Our company
At Kasa, we aspire to set a new standard of reliability, comfort and convenience for business and leisure travelers alike. Book now and enjoy our seamless 24/7 self check-in and sparkling clean apartments.
Our company
At Kasa, we aspire to set a new standard of reliability, comfort and convenience for business and leisure travelers alike. Book now and enjoy our seamless 24/7 self check-in and sparkling clean apartments.
Our mission
Kasa’s mission is to create a global accommodations brand that is indispensable to property owners, beloved by guests and desired by residents.
Our values
Long-term thinking
Resourcefulness
Curiosity
Flexibility
Big thinking
Growth mindset
Kasa in numbers
Nights stayed
180k+
Cities
35
Team members
89
Offices
2
Our leadership team
Kasa’s subject-matter experts span 4 countries and 14 states. Our team might be out of sight, but as a guest you are never out of mind.
Join our team
Roman Pedan
Founder & CEO
Bio
Roman founded Kasa Living, Inc. in August 2016. He brings a unique blend of real estate, hospitality, and technology experience to the business that makes him well-positioned to lead it into the future.
Hospitality: Over his career, Roman was part of 2-3 person teams that purchased $1.2bn of hotel assets across the US. He was involved in every hotel transaction that KKR closed during his tenure. Hotel assets that have had liquidity events (all but 3) have generated a >2.5x equity multiple.
Technology: Roman holds a Computer Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania (Tau Beta Pi, top 1/8th of class). In 2009, Roman founded book.ly, a vertical e-commerce website. Roman was also an early team member at Juniper Square, a market-leading investment management platform.
Real Estate: While at Wharton, Roman concentrated in Real Estate (Magna Cum Laude). He was an investor at Walton Street Capital & KKR where he spent significant time working in the hospitality and multifamily asset classes.
Outside of Kasa, Roman is an avid skier, traveler, and reader. He recently finished Setting the Table by Danny Meyer, an inspiring book on building a world class hospitality organization.
Experience
Education
Austin Murtland
Launch Ops
Bio
Austin joined Kasa in 2019 after finishing his MBA at the Stanford GSB. His past experience blends operations and strategy while cultivating strong relationships with those around him.
Austin attended the University of Michigan and was one of six students in Michigan’s history to complete a mechanical engineering & business administration dual degree. He was captain of the Club Ice Hockey team and VP of Recruitment for Delta Sigma Pi Professional Fraternity. He studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain and minored in Spanish.
After undergrad, Austin joined Shell in New Orleans as a drilling engineer. He supported offshore operations by designing oil wells and managing two $100M+ projects. He spent one year living on the Mars A TLP in the Gulf of Mexico (traveling to and from work in an S-92 Helicopter).
At the Stanford GSB, Austin led the Admit Weekend Committee, was co-president of the Management Consulting Club, and was an active member of GSB Pride. He spent his summer at Bain & Company working on an automotive client’s digital strategy.
Outside of work, Austin loves traveling (has visited 65+ countries), enjoys recreational sports, and occasionally competes in extreme races (3 half marathons & 1 Olympic-distance triathlon).
Experience
Education
Brianna Kohr
Compliance
Bio
Brianna joined Kasa in 2019 as the second member of its in-house legal team. With her prior experience as both an intellectual property and real estate attorney, Brianna is well-suited to her role as legal counsel to a technology enabled real estate company.
After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2014, Brianna joined the internet strategy and intellectual property litigation group at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. She represented major technology companies in trade secret, trademark, general commercial and technology law disputes, and also counseled clients in these areas.
Brianna has always had a strong interest in real estate, and in 2017, she joined the respected real estate boutique firm Miller Starr Regalia in order to foster that interest and gain industry exposure. While at Miller Starr, Brianna represented clients in a variety of real property disputes, with a primary focus on commercial leasing litigation.
Outside of Kasa, Brianna enjoys swimming, photography, working on her travel blog and planning her next big trip.
Experience
Education
Craig Minoff
Product & Ops
Bio
Craig joined Kasa in February 2019 to lead Product and Operations. His professional experiences include companies large and small, with a common thread of rapid growth, trusted brands and great customer service.
While studying Economics at Yale he began his career in Sales & Trading at JPMorgan. Next, Craig spent 2+ years at BCG as a management consultant with a focus on Consumer and Strategy work. He transitioned into an operator role as the 10th employee at a Y-Combinator backed dating startup in NYC, leading Growth and Business Intelligence.
Craig next joined Airbnb in 2014, spending two years in Product Strategy before transitioning into Product Management. As a PM, Craig focused on converting the marketplace to Instant Book and growing the global Host Community.
Outside of work, Craig is traveling somewhere new or training for his next outdoor adventure.
Experience
Education
Elena Goldblatt
Guest Experience
Bio
Elena joined Kasa in 2019 as the Director of Guest Experience. She has been innovating in hospitality for the past decade, focused on providing excellent service at scale in a virtual context.
After graduating from Yale (with distinction), Elena’s career has focused on curating exceptional guest experiences within the food, travel and hotel industries in both Europe and the United States. She has curated and led luxury trips around the world with Conley & Silvers and is a published cookbook author and travel writer.
