Nick Stromwall

Principal Fund Manager @ Oak and Vine Upstream Energy Fund | Real Estate Investing, Syndications

What if we lived on 10% and gave 90% away?

I’m an entrepreneur at heart and an alternative asset fund manager who loves educating faith-driven investors on how to invest in alternative assets like real estate and energy.

Can you multiply money and impact with your current investing strategy?

I’m on a mission to build a thriving business that propels generosity—helping investors multiply their income so they can multiply their impact.

I spent 15 years in ministry developing leaders and building systems that empowered people to thrive. Now, I help people invest, train leaders, and build scalable systems that create lasting impact.

… And I help leaders get the #TripleWin:

✅ Winning at Work – Building scalable, high-impact businesses
✅ Winning with Family – Creating financial freedom for the people they love
✅ Winning in Community – Investing in opportunities that serve a greater purpose

As the VP of Efficiency and Innovation at Rise48, I focus on:
→ Streamlining systems to help our investors and team operate at peak efficiency
→ Developing scalable processes to support growth and maximize returns
→ Optimizing investor experience so they can confidently invest in high-quality, cash-flowing multifamily real estate

As the founder of Oak and Vine Capital, I focus on partnering with world-class operators in the best asset classes. I’ve served as a General Partner and Managing Partner in multiple real estate and energy syndications. 

My mission is clear:
→ To invest in businesses that create Kingdom Impact and empower investors to do the same.

Let’s multiply your resources for greater Kingdom impact.

Principal Owner

I help people multiply their money and impact through passive real estate investing in commercial real estate and alternative asset syndications.

We closed out the year together in Phoenix at the Rise48 Christmas Party  a western-themed evening that brought our teams from Arizona, Texas, and North Carolina into the same room.

Not for meetings.
Not for metrics.
But for connection.

It was a night of conversations, shared stories, and time with the people who put in the work every day behind the scenes. The kind of environment where relationships deepen, trust strengthens, and culture is reinforced in real time.

Because great execution doesn’t start in spreadsheets.
It starts with alignment.
With shared values.
With teams who believe in the mission and in one another.

I left the event reminded of how far we’ve come as an organization and how much opportunity is ahead as we continue building, growing, and serving together in the new year.

Grateful for our teams, our leaders, and every person who plays a role in the work we’re doing.

What was one meaningful moment you experienced with your team last year?

#Rise48Group #TeamCulture #LeadershipInAction #EndOfYearReflection

I help faith driven leaders multiply their money and impact through investing in alternative assets like real estate

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I was terrified raising money for my first syndication.

Not surface level nerves.
Real fear.

Can I actually do this
What if I mess this up
What if people trust me and I fail

Up to that point, I had proven one thing.

I could buy a duplex.

But a syndication is different.
It’s not just your money anymore.

It’s a responsibility.
Stewardship.
Weight.

The McKinley project forced a new internal question.

Not “is this a good deal?”
But “am I ready to lead?”

Here’s what changed everything.

I stopped trying to do it alone.

I found partners I deeply trusted.
People with track records.
People with shared values.
People who were willing to say no if something felt off.

Then I focused on three fundamentals.

→ A growing market with real demand
→ A conservative business plan
→ Offering investors something better than what they were settling for

But the real work wasn’t underwriting.

It was identity.

I had to move from
“Can I do this?”
to
“I’m responsible to do this well.”

Once that clicked, the fear didn’t disappear.

But it stopped leading.

That first raise wasn’t about scale.
It was about obedience.
Preparation.
Integrity.

Looking back, the hardest part was never raising capital.

It was believing I was ready to carry it.

This week I’m unpacking the goals behind the deals.
And the mental barriers that came before the breakthroughs.

No hype.
No theory.
Just the real progression.

If you’re staring at your next step and asking
“Can I really do this?”

You’re probably closer than you think.

Follow along this week.

And next week
I’m opening a space to go deeper
Fundamentals
Mindset
Execution

More soon.

Would you rather play it safe
Or grow into the weight of responsibility?

(I've raised capital on 17 deals, and who you partner with is most important)

 The picture is from our McKinley project, a 48-unit multifamily apartment in Iowa

My little girl is potty trained after a holiday weekend potty training blitz! We used a secret weapon that I'm happy to share with you today.

The Potty Dance Song.

