Robert Stetson serves as the Chief Executive Officer of i3 Funds LLC, providing management and strategic oversight. He has a long and distinguished career in both public securities and private income investing. Mr. Stetson received a BA in Economics and an MBA from Harvard University, where he was also awarded the Kronfeld Prize in economics. The first segment of his professional career was devoted principally to chain restaurant management, culminating with the positions of Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and later President Restaurant Division of Burger King Corporation. In 1994 Mr. Stetson began his current professional career as an investor. He founded and was CEO of a NYSE-traded REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) called US Restaurant Properties and later Trustreet Properties Inc. The REIT focused on restaurant and gasoline station investments. It ultimately grew to approximately $3 billion in assets and was acquired by GE Capital in 2007. During his tenure as CEO the REIT provided outside investors a return of approximately 13% compounded. He and Mr. Kropp also managed a high yield bond fund, the Propidad Fund, focused on restaurant and hotel securities. Mr. Stetson is currently Chairman of a private investment company focused on distressed property tax investing.
James Kropp serves as the Chief Investment Officer for i3 Funds LLC. Mr. Kropp also serves as a Director of PS Business Parks, Inc and as Chairman of the Compensation Committee and as a Trustee of CNL Funds (an open-end mutual fund) and Chairman of its Audit Committee. Mr. Kropp previously served on the Boards of US Restaurant Properties, Trustreet, and Madison Park Real Estate Investment Trust. Mr. Kropp was formerly Senior Vice President for Gazit Group, an international real estate firm, from 2005 to 2008. He was employed by Christopher Weil and Company from 1994 to 2004 as a broker-dealer, a registered investment advisor, and lastly as Managing Director with responsibility for Investment Banking and Portfolio Management. Mr. Kropp also served as a founder and Portfolio Manager of Realty Enterprise Funds from 1998 to 2006. He also managed a high yield bond fund, the Propidad Fund, with Mr. Stetson. Mr. Kropp has, in the past, been licensed to serve in a variety of supervisory positions (including financial, options and compliance principal) by the National Association of Securities Dealers. He graduated with a BBA-Finance from St Francis College and completed the MBA/CPA preparation program from New York University. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs.
James Lang serves as the Chief Operating Officer of i3 Funds LLC, providing quantitative analysis expertise and directing day to day operations for the firm. He graduated magna cum laude from Colorado State University with dual BS degrees in Zoology and Biological Sciences, as well as an MS in Operations and Technology Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business. He is a registered investment advisor representative in the state of Colorado. Mr. Lang has a track record of success in the small business management arena, including driving the growth and profitability of a division of a private company through over 400% growth in three years. He has managed serveral businesses as an operations and finance manager, several of which he co-founded and guided through start-up phases. Mr. Lang is also a board member of Energy Literacy Advocates, a non-profit group focused on studying and educating Americans about energy.