Since graduating first in her class with an MBA in Hospitality Administration from the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland (rated best hospitality program in the world) in 2017, Elena has worked in the short-term rental space. She joined AvantStay as an early team member overseeing business operations and guest experience for group travel.
Outside of Kasa, Elena enjoys traveling, sourdough baking, and seeking out the greatest afternoon tea service.
Experience
Education
Elliott Lui
Technology
Bio
Elliott joined Kasa in 2018 to lead Kasa’s technology efforts. He spent his professional career at the intersection of his two passions: technology & hospitality. At Kasa, he architects its key systems, recruits new engineers, and builds out core functionality.
Elliott’s first job was at the bell desk of his parents’ hotel. Growing up around his family’s hotel business sparked his love for the hospitality industry.
While studying Computer Science at Stanford, he built out a product for hotel booking engines that improved booking conversion by >20%. He and his co-founders productized this creating Travelnuts where he led technology, raised $2mm, and grew the team to 10 people.
After Travelnuts, Elliott joined Duetto where Elliott worked for Craig Weissman (ex-CTO of Salesforce) and became a key lieutenant building out the highest performing revenue management platform in the hospitality industry.
Outside of Kasa, Elliott is an avid skier and scuba diver, willing to travel to great lengths for amazing powder and water alike.
Experience
Education
Kevin Walker
Legal
Bio
Kevin joined Kasa in 2018 to lead legal and corporate development. He manages a team of outside and in-house professionals with a collaborative approach to navigating risks and propelling growth.
Previously, Kevin practiced corporate law at Paul Hastings, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions, including buy-side and sell-side transactions for public and private clients. He also served as outside counsel to technology companies and private equity firms, advising on governance and general corporate matters.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Kevin received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. During law school, he spent half a year working in Hong Kong at a leading international arbitration center. He earned his B.A. from UCLA, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
In his free time, Kevin enjoys outdoor adventures and kayaking the rugged California coast.
Experience
Education
Mara Jones
People Ops
Bio
Mara joined Kasa in 2020 to lead the People Operations team. The initiatives she oversees are centered around compliance, recruiting, training, and employee engagement.
Mara’s passion for hospitality and entrepreneurship started at a young age when she assisted her parents with their water purifying and retail businesses in her hometown in Mexico.
While studying at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, Mara was responsible for diversity and inclusion initiatives by serving as the President of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality. She complemented her studies while working as a Student Manager at the Statler Hotel. During the summers she spent time working at Marriott hotels and Wolfgang Puck restaurants.
Upon graduation, she joined Hillstone Restaurant Group to help manage and train leaders in one of their flagship restaurants in NYC. She left Hillstone to join The Bay Club Company in California where she spearheaded a number of transformational initiatives, including launching an industry-first member loyalty points program and building an employee communications & training platform now used across the 6,000+ employee organization.
Outside of Kasa, she plans events to help industry leaders network while raising funds for future hospitality students. She enjoys exploring restaurants in the bay area, playing tennis, and designing any residential space her family and friends give her access to.
Experience
Education
Megan Bencen
Property Ops
Bio
Megan joined Kasa in 2018. She was responsible for laying the training and operations groundwork for the Guest Experience department and grew the team from four to thirteen within a few months.
In July 2019, Megan created the Property Operations department which has quickly developed into a critical component of the organization to efficiently handle on-the-ground needs at Kasa’s properties nationwide. In her current role, Megan manages a diverse team of property operations managers and housekeepers across dozens of markets.
Megan attended the University of Miami on a full academic scholarship and graduated with a dual degree in Psychology and Public Relations. Her experience in the natural lifestyle sector at both Kashi and Whole Foods Market allowed her to become an expert in marketing and event planning which fostered her love for logistics and operations. Megan has also worked for several small businesses where she piloted new roles that contributed to significant growth.
When she’s not working, Megan enjoys exploring Austin hiking trails with her dog Emmylou as well as preparing healthy gourmet meals at home with her husband Adam.
Experience
Education
Michael Millas
Strategic Finance
Bio
Mike joined Kasa in 2018. He focuses on forming partnerships with real estate owners, investors, and lenders, as well as managing Kasa’s ongoing financial performance and liquidity initiatives. He brings a blend of real estate, corporate finance and capital markets expertise to ensure Kasa’s financial success amid rapid growth.
Real Estate: Mike was one of the early members of Apollo’s real estate private equity acquisitions team, helping scale AUM from $5bn to $15bn. He has acquired and managed over $2bn of hotels, office, retail and residential real estate.
Corporate Finance: Mike was on a two-person team managing a $1.5bn, long/short real estate securities portfolio at Citadel Global Equities. He analyzed and managed active positions in over 50 gaming, leisure, lodging and real estate companies, including the multifamily and lodging REITs.
Capital Markets: As an investment banker, Mike advised REIT clients on structured debt initiatives (CMBS, private placements), as well as M&A advisory for REIT and lodging clients.
Outside of work, Mike is an avid skier and hiker who enjoys exploring new destinations across the globe.
