Team

EWI has over two decades of consulting expertise advising both domestic and international entrepreneurs in the global marketplace and innovative real estate developers, institutional and family investors, and private equity funds. We have a keen awareness of the challenges facing high-growth start-ups. We bring a disciplined management process to operational execution. EWI’s real estate team includes veteran executives with background in real estate development, portfolio administration, private equity fund formation, financial assessment, green building, and construction lending.

GARY SCHEFSKY, Founder

  • Over seventeen years experience in entrepreneurial start-up, high-growth management consulting and interim management corporate development. Creative business model assessment and advancement, skills in structured finance, strategic alliances, deal making, and venture capital.
  • Expertise with real estate strategy, portfolio administration, and real estate development across multiple commercial asset classes – office, retail, hotel, industrial, and mixed-use. Fiduciary experience with legal background – trustee administration, structuring, reporting, planning, and disposition.
  • Member, Urban Land Institute, USGBC, Board of Trustees: A+D Design Museum, Los Angeles, Judge, UC Davis School of Management Business Plan Competition, extensive speaking engagements on entrepreneurship and green building financial opportunities.
  • Licensed California Attorney, Licensed California Real Estate Broker.


NANCY YONGE, Ph.D., Economic Market Assessment & Financial Communications

  • Over twenty-five years experience assessing the economic aspects of the real estate and energy markets as an economist and international investment advisor. Expertise in marketing. communication of financial products within innovative, emerging, and complex environments.
  • Served as Chief Economist and Manager of Strategic Planning for a major U.S. utility holding company and provided Federal Government policy advice on trade and regulatory matters.
  • Advisory MIT alumni start-up mentoring program.

TOBY TOBACCOWALA, Operational Strategy & Partnering Execution

  • Over thirty years as senior executive advisor to entrepreneurial, high-growth companies with expertise in all aspects of company building: financing, product portfolio development, sales strategy, implementation, recruiting, private equity, and disposition.
  • 25+ years senior management positions with EDS, growing each operational division by more than 1000% in sales growth, including global responsibility for MIS for Western Union, where he doubled productivity and within one year exceeded projected profit margins by 100%.
  • Mentor and board member to numerous Silicon Valley, IT start-ups.