The Pinnacle Team

Leo Backer is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Pinnacle Partners, where he leads developer partnerships, project sourcing, real estate due diligence, and serves on the investment committee. 

Leo had a 35-year career in corporate real estate brokerage and advisory services.  He began his career working with regional and national development firms, and later founded a tenant representation firm representing tenants and buyers across the U.S.  His tenant representation practice along with years of development experience with site acquisition, project underwriting, and leasing adds tremendous value to Pinnacle’s project selection.  Leo was actively involved with the early planning and development of Seattle’s South Lake Union submarket as he was advising Paul Allen’s real estate company, Vulcan Northwest.  This included the first phases of Amazon’s HQ relocation, and UW Medicine Research Center. In addition to his work at Pinnacle, Leo has been active in several business and non-profit boards.  He remains very active with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue and was previous board chair and 20+ year board member.

Jeff Feinstein is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Pinnacle Partners LLC, where he leads investor relations, operations, and strategic growth.

Previously, Jeff advised Schuster Realty Partners, a real estate private equity fund focused on distressed land acquisition and multifamily development following the GFC, where he oversaw fundraising and investor relations. Earlier in his career, Jeff held senior operational roles in fast-growing technology companies and also provided strategic consulting to startups. In addition to his work at Pinnacle, Jeff remains an active investor in both real estate and early-stage ventures.

Jill Homan is a Managing Director of Pinnacle OZ GP LLC, which is the GP of only PPOZ Fund VIII., where she co-heads developer partnership, leads real estate due diligence, and serves on the investment committee.

Blake Backer joined Pinnacle Partners in 2020 as Principal and Vice President of Investor Relations. Blake’s primary responsibilities include raising capital for Pinnacle’s Opportunity Zone real estate funds from individual Accredited Investors, RIAs, and Family Offices. Blake also manages relationships with current investors and supports Pinnacle’s marketing initiatives. Blake holds a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA where he studied Political Science & Global Studies.

John Brian (JB) Menefee, CFA is a Director of Investor Relations at Pinnacle Partners. Previously, JB was a Multi-Asset Trader on the Emerging Market Debt team at Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM), based in London. Prior to that role, JB held various positions within business development and relationship management at MSIM. He is a CFA Charterholder, holds Series 7 and Series 63 licenses, and earned his B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Washington.

Jaci Schoeder joined Pinnacle in January 2025 as Director of Investor Relations. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Jaci served as Director of IR at Navy Capital, and was on the sell-side as an equity sales trader prior to Navy. A born and raised Minnesotan, Jaci holds a BSB in Finance from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management.

Troy Mullings is the Controller at Pinnacle Partners where he oversees the financial and accounting operations of the firm. He has 10+ years of fund accounting experience in the Real Estate, Venture Capital, and Private Equity industries. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University.

Angela S. Hwang leads marketing for Pinnacle Partners. Angela has more than 18 years of experience in marketing and business development. She has a wide array of experience across multiple industries including financial services, real estate, legal and technology.  In 2021, Angela was selected as one of 40 under 40 by Silicon Valley Business Journal for her marketing leadership. Angela graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Mass Communications and a B.A. in Sociology and earned her M.B.A. from Pepperdine University.