The people behind every deal.
Praxis operates as a lean, accountable partnership — every deal is led directly by a principal, from initial underwriting through stabilization and exit.
Kacy Keys
Kacy Keys is the Founding Partner and President & CEO of Praxis Development Group, which she launched in 2019 with the express intent of “Building with Purpose.” With over 30 years of experience in large and complex development projects, she has overseen more than $1 billion in real estate assets across residential, retail, office, and mixed-use product types.
Kacy's career is rooted in Los Angeles — her family's history in the city spans over 100 years. She began her career at the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, where she drafted and spearheaded the City of Los Angeles's Adaptive Reuse Ordinance in 1998 — the landmark legislation that catalyzed the conversion of dozens of historic downtown buildings into multifamily housing. She also negotiated development agreements for landmark civic projects including Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) and Walt Disney Concert Hall.
She subsequently practiced land use law at Allen, Matkins before joining JH Snyder Company, where she served as Head of Development and General Counsel for over a decade — leading ground-up projects from the NoHo Arts District to Hollywood's entertainment corridor. She then became Senior Vice President at Seritage Growth Properties, overseeing all development for the company in the Western United States. At Praxis, she leads firm strategy, capital formation, community partnerships, and the vision behind every deal.
With her multidisciplinary background as a land use attorney and developer, Kacy approaches opportunity as “what can be” versus “what is” — seeing creative solutions where others see constraints. She specializes in urban infill, legacy land partnerships, and projects that result in simultaneous value creation and neighborhood enhancement.
Education
- J.D. — UC Berkeley School of Law
- M.A. Urban Planning — UCLA
- B.A. Economics — UC Berkeley
Charles Wise
Charles Wise is a Partner, Chief Operating Officer, and Vice President of Praxis Development Group. A seasoned real estate development executive with over a decade of experience, he has delivered high-impact projects across the Western United States spanning residential, commercial, mixed-use, and adaptive reuse — with over $250 million in development budgets managed and more than 2 million square feet of real estate overseen.
At Praxis, Charles leads day-to-day operations and development execution, applying a unique blend of institutional rigor and entrepreneurial agility. He brings strong command of entitlement strategy, permitting, public-private coordination, and capital structuring — guiding projects from initial vision through completion with a focus on community value and long-term performance.
Prior to Praxis, Charles served as Senior Development Manager at Seritage Growth Properties, a national REIT, where he was Project Lead on flagship mixed-use redevelopments including Mark 302 in Santa Monica and The Collection at UTC. He began his career at JH Snyder Construction — one of Southern California's most successful developers — where he served as Project Manager on landmark projects including The Vermont (464 units, $150M), 959 Seward (250K SF, $133M), and 1601 Vine (110K SF, $69M). He holds a B.S. in Business Finance from Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business and an A.CRE real estate financial modeling accreditation.
Education
- B.S. Business Finance — Arizona State University, W. P. Carey School of Business
- A.CRE Real Estate Financial Modeling Accreditation
