ABOUT US
Our Journey
Jeff Bennett and Jeff Mendez crossed paths at Harvard Business School in 2016 and recognized the untapped potential of the Housing industry. With Jeff Bennett's extensive experience in the MHC sector dating back to 2006 and Jeff Mendez's expertise in operations and systems, the two joined forces and acquired four communities.
Their work drew the attention of established commercial real estate groups. Together they helped lead value-add platforms that revitalized numerous family-owned communities into flourishing communities. As part of the senior leadership team, Mr. Bennett helped build his prior organization into one of the largest manufactured housing platforms in the country.
Now both Mendez & Bennett have created Studio 168 where they harness their passion, expertise, and dedication to transforming communities and providing affordable housing. This unyielding drive is the cornerstone of Studio 168's mission to make a meaningful impact in the housing landscape.
Own. Operate. Manage.
Studio 168 is a vertically integrated real estate owner-operator specializing in manufactured housing and multifamily communities. We own, operate, and manage every property on our platform.
Leadership
Meet TheFounders
MEN DEZ
Co-Founder / Managing Partner
Jeff Mendez
Co-Founder / Managing Partner
Jeff Mendez
Over 13 years at Vivint, Jeff played a key role in sales leadership and operations, helping grow revenue from $30M to $1B+ and guiding the company's transition from private to public. He brought that same drive to manufactured housing, helping deploy $3B+ across ~250 communities in 25 states and providing affordable homes to over 50,000 families. At Studio 168, Jeff leads capital strategy and has cultivated a network of 815+ investors who've committed $270M+ to the platform.
BEN NETT
Co-Founder / Managing Partner
Jeff Bennett
Co-Founder / Managing Partner
Jeff Bennett
A 20-year veteran of Manufactured Housing and CRE, Jeff started in the field and learned the business from the ground up. He has sourced 20,000+ units across ~250 communities in 25 states and helped build the 5th-largest MHC platform in the country. Today, Jeff leads acquisitions and innovation—turning distressed portfolios into flourishing communities, leveraging a vast broker network for off-market opportunities, and architecting the proprietary systems that scale our platform at institutional pace.
Our Leadership
Meet TheTeam
President & Chief Financial Officer
Tommy Marcheschi
Deloitte-trained, 15+ years finance leadership. Drives P&L execution across 48 properties — overseeing $52M+ revenue and $25M NOI. Capital structuring lead for $270M+ in financing.
Chief Operating Officer
Derek Wilson
25+ years MHC including senior leadership at ARC and Sun Communities — oversaw 140 communities, 20,000 home sites. The execution engine driving occupancy, NOI, and the 'Green & Clean' standard. Legacy communities at 88%+ occ. Ex-ARC • Ex-Sun Communities
Chief Revenue Officer
Nick Hansen
20+ year sales and revenue leader. Scaled Vivint from regional upstart to national powerhouse — Sales Manager → VP Sales across Vivint Smart Home and Vivint Solar. Owns leasing lifecycle across 47 communities.
VP Finance
Lauren Taft
13 years building scalable systems at one of the nation's largest direct sales orgs. Transitioned to MHC in 2019 — utility recapture, 6,000+ rental home inventory, leasing ops. Runs treasury, AP, payroll, data integrity, tenant screening across 48 properties.
VP of Acquisitions & Asset Management
Chris Meriwether
20+ year Wall Street veteran. 12 years at Morgan Stanley. Institutional-grade financial discipline on every deal — sourcing, underwriting, DD, closing. Manages $270M+ asset performance, refi execution, and debt maturities.
VP Operations & Asset Management
Chuck Thorne
18+ years MHC + multifamily ops. Currently oversees 11 communities, 3,000 units across 9 states — hit 103% NOI to budget in 2025, +8 pts economic occupancy. Previously P&L for 10,000-site portfolio at Vineyards Management Group. 110% NOI to budget across 70 communities.
VP Investor Relations
Kristen Kealer
With the team since before the first close in 2019. Leads IR across $270M+ committed and 815 investor positions — LP communications, reporting, distributions, capital logistics. Primary lender contact for refi coordination.
Our Communities
The Portfolioin Focus
Get In Touch
Whether you're a resident, a current partner, a broker, a vendor, or simply curious about what we do — we'd love to hear from you.