data center campuses — from land control and entitlements to power procurement and energy agreements.
A mechanical engineer turned dealmaker, Richard has owned and developed over 5,000 units and previously served as General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Investments at Asset Living, a manager of over 60,000 units and 140,000 student housing beds across the US, Mexico and Colombia. He began his career in the corporate and finance groups of Milbank, McDermott Will & Emery and Latham & Watkins.
Mission-Critical Delivery
Sterling LaGuarta
Sterling is the President of Ascendant Construction, where he oversees the delivery of the firm's mission-critical facilities — the schedules, trades and quality controls that bring high-density, AI-ready capacity online on time.
He brings more than 25 years of construction management experience and over 15,000 units built, having managed projects from every position in the field since starting as an assistant superintendent in 1998 — including eight years as Vice President of Construction at Mill Creek Residential Trust overseeing the Houston and Austin regions, with prior tenures at Morgan Group and Trammell Crow Residential.
Finance & Controls
Nancy Kovar
Nancy is the Chief Financial Officer of Ascendant, leading financial operations, reporting and controls for the firm's data center development platform and its institutional capital partners.
She brings over 40 years of financial leadership in real estate. Prior to Ascendant, Nancy co-supervised the campus accounting department at Asset Living — leading a team of 27 financial professionals across 150+ properties — and served 25 years as CFO of Chancellor Property Management. She began her career in public accounting as an auditor with Kenneth Leventhal and Company.
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