Team

Ryan R. Cahalan

Partner

Ryan R. Cahalan is a co-founding Partner at ARTISAN with more than 25 years experience in virtually every facet of real estate investment.  After starting his career in 2000 with HFF in Los Angeles Ryan joined PPM America as a loan originator and facilitated $500,000,000 in debt production for commercial real estate investments.  Ryan then joined Levin Realty Advisors and helped build a $600,000,000 in multi-family real portfolio on behalf of LRA’s primary capital partner, Walton Street Capital.  After LRA Ryan joined Oak Grove Capital (now JLL) where he arranged debt and equity financing for more than $250,000,000 in multi-family transactions.

Ryan started acquiring small cap multi-family assets in Chicago in 2009 on behalf of his own account and outside investors.  After studying secondary and tertiary markets in the Midwest for several years he acquired nearly 1,000 apartment units in 2016-2017, which were used to seed ARTISAN in its official formation at the end of 2017

Ryan holds a BA from the University of Northern Iowa with a focus on Finance/Economics and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin with an emphasis on Real Estate/Entrepreneurship. 

phone: 310.418.2192
email: ryan@artisancapitalgroup.com

Michael G. Perry

Partner

Michael G. Perry is a co-founding Partner at ARTISAN with over 30 years of multi-family investment experience with a professional focus on asset management, corporate operations, investor relations and accounting.  Mike began his career at Laramar Group and has also worked with Concert Realty Partners, Levin Realty Advisors (now Magellan Investment Partners) and Orion Residential prior to co-founding ARTISAN.  Throughout Mike’s career, he has provided various levels of asset management to over $2.5B of real estate, encompassing more than 180 individual investments and 45,000 units.

At ARTISAN, Mike is responsible for all company operations.  In this role he assists and directs Asset Management services as well as overseeing day-to-day company operations.  Mike is also a member of the ARTISAN’s investment committee and is integral in the onboarding of new investments. 

Mike attended St. Norbert College and earned a BA in Business Administration. 

phone: 312.285.6335
email: mike@artisancapitalgroup.com

Sean P. Fogarty

Partner

Sean P. Fogarty is a Partner at ARTISAN with over 34 years of commercial/multi-housing real estate experience, including brokerage, acquisitions, dispositions, development joint ventures, pension fund advisory and asset management.  Since 2001 Sean has specialized in the multi-housing sector and joined ARTISAN in 2019 following a 15-year career at HFF where he led the Chicago multi-housing investment sales team and completed $20+ billion of transactions throughout the Midwest.

Preceding his tenure at HFF, Sean worked for Equity Residential where he executed over $3.5 billion of multi-housing transactions.  Prior to Equity Residential, Mr. Fogarty was employed by Cornerstone Advisers/Oryx Capital and AmerUS Properties. During his time at Cornerstone/Oryx, Sean was responsible for real estate acquisitions and asset management for its client, the AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust.

Sean graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Finance and he earned an MBA from Drake University.

phone: 312.622.5401
email: sean@artisancapitalgroup.com

Daniel M. Barger

Asset Manager

Daniel Barger joined ARTISAN Capital Group in September of 2020 and is responsible for the oversight of a portfolio of multifamily assets. His primary responsibilities include monitoring asset performance and developing investment-level strategies. Prior to ARTISAN, Daniel worked for Greystone as an investment sales analyst and a licensed real estate broker where he underwrote $250+ million worth of multifamily assets. Preceding that role, he was a property manager at 33 Realty and oversaw a portfolio of apartment buildings in Chicago.

