In addition to its primary real estate development and operating activities, Runyon has leveraged its eye for high-quality businesses and experiences to form subsidiary Runyon Ventures, which invests in and advises external and proprietary retail and hospitality concepts. Key projects include early stage investments in concepts such as Buck Mason, Go Get Em Tiger and John Elliott.

In concert with Runyon’s core team, Runyon Ventures concepted, developed, owns and operates multi-label retail concepts stores for men (The Optimist) and women (Teller) that have multiple locations and carry over 60 brands each. Beyond the stores’ standalone success, they act as a feeder for independent brand pop-ups, activations and leases at Runyon projects. Almost twenty brands have graduated from The Optimist and Teller into retail spaces of their own.

These projects act as a positive feedback loop by discovering and incubating new concepts that provide Runyon a unique edge when merchandising new retail projects and a deep understanding of tenant businesses.