In Neil Rubler’s 20 years as a real estate developer, he has gained significant insight into the challenges faced by a building industry that has experienced declining year-over-year productivity and is now no more efficient than it was 80 years ago.

In his words: “The broken U.S. housing system has a devastating impact on our economy, communities, environment, and human spirit. Conventional developers routinely produce a dated product at a price unaffordable to all but the wealthy. At the same time, fifty million American households are ‘rent burdened’ to the point where housing costs crowd out other critical expenditures such as education, healthcare, nutrition, and recreation. Unable to attract new residents, historic communities experience population loss and declining downtowns. In growing markets, thriving businesses struggle to house their talent. ‘Leaky’ buildings fill the air with CO2, and demolished buildings fill landfills. Communities in the United States and around the world are in crisis, and they are desperate for a new housing alternative.”[1]

In response to this crisis, Neil founded Vessel Technologies, Inc. in 2017 to create a new approach to housing that will provide both communities and their residents with a higher-quality lifestyle he calls “Space to Thrive.” Vessel imagines a new housing economy based on an entirely new approach to building design, manufacture, financing and operations, detailed in The Vessel Playbook for 21st Century Housing Economy. His article, The 21st Century Housing Economy: Luxurious, Attainable and Responsible, expands upon it.

In just a few years, Vessel has re-imagined the apartment building as a consumer product integrating complimentary hardware and software. It is beautiful, safe, green, barrier-free, dignified and attainably priced. And it can be installed in just one month.

Vessel’s inaugural intelligent housing unit will open in Trenton, New Jersey, in July 2021. The firm has presented its concept to cities across the country and plans to ramp up production meaningfully in 2021.

Other Experience

Neil also previously served as the President and CEO of Candlebrook Properties, LLC and its various affiliates, which he founded in 2005. Candlebrook operated businesses in real estate development, management and construction and has managed a portfolio valued at over $3 billion spanning tens of thousands of apartment units across seven states.

Prior to Candlebrook, Neil was the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of The Olnick Organization, Inc., a privately held New York-based real estate development company.  In this capacity, he oversaw all aspects of The Olnick Organization’s operations, development, and investment activities. Before joining Olnick, Neil was an Associate at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette.

Neil earned an MBA from The Wharton School in 1998 with degrees in Real Estate and Finance and graduated from Cornell University magna cum laude with a BA in 1992.  Neil has served as a board member of the Real Estate Board of New York, an Executive Committee member of the Real Estate Center at the Wharton School, and is actively engaged in various philanthropic endeavors. 

 [1] See this Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies Report for more information on the rental housing crisis.