By focusing on owners, listening to tenants, and staying grounded, Andres Aiza has built a career around long-term thinking in a fast-moving market.

Houston’s industrial real estate market is busy and complex. Warehouses move fast. Land trades hands quietly. Deals often start off-market and finish after months of careful work. In the middle of it all is Andres Aiza, a Senior Associate at Alpine Partners, who has built his career by staying close to the details and closer to his clients.

“I grew up here,” Aiza says. “Houston is home. Knowing the city block by block changes how you see opportunities.”

Early Roots in Houston

Aiza was born and raised in Houston. He attended St. Thomas High School and later graduated from the University of Houston’s Bauer School of Business. Growing up locally gave him a clear view of how industrial areas evolve over time.

His early life shaped his outlook. When he was 16, his father passed away in an oil and gas accident. The loss stayed with him, but he prefers to keep the focus on how it influenced his values.

“It taught me not to waste time,” he says. “You learn quickly that relationships matter and that how you treat people lasts.”

His mother also played a key role. “She showed me resilience by example,” Aiza says. “You keep showing up. You do the work. You put your best foot forward.”

Learning the Business From the Inside

Before entering brokerage, Aiza worked for Top Foods Inc., a company that manufactured and imported tortilla chips from Mexico. He spent three years there. The experience gave him a practical view of logistics, manufacturing, and space needs.

“Working inside an operating business changed how I look at buildings,” he says. “You stop seeing square footage and start seeing workflow.”

That perspective still guides his work today. It helps him understand tenants and advise property owners with more clarity.

Entering Industrial Real Estate

Aiza later joined Alpine Partners, an industrial real estate firm based in Houston with a national reach. As a Senior Associate, he focuses on industrial investment sales and project leasing across the Greater Houston area.

Owner representation is the core of his business. He works closely with property owners to help them lease, sell, or reposition assets.

“Every property is different,” he says. “Every owner has a different goal. My job is to line those things up.”

His local ties often lead to off-market opportunities. Years of relationships help surface deals before they reach public listings.

“Most good opportunities don’t start with a sign,” Aiza says. “They start with a conversation.”

Balancing Owners and Tenants

While owner representation leads his work, Aiza also spends time representing tenants. He sees value in that balance.

“Tenant work keeps you honest,” he says. “You learn what users really need. That makes you better for owners too.”

This dual view helps him structure deals that are clear and durable. He has worked on lease and sale transactions involving local businesses and Fortune 500 companies. Many of those deals required creative financial structures to solve timing or operational challenges.

“I like complicated situations,” he says. “They force you to slow down and think.”

Communication as a Competitive Edge

Aiza is bilingual in English and Spanish. That skill allows him to work with a broader range of clients across Houston’s diverse business community.

“Clear language builds trust,” he says. “If people understand what’s happening, decisions get easier.”

Clients often describe him as approachable and direct. He prefers simple explanations and steady communication over pressure tactics.

“I’m not here to rush anyone,” Aiza says. “Good decisions take time.”

A Long-Term View of Leadership

Aiza frames leadership in quiet terms. For him, it is about consistency and follow-through.

“Doing what you say you’ll do still matters,” he says. “It’s not complicated, but it’s not easy either.”

He avoids short-term thinking and focuses on outcomes that make sense years later. That approach shapes how he advises clients and manages relationships.

Outside of work, Aiza spends time with his family, plays golf, and follows Houston Astros baseball. He also supports Heroes for Children, a charity that helps families with children battling cancer, and has volunteered with Loaves & Fishes in Houston.

“Giving back keeps things in perspective,” he says. “It reminds you why community matters.”

Staying Grounded in a Growing Market

Houston’s industrial market continues to expand. New developments rise. Older properties change hands. Through it all, Aiza stays focused on fundamentals.

“The market will change,” he says. “Your values shouldn’t.”

By combining local knowledge, operational insight, and a steady approach, Andres Aiza has built a reputation as a trusted figure in Houston’s industrial real estate space. His career continues to grow, grounded in relationships and shaped by experience rather than hype.

Block on Thursday announced that it will cut nearly half of its workforce as the payments firm works to embed artificial intelligence (AI) throughout its operations.

The layoffs will affect over 4,000 jobs at the company and CEO Jack Dorsey indicated he moved forward with a single round of large cuts rather than a series of smaller workforce reductions to give the company more room for growth as it adapts to the AI era.

Dorsey explained the decision in a series of posts on X, the social media platform he previously led when it was known as Twitter, saying that he isn’t making the decision because Block is in trouble but because the smaller workforce “gives us the space to grow our business the right way, on our own terms, instead of constantly reacting to market pressures.”

He said in his note that the job cuts are “one of the hardest decisions in the history of our company: we’re reducing our organization by nearly half, from over 10,000 people to just under 6,000. that means over 4,000 of you are being asked to leave or entering into consultation.”

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Jack Dorsey said the layoffs will give Block a better route to growth. (Marco Bello/AFP via Getty Images)

Block will offer affected workers 20 weeks of salary as well as one week per year of tenure, equity vested through the end of May, six months of healthcare, corporate devices and $5,000 to put toward whatever they need to aid in their transition, Dorsey said.

Dorsey said that the “intelligence tools we’re creating and using, paired with smaller and flatter teams, are enabling a new way of working which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company. and that’s accelerating rapidly.”

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He went on to say that Block will be built with “intelligence at the core of everything we do. how we work, how we create, how we serve our customers.”

Dorsey added in a follow-up post that the company “over-hired during covid because i incorrectly built 2 separate company structures (square & cash app) rather than 1, which we corrected mid 2024. but this misses all the complexity we took on through lending, banking, and BNPL.”

