The Disruptive Capitalists

Sam Sells
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

The Disruptive Capitalists – Where real estate meets innovation. Hosted by Sam Sells, impact investor and retired Air Force officer. We break down capital-raising, AI-driven investing, affordable housing solutions, and disruptive strategies to build wealth and impact. Featuring conversations with top investors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders in commercial real estate, multifamily investing, impact investing, and financial technology. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for real strategies — not theory.

  1. 6d ago

    How Billionaire Families Invest in Real Estate — From the Man They Trust | DJ Van Keuren

    70% of family wealth is gone by the second generation. 90% disappears by the third. DJ Van Keuren has seen it happen firsthand, including one family that lost $800 million in a single generation. DJ, Co-Founder of Evergreen Property Partners, President of the Harvard Real Estate Alumni Organization, Top 10 Family Office Real Estate Professional, and the Founder of the Family Office Real Estate Institute — joins Sam Sells for a rare inside look at how billionaire families invest, preserve, and sometimes lose their wealth. With 25+ years advising prominent families — including the Marriotts, the founder of Giorgio Perfume, and an MLB team owner — DJ breaks down family governance, the generational divide between returns-first and impact-first investing, and why the only three mandates he ever receives are: don't lose money, don't lose money, don't lose money. Sam and DJ also explore why patient family office capital is the ideal partner for impact-driven startups, how AI is reshaping investment strategy, and why nothing will ever replace face-to-face relationships. In this episode, you'll hear: → Why 70% of wealth is lost by Gen 2 — and the $800M loss DJ witnessed → How the next generation prioritizes saving the world over maximizing returns → The three mandates every family gives DJ: don't lose money (x3) → Family governance: how to structure a family for multi-generational success → Why family office portfolios target 7% — and how tax offsets boost to 10-15% → The generational risk divide: conservative real estate vs. PropTech → Why family offices are better partners than VC for impact companies → How AI is moving faster than even AI companies can keep up → Why face-to-face will always beat Zoom ⭐ Love the show? Leave a rating & review — it helps more people find us! 🔗 Connect with DJ Van Keuren: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djvankeuren Website: https://djvankeuren.com 🔗 Connect with Sam Sells: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelsells/ https://www.facebook.com/impactsamuel ⁠facebook.com/sam.sells.16⁠ ⁠instagram.com/thedisruptivecapitalists https://grantauthority.org https://impactgrowthcap.com https://brightstead.com 🔗 Follow The Disruptive Capitalists: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/id1644437927 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1I5tdqJNcxCB2Qiu1lfZyJ?si=4a4cf07923394bb9 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@disruptivecapitalists/podcasts Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDW71563?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PZGDSPN2ASGH1HR8PADY Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/PC:1001025132 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests. The content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Listeners should seek legal or professional advice before making any decisions based on the discussions in this podcast.

    19 min

  2. May 27

    He Quit IT After 25 Years and Built a $250M Real Estate Portfolio | Jens Nielsen

    After 25 years in IT and a midlife crisis at 45, Jens Nielsen made a decision that changed his life: he was done working for the man. A decade later, he's a general partner in 2,700+ apartments worth $250 million, co-founder of Incrementum Equity Partners, and a Certified High Performance Coach with over 100 clients. In this episode, Jens joins Sam Sells for an honest conversation about the state of real estate in 2026. He explains why he hasn't bought a multifamily deal in two years, why the old underwriting formulas are dead, and how he's finding double-digit cap rates in light industrial — an asset class most investors overlook. He also shares what his 82 year-old mentor taught him about surviving every market crash. Sam and Jens explore where AI is actually impacting real estate (property management), where it can't (title insurance — 99% accurate is still wrong), and how Jens uses his coder's brain to approach deals with the precision of writing code: one wrong character and the whole thing breaks. In this episode, you'll hear: → How Jens built $250M in real estate after leaving a 25-year IT career → Why he stopped buying multifamily and pivoted to light industrial → Double-digit cap rates and simpler management in industrial → Why the old underwriting formulas are dead → What 525 basis points in 18 months did to the market → The 82-year-old mentor who survived every crash → Where AI works in real estate and where it fails → The coder's brain: vision, clarity, and precision in deals and coaching → High performance coaching: vision before goals ⭐ Love the show? Leave a rating & review — it helps more people find us! 🔗 Connect with Jens Nielsen: https://www.facebook.com/jens.nielsen.5243 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jens-nielsen-multi-family-real-estate-coach/ https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@JensNielsenCoaching⁩  Website: https://jensnielsen.us Open Doors Capital: https://opendoorscapital.com Incrementum Equity: https://incrementumequity.com 🔗 Connect with Sam Sells: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelsells/ https://www.facebook.com/impactsamuel ⁠facebook.com/sam.sells.16⁠ instagram.com/thedisruptivecapitalists https://grantauthority.orghttps://impactgrowthcap.com https://brightstead.com 🔗 Follow The Disruptive Capitalists: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/id1644437927 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1I5tdqJNcxCB2Qiu1lfZyJ?si=4a4cf07923394bb9 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@disruptivecapitalists/podcasts Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDW71563?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PZGDSPN2ASGH1HR8PADY Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/PC:1001025132 Disclaimer:    The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests. The content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Listeners should seek legal or professional advice before making any decisions based on the discussions in this podcast.

