06/10/2023
A note from our Founder, Jesse Prince where he explores the story behind how HappyNest was born: “A tribute to my brother, Todd. Your influence has shaped me more than you can know. 🙏
Once upon a time, I found myself deeply immersed in the world of real estate at the Stan Johnson Company, swapping commercial properties between the hands of the wealthy. Yet as a veteran, I’ve always been a believer in capitalism — but the conscious kind. Making money is great, but leaving a place better than I found it? That’s what really mattered to me. My aim was to strike a balance, to 'do good' while still 'doing well.'
To arm me with the language of my new profession and bridge the experience gap — from years missed in the industry while serving my country — I enrolled in a master's program at NYU. I took classes at night, applying and solidifying what I learned during my day job. But despite the steady climb in knowledge and income, something seemed off. I felt I was moving away from my true purpose.
This feeling led me to a new challenge. I was on a mission to solve a problem that I couldn’t quite define yet. I found clarity during solitary runs and hikes, times when my mind was free to wander and explore.
One day, it all made sense. I remembered how exclusive and confusing the existing real estate investment platforms were. I thought, if I, as a real estate professional, felt left out, what about the average person?
That’s when I recalled an app I’d used when I first got out of the Army that allowed people to micro-invest in stocks. I wondered, 'Could commercial real estate investing be just as accessible?' The idea for HappyNest was born. I had a vision for an app that would democratize and gamify real estate investment.
I started sharing this idea with everyone, from my NYU professors to industry peers. The most significant conversation happened in Brooklyn, over a beer with an old family friend, Lee Sessa, in 2017.
Lee and I shared a past, connected by my older brother, Todd. Todd’s untimely passing in a car accident in 1996 had a profound impact on me. I was 13 years old when he passed and, even at that young age, his loss was a turning point that set me on a path to finish what he started and accomplish what he could not.
That night, as I explained my idea to Lee, he saw the potential in HappyNest and decided to join in. His recent business exit had given him the capital to provide the initial investment we needed to launch HappyNest.
Lee saw something in me, a founder without a track record of successful startups. But he recognized my passion and drive to create something bigger than myself. His belief in me pushed us forward, and together, we started building HappyNest. Our mission was clear: to help everyone access high-quality real estate investments and improve their financial health.
And that’s how HappyNest was born — a blend of my ambition to leave the world a little better than I found it, and a tribute to my brother Todd’s legacy, which continues to inspire me every single day.
(The image is a side-by-side comparison of Todd and me from our freshman year at West Point—the Prince gene is strong! 📸)”
