Nishitha Kambhaladinne on breaking barriers and building wealth through property

By Kristen Oliveri 

For this Wealth Reimagined Q&A, I sat down with Nishitha Kambhaladinne, a woman who is quietly, and powerfully, changing who gets to participate in the world of commercial real estate.

As the Head of Commercial Real Estate at Sun Realtors Group and a co-founder of the Unlocked Foundation,she is on a mission to democratize access to an asset class that has historically been reserved for a small, well-connected few. She has built a career around opening doors, connecting first-time investors, growing portfolios, and purpose-driven capital to off-market opportunities, strategic projects, and long-term wealth creation.

Through both her work in commercial real estate and her philanthropic efforts with the Unlocked Foundation, she is helping individuals and communities unlock pathways to ownership, stability, and generational impact.

In this conversation, we explore what it means to build wealth with intention and why access, transparency, and opportunity are the true currencies of the future.

Q: You grew up around real estate. What made you decide to follow in your family’s footsteps and make it your own career?

A: I actually never planned to go into real estate. Growing up, I saw my family work in the business, but I thought I was too introverted for such a people-driven space, especially in residential real estate, where decisions tend to be emotional.

My path started in data science and corporate sales. I loved solving complex problems with data, and I carried that mindset into real estate later on. During the pandemic, I earned my CCIM designation and discovered commercial real estate’s incredible potential to build wealth. That’s when I realized there was a major gap in access and education, particularly for younger investors and women.

That realization shaped my mission: to democratize commercial real estate. I want to be a resource and bridge for people eager to participate in CRE but unsure where to begin. With my analytical background and direct access to seasoned operators, I can evaluate opportunities from both the data and execution sides. That combination, strategic insight paired with real-world experience, is where real value is created.

Q: Why should more women consider investing in real estate?

A: Real estate, especially commercial real estate, is a uniquely powerful tool for building wealth. It’s both stable and scalable, offering income today, unique tax incentives and upside tomorrow.

For women, that translates to freedom and flexibility. The ability to generate passive income and equity allows us to design our lives around what matters most. Personally, I invest as an LP in several long-term projects with five-to-seven-year horizons. These investments create space for me to grow, plan for the future, and maintain financial independence, without having to trade time for income forever.

At its core, real estate allows women to own not just property, but their financial narrative.

Q: You’re now working more directly as an operator in your investments. What inspired that shift?

A: When I first began investing, I focused primarily on acquisitions and deal structure. But over time, I realized that true insight and long-term value comes from understanding the operations. 

Now, I’m much more hands-on with the projects I invest in. I want to understand the mechanics behind property management, development, leasing, and tenant experience. That operational lens makes me a stronger investor and advisor because I can evaluate, run, and optimize projects myself.

It’s also an investment in my own growth as a leader. I believe that if I’m going to help clients and partners make confident real estate decisions, I should have firsthand experience operating the kinds of assets I recommend.

Q: What’s one lesson you’ve learned navigating the family office investor space?

A: Family offices invest with intention. Every conversation is about legacy, how a project aligns with their broader vision for impact, continuity, and preservation.

The key is alignment, not persuasion. Each family has its own values and priorities, and my job is to understand those deeply before presenting an opportunity. It’s a very human business that requires time, trust, and emotional intelligence.

What I love about that dynamic is that it pushes you to think long-term, to structure projects that not only perform financially but also endure.

Q: Who’s in your corner—mentors, peers, or other women—who’ve helped shape your journey?

A: So many people. I’m constantly humbled by how many mentors, colleagues, and peers have supported me and believed in this mission.

First, my mother, an immigrant who built her own brokerage after a pivot into real estate and showed me what resilience looks like. She taught me that ownership is power.

Professionally, I’ve learned a lot from Chandra Mohan, CEO of Axria, who’s been a great development partner and helped me secure my first GP deal.

Beyond real estate, The Unlocked Foundation, a New York nonprofit I co-founded, has been pivotal in my journey. We’re creating a judgment-free space to talk about money and financial literacy. Serving as a board member there gave me the courage to leave corporate America and pursue my vision full-time.

Savaria Harris, our Executive Director and GC of Healthcare at Amazon, is a mentor I lean on constantly, and my fellow board members, Rachelle Laroche, Melissa Dincher, and Sabrina Mentor, continue to inspire and challenge me every day.

Q: What’s a book that’s influenced how you think about business or life?

A: My favorite book and the one I reread every birthday, is Candide by Voltaire. It’s not a business book, but its lessons resonate with me deeply. The main character’s journey from naive optimism to grounded realism mirrors entrepreneurship in many ways.

In real estate, you meet people from every walk of life, and you quickly learn that optimism needs to be paired with practicality. That balance between idealism and realism is what keeps me steady and curious.

Q: If you had to name your superpower in business, what would it be?

A: Connecting the dots. I love finding intersections, between people, ideas, and opportunities. My analytical background helps me see patterns, but my experience as an operator helps me turn those insights into execution.

In real estate, success is an orchestration of perspectives: investor, operator, community, and capital. I thrive in that intersection, translating vision into structure and creativity into performance. That’s where the magic happens.

Q: What excites you most about the future of real estate?

A: We’re at a fascinating inflection point. Technology is transforming how we build, manage, and experience space and I’m incredibly excited about the rise of property technology (PropTech).

PropTech sits right at the intersection of my two worlds: data science and real estate. It’s making the industry more transparent, efficient, and accessible. From AI-driven valuation tools to blockchain-enabled transactions, tech is reshaping how we think about value creation and it’s creating opportunities for new types of investors and operators to emerge.

For me, it’s not just about investing in buildings, it’s about building systems and insights that make those assets smarter and more impactful.

As I continue to operate and grow in this space, I’m focused on building something long-term, something that empowers others to participate, invest, and grow alongside me. The journey is just getting started, but the mission is crystal clear: to make commercial real estate more inclusive, intelligent, and transformative. Real estate, to me, isn’t about property, it's about possibility. My mission is to help more people, especially women and underrepresented investors, move from watching the market to owning their place in it.

Every project, partnership, and conversation is a step toward that vision. The story is still being written but it’s one built on access, education, and purpose.