After successful poops and pees in the potty
we rewarded her with a special song.

we get down low, and sing

the potty dance
the potty dance

number 1
number 2

in the potty
(then we drumroll low to high)

and pick her up while saying
WAHOO

simple, and yet the smile gives it all away.

Should we put this to music?

What were some of your potty training tricks?

The hardest part of raising $1,000,000
Was believing I was allowed to ask.

Before that, I had raised $300,000.
Five investors.

That wasn’t small to me.

That was five families creating margin.
Five people accelerating toward freedom and impact.

So I set a new goal.
Raise my first $1,000,000.

And immediately, the doubts showed up.

I was working in ministry.
Different industry.
Different network.

I kept telling myself:

I haven’t earned the right yet
I need more touchpoints
I should steward the relationship better first

That belief almost stopped everything.

Here’s what finally clicked.

Asking isn’t pressure.
It’s an invitation.

You’re not asking for a yes.
You’re asking for interest.

Yes or no
Both are acceptable.

The real responsibility isn’t the ask.

It’s being prepared if someone says yes.

→ Clear education
→ Simple systems
→ The right team
→ A next step that serves them

Once I reframed that, the fear lost its grip.

God brought the connections.
Old relationships resurfaced.
New conversations opened.

Not because I was perfect.
But because I was willing.

If you’re stuck wondering
“Have I earned the right yet?”

You probably have.

And if you want help building the systems behind the ask
I’m teaching it live on Tuesday.

How to raise your first $1,000,000
And how to think about $10,000,000 next.

Link in the comments.

Yes or no
Is the fear more about rejection
Or believing you’re allowed to ask

I wanted my first real estate deal so badly.

Not because I wanted to be “in real estate.”
Not because I cared about titles or numbers.

I wanted it because my family was growing.
And because we were mentoring students who needed support.
And generosity requires margin.

At the time, I honestly didn’t know if I had what it takes.

I questioned myself constantly.
Am I capable of this
Am I thinking too big
Am I built for this path

That first goal wasn’t syndication.
It wasn’t raising capital.
It was owning our first duplex.

But behind that small step was a much bigger vision.

How do I create more capacity to give
How do I meet the needs around me
How do I steward what God has entrusted to us well

That single duplex changed how I saw myself.
Later came syndicating deals.
Later came raising capital for trusted partners.

But the hardest part was never the deal.

It was the mental question
Do I have what it takes

This week, I’m going to start breaking down my goals
And the mental challenges I had to overcome at each stage
Not theory
Not hype
Just the real progression

If you’re setting goals right now
Start with your vision
Not the tactic

Follow along this week as I share more.

And next week
I’ll be opening up something new
A space to go deeper
A forum built around fundamentals, mindset, and execution

More soon.

𝘗.𝘚 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘧?

Most capital raisers talk about strategy.
The ones who scale focus on results.

That’s why we built the Fundamental Forum, a live working session for capital raisers and fund managers who want real frameworks they can apply immediately.

In recent conversations, we’ve walked through:
→ The blueprint to raise your first $1,000,000 with clarity and structure
→ How to build the systems required to scale toward $10,000,000+
→ Messaging, follow-up cadence, and relationship-driven capital flows
→ Lessons from peers who are actually in the market right now

Our next session is Tuesday, January 13th at 12 PM MST / 2 PM EST.

If you’re ready to move from effort to outcomes, this is the room to be in.

👉 Register here to save your seat: https://lnkd.in/gBU2eNQq

#FundamentalForum #CapitalRaising #FundManagers #ScalingCapital #Rise48Equity

Today we're hosting this month's Fundamental Forum - 

a live conversation for capital raisers who want to scale with intention, structure, and execution.

This session is centered around one theme:
Goal Setting That Works
 

We’ll walk through:

• Building a repeatable, scalable system

• Reverse engineering your capital raise

• Investor conversion funnel

If you’re raising capital, you don’t need more noise.

You need clarity, alignment, and momentum.

We go live today at 12 PM MST / 2 PM EST.

👉 Join the session here: https://lnkd.in/gq2qidYb

#CapitalRaising #FundManagers #InvestorRelations #FundamentalForum #Rise48Equity

Implement this small hack and get more done in your day 👇

mind dump or mind purge all of your open loops into a trusted system.

I like asana.

Block out 30 minutes today and do this.

𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿:
• tasks
• ideas
• projects
• things you've delegated or been delegated
• sticky notes on your desk, fridge, etc.
• notes on your desktop
• emails you've been saving in your inbox
• notes in your notes app
• voice memos
• slack messages
• think personal and work!

→ I feel so free after getting everything down and out ... a trusted system really helps.

This mental space gives me more capacity to win at work, with family, and in my community!

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲?

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲?

Comment below 👇

P.S. - Please repost ♻️ if you found this useful

p.s.s. if you are local in Minneapolis and want to learn more I'm teaching my business systems early tomorrow, send me a DM

Closed! Apartments of Westgrove in Raleigh, NC Rebranding as “Rise Westgrove”

To learn how you can invest in multifamily properties like this, set up a call with us on our website.

#multifamilyinvesting #Arizonamultifamily

Helping healthcare professionals to build wealth passively through multifamily real estate investing | CEO at Pheenyx Capital Investment | Join our community of investors

I did everything right. I went to school, became a doctor, and built what I thought was the ultimate career.

But after years in the ER, something clicked:

I was stuck in a system where no matter how much I earned, my time was never mine.

Like so many high-income professionals, I was:
❌ Trading my time for money, shift after shift.
❌ Missing moments with family, holidays, and weekends.
❌ Building a career—but not building wealth.

So, I made a change.

I discovered real estate investing and realized that my paycheck didn’t have to be my only source of income. I could make my money work for me.

The Results Have Been Transformative

→ Built and manage a $120.5M+ real estate portfolio
→ Helped a significant number of investors create passive income
→ Founded Pheenyx Capital Investment to guide professionals toward financial freedom
→ Teaching busy professionals how to invest wisely—without more work

How I Can Help You

If you’re a healthcare professional looking to:
Build passive income through real estate without the stress of managing properties
Gain financial freedom without working more hours
Learn how to create generational wealth while keeping your career

Let’s talk. DM me or book a call (link in my featured section). I’ll walk you through how to get started.

If you’re not ready yet, hit “Follow” and join me on this journey.

Because your career success isn’t your ceiling. It’s your foundation for true wealth.

Let’s build an expansive life—together. 🚀

Nkem Ezeamama, MD.

During the holidays in Nigeria, surrounded by family, I felt the impact of my decision to venture into real estate investing in a way numbers never could.

Not in spreadsheets.

Not in returns.

But in moments I didn’t have to rush through.

Time with family.

Unhurried conversations.

Laughter that didn’t need to be cut short.

I even had the chance to sit with some investors and potential investors back home and talk about everything,and anything. 

My mum, of course, had to know the people I roll with 😂

That season left me deeply grateful, not just for what I’ve built, but for why I built it.

A few years ago, I chose a path that gave me something medicine alone couldn’t guarantee: choice.

Real estate hasn’t just changed my finances.

It’s changed how I experience life.

I didn’t choose this path to escape work.

I chose it to reclaim time, presence, and intentional living.

As I step into this year, a few reflections stay with me:

• Wealth isn’t only what you accumulate, it’s what you get to experience along the way.

• Waiting for the “perfect time” often costs more than starting imperfectly.

• Options create peace. And peace changes how you show up everywhere else.

If you’re contemplating life outside medicine, or outside the one path you’ve always known, remember this:

You don’t have to abandon what you’ve built to expand your life.

You just have to start building options.

That’s what I’ll be unpacking this week

📆 Thursday, January 8th, 2026

🕕 6 PM CST 

“Why 2026 Is a Perfect Time to Invest in Real Estate.”

Join us here👇🏿

[ https://lnkd.in/e2TQSVFH ]

This isn’t about hype.

It’s about perspective, timing, and intentional moves that support the life you actually want to live.

This holiday reminded me:

Success isn’t just about what you build.

It’s about the life you get to live while building it.

And that, to me, is real wealth!

Nkem Ezeamama, MD. 🔥

From the Bedside to $120.5MM in Real Estate | ER Doctor Turned Investor | Helping Healthcare Professionals Turn Paychecks into Passive Income | Founder @ Pheenyx Capital | Let’s Build an Expansive Life.

A few years ago, I hit a milestone I had been chasing for a long time. Revenue was up. Opportunities were flowing in faster than I could respond.

From the outside, it looked like everything was finally working.

But something felt off.

I wasn’t unhappy.
I wasn’t failing.
I was just… heavy.

