01 · Classroom
Started as a teacher on the south side of Atlanta — living the same housing struggle as the families he served.
A Family of Companies
I started as a teacher on the south side of Atlanta. Every year I taught, rent hikes pushed me out of my housing. I was living the same struggle as the families I served.
So I went to Wall Street. Ten years. $4.5B in deals. 22,000 families housed. I learned how the system works — and where it breaks. Now I’m using that expertise to fix it. 10,000 units in 5 years. Wall Street expertise. Main Street impact.
$4.5B
Transactions
10
Years on Wall Street
22K
Families Housed
Built Different — every Tuesday. No noise. No buzzwords. Just what matters.
Founder & CEO
Evan A. Shields
What We Build
One mission.
Three business lines.
We’re not waiting for the industry to catch up. Every company we build is designed to prove the same thesis: technology and mission make each other stronger.
Acquisitions & Development
Shieldstone Real Estate
Workforce housing at scale.
We acquire and develop affordable, workforce, and mixed-income housing across the US. Our target: 10,000 units in 5 years. Wall Street execution, Main Street impact. You don't have to choose between strong returns and strong communities.
- Targeting high-growth neighborhoods with durable demand
- Ground-up and value-add across affordable and workforce segments
- Data-informed site selection and operating strategy
10,000 units in 5 yearsLearn more
Lending & Capital Solutions
Shieldstone Credit
Direct lender for builders and investors.
We lend direct and broker loans for single-family and built-to-rent workforce housing — ground-up construction, fix-and-flip bridge, and DSCR permanent financing for SFR 1-4 unit deals, plus construction, bridge, and perm loans for BTR communities up to 500 units. Powered by our JV with USDV Capital.
- Bridge, construction, and DSCR loan products for SFR 1–4 unit
- BTR communities up to 500 units — GUC, bridge, and perm
- Direct lending and brokerage via JV with USDV Capital
SFR to BTR, $15–50MMLearn more
Shieldstone Media
Built Different
The signal on the future of housing.
Weekly newsletter and podcast at the intersection of housing, AI, policy, impact investing, and culture. Real intelligence from people actually building the future — not armchair analysis. Every Tuesday. No noise. No buzzwords. Just what matters.
- Weekly founder-led newsletter every Tuesday
- Housing, AI, policy, impact investing, and culture
- Real intelligence from people actually building
Shieldstone MediaLearn more
Track Record
The receipts.
We learned how the system works on Wall Street. Now we’re using that knowledge to build.
$0.0B+
In personal transactions at prior firms
Evan Shields, CEO
0+
Families housed
Prior work
$0B+
Combined team experience
Across real estate & finance
0
Units target
In 5 years
Partnership
Built for aligned capital and operating partners
- Aligned with family offices, institutions, and operating partners who value long-term execution.
- Built for real asset outcomes: occupancy, affordability, and resilient cash flow.
- Clear communication and fast decision cycles from screening through close.
Founder note
“You don’t have to choose between strong returns and strong communities.”
Evan A. Shields · Founder & CEO
Subscribe to Built DifferentTransaction volume reflects Evan Shields’ personal track record at prior firms (Prudential/PGIM, R4 Capital, BridgeInvest). Shieldstone is a newly launched company.
Leadership
The team behind
the mission.
We brought together operators, investors, and technologists who have been on both sides of the table. $9B+ in combined experience. One shared conviction: you don’t have to choose between strong returns and strong communities.
Founder & CEO
Evan A. Shields
Former teacher turned Wall Street veteran. Evan closed $4.5B in transactions over 10 years at Prudential/PGIM, R4 Capital, and BridgeInvest — helping finance housing for 22,000 families. He now leads Shieldstone's mission to build 10,000 units of workforce housing in 5 years.
- 10 years on Wall Street (PGIM, R4 Capital, BridgeInvest)
- $4.5B in personal real estate transactions
- 22,000 families housed through prior work
Chief Investment Officer
Fahd Mulawwah
Institutional real estate specialist with deep expertise in structured finance across multifamily and credit strategies.
Structured finance specialist · Multifamily & credit
Chief Operating Officer
Alton C. Shields
Veteran developer and operator with decades of experience across residential, mixed-use, and commercial real estate.
Development & operations · Residential & mixed-use
Executive Administrator
Chuck Virtudazo
Keeps the Shieldstone machine running — coordinating operations, communications, and execution across the family of companies.
Operations & coordination · Family of companies
Built Different Newsletter
Stay ahead of the
future of housing.
Every Tuesday, Built Different delivers the signal on housing, technology, policy, and capital.
No noise. No buzzwords. Just what matters.
Actionable market signal
What operators, developers, and allocators should watch this week.
Real AI use-cases
How housing teams are actually using AI to improve decisions and speed.
Founder perspective
Direct notes from Evan on housing, capital, policy, and culture.