Our team
Ali Balapour
Founder and CEO
Ali Balapour is the Founder and CEO of Niba Capital, where he leads the firm’s mission to develop income-aligned housing across the Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky markets.
Ali’s path into real estate began in 2021, when he entered the rental business and scaled his portfolio to nearly $6 million in assets. To support that growth, he founded a construction company alongside his investing activity, recognizing that construction capacity — not capital or deal flow — was the primary bottleneck limiting his ability to scale.
In 2024, Ali began transitioning the business from remodeling to ground-up new construction, formally launching this new direction in 2025 around income-aligned homes: housing built specifically to match what local working families can actually afford. He validated the model by building and selling two townhomes under this approach, demonstrating both market demand and execution capability.
Building on that early proof of concept, Ali founded Niba Capital in late 2025 to raise institutional and private capital, enabling the company to scale its production of income-aligned homes throughout the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region.
Before founding Niba Capital, Ali moved to the United States in 2015 to pursue his PhD in Business Administration and joined Northern Kentucky University as an educator in 2020, bringing an academic and analytical lens to his approach in real estate and construction.
Angela Crawford.
Business Advisor
Dr. Angela Crawford serves as a Business Advisor to Niba Capital, bringing experience in banking, investment evaluation, strategic growth, and sustainable systems design to the firm’s mission of developing income-aligned housing throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She advises the company on strategy, organizational development, market positioning, and the creation of scalable systems that support disciplined growth and lasting community impact.
Angela began her career in banking, including mortgage banking, where she developed firsthand knowledge of lending, underwriting, risk assessment, and the financial considerations that influence real estate and investment decisions. She later earned a PhD in Management with a specialization in Designing Sustainable Systems from Case Western Reserve University. Her doctoral work strengthened her ability to evaluate complex opportunities, connect financial and human considerations, and design strategies that create sustainable long-term value.
Her experience also extends to early-stage investing and entrepreneurship. As an Ascent member of QCA Ventures, formerly Queen City Angels, Angela participates in the evaluation of emerging businesses and has developed a practical understanding of due diligence, market potential, leadership capability, and the factors that enable promising ventures to scale successfully.
Angela has spent her career helping leaders and organizations turn ambitious ideas into executable strategies. Through her consulting work, she advises businesses on strategy, leadership, organizational growth, and market positioning—experience she now applies to helping Niba Capital strengthen its operations, expand responsibly, and deliver value to investors, homeowners, and the communities it serves.
Her connection to the region is both personal and professional. Born and raised in Fairfield, Ohio, Angela has lived in Northern Kentucky for more than 27 years with her husband of more than 30 years. She also serves on the Brighton Center Board, supporting work that advances family stability, economic opportunity, and stronger communities throughout Northern Kentucky.
As an impact investor, Angela believes that successful investments should produce both sound financial outcomes and meaningful benefits for people and communities. Her passion for helping individuals and families succeed at work and in life closely aligns with Niba Capital’s commitment to expanding attainable homeownership and helping more working families pursue the American dream.
Jose Barrera
Business Advisor
Jose Barrera serves as a business advisor to Niba Capital during its growth phase, bringing over 20 years of experience as a framing carpenter to the company’s residential home-building efforts.
Jose began his career in construction as a teenager and has spent the decades since building homes and honing his craft. Over the years, he has continually developed new skills to deliver consistently high-quality workmanship, with a specialty in framing new residential construction — including his largest project to date, a 200,000-square-foot living space.
He takes pride in every project he completes, with a goal that goes beyond building houses: creating strong, lasting homes that families can enjoy for generations.
For Jose, construction is more than a job — it’s a passion. Every project is a chance to do meaningful work, earn his clients’ trust, and leave behind something he’s proud of. That same dedication carries over into his personal life, where he’s a devoted family man who cherishes time with his daughters — the people who inspire him to work harder every day.
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