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Dorsey said he made a mistake in how he had different structures for Square and Cash App within Block. (Matt Crossick/PA Images via Getty Images)

Block shares surged following the announcement that nearly half of the company’s workforce will be laid off amid the company’s AI realignment, rising 17% during Friday morning trading.

The company’s stock is up 22% in the last week, though it’s down over 2% year to date.

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Michael Pisseri is an education leader based in Fairfield, Connecticut. He has built his career on discipline, steady growth, and a belief in process over hype. His work spans classroom teaching and school leadership, with a strong focus on student outcomes and school culture.

Raised in Eastchester, New York, Michael is the oldest of four children. His father was a pharmacist for 50 years. His mother was a nurse. He attended public schools and worked 20 hours a week at a local grocery store while in high school. He was one of only ten students selected for the National Honor Society. That early balance of work and study shaped his leadership style.

Michael earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Fairfield University, followed by a Certificate of Advanced Study in Leadership from Sacred Heart University. In 2006, he was a Teacher of the Year finalist in Westport Public Schools.

As Principal of Davenport Ridge Elementary School, he led a full turnaround. The school moved from one of the lower performing in Stamford to one of the strongest within seven years. It earned a Banner School Award for positive climate in 2016 and was named a Connecticut School of Distinction in 2019.

In 2024, he presented at a National STEM Conference at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Today, as a Social Studies and Intervention Teacher in New York City Public Schools, he continues to focus on impact, resilience, and building teams that improve results for children.

Michael Pisseri: Building Schools Through Process, Persistence and Purpose

Q: Let’s start at the beginning. How did your early life shape your career in education?

I grew up in Eastchester, New York. I am the oldest of four children. My father was a pharmacist in the Bronx for 50 years. My mother was a nurse. They believed in hard work and honesty. I had my first job at 14 at Grand Union grocery store. I worked about 20 hours a week in high school while playing sports and keeping my grades up.

I was one of ten students selected for the National Honor Society. I was the only one in my family to receive that honor. Years later, my son earned the same recognition. We have a photo holding our awards side by side. That means a lot to me.

Those early years taught me discipline. They also taught me that progress comes from steady effort.

Q: What drew you into education as a career?

I attended public schools my whole life. I am proud of that. I saw teachers who made a real difference. I wanted to do the same.

I studied at Fairfield University for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. I later completed a leadership certificate at Sacred Heart University. Early in my career, I focused on the classroom. In 2006, I was named a Teacher of the Year finalist in Westport Public Schools. That was a proud moment. It confirmed that the work mattered.

Q: You later became a principal. What was that transition like?

Becoming a principal changed my perspective. I became Principal of Davenport Ridge Elementary School at a time when it was one of the lower performing schools in Stamford.

The work was not about quick fixes. It was about process and building relationships. It was about getting to know people, recognise the great work that was already taking place and building a new team. We set clear expectations. We focused on the school climate first. In 2016, the school received a Banner School Award for positive climate. In 2019, we were named a Connecticut School of Distinction for test scores.

It took seven years. That is why I always say a transparent process that leads to the outcome is what matters most.

Q: How would you describe your leadership style?

I believe in being a good listener. Be authentic. Be someone people trust and keep moving forward.

I will not give up. I believe you can get better every day. That belief has to be ingrained in you. I also believe in quiet acts of kindness. Leadership is not about being loud. It is about consistency, listening and identifying a clear process that focuses on what is best for children.

Before setting goals, I start with direction. I ask myself what I want more of. Growth. Connection. Impact. I ask what I want less of. Burnout. Chaos. That keeps my work aligned with my values.

Q: In 2024, you presented at a National STEM Conference at NASA. What did that experience mean to you?

It was a full circle moment. I have always been passionate about STEM and space. Presenting at the Johnson Space Center in Houston was special.

The focus was on research and innovation in education. For me, STEM is not just about science. It is about curiosity. It teaches students how to think, not just what to memorise.

Standing at NASA, I thought about the journey from Eastchester Public Schools to that stage. It reinforced that steady work over time opens doors.

Q: You are now a Social Studies and Intervention Teacher in New York City. Why return to the classroom?

I have learned something everywhere I have worked. That is important to me. The classroom keeps you grounded. It keeps you close to students. I thought at this point in my career it would help me to reconnect with students and also place myself in the shoes of current day educators. I have a lot of respect for all educators including teachers and para-educators. I know how hard and challenging the work is. Working in New York City is an amazing experience! I have learned so much from the students and staff in a middle school setting. They have challenged me to be the best educator I can be while connecting to them and their diverse cultural backgrounds.

Intervention work has a direct impact. You see progress in real time. It reminds you why you started. I enjoy working on literacy based skills with students in a small group setting.

Q: How do you balance professional and personal life?

Balance is not about splitting time evenly. It is about alignment. Your work should support the life you want.

I ran two half marathons, one in Brooklyn and one in Fairfield. Training for those races reminded me that progress is slow and steady. You build endurance mile by mile.

My two sons are both baseball pitchers. My oldest was named captain as a junior at Mount St Mary’s College. Watching them compete and grow keeps everything in perspective.

Q: How do you define success today?

Success is living in alignment with your values while continuing to grow. It is not just achieving outcomes. It is becoming someone you respect along the way.

For me, that means making a positive difference for children. It means building teams. It means never giving up and always focusing on continued growth.

Unite called on the government to push ahead with publication of its Defence Investment Plan, to clarify the future of other contracts including the replacing of old fighter jets with new Typhoons, fitted with Rolls Royce engines, and a further commitment to military satellites built in Portsmouth and Stevenage.