Meet Our Founder

Born and raised in Nashville, Stephanie is a true testament to the Nashville Spirit. She grew up around the development of the city (where her grandfather ran a successful commercial real estate and development company developing projects on Broadway, West End, and beyond), her mom dabbled as a real estate agent, and her dad ran a prominent business downtown. But she really got her roots in “Music City” when she went off the path of her family to pursue a career in music.

She started playing drums in middle school which led to her attending MTSU with so many other artists during that time. Early in her college career she met some of the most talent musicians and formed a band while interning at the college radio station WMTS. With the opportunity, she and her bandmates played several times cross-country, and most importantly across town at venues such as: Exit/In, Mercy Lounge, The End, Springwater, The Rutledge, Cafe Coco, and countless others that sadly no longer grace our city today.

After leaving music for several years and finishing her Master’s degree in San Francisco, she moved back to Nashville and entered the world of real estate, much like her family’s past. Soon after, she landed her dream job as a Graphic Designer at a major music label. During this time juggling real estate and the Music Industry, Covid hit, and she saw many of her friends who were once able to live and thrive as musicians and creatives disburse to more affordable cities.

In the fall of 2020, she and a fellow real estate agent thought of the idea of Nashville Industry Fund: to help our music and hospitality industry workers afford living in Nashville. Through her passion, a team surrounded her efforts, and in 2022, NIF was officially formed as a 501(c)3.