Opportunities in Chaos with Elijah Brown

Jerdin Lindquist of MDL Group grew his transaction volume from 1 million in 2024 to a projected 30 million plus in 2026, and most of that story runs through industrial outdoor storage.
In this episode, Elijah and Jerdin break down why land scarcity around the Strip has made 50 year old industrial parcels ten times more valuable, how an IOS site goes from raw dirt to leased asset in three to six months, and why 1031 exchange investors are paying compressed cap rates for paved land on triple net leases.
Topics covered:
Intro and Jerdin’s path from UNLV to MDL GroupFrom 1 million to 30 million: building a team in CREWhat industrial outdoor storage is and who needs itLand scarcity near the Strip and the Chinatown redevelopment storyIOS economics: per acre values, rents, and cap ratesDue diligence: location, zoning, ingress and egress, dust ordinancesLas Vegas industrial: 9 percent vacancy with positive absorption, explained3PLs, drive times, and why tenants stay southAdvising 1031 exchange and cash investors on IOS dealsTariffs, onshoring, and manufacturers looking at Nevada

In this episode of Opportunities in Chaos, host Elijah Brown sits down with Cristan Rosales of Desert Forge Ventures to talk about the venture capital landscape in Las Vegas. Startup Genome moved Las Vegas up to the 21 to 30 range among the world's emerging startup ecosystems in a single year.
The conversation looks at what is driving that growth, why local growth capital is still limited, and what it takes for Las Vegas to become a true venture hub.
Topics covered:
Cristan's path from the Rebel Venture Fund at UNLV into venture capital
How Desert Forge Ventures sources and diligences startups
TensorWave and the AI infrastructure being built in Las Vegas
Capital efficiency in Southern Nevada and how VC compares to commercial real estate
Space tech, defense, and physical AI
What Las Vegas offers founders beyond gaming and hospitality

In this episode of Opportunities in Chaos, host Elijah Brown sits down with Espen Hild of MDL Group, a CRE retail leasing broker, to talk through what's actually happening in retail real estate right now.
The conversation covers retail vacancy myths versus reality, how cap rates work across different asset classes, borrowing activity and debt capital markets, and how DSTs and 1031 exchanges connect to the retail space.
Topics covered:
Espen's background and path into retail leasing
Why retail vacancy is near multi-year lows, despite the headlines
How cap rates work, and why retail sits among the highest of any asset class
Borrowing activity and debt capital markets in the current rate environment
How Delaware statutory trusts and 1031 exchanges connect to retail real estate

In the first episode of Opportunities in Chaos, host Elijah Brown sits down with Sebastian Ladao, Investor Relations Analyst, to talk through his path across acquisitions, equity research, wealth management, and investment banking.
The conversation covers private credit, maturity walls, how AI is changing analyst work in finance and commercial real estate, and how all of it connects back to the DST and 1031 exchange space.
Topics covered:
Private credit and maturity walls
AI use in finance and commercial real estate analysis
Career paths across acquisitions, equity research, and investment banking
How DSTs and 1031 exchanges fit into the broader finance conversation