_edited.png)
Dena Costello
Founder and Principal Consultant
​Dena Costello founded Moxie Consults and brings 25+ years of leadership in real estate operations, asset performance, and portfolio strategy. She partners with owners and operators to stabilize results, strengthen execution, and build scalable operating systems using a disciplined, data-driven approach that ties directly to NOI and ROI.
​
Dena has led operations for 60,000+ beds and 40,000+ units, directed 100+ multi-million-dollar initiatives, and advised on $4B+ in real estate transactions. She supports acquisitions and takeovers, performance turnarounds, value-add repositioning, new development, and portfolio-wide initiatives across $300M+ in retail and $2.7B+ in student and multifamily.
​
Before launching Moxie Consults, Dena served as COO at Cobblestone Development, VP of Client Strategy and Consulting at Campus Advantage, and led U.S. Operations for The Dot Group’s Yugo. Clients rely on her for decisive leadership, clear communication, and consistent follow-through that reduces risk, improves performance, and protects long-term value.
Dr. Michael Brutz
Senior Advisor
Dr. Michael Brutz serves as Senior Advisor at Moxie Consults and brings a disciplined, analytical approach to operational execution, KPI governance, and performance improvement. He helps clients turn complex, high-stakes challenges into clear objectives, decision-ready reporting, and practical execution plans that drive measurable results.
​
Michael brings 13+ years in analytics, optimization, and machine learning and builds KPI frameworks, forecasting, and dashboards that make performance visible, actionable, and easier to manage. He helps teams spot drift quickly, intervene with confidence, and improve predictability and execution discipline.​​
​
Michael earned a B.S. in Mathematics from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he focused on modeling and analyzing diffusive processes. He also served as a combat medic and military veteran in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and clients value his calm clarity, rigor under pressure, and real-world decision support that reduces risk and improves consistency.
Melissa Cholak
Strategic Advisor
Melissa Cholak brings 20+ years of leadership across conventional multifamily and student housing and partners with owners and operators to stabilize performance, strengthen execution, and protect profitability through disciplined operations and accountability.
​
She has managed portfolios up to 13,000 units, sustained 98% annual occupancy, and exceeded revenue growth targets through hands-on performance management. Her leadership experience includes Corvias, Greystar, Darwin Homes, and Horizon Realty Advisors, with depth in campus housing, PBSA, and conventional multifamily.
​
At Moxie Consults, Melissa translates strategy into measurable action by clarifying priorities, establishing operating rhythm, and delivering practical workplans teams can sustain. She also supports client relations, capital planning, and organizational restructuring to reduce friction and drive consistent results.