Experience
Education
Mike Marando
Business Operations
Bio
Mike joined Kasa in 2020 as the Director of Business Operations. He has spent the majority of his career helping build and scale operations and strategy programs at several high-growth companies.
After graduating from The Ohio State University, Mike began his career in Technology Consulting with Accenture. In 2014, Mike joined Uber Technologies to help build out the Ridesharing operations in the Midwest United States. At Uber, Mike helped grow several lines of business within the US Ridesharing business, the Uber China Ridesharing business, and the Uber Freight line of business. After several years at Uber, he joined a smaller consumer-tech startup in the micro-mobility space, JUMP Mobility. As the Director of Operations, Mike led the operational and fundraising strategy. In 2018, JUMP was acquired by Uber Technologies, starting his second stint with the company, where he stepped into the Chief of Staff role for this new line of business.
In 2020, Mike began his own advisory and consulting business, helping startups with their overall business strategy and growth.
Outside of Kasa, Mike loves staying active, cheering on his favorite sports teams, and spending time with his wife, Heidi, and daughter, Emma.
Experience
Education
Norbert Pap
Product Design
Bio
Norbert joined Kasa in 2018 to lead Kasa’s Technology and Design department. His background in tech, UX design, accessibility, and project management makes him uniquely situated to tackle complex and multifaceted issues, while his prior experience working and building teams remotely helps Kasa to be a global brand.
In the first semester of his studies as a Software Engineer at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, he started his digital creative agency, providing tech and design services for European companies for nine years. His first step into the hospitality business came after winning a tender to be Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts’ external web design & development partner.
After a transitional period working for US-based startups as a tech consultant (and traveling constantly), his passion for travel and complex processes found the perfect opportunity in Roman’s vision for Kasa.
In his free time, Norbert is an avid board gamer, powerlifter, and traveler.
Experience
Education
Ruben Ortega
Real Estate
Bio
Ruben joined Kasa in 2018. He leads the Real Estate team, responsible for overseeing a team whose focus is to grow Kasa's unit footprint. Ruben's professional experience spans finance, real estate, and hospitality management.
Ruben began his journey studying real estate and hospitality at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration. At Cornell, he served in a management role at the on-site Statler Hotel, developing a deep understanding of hotel operations.
Upon graduation, Ruben joined the Investment Management Division at Goldman Sachs, as part of a team that invested $6.7B AUM for endowments, foundations, and ultra-high net worth clients. In addition to helping secure new business, Ruben was responsible for implementing investment strategies across a wide array of products, including equities, fixed income, and real estate.
After Goldman, Ruben pursued his MBA at the Harvard Business School, during which time he joined Hersha Hospitality as a Summer Associate on the Real Estate Acquisitions team.
Outside of work, Ruben serves as Treasurer for the Cornell Latino Alumni Association and is involved with the Point Foundation, a national LGBT scholarship fund. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family in Texas and traveling the world on points.
Experience
Education
Tomek Nowinski
Brand & Marketing
Bio
Tomek joined Kasa in 2020 to lead brand and marketing. His focus is to build a strong global accommodations brand, develop Kasa’s direct booking channel, and drive guest loyalty. He has a decade of experience in performance marketing and online travel.
Tomek’s first job was running eBay’s affiliate program in Eastern Europe. After hours he won the Google Online Marketing Challenge for EMEA. He was on the global performance marketing team at Groupon when it was named ‘the fastest-growing company ever’ by Forbes magazine. After that, he built Groupon’s Getaways vertical for Eastern Europe from scratch, which grew to represent Groupon’s 2nd largest booking revenue globally.
He pivoted to entrepreneurship founding the most popular Polish hotel booking platform Travelist.pl, and the second-largest performance marketing agency in Poland. Before his MBA, he sold the two companies to Secret Escapes and iProspect, respectively.
He still owns shares in his three kids, determined to help them achieve product-market fit. He loves endurance sports and traveling.
Experience
Education
Yvette Romero
Product & Ops
Bio
Yvette joined Kasa in 2020 to deploy strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing quality, efficiency, and profitability. She is experienced in delivering nascent concepts from ideation to POC as well as growing into new markets within Fintech, enterprise SaaS, and marketplaces.
As a consultant with Deloitte, she led process identification and technical design to deliver a CRM platform for sales enablement and the first pricing B2C portal for a healthcare provider. As a Sr. consultant with Fannie Mae, she oversaw the integration of Desktop Underwriter - SaaS credit&risk scoring engine handling US$trillions in mortgage originations. Prior to entering Harvard Business School, she interned at the UBS Investment Bank TMT group.
She pivoted to entrepreneurship and product, as a co-founder of Property Management company Khidmah or “service” in the UAE that was later acquired. Next, she helped set up an investment fund with the Qatar Foundation and advised in the acquisition of hotel properties for investors based in Dubai.
She led product and founded a food delivery company in Dubai, built lending products for Lendinghome, and most recently served as Director of Product at blockchain platform BitCasas.io, which delivered a Real Estate-backed security token platform.
Yvette was born in Los Angeles, has traveled to over 23 countries and 32 US states.
Experience
Education
Past experiences
