Rachel Vass is the Founder and CEO of Syzygy Cities, where she activates underutilized commercial real estate in historically underserved neighborhoods or emerging neighborhoods, pairing tax incentives with community-driven revitalization to deliver competitive, risk-adjusted returns for investors while generating lasting value for the surrounding community. Rachel currently has more than $50 million in projects under development, including Galleria 89 in South Chicago, winner of Chicago's INVEST South/West Initiative.
Rachel's cross-industry career began in financial services at Morgan Stanley, where she helped reposition the firm's offerings as a family office service platform for the Ultra High Net Worth clients. She went on to move into a venture capital studio anchored by Morgan Stanley’s Chairman, with a venture studio focused on activating underutilized real estate assets through high-end media/entertainment and events. She then became a top Account Executive at Sparks, an experiential firm managing major clients including Anheuser-Busch, Pinterest, and Marie Claire, where she saw firsthand how to build large-scale activations and experiential events that could stimulate local economies and drive real estate value through increased foot traffic. Rachel went on to serve as Global Partnerships Manager at TED, an experience that exposed her to the intersection of economic impact and social innovation while learning from some of the greatest and most impactful luminaries of our time, and this inspired her move into real estate to build resilient developments that could help bring elevated experiences into emerging economies to generate foot-traffic and commercial growth that can create lasting change on communities and investors alike.
Rachel's mission is to activate underutilized commercial real estate in a way that positively impacts communities, delivering competitive, risk-adjusted returns to investors alongside meaningful tax mitigation and unique foot-traffic driving experiences. Rachel sits on the board of Headstrong, a national non-profit that provides top-tier mental health clinicians to post-911 war veterans experiencing PTSD at no cost to the veteran.. When she isn't working on real estate or with Headstrong, Rachel can be found on the slopes as a skier or taking in art and music around the city.