Doug Brien

Co-Founder & CEO at Roofstock

Speaker

I am a former professional athlete turned entrepreneur on a mission to make investing in single-family real estate simple and accessible for all.

I began my career as a NFL placekicker, playing for twelve seasons and winning one Super Bowl. During this time, I served as the NFLPA Players' representative for the Saints, earned 2x Pro Bowl Alternate honors, and became the 2nd all-time leading scorer at Cal, culminating in my induction into the Cal Hall of Fame in 2023.

During my time in the NFL, I studied for my MBA and began to invest in real estate, which ignited a passion for entrepreneurship and real estate investing. In 2009, I co-founded Waypoint Homes with Colin Wiel, embarking on a transformative journey in the real estate industry. We defied critics and scaled the company, building a remarkable $3 billion portfolio comprising over 17,000 single-family rental homes. This success established the Single-Family Residential (SFR) sector as a profitable and scalable financial asset class, attracting institutional investors and private equity investment. Waypoint successfully debuted on the public market in 2016, trading on the NYSE under the ticker SWAY. Gary Beasley and I were Co-CEOs. I co-authored a best-selling book called The Big Long to memorialize my entrepreneurial journey.

In 2016, I co-founded Mynd with Colin Wiel, driven by a mission to make it possible for anyone to build wealth through real estate. Mynd leverages technology to unlock remote investing at scale, empowering a new generation of investors. With a proprietary all-in-one platform, Mynd streamlines the investment journey for everyone from first-time individual investors to seasoned institutional players.

In May 2024, I reunited with my former co-CEO from Starwood Waypoint, Gary Beasley, now Executive Chairman of Roofstock, to merge our companies. I have since assumed the role of President and CEO of Roofstock, where we aim to build the premier SFR operating company by combining Roofstock's leading investment capabilities with Mynd's property management services.