Our Team
Avanti Capital is led by a small, highly experienced team grounded in entrepreneurship, long-term thinking, and disciplined decision-making. As a private family office, we operate with intention and discretion, combining decades of cross-industry experience with a hands-on approach to investing and partnership.
Our team works closely with founders, operators, and collaborators, prioritizing trust, alignment, and thoughtful execution. We believe strong outcomes are built through relationships, rigorous diligence, and a shared commitment to sustainable growth and positive impact.
Alexis Khazzam
Founder & Chairman
Alexis is an entrepreneur and investor with more than three decades of experience building companies and investment partnerships across real estate, technology, energy, and private markets in the United States and Europe.
Over the course of his career, he has founded and exited multiple businesses across diverse industries, including Cualinet Software Solutions, Junction City Lifestyle Center, and Alpha Jeep & Motorsports. His work has focused on identifying opportunities in evolving markets and partnering with operators to create durable, long-term value. He serves as Principal at e2 Companies and Chief Investment Officer of 3rd Wave Development, a long-standing real estate partnership with the Hollis Family Trust.
Committed to mentorship and community impact, Alexis founded AppsCo, a nonprofit initiative providing Central Illinois public high school students with paid entrepreneurial and technology training, and serves as Chairman of the Board of the Aenigma Foundation.
Originally from Milan, he is fluent in Italian, Spanish, and English — and is widely known for being in a good mood every day.
Alexis Khazzam
Founder & Chairman
Alexis is an entrepreneur and investor with more than three decades of experience building companies and investment partnerships across real estate, technology, energy, and private markets in the United States and Europe.
Over the course of his career, he has founded and exited multiple businesses across diverse industries, including Cualinet Software Solutions, Junction City Lifestyle Center, and Alpha Jeep & Motorsports. His work has focused on identifying opportunities in evolving markets and partnering with operators to create durable, long-term value. He serves as Principal at e2 Companies and Chief Investment Officer of 3rd Wave Development, a long-standing real estate partnership with the Hollis Family Trust.
Committed to mentorship and community impact, Alexis founded AppsCo, a nonprofit initiative providing Central Illinois public high school students with paid entrepreneurial and technology training, and serves as Chairman of the Board of the Aenigma Foundation.
Originally from Milan, he is fluent in Italian, Spanish, and English — and is widely known for being in a good mood every day.
Alexis Khazzam
Founder & Chairman
Alexis is an entrepreneur and investor with more than three decades of experience building companies and investment partnerships across real estate, technology, energy, and private markets in the United States and Europe.
Over the course of his career, he has founded and exited multiple businesses across diverse industries, including Cualinet Software Solutions, Junction City Lifestyle Center, and Alpha Jeep & Motorsports. His work has focused on identifying opportunities in evolving markets and partnering with operators to create durable, long-term value. He serves as Principal at e2 Companies and Chief Investment Officer of 3rd Wave Development, a long-standing real estate partnership with the Hollis Family Trust.
Committed to mentorship and community impact, Alexis founded AppsCo, a nonprofit initiative providing Central Illinois public high school students with paid entrepreneurial and technology training, and serves as Chairman of the Board of the Aenigma Foundation.
Originally from Milan, he is fluent in Italian, Spanish, and English — and is widely known for being in a good mood every day.
Stella Khazzam Hobbs
Managing Partner
Stella is Managing Partner of Avanti Capital, where she oversees the firm’s strategy, operations, governance, and long-term capital stewardship across a portfolio spanning real estate, private equity, venture, operating businesses, and philanthropy.
Stella leads end-to-end investment execution — from sourcing and underwriting through structuring and ongoing performance oversight — and manages the firm’s cross-border legal, tax, and compliance frameworks in coordination with external counsel and financial advisors. She built Avanti Capital’s institutional infrastructure from inception, establishing governance and stakeholder frameworks, reporting norms, and serving as the firm’s primary liaison across family principals, advisors, and external partners.
Prior to Avanti, Stella served as Project Manager at Tiger Chark, a boutique consulting firm focused on corporate matchmaking in luxury retail and hospitality, reporting directly to the Founder and CEO. Earlier in her career, she held a recruiting coordination role at Citadel within the Global Credit Business Development team. She also serves as Secretary of the Aenigma Foundation, supporting the Viviana Goren Khazzam Communications Fellowship.
Stella holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Administration from Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business and is a dual U.S. and E.U. citizen, bilingual in English and Spanish.
Stella Khazzam Hobbs
Managing Partner
Stella Khazzam Hobbs is a Managing Partner at Avanti Capital, where she plays a central role in the firm’s day-to-day operations, strategic execution, and long-term vision. Working closely with the family, Stella helps ensure that Avanti’s investments, partnerships, and philanthropic initiatives are managed with discipline, consistency, and a high standard of professionalism.
At Avanti Capital, Stella is involved across the full lifecycle of the firm’s activities, from operational oversight and portfolio support to external coordination with investment partners, operators, and advisors. Her approach reflects Avanti’s broader philosophy: thoughtful decision-making, strong relationships, and careful stewardship of capital over time.
Stella’s background spans operations, brand strategy, and project management across real estate development, consumer brands, and institutional organizations. She also serves as Operations Manager for Third Wave Development, Avanti Capital’s real estate development arm, where she supports multifamily and mixed-use projects in Florida through close coordination with development teams and operating partners.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, a program known for its emphasis on operational excellence, leadership, and service-driven business models. This foundation informs Stella’s structured, detail-oriented approach and her ability to balance execution with long-term strategy.