Daniel earned his BA from Loyola University Chicago while leading the first student-run guesthouse hotel in the nation.

phone: 314.803.8687
email: daniel@artisancapitalgroup.com

Bryan D. Berkey

Managing Director - Acquisitions

Bryan Berkey joined ARTISAN Capital Group in April 2025. Prior to ARTISAN, Bryan spent sixteen years at Marquette Companies where he acquired approximately $2 billion (13,000+ units) of market-rate multi-family properties consisting of value-add and core-plus investments. Bryan’s primary responsibilities at Artisan include sourcing, leading due diligence efforts and closing acquisition opportunities. He is also actively involved in negotiating purchase contracts, loan documents and joint venture agreements along with raising debt and equity capital.

Bryan earned a BS in Finance from Indiana University and a MBA with a concentration in Real Estate from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Chaz L. Birkenfeld

Associate – Construction Management & Development

Chaz Birkenfeld joined ARTISAN Capital Group in December of 2023. As part of the asset management team, Chaz provides assistance to monitor and optimize portfolio performance. Chaz previously worked for Chandler Hospitality Group (CHG) in Tulsa, OK. At CHG, Chaz did financial modeling for over 100 prospective restaurant sites throughout the central and southern regions of the United States. He also oversaw and managed over 50 retail restaurant leases throughout the central United States.

Chaz earned his BBA from The University of Oklahoma in 2020 and his MRED from Iowa State University in 2024.

phone: 918.740.8700
email: chaz@artisancapitalgroup.com

Luke S. Bryant

Asset Management Analyst

Luke Bryant joined ARTISAN Capital Group in September 2024 as part of the asset management team, where he assists in monitoring portfolio performance, optimizing asset strategies, and streamlining management processes.

Prior to ARTISAN, Luke was an associate at a boutique affordable housing brokerage in the Chicago metro area, specializing in the sale of deed-restricted affordable housing nationwide. During his tenure, he participated in underwriting over $1 billion in affordable housing assets and supported the sale and closing process of more than $200 million in transactions. Additionally, he conducted market research and helped develop marketing materials.

Luke earned his BS in Finance from Ball State University in 2022.

John L. Chinski

Senior Vice President - Accounting

John Chinski joined ARTISAN in September of 2023 and is responsible for the accounting and financial reporting of the various multifamily properties being managed by ARTISAN.  In addition, John maintains the financial reporting of all investment entities at Artisan, working with tax preparers to issue timely tax filings to all investors and owners.

Before joining ARTISAN, John served 14 years as Controller and CFO at Orion Residential Advisors. John helped Orion in the purchase of more than 22,000 multiifamily units totaling $2.5 billion.  John also served in a similar capacity for 7 years at The Laramar Group.

John is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the AICPA and Illinois CPA Society. John received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois.

phone: 815.954.1524
email: john@artisancapitalgroup.com

Tiffany L. Harper

General Counsel

Tiffany L. Harper joined ARTISAN Capital Group in February 2020 and has over 18 years of transactional real estate and corporate law experience representing developers, property managers, landlords and tenants.  Most recently, Tiffany spent 13 years as in-house counsel working for Magellan Development Group in Chicago wherein, she represented Magellan affiliates in land acquisitions, construction financing, the leasing of commercial retail space, and the sale of mixed-use buildings across the country.

Tiffany is responsible for negotiating purchase and sale agreements, financing new purchases, refinancing existing assets, and advising ARTISAN on legal matters related to daily operations.

Tiffany received her BS from Florida State University and her JD and MBA from Stetson University.

phone: 312.545.5024
email: tiffany@artisancapitalgroup.com

Marcus P. Kjeldsen

Senior Vice President – Asset Management

Marcus joined ARTISAN Capital Group (ACG) in 2018 and brings 18 years of real estate investment experience to the team.  Marcus has a strong background in asset management, investment acquisitions, due diligence, and construction management - for multi-family and commercial properties.  Prior to joining ARTISAN Marcus was a Corporate Supervisor for Hy-Vee Inc., the dominant retail grocery chain through the state of Iowa. 

Marcus is responsible for leading the asset management department where he focuses on investment financial management, and strategic planning for existing and newly acquired assets.  In addition, he maximizes asset value through creating and executing operational and capital expenditure plans.

