MAC McELWRATH

Co-Founder, Managing Principal

Role

Mac is Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Wayfinder. He oversees the development operations of the company, spearheads fundraising , and helps manage capital allocation across all investment types.

Journey to Wayfinder

Mac has developed 13,000+ multifamily units throughout Texas with a total valuation of more than $2 Billion. Before starting Wayfinder, he served 8 ½ years as Managing Director of Development at OHT Partners (formerly Oden Hughes), a full-service real estate company specializing in development, construction, and fund management. Prior to this, Mac was a Development Associate at Simmons Vedder Partners where he also specialized in multifamily.

Mac’s career in real estate began while earning his BBA in Finance on a full-ride scholarship at the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his real estate license as a sophomore before initiating a trend of student agents focused on campus-area leasing and sales. Upon graduation, Mac went onto become a licensed broker and cofounded his own firm, Austin City Realty, which he successfully managed until his transition into the development world.

Mac’s fascination with real estate in general – and apartments in particular – began at a very early age. He moved over two dozen times during his youth and into adulthood. Every new residence he called “home” brought to bear its own set of amenities as well as imperfections, instilling in him a growing appreciation for the spaces that surrounded him. He credits this experience for much of his passion toward the industry today.

About Mac

Mac is in the Advisory Council of the Real Estate Center at the University of Texas, sits on the Board of the Real Estate Council of Austin, and serves on the Advisory Committee of Austin Community Foundation. Previously, KIPP Texas Public Schools retains a lot of Mac’s focus. He served on the Board of Directors in Austin for 5 years. In 2018, Mac was named Greater Austin’s Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, for his tireless dedication to supporting KIPP’s mission of providing a quality education for Austin’s most economically disadvantaged. Today, Mac lives in Central Austin with his wife Vanessa, and sons McCammon and Holden.