Stella brings a collaborative, steady presence to Avanti Capital and is deeply aligned with the firm’s commitment to integrity, discretion, and meaningful impact across both investment and philanthropic efforts.
Nicholas (Nico) Khazzam
Chief Philanthropic Officer
Nico leads Avanti Capital’s philanthropic strategy as President of the Aenigma Foundation, an organization advancing research and science communication in brain science, geroscience, and longevity. In this capacity, he oversees foundation governance and strategy, including the Viviana Goren Khazzam Communications Fellowship, launched in honor of his grandmother.
Nicholas is a J.D. candidate at the University of Miami School of Law. He holds a graduate degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California and a B.A. from Rollins College, where he earned a Fulbright Scholarship. His background spans legal research, journalism, and real estate development through prior work with 3rd Wave Development.
Nicholas (Nico) Khazzam
Chief Philanthropic Officer
Nico leads Avanti Capital’s philanthropic strategy as President of the Aenigma Foundation, an organization advancing research and science communication in brain science, geroscience, and longevity. In this capacity, he oversees foundation governance and strategy, including the Viviana Goren Khazzam Communications Fellowship, launched in honor of his grandmother.
Nicholas is a J.D. candidate at the University of Miami School of Law. He holds a graduate degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California and a B.A. from Rollins College, where he earned a Fulbright Scholarship. His background spans legal research, journalism, and real estate development through prior work with 3rd Wave Development.
Nicholas (Nico) Khazzam
Chief Philanthropic Officer
Nico leads Avanti Capital’s philanthropic strategy as President of the Aenigma Foundation, an organization advancing research and science communication in brain science, geroscience, and longevity. In this capacity, he oversees foundation governance and strategy, including the Viviana Goren Khazzam Communications Fellowship, launched in honor of his grandmother.
Nicholas is a J.D. candidate at the University of Miami School of Law. He holds a graduate degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California and a B.A. from Rollins College, where he earned a Fulbright Scholarship. His background spans legal research, journalism, and real estate development through prior work with 3rd Wave Development.
Elizabeth Leiter Khazzam
President
Elizabeth is a civic leader and entrepreneur with a career spanning over 25 years in real estate development, municipal governance, and community investment.
She has served as a Trustee for the Village of Peoria Heights since 2015, where her tenure has included championing property tax reductions, attracting commercial development, and helping secure over $200 million in state and federal grants for housing and infrastructure. Her work on the Village Board spans economic development, public safety, and local entrepreneurship, including sustained support for the Business Boot Camp program at District 325, which gives local high school students paid business experience.
Prior to her role on the village board, Elizabeth played an integral role in the redevelopment of Junction City Lifestyle Center, helping transform a distressed asset into a thriving retail destination for the broader Peoria community. There she played a key role in design, sustainable growth, and championing female-owned business.
She currently serves on the board of Proctor Place Senior Living and has previously served on the boards of Peoria Academy and First Federated Church. She is a graduate of Boston University, a practitioner of interior design, and an active member of several civic organizations including the DAR, NSCD Illinois, Peoria Woman’s Club, Women’s Athletic Club of Chicago, and the Boca Grande Women’s Club.
Elizabeth Leiter Khazzam
President
Elizabeth is a civic leader and entrepreneur with a career spanning over 25 years in real estate development, municipal governance, and community investment.
She has served as a Trustee for the Village of Peoria Heights since 2015, where her tenure has included championing property tax reductions, attracting commercial development, and helping secure over $200 million in state and federal grants for housing and infrastructure. Her work on the Village Board spans economic development, public safety, and local entrepreneurship, including sustained support for the Business Boot Camp program at District 325, which gives local high school students paid business experience.
Prior to her role on the village board, Elizabeth played an integral role in the redevelopment of Junction City Lifestyle Center, helping transform a distressed asset into a thriving retail destination for the broader Peoria community. There she played a key role in design, sustainable growth, and championing female-owned business.
She currently serves on the board of Proctor Place Senior Living and has previously served on the boards of Peoria Academy and First Federated Church. She is a graduate of Boston University, a practitioner of interior design, and an active member of several civic organizations including the DAR, NSCD Illinois, Peoria Woman’s Club, Women’s Athletic Club of Chicago, and the Boca Grande Women’s Club.
Matti LeMoine
Administrative Manager
Matti LeMoine
Administrative Manager
Matti LeMoine
Administrative Manager
Matteo Burr Khazzam
Chief Investment Officer
Matteo is the Chief Investment Officer at Avanti Capital, where he leads investment analysis and due diligence across the firm’s portfolio. He evaluates prospective investments spanning real estate, private equity, venture, and emerging sectors, and contributes directly to the firm’s capital allocation decisions.
Matteo also serves as Vice President of the Aenigma Foundation. He is currently completing his undergraduate studies at Rollins College.
Matteo Burr Khazzam
Chief Investment Officer
Matteo is the Chief Investment Officer at Avanti Capital, where he leads investment analysis and due diligence across the firm’s portfolio. He evaluates prospective investments spanning real estate, private equity, venture, and emerging sectors, and contributes directly to the firm’s capital allocation decisions.
Matteo also serves as Vice President of the Aenigma Foundation. He is currently completing his undergraduate studies at Rollins College.
Matteo Burr Khazzam
Chief Investment Officer
Matteo is the Chief Investment Officer at Avanti Capital, where he leads investment analysis and due diligence across the firm’s portfolio. He evaluates prospective investments spanning real estate, private equity, venture, and emerging sectors, and contributes directly to the firm’s capital allocation decisions.
Matteo also serves as Vice President of the Aenigma Foundation. He is currently completing his undergraduate studies at Rollins College.