Marcus received his B.A. degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 2005. 

phone: 319.610.2492
email: marcus@artisancapitalgroup.com

Ian J. Morris

Associate - Acquisitions

Ian Morris joined ARTISAN Capital Group in May 2021 as an Acquisitions Analyst. Prior to ARTISAN, Ian spent two years at JLL as Valuation Analyst, where he completed appraisals for 150 properties in 32 states with an aggregate value of $3.8 billion. Ian primarily focused on multifamily assets in this role, but also gained exposure to office, retail, mixed-use, industrial, and land properties. Ian previously held internships in multifamily acquisitions, office leasing, and mortgage banking, and brings a wide range of experience to the acquisitions team. At ARTISAN, Ian is responsible for underwriting new deals and managing the firm’s acquisition pipeline.

Ian earned a BS in Finance and Economics from Oklahoma State University and an MS in Finance from Vanderbilt University.

phone: 408.808.4135
email: ian@artisancapitalgroup.com

Gavin A. Ross

Asset Manager

Gavin Ross joined ARTISAN Capital Group ("ACG") in 2023 and is responsible for the successful management of a portfolio of multifamily assets. Gavin leverages his extensive and diverse professional background in asset management, public policy, and real estate investment to excel in his role as Asset Manager. Before joining ACG, Gavin served as Director of Asset Management at New Standard Equities (NSE). At NSE, Gavin oversaw the management of 900 multifamily units across 7 assets in Northern California and Washington, with a combined market value of $300 million.Gavin started in real estate investment as a multifamily investment broker at Lyon Stahl Investment Real Estate, where he led and assisted clients through transactions totaling $30 million. Prior to his real estate career, Gavin served as a policy advisor to Congresswoman Julia Brownley, advising her on a number of policy areas, including housing and urban development. 

Gavin received an MBA from the University of California Los Angeles and a BA in Political Science from the University of Southern California. Additionally, Gavin holds a real estate license in the state of California and is an active member of several organizations, including the UCLA Real Estate Alumni Group, Urban Land Institute, and South Bay Association of Realtors.

phone: 310.990.9200
email: gavin@artisancapitalgroup.com

Michael Tanaka

Acquisitions Analyst

Michael Tanaka joined ARTISAN Capital Group in May of 2025 as a member of the acquisitions team. His primary responsibilities include underwriting new deals, managing the firm’s acquisition pipeline and assisting with the due diligence process.

Prior to Artisan, Michael was a credit manager at Huntington National Bank where he was responsible for underwriting, managing, and modifying loans across all property types while supporting portfolio oversight and credit risk evaluation. His role includes creating property narratives, building cash flow models, and preparing credit reports for executive management and senior credit officers.

Michael earned his finance degree while competing as a four-year starter on the Butler University men's golf team.

Jessica Yip

Staff Accountant

Jessica Yip joined ARTISAN in June 2024 and is responsible for the accounting and financial reporting of the various multifamily properties managed by ARTISAN. Prior to ARTISAN, Jessica worked for Dream Unlimited Corp in Canada as a development accountant working with multifamily assets. 

Jessica is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and earned her MAcc and BAFM from the University of Waterloo in Canada. 

Alison “Ali” M. Zirbel

Vice President - Construction Management

Ali Zirbel joined ARTISAN Capital Group in December of 2019 and brings a wide range of project oversight, renovation, development, legal and management experience to the table.  She also has 10+ years of experience in interior design. 

Ali’s responsibilities for ARTISAN include construction management, project management, and design.  Her unique combination of previous professional experience help streamline projects that require the eye of a designer as well as the organizational skills of a manager.  She provides “boots on the ground” oversight and works directly with property management teams and vendors to optimize operations and expedite capital and renovation projects.

Ali received her BA from the University of Northern Iowa. 

phone:515.494.4874
email: ali@artisancapitalgroup.com