    26 min

  3. May 18

    He Built Two 8-Figure Companies and Crashed Six. Here's What He Learned. | Tom Dunkel

    Tom Dunkel has built two 8-figure companies, crashed six, raised over $65 million in private capital, and survived the 2008 financial crisis as a brand-new entrepreneur. He's not here to tell you real estate always goes up. He's here to tell you what actually happens, and how to win anyway. As Managing Director of Eagle Capital Investments, Tom invests alongside his investors in every deal. If he's not writing a check, you never see it. In this raw conversation with Sam Sells, Tom breaks down the three lessons that cost him millions to learn: surround yourself with the right people, find a niche and dominate it, and go deep until you're the best in the country at one thing. He also introduces the SAFE Method (Sponsor, Asset, Financials, Exit), a due diligence framework that starts with the sponsor, not the spreadsheet. Because as Tom puts it, "If it's JoeDealGuy@Gmail.com, you probably want to move on." Sam matches the honesty, admitting that every bad deal he ever did was outside his niche, and both agree you shouldn't take mentoring from anyone who hasn't lost at least a million dollars. In this episode, you'll hear: → The 3 costly lessons: right people, niche, go deep → Why Tom crashed 6 businesses and what each failure taught him → The SAFE Method for vetting real estate deals → Why sponsor due diligence matters more than financials → Why you must fund your operators, or your investment is toast → The 2008 crisis, 525 basis points, and hard lessons learned → Why cash flow and preservation beat home run deals every time 🔗 Connect with Tom Dunkel: Website: eaglecapitalinvestments.com https://tomdunkel.ai https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdunkel instagram.com/dunkeltd Book: The Wealth Builder's Playbook 🔗 Connect with Sam Sells: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelsells/ https://www.facebook.com/impactsamuel ⁠facebook.com/sam.sells.16⁠ ⁠instagram.com/thedisruptivecapitalists https://grantauthority.org https://brightstead.com 🔗 Follow The Disruptive Capitalists: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/id1644437927 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1I5tdqJNcxCB2Qiu1lfZyJ?si=4a4cf07923394bb9 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@disruptivecapitalists/podcasts Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDW71563?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PZGDSPN2ASGH1HR8PADY Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/PC:1001025132 ⭐ Love the show? Leave a rating & review — it helps more people find us! Disclaimer:    The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests. The content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Listeners should seek legal or professional advice before making any decisions based on the discussions in this podcast.

    30 min

  4. May 13

    Your Money Is About to Become a Weapon Against You | David Morgan

    What happens when your money becomes programmable, and someone else decides what you can buy, where you can go, and how much meat you're allowed to eat? David Morgan, publisher of The Morgan Report, author of The Silver Manifesto, and creator of the Silver Sunrise documentary, has spent over 40 years warning that the real threat to our wealth isn't a market crash. It's the system itself. In this episode, David joins Sam Sells to break down why programmable money is coming, how China's social credit system is the beta test for the world, and why a billionaire in the new system could live like a pauper if they say the wrong thing online. He traces his journey from noticing silver disappear from U.S. coins at age 11 to becoming one of the most respected voices in the sound money movement — starting with a single subscriber who paid $60. David also introduces the technocratic era: a system where AI and engineers replace the political class, and everything you buy, say, and think is tracked. Sam confirms from inside the AI industry that the technology David warns about isn't hypothetical — it's already here. In this episode, you'll hear: → Why programmable money is the biggest threat to financial freedom → How China's cashless system is the global beta test → Why you could be a billionaire and live like a pauper under social credit → David's 40-year journey from "kook" to one of the most respected voices in sound money → The technocratic era: AI and engineers replacing politicians → How predictive analytics already track your every purchase → Why AI is not a bubble — it's the future → The connection between Elon Musk's grandfather and the technocracy movement 🔗 Connect with David Morgan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedavidmorgan/ Website: https://www.themorganreport.com Book: The Silver Manifesto 🎬 Watch Silver Sunrise for FREE: silversunrise.tv 🔗 Connect with Sam Sells: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelsells/ https://www.facebook.com/impactsamuel ⁠facebook.com/sam.sells.16⁠ ⁠instagram.com/thedisruptivecapitalists https://grantauthority.org https://brightstead.com 🔗 Follow The Disruptive Capitalists: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/id1644437927 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1I5tdqJNcxCB2Qiu1lfZyJ?si=4a4cf07923394bb9 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@disruptivecapitalists/podcasts Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDW71563?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PZGDSPN2ASGH1HR8PADY Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/PC:1001025132 ⭐ Love the show? Leave a rating & review — it helps more people find us! Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests. The content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Listeners should seek legal or professional advice before making any decisions based on the discussions in this podcast.

