Andrew Tavakoli wants to leave Los Angeles better than he found it, to benefit future generations.
Illustration by Keith Negley / iSpot
When it comes to real estate, location is paramount.
What better place to build a center for real estate education, research, and innovation than at USC?
A generous gift from commercial real estate leader Andrew Tavakoli will establish a center for real estate at the USC Marshall School of Business. The effort capitalizes on USC’s academic strengths and its location in Southern California, a hotbed for real estate growth.
“USC and Marshall are absolutely well-positioned to be the number one destination for everyone who aspires to be great in this field,” Tavakoli said. “People who know they want to be in the real estate business will know where to go and have many paths to take.”
Tavakoli’s gift will create a real estate chair, an endowed real estate scholarship, and matching funds to encourage more donors to support the center.
Andrew Tavakoli
A gut feeling led Tavakoli to his career in real estate. As an undergraduate, he studied electrical engineering and computer science. But reading a biography of John Jacob Astor, one of America’s first millionaires and real estate moguls, gave him new direction.
USC played a key role in Tavakoli’s success. While working full time, he pursued studies at USC Marshall, earning a master’s in business analytics and finance.
“I have made use of it,” said Tavakoli, who has transacted over $2.3 billion in investments under Tavaco Properties, the holding company for his commercial real estate portfolio nationwide.
Tavakoli has leveraged his success to support the arts, education, health care, and civic organizations nationwide. At USC, he has supported the USC Master of Business for Veterans Program and the Cyrus the Great Chair in Timeless Leadership.
Now, Tavakoli wants to elevate an industry that touches every facet of our lives—where we live, work, and play.
“The best legacy is not so much what you leave for people, but what you leave in them,” Tavakoli said. “L.A. is the community of my choice. I want to leave it better after I’m gone, for the future generations.”
