TOP 100 MAGAZINE

Pedzi Makumbe

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It was always about freedom. Freedom to spend more time with loved ones, freedom from worrying about the ups and downs of the stock market, and that serene peace of mind that comes from knowing that your income is not tied to a single employer. 

 

That quest drove Pedzi to healthcare real estate. Today, as founder and president at Lily Oak Inc., he leads an investment firm with more than $30 Million in assets under management across the Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Ohio metro areas. The firm specializes in properties leased to recession-resistant healthcare providers such as pediatricians, dentists, cardiology practices, eye doctors, and physical therapists.  

 

The Beginning

 

Pedzi moved to the United States for college with $100 in his pocket, and a suitcase full of clothes that proved too thin for Maine winters. He graduated from Colby College, and went on to earn a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

Driven by a passion for investments that elevate communities, he joined the World Bank Group. At the Bank, he led investments in infrastructure - including clinics and hospitals - across Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. Yet despite a global career and a sizable salary, he came to a sobering realization that a paycheck, no matter how large, is not the same as financial freedom.

 

The Turning Point

 

The catalyst for Lily Oak’s investment thesis was both personal and professional. He was raised by a mother who worked as a nurse, and had seen firsthand how healthcare infrastructure transforms communities. His experiences at the World Bank further reinforced that conviction, and he realized healthcare real estate was his true calling.

 

After testing the waters with single family homes; he identified an overlooked opportunity in mid-sized commercial healthcare properties. These are properties too small for institutional giants, and yet too complex for most individual investors.

 

Pedzi called a couple of friends, they pooled their capital, and purchased their first healthcare property. Through active management, disciplined risk mitigation, and a value-add strategy, the investment nearly tripled his partners' capital in two and a half years. The realization was clear: it is possible to do genuine good, generate meaningful income, and build lasting financial freedom.

 

Building Wealth Through Impact

 

That first deal became a blueprint. At Lily Oak, Pedzi and his team help busy professionals co-invest in healthcare real estate without the demands of being a landlord. Lily Oak handles everything from acquisition to asset management while the co-investors participate passively.

 

The appeal is straightforward: healthcare tenants sign long-term leases and rarely relocate. This produces durable income streams that don't move with the stock market. Every property Lily Oak acquires keeps doctors' doors open in neighborhoods that need them.

 

"We're not simply buying buildings," Pedzi says. "We're helping people build their dreams and secure their futures through investments that serve both the investor and the community."

 

He shares his research on healthcare real estate trends, along with educational resources for professionals exploring passive investing, on LinkedIn and through Lily Oak's investor newsletter.

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Freedom, it turns out, is something you can build.

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Pedzi (Pete) Makumbe
President and Founder
Lily Oak Inc.
Website: https://lilyoakusa.com  
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/pmakumbe