Greg Cullen

Greg Cullen is the founder of Harvard Investment Group, a Los Angeles-based investment and real estate development firm. The firm says it was founded in 1995 to make direct investments and provide services to early-stage corporations and real estate ventures.

Before founding Harvard Investment Group, Cullen worked in finance and banking at Citibank and ING Capital Corporation. Harvard Investment Group says Cullen has been the lead investor and active partner in dozens of transactions, including both debt and equity, and that the firm has invested across real estate and early-stage corporate opportunities.

Cullen earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1989, with an emphasis on real estate. He graduated with honors from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Harvard Investment Group also describes him as the former president of the Harvard Real Estate Alumni Organization and as a member of various corporate boards.

In his current role, Cullen is involved in deal creation, finance, strategy, partner relations, executive oversight of development projects, and corporate investments. Harvard Investment Group says its principal is both a licensed contractor and licensed real estate broker in California.

• Harvard Investment Group invests in “value-added real estate opportunities and early stage businesses.”
• The firm looks for targets “in need of capital and/or management expertise,” so Cullen appears most relevant for founders who want an active capital partner rather than a passive check.
• Typical investment size is from the mid-five figures to seven figures, depending on the transaction.
• The firm’s stated goal is to help portfolio companies build “a solid management team, a firm financial foundation and a strategy that leads to a profitable exit.”
• Harvard Investment Group says it can provide support in deal structuring, valuation, financial engineering, corporate strategy, value creation, and board-level direction.
• Sector exposure listed by the firm includes media, artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, finance, medical devices, fast food, energy, real estate, entertainment, and apparel.