A 2010 Detroit Jewish News engagement announcement identifies him as the son of Suzy and Bruce Gershenson of Franklin, Michigan, and notes that he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
Career Overview in Real Estate Investment
Michael D. Gershenson is a New York-based real estate investment professional with over 25 years of industry experience. He began his career in investment banking, working in Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown’s mergers and acquisitions division in New York where he focused on real estate transactions.
In the early 2000s he joined global investment manager The Carlyle Group. Over two decades at Carlyle he advanced to Global Partner and Managing Director in its U.S. real estate group, responsible for sourcing, underwriting and managing investments. During his tenure at Carlyle, Gershenson oversaw all aspects of real estate investing and executed more than $6 billion in property transactions across sectors including multifamily housing, industrial/logistics, and life sciences.
He helped expand Carlyle’s real estate portfolio in the Northeast U.S., often working on complex development and repositioning projects. In one notable 2020 deal, he co-led Carlyle’s sale of a pair of biotech campus properties in Massachusetts for $151 million, remarking on Carlyle’s long-term commitment to life-science real estate markets.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Michael D. Gershenson |
| Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed as of 2026; no verified figure is available from authoritative public sources. |
| Profession | Real estate investment professional and private equity executive. |
| Current Role | Founder and Managing Partner of Ridge Real Estate Partners. |
| Years of Experience | More than 25 years of experience in real estate investment and investment banking. |
| Previous Employer | The Carlyle Group, where he served as a Global Partner and Managing Director. |
| Carlyle Tenure | Spent roughly two decades in Carlyle’s U.S. real estate investment group. |
| Transaction Volume | Credited with executing more than $6 billion in real estate transactions. |
| Early Career | Began his career in the mergers and acquisitions division of Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown in New York, focusing on real estate transactions. |
| Education | Earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. |
| Firm Founded | Founded Ridge Real Estate Partners in 2022. |
| Investment Focus | Focuses on rental housing, industrial and logistics properties, and life-science real estate. |
| Geographic Focus | Targets major U.S. markets including New York, Boston, and selected Sun Belt growth regions. |
| Investment Strategy | Emphasizes value-add development, redevelopment, and joint-venture partnerships in high-demand markets. |
| Industry Role | Serves on the Steering Committee of Georgetown University’s Steers Center for Global Real Estate. |
Founding of Ridge Real Estate Partners and Leadership Role
In early 2022 Gershenson left Carlyle to found Ridge Real Estate Partners, an opportunistic real estate private equity firm based in New York. As Founder and Managing Partner of Ridge, he leads the firm’s investment strategy and fund management.
Upon launching Ridge, Gershenson recruited a core leadership team of former colleagues and industry veterans who had worked together at Carlyle. He serves as the Managing Member of the general partner entity for Ridge’s investment funds, overseeing deal approval and day-to-day fund operations.
Under his leadership Ridge established its first flagship fund (Fund I) in 2022, targeting value-add development and redevelopment projects. Gershenson remains the final decision-maker on new investments and the firm’s growth plan, combining his institutional experience with an entrepreneurial, hands-on approach.
Key Career Achievements and Investment Milestones
Throughout his career Gershenson has been involved in numerous high-profile investment transactions. At Carlyle he was instrumental in broadening the firm’s exposure to emerging property markets; for example, he championed the acquisition and conversion of legacy assets into life-science facilities in the Boston suburbs.
In industry news he highlighted Carlyle’s strategy in life-science real estate, noting strong fundamentals in the sector even as the firm exited a Massachusetts lab portfolio in 2020. Prior to founding Ridge, Gershenson built a track record of scaling real estate investments from greenfield development sites to fully leased properties.
Since launching Ridge Real Estate Partners, he has achieved early fundraising and deal-making milestones, closing on Ridge’s first fund and deploying capital into ground-up development projects. His success in raising institutional capital for Ridge was supported by the combined experience of the founding team three principals with more than five decades of collective investment background which Gershenson emphasized was built on rigorous analysis and swift execution.
Major Real Estate Deals and Portfolio Growth Strategy
Under Gershenson’s guidance, Ridge Real Estate Partners has quickly assembled a portfolio of strategic development assets. The firm has pursued joint-venture acquisitions of entitled land sites to build new Class A properties.
Examples include a 497,000 sq. ft. cross-dock logistics park in Jefferson, Georgia (acquired in May 2023 in partnership with Alliance Industrial Company) which was completed in 2024 and achieved full lease-up. In the Northeast, Ridge teamed with Rhino Capital in August 2023 to buy a 12-acre site in Tewksbury, Massachusetts for a 65,800 sq. ft. warehouse, completing construction in mid-2024.
A similar approach was taken in January 2025, when Ridge and developer RJ Kelly acquired a 14-acre Methuen, Massachusetts site for a 95,700 sq. ft. industrial facility with half of the space pre-leased ahead of construction. In the Carolinas, Ridge’s projects include Durham Crossings, a 102,953 sq. ft. industrial park in Durham, NC, purchased in January 2026 with Hamilton Property Co., and Greenbrier Park Townhomes, an 18-acre build-to-rent community of 106 townhome units in Garner, NC, acquired in August 2025 with Liberty Investment Partners and Windsor Companies, now under construction.