    21 min

  5. May 4

    AI Is Bigger Than the Internet. A Top VC Explains Why. | Mike Collins

    Mike Collins founded Alumni Ventures at 49. People called him crazy. Now it manages $1.5 billion in assets, has invested in 1,500+ companies including 31 unicorns and 14 IPOs, and is one of the most active VC firms on the planet. In this episode, Mike joins Sam Sells for a deep dive into the venture capital model he built to democratize access for individual investors, why AI represents a super cycle bigger than the internet, and why the Innovator's Dilemma guarantees that small, agile teams with AI will outpace giant incumbents at every inflection point. Mike also delivers sharp fundraising advice: secure a lead investor first, demonstrate real customer traction, and prove your product can't be swallowed by platform giants like OpenAI or Google. Sam adds his own perspective as a founder building AI tools for government grants, where hallucination filters aren't a feature — they're a regulatory requirement. In this episode, you'll hear: → How Mike built Alumni Ventures from a $1.5M Dartmouth alumni fund to a $1.5B unicorn → The co-investing model that gets AV into the best deals without leading rounds → Why AI is a super cycle with cross-industry impact bigger than the internet → The Innovator's Dilemma and why big companies lose at inflection points → Why durable advantage comes from staying on the leading capability curve → Moats AI can't break: live sports, human experiences, entrenched SaaS → Tactical fundraising advice for founders raising in 2026 → Why your startup feature must survive platform risk → Sam's hallucination filter for high-stakes government grant AI 🔗 Connect with Mike Collins: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-collins-362100/ Alumni Ventures: https://www.av.vc Twitter/X: @MikeCollinsAV 🔗 Connect with Sam Sells: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelsells/ https://www.facebook.com/impactsamuel ⁠facebook.com/sam.sells.16⁠ ⁠instagram.com/thedisruptivecapitalists https://grantauthority.org 🔗 Follow The Disruptive Capitalists: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/id1644437927 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1I5tdqJNcxCB2Qiu1lfZyJ?si=4a4cf07923394bb9 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@disruptivecapitalists/podcasts Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDW71563?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PZGDSPN2ASGH1HR8PADY Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/PC:1001025132 ⭐ Love the show? Leave a rating & review — it helps more people find us! Disclaimer:  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests. The content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Listeners should seek legal or professional advice before making any decisions based on the discussions in this podcast.

    29 min

  6. May 2

    He Donates a Portion of Every Deal He Closes. They Called Him Crazy. | Dru Wischhover

    Dru Wischhover, founder of Inspired Title Group, Inspired Development Group, and Winspire LLC — donates a portion of every single closing his companies do to community causes. His underwriters called him crazy. His colleagues said it wouldn't work. Twenty years later, that "crazy" decision is the foundation of everything he's built. In this deeply personal conversation with Sam Sells, Dru shares his journey from finance and SEC arbitration to title insurance and real estate development, his plan to build homes for people in need funded entirely by his companies, and the family legacy he's creating with all three of his kids working alongside him. He's also launching Heroes Helping Heroes, a nonprofit serving veterans, nurses, doctors, and frontline workers struggling with mental health. Dru and Sam go deep on the ROI obsession that's destroying generosity, the nonprofit transparency crisis, and why giving without expectation is the most powerful business strategy nobody teaches. Dru also shares the unforgettable story of his wealthy uncle who reuses bathwater and is the most miserable person he's ever met, proof that money alone doesn't create happiness. In this episode, you'll hear: → Why Dru donates from every closing, and how it became his competitive advantage → Heroes Helping Heroes: a new nonprofit for veterans and frontline workers → The dream of building homes for those in need, funded by his businesses → The rich uncle story that proves money doesn't equal happiness → Why the ROI obsession is killing generosity in business → Sam's USAID experience and the nonprofit transparency problem → AI tools cutting grant writing from 200 hours to 30 minutes → Why most people can give 10% and never feel it → The MRI machine story: good intentions aren't enough without listening 🔗 Connect with Dru Wischhover: Website: inspired-title.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dru-wischhover/ 🔗 Connect with Sam Sells: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelsells/ https://www.facebook.com/impactsamuel ⁠facebook.com/sam.sells.16⁠ ⁠instagram.com/thedisruptivecapitalists https://grantauthority.org 🔗 Follow The Disruptive Capitalists: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/id1644437927 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1I5tdqJNcxCB2Qiu1lfZyJ?si=4a4cf07923394bb9 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@disruptivecapitalists/podcasts Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDW71563?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PZGDSPN2ASGH1HR8PADY Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/PC:1001025132 ⭐ Love the show? Leave a rating & review — it helps more people find us! Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests. The content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Listeners should seek legal or professional advice before making any decisions based on the discussions in this podcast.

