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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 120+ multi-million-dollar initiatives, and advised on $4.2B+ in real estate transactions. She supports acquisitions and takeovers, performance turnarounds, value-add repositioning, new development, and portfolio-wide initiatives across $600M+ in retail and $3B+ 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.
Chris Berger
Business Development Advisor
Chris Berger serves as Business Development Advisor for Moxie Consults, bringing more than a decade of experience in business development, strategic sales, and client relationship management across the multifamily and student housing sectors. His background includes roles with B.HOM Student Living, Campus Advantage, Asset Living, and Park7 Group, where he established a strong track record of expanding market presence, building strategic partnerships, and turning relationships into measurable business growth.
Chris is known for combining strong commercial insight with a highly relational, client-focused approach. He understands that lasting growth is built not only through strategy and execution, but through trust, credibility, and the ability to form meaningful, long-term connections.
At Moxie Consults, Chris brings a thoughtful and polished perspective to the firm’s growth efforts, strengthening relationships, elevating visibility, supporting expansion, and he's a proud graduate of Texas Tech University.
Lesa Woodard
Administrative Assistant
Lesa Woodard brings more than 20 years of experience in financial and administrative services, with a strong track record of supporting small business owners and helping organizations operate more efficiently at the local level. Her background reflects a deep understanding of the day-to-day structure required to keep a business running smoothly, from internal coordination and client support to the administrative systems that strengthen overall service delivery.
At Moxie Consults, Lesa oversees the firm’s daily administrative operations and plays an important role in maintaining a responsive, organized, and client-focused experience. She manages client communications, responds to inquiries, coordinates internal processes, and helps ensure that deliverables, follow-up, and service needs are handled with consistency and care.
Known for her professionalism, reliability, and solutions-oriented approach, Lesa helps create the structure behind the scenes that allows Moxie Consults to serve clients efficiently and effectively.