The firm has also entered the multifamily sector: in November 2023 Ridge and co-investors bought a 12-acre site in Apex, NC to develop The Ballast on Salem, a four-building community with 295 rental units, with initial leasing underway as phases deliver. Each of these deals reflects Gershenson’s strategy of forming joint ventures with experienced developers, securing entitled sites, and guiding projects from acquisition through construction and leasing.
Investment Approach, Strategy, and Market Focus
Gershenson has steered Ridge towards a thematic investment strategy driven by long-term trends. The firm explicitly targets sectors with resilient demand: class-A rental housing particularly build-to-rent and multifamily properties addressing persistent supply deficits, modern industrial/logistics facilities to serve e-commerce and supply-chain needs, and specialized life-science real estate lab and advanced manufacturing space in biotech hubs.
Ridge concentrates on innovation-driven markets with robust job and population growth. Its geographic focus includes the U.S. tri-state New York area, the Boston metro, and fast-growing Sun Belt regions like Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Austin. These locations are chosen for their diversified economies and demographic tailwinds.
Under Gershenson’s direction, investment underwriting emphasizes supply-demand fundamentals and capital preservation: for instance, Ridge avoids markets where construction surges threaten rent growth. The firm’s opportunistic approach means it seeks value-add deals where it can apply its analysis and industry network to improve properties or communities, aiming for steady returns while protecting investor capital in changing market conditions.
Challenges, Market Risks, and Strategic Decisions
Launching Ridge in 2022 meant Gershenson had to navigate a shifting macroeconomic landscape. The real estate market was contending with rising interest rates and inflationary pressure on construction costs. To mitigate these challenges, Ridge has pursued strategies like partnering with capital-rich co-investors and securing fixed-rate financing where possible.
Gershenson’s emphasis on innovation clusters also serves to reduce vacancy risk, since markets with leading employers tend to generate steady occupancy demand. Project pacing and capitalization decisions have been calibrated to manage development risk: for example, Ridge has staggered construction timelines and pre-leased portions of new facilities to ensure cash flow before completion.
The firm’s focus on life-science, housing, and logistics reflects confidence in sectors seen as more recession-resilient. In interviews and fund materials, Gershenson has underscored rigorous market analysis as key to Ridge’s strategy, avoiding speculative bets in weaker markets. By leveraging his deep experience, he has guided Ridge to remain selective and disciplined, entering new deals primarily in submarkets where Ridge’s partner relationships and operational expertise can add value.
Current Role, Projects, and Industry Influence
As of 2026, Gershenson continues to serve as Managing Partner of Ridge Real Estate Partners, overseeing all aspects of the firm’s investment funds and portfolio. He is actively involved in fundraising and recently initiated Ridge’s second investment fund to pursue further acquisitions.
Under his leadership, the portfolio has expanded beyond its initial projects, with ongoing development across multiple states. Gershenson also maintains industry involvement through leadership and educational roles: he sits on the Steering Committee of the Georgetown University Steers Center for Global Real Estate, helping bridge academic and professional communities.
His experience is also recognized in professional networks, as he leverages two decades of top-tier fund management to influence capital sourcing and deal flow for Ridge. In summary, Michael Gershenson’s career reflects a progression from investment banking to senior leadership at a global firm and now entrepreneurial fund management, marked by a consistent focus on real estate investment execution and capital markets expertise.
Michael Gershenson Net Worth
As of 2026, his net worth has not been publicly disclosed, and no figure has been officially verified by major financial authorities. Michael D. Gershenson earns income from his role as Founder and Managing Partner of Ridge Real Estate Partners, as well as from his previous position as a Managing Director in The Carlyle Group’s U.S. real estate investment group. Specific compensation from these roles has not been publicly disclosed.
FAQs
Who is Michael Gershenson?
Michael Gershenson is a U.S.-based real estate investment professional and private equity executive. He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ridge Real Estate Partners and previously held a senior leadership role at The Carlyle Group.
What does Michael Gershenson do for a living?
He leads real estate investment strategy as Managing Partner of Ridge Real Estate Partners. His work focuses on sourcing, developing, and managing institutional real estate investments.
Where did Michael Gershenson work before Ridge?
Before founding Ridge in 2022, he spent about two decades at The Carlyle Group. There, he served as a Global Partner and Managing Director in the U.S. real estate division.
What is Ridge Real Estate Partners?
Ridge Real Estate Partners is a New York-based real estate private equity firm founded in 2022. The firm focuses on value-add and development investments in housing, industrial, and life-science assets.
What is Michael Gershenson’s educational background?
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. He is also involved with Georgetown through its real estate program.
What type of real estate does he invest in?
His investment focus includes multifamily housing, industrial/logistics properties, and life-science real estate. These sectors are selected based on long-term demand and economic trends.