    30 min

  7. Apr 27

    Design That Builds Community: Multifamily Housing with Marcy Sagel

    Marcy Sagel, founder of MSA Interiors and one of the leading commercial interior designers in multifamily housing with over 30 years of experience, joins Sam Sells for a conversation that goes far beyond aesthetics. Marcy shares how working directly with residents before picking up a pencil changes the outcome of a project. When designers listen first, the result is spaces that actually serve the people living in them, and that connection pays off for developers too. Thoughtful, community-informed design increases property value, reduces turnover, and builds the kind of atmosphere that keeps residents in place for years. For developers and investors, that translates directly to stronger returns. Sam adds perspective on how community engagement creates real financial returns and shares his own transition from real estate to building technology that streamlines grant writing for underserved communities. In this episode, you'll hear: → Why collaborating with residents before designing changes everything → The financial case for community-informed interior design → Designing for senior living without sacrificing beauty → How good design strengthens the relationship between residents and their community → Bridging the gap between developers and the people they build for → Sam's grant-writing technology and the transition from real estate to tech 🔗 Connect with Marcy Sagel: Website: https://msainteriors.com/cleanmoney/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcysagel/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/msa-interiors/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msainteriors/ 🔗 Connect with Sam Sells: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelsells/ https://www.facebook.com/impactsamuel ⁠facebook.com/sam.sells.16⁠ ⁠instagram.com/thedisruptivecapitalists https://grantauthority.org 🔗 Follow The Disruptive Capitalists: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/id1644437927 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1I5tdqJNcxCB2Qiu1lfZyJ?si=4a4cf07923394bb9 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@disruptivecapitalists/podcasts Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDW71563?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PZGDSPN2ASGH1HR8PADY Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/PC:1001025132 ⭐ Love the show? Leave a rating & review — it helps more people find us! Disclaimer:    The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests. The content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Listeners should seek legal or professional advice before making any decisions based on the discussions in this podcast.

    24 min

  8. Apr 24

    Your 401(k) Is a Trap — And Nobody's Telling You | Joey Mure

    Joey Mure, co-founder of Wealth Without Wall Street and author of "Wealth Without Wall Street: 3 Steps to Freedom Through Passive Income" — joins Sam Sells for a conversation that challenges everything you've been told about retirement and financial security. Joey makes a bold case: the 401(k) was never designed to make you wealthy. It was designed to shift retirement risk from corporations to you. Instead, Joey advocates for a radically different formula — passive income greater than monthly expenses equals financial freedom. It's the same formula that helped him build over $50,000/month in passive income. Sam adds his own perspective, sharing how growing up in poverty shaped his understanding of money and why trading time for money is a dead end. Together, they discuss the importance of financial education, why younger generations are rejecting traditional work models, and how AI-driven tools can help people access grants and government resources they didn't know existed. In this episode, you'll hear: → Why the 401(k) is failing workers by design → The passive income formula that changed Joey's life → Why more income doesn't equal financial freedom → Sam's journey from poverty to understanding passive income → Why Gen Z and millennials are done with the traditional system → AI-driven tools for accessing grants and government contracts → How to build structured financial systems for independence 🔗 Connect with Joey Mure: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-mure-b376824/ https://www.facebook.com/wealthwithoutwallstreet https://www.instagram.com/wealthwithoutwallst https://go.wealthwithoutwallstreet.com/disruptive-capitalist 🔗 Connect with Sam Sells https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelsells/ https://www.facebook.com/impactsamuel ⁠facebook.com/sam.sells.16⁠ ⁠instagram.com/thedisruptivecapitalists https://grantauthority.org 🔗 Follow The Disruptive Capitalists: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/id1644437927 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1I5tdqJNcxCB2Qiu1lfZyJ?si=4a4cf07923394bb9 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@disruptivecapitalists/podcasts Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDW71563?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_PZGDSPN2ASGH1HR8PADY Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-disruptive-capitalists/PC:1001025132 ⭐ Love the show? Leave a rating & review — it helps more people find us! Disclaimer:    The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests. The content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. Listeners should seek legal or professional advice before making any decisions based on the discussions in this podcast.

    22 min
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5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

The Disruptive Capitalists – Where real estate meets innovation. Hosted by Sam Sells, impact investor and retired Air Force officer. We break down capital-raising, AI-driven investing, affordable housing solutions, and disruptive strategies to build wealth and impact. Featuring conversations with top investors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders in commercial real estate, multifamily investing, impact investing, and financial technology. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for real strategies — not theory.

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