Leadership
Jose is a second-year MBA student from Asheboro, NC, pursuing a concentration in Real Estate. Prior to Kenan-Flagler, he worked at CBRE as a Project Manager, where he led commercial real estate renovations for Bank of America across Latin America and the Southeast. Outside the classroom, he enjoys playing guitar at local breweries, traveling with his wife. A fun fact about Jose is that he keeps finding reasons to return to Ireland—drawn back by the rainy weather, quiet countryside, and pints of Guinness.
Laura is originally from Savannah, GA and went on to attend Wake Forest University. Before coming to KFBS, she worked in retail real estate acquisitions at South Coast Commercial, an investment firm focused on unanchored shopping centers. While working full-time, she also earned a master’s degree in data visualization from Northwestern University. In her free time, Laura enjoys cooking, watching reality tv, and going on hikes with her fiancé and two English Cocker Spaniels. A fun fact about Laura is that she spent spring break of her senior year of college living out of a spray-painted van, road-tripping through California. Sho is a second-year MBA student from Hokkaido, Japan, which is famous for its world-class powder snow and skiing. Before pursuing his MBA at Kenan-Flagler, Sho managed commercial office and hotel assets in Manhattan, where he led projects including the construction of Michelin-starred sushi restaurants. Outside the classroom, Sho is passionate about fitness, enjoys competing, and proudly holds the fastest HYROX record among Japanese nationals in US competitions. Aida is a second-year MBA student from San Juan, PR, with a background in landscape architecture and residential garden design. Outside of academics, she enjoys painting, crafting, and showcasing her hidden talent — assembling boxed furniture with ease. Originally from Orange County, CA, Kaleb Soper attended Norwich University. Before KFBS he spent 14 years in the Marine Corps. In his free time, Kaleb enjoys rock climbing, mountain biking, and skiing. Andrew is a second-year MBA student from Durham, NC, and a proud Double Tar Heel, having earned his undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2018. Before returning to Kenan-Flagler, Andrew spent six years at Anheuser-Busch, where he led sales and marketing initiatives across Southeast markets, culminating in his role as Commercial Director for Miami and the Florida Keys. In his free time, he enjoys golfing and still remembers his most daring challenge — eating 13 Krispy Kreme doughnuts in under 9 minutes, a feat he has no plans to repeat. Originally from Alexandria, VA, Nico received his undergraduate degree from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before perusing his MBA, Nico worked for Johnson Development Associates (JDA) as an Industrial Development Manager in Nashville, TN. He then returned to Alexandria where he was an Assistant Controller at Biscayne Contractors, Inc. In his spare time, Nico enjoys cooking, fishing, and exploring nature. A fun fact about Nico is that he used to raise bobwhite quail in his back yard and would sell their eggs at the local farmer’s market.
