Tom Scott

CEO, CA Ventures

Over more than two decades, Scott built CA Ventures into one of the country’s most prolific student housing developers, at one point topping $10 billion in assets. He didn’t stop there, eventually scaling CA Ventures into a multi-platform operator also involved in everything from multifamily to office to industrial.

The company, founded in 2004 as Campus Acquisitions, amassed billions of dollars in assets through a ground-up model and cemented its reputation by building and selling a 15-property, 6,500-bed student housing portfolio for $627 million. It branched beyond its student housing beginnings, turning its attention to include office, industrial, life sciences and senior housing.

Then the hangover hit. Beginning around 2023, CA Ventures and its affiliates ran into a wave of lawsuits and debt problems, including investor claims alleging misuse of funds, loan defaults and disputes that escalated through court cases. The firm also voluntarily liquidated its European arm after a failed sale.

Scott has acknowledged the damage and said the business needs to rebuild trust, a notable admission in an industry that usually prefers to litigate quietly and move on. In a higher-rate market that punishes leverage and business plans built on development fees, Scott’s story has shifted from growth-at-speed to survival and revival.