The Ridgehouse Team

A vision requires a team to unite in purpose and create actionable strategies toward success. Each Ridgehouse Companies team member works to align our resources, collaborate with industry partners and manage projects from start to finish. We remain dynamic and forward-thinking in construction, development, investment and acquisition. 

Michael J. Sansone

Co-Founder, Managing Principal

Michael J. Sansone is co-founder and managing principal of Ridgehouse Companies. He is a St. Louis native and grew up immersed in the real estate industry. Now, Sansone has over a decade of finance, asset management and real estate investment and development experience.

Sansone leads the expansion of Ridgehouse Companies, creating strategic plans and maintaining oversight over all aspects of the Ridgehouse Platform. He earned his BS/BA from the University of Missouri, Columbia and his MBA from Webster University in St. Louis.

Matthew E. Walla

Co-Founder, Principal

Matthew E. Walla is co-founder and principal of Ridgehouse Companies. Walla is a St. Louis native and has worked for over a decade in the finance and accounting sectors of property development. Walla oversees the day-to-day management of financial operations, asset management and capital and debt financing for the Ridgehouse Companies portfolio.

Prior to founding Ridgehouse, Walla was the Chief Investment Officer of Sangita Capital Partners. Walla earned his BSAcc/MAcc in Accountancy from the University of Missouri, Columbia and his MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Walter Olszewski

President of Ridgehouse Construction

Walter Olszewski has been developing, constructing and supervising projects in property development industries for over 20 years. He has been responsible for contractors’ daily operations, controlling budgets, negotiating subcontracts and working with local and state agencies. He provides day-to-day communication with the project team and owners to ensure jobs remain on schedule and within budget.

Throughout his multifamily development career, Olszewski has completed construction of 16 communities in seven states totaling more than 3,100 units and over $830,000,000 in projects. Olszewski attended both Saint Louis University and University of Missouri, St. Louis and holds a Journey Level certificate in Carpentry.

Kevin O'Keefe

Kevin O’Keefe

Chief Investment Officer

Kevin O’Keefe is Ridgehouse’s Chief Investment Officer. In this role, he oversees financial modeling, sourcing new investment opportunities, asset management and capital partner relations. O’Keefe holds a strong background in financial strategy, investment analysis and capital management — making him integral to Ridgehouse’s growth and success. 

O’Keefe previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of Saint Louis Bank, where he managed financial strategy and operations. Prior to that, he spent two decades as a buy-side research investment analyst, specializing in financial services at several long-only funds and hedge funds. O’Keefe received two bachelor’s degrees from Georgetown University. 

Kris Skelton

Regional Vice President of Construction

Kris Skelton is a Regional Vice President for Ridgehouse Construction. As a Regional Vice President, Skelton oversees all aspects of each project in our east region.  He is involved in planning and managing from the beginning stage, preconstruction, to the final stage, certificate of occupancy, of all projects in his region.

He has 25 years of experience ranging from hands-on field work to project management of commercial, multifamily, and single family constructions.

Matt Limpert

Regional Vice President of Construction

Matt Limpert is a Regional Vice President for Ridgehouse Construction. As a Regional Vice President, Limpert oversees all aspects of each project in our west region.  He is involved in planning and managing from the beginning stage, preconstruction, to the final stage, certificate of occupancy, of all projects in his region.

Limpert earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Missouri, St. Louis and has since acquired his NASCLA and ICC building certifications.

Julie Garcia

Director of Leasing and Marketing

Julie Garcia serves as the Leasing and Marketing Director at Ridgehouse Companies. With over 15 years of property management experience, she specializes in class-A new developments across diverse markets nationwide. From the outset of construction, Garcia conducts current market studies and devises pricing strategies for each new community. As projects transition from construction to management, Garcia plays a pivotal role in ensuring a seamless shift, directing management from initial lease-up through stabilization.

Anthony Kifue

Anthony Kifue

Development Finance Manager

As development finance manager, Anthony Kifue immerses himself in financial modeling, asset management, underwriting, due diligence and market research. His work ensures top-notch portfolio performance for Ridgehouse, empowering value generation and net positive returns for stakeholders. 

Previously, Kifue gained management consulting and private equity experience across three continents, including Africa, the Middle East and the United States. His global perspective lends itself well to optimizing Ridgehouse’s strategies and processes. Kifue holds an MBA in Finance from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s in project management from Saint Louis University.

Nicholas Van Sciever

Development Associate

Nicholas Van Sciever is a Development Associate for Ridgehouse Companies.  Van Sciever has 8 years of experience in the real estate industry, specifically in the pursuit of multifamily developments.  His role with Ridgehouse will focus on the Southwest and Midwest markets and include sourcing new development opportunities through market analysis, site selection, underwriting, contract negotiation, entitlement, and due diligence review.

Van Sciever graduated with a Business Administration Managerial Finance and Real Estate degree from the University of Mississippi.

 

Michelle Galloway

Michelle Galloway

Project Accountant

As a project accountant, Michelle Galloway is responsible for the accounting aspects of Ridgehouse’s multifamily projects. She processes A/P, A/R, tracking insurance, lien waivers and more. Additionally, she supports the Ridgehouse Construction team by monitoring project progress, investigating variances, approving expenses and ensuring billing issuances and payment collections. 

On the office side, Galloway completes bank reconciliations, payables, journal entries and deposits and assists with month-end details. Since receiving an associate degree from St. Louis Community College, she has gleaned a wealth of knowledge from the Ridgehouse team to further her professional growth.

Jeremy Axtetter

Project Manager

Jeremy Axtetter is a Project Manager who plans and supervises the building process of our multifamily projects in Huntsville, AL from start to finish.  Axtetter organizes and oversees construction procedures, manages project budgets, and ensures the projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner.

Marsh Ragland

Project Manager

Marsh Ragland is a Project Manager who plans and supervises the building process of our multifamily project in Glendale, AZ from start to finish.  Ragland organizes and oversees construction procedures, manages project budgets, and ensures the projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner.

Keith Townsend

Superintendent

Keith Townsend is a superintendent for Ridgehouse Construction. Townsend has extensive construction experience and is responsible for the daily operations on his assigned job site.

As a superintendent, Townsend oversees the construction process, from planning to completion. He surveys and supervises all of the workers who work on Ridgehouse Companies projects.

headshot of Christian

Christian Paolinetti

Superintendent

Christian Paolinetti recently completed our multifamily project in Glendale, AZ, where he played a key role in overseeing daily construction operations. He is now the superintendent for the multifamily development on Statesville Avenue in Charlotte, NC. In this role, Paolinetti is responsible for managing all aspects of the construction process, ensuring efficiency, quality, and timely project completion.

 

 

Eric Janson

Assistant Superintendent

Eric Janson is an assistant superintendent who helps to oversee our multifamily project, Coda in Nashville, TN, by working closely with the superintendent on site.  Janson is responsible for the daily operations of assigned construction tasks for the project.