My phone never stopped buzzing.

Every “yes” created three new obligations.
Every win came with an invisible cost.

And one day, the question surfaced, quiet but unsettling:

Why does success feel like it’s shrinking my life instead of expanding it?

That was the moment I realized something no one prepares you for:

Revenue can grow while your peace quietly disappears.

Not all growth is aligned.

Not every opportunity is meant to be accepted.

And not every version of success leads to freedom.

I didn’t need to work harder.

I needed to work differently.

So I started asking better questions:

✔️ What kind of life am I actually building?

✔️ Does this version of success leave room to breathe?

✔️ Can this scale without costing me myself?

That shift changed everything.

It’s also the lens through which I now look at real estate investing.

Because when done right, real estate isn’t about adding more to your plate, it’s about creating space:

Space in your time.

Space in your finances.

Space in your life.

That’s why tonight, I’m hosting a live conversation on:

Why 2026 is a perfect time to invest in real estate not for hustle, but for alignment.

Not hype.

Not shortcuts.

But a framework for building wealth that supports the life you actually want to live.

🕕 6pm CST today

🔗 Join us here: [ https://lnkd.in/e2TQSVFH ]

Because the real goal was never just growth.

It was a life that could hold it!

“As a physician, I’ve disciplined myself to save a significant amount of money… and yet, something still feels missing.”

That’s what a fellow professional shared with me recently.

And it’s more common than people admit.

Saving is good.
It’s responsible.
It’s necessary.
It’s the foundation of financial security.

Most high-income professionals do this well:

✔️ They max retirement accounts.

✔️ Maintain emergency funds.

✔️ Delay gratification.

✔️ Follow the rules.

And yet, many still feel financially stuck.

Because saving alone preserves money.

It protects you.

But it doesn’t create freedom.

It doesn’t solve:

• Dependence on active income

• Trading time for money indefinitely

• Inflation quietly eroding purchasing power

• The inability to step away without anxiety

• The absence of real options

This is the tension many professionals live with:

Financially responsible, yet still financially dependent on working.

True freedom begins when saving is paired with strategy.

When money is intentionally directed toward ownership, leverage, and income-producing assets.

Money that works while you sleep.

While you practice.

While you live.

Discipline without strategy only goes so far!

You can save diligently and still feel the gap between security and freedom.

Closing that gap requires education, intentional action, and alignment,.not reckless risk.

That’s what I’ll be breaking down tomorrow in a live conversation:

📆 Thursday, January 8th

🕕 6:00 PM CST

“Why 2026 Is the Perfect Time to Invest in Real Estate.”

[ https://lnkd.in/e2TQSVFH ]

This isn’t hype.

It’s perspective, math, and timing, for high-income professionals who want options, not just income.

Because the real cost of waiting isn’t money.

It’s time, choice, and peace!

The most expensive thing about medicine isn’t student loans. We talk about debt a lot in medicine. Six figures. Sometimes more.

Years of sacrifice tied to a number that feels overwhelming at first.

And yes, student loans matter.

But they’re loud.

They’re not the most expensive thing medicine takes.

What costs more is invisible.

Here’s the simple math:

An ER physician earning ~$300K/year takes home roughly ~$180K after taxes.

Over 10 years, that’s ~$1.8M in net income, before lifestyle creep, inflation, or burnout.

Now here’s what we rarely calculate:

If those same 10 years pass:

❌️ Without ownership,

❌️ Without assets compounding quietly in the background,

❌️ Without leverage working for you,

The real cost isn’t what you spent.

It’s what you never built!

Income is linear.

Ownership compounds.

A single well-structured real estate investment, made early, can grow into seven figures over time, through:

 
✔️ Appreciation, 

✔️ Equity paydown, and 

✔️ Tax advantages, 

without more shifts, more nights, or more holidays missed.

That realization changed everything for me.

I used to believe freedom lived on the other side of:

• Paying off loans
• “One more year” of grinding
• Feeling fully ready

What I learned instead:

Debt ends.

Time doesn’t come back.

Compounding doesn’t wait for permission.
Medicine is meaningful work.

But it was never meant to be the only thing we build.

That’s why I’m hosting a conversation on:

📆 Thursday, January 8th

🕕 6pm CST

“Why 2026 Is the Perfect Time to Invest in Real Estate.”

{ https://lnkd.in/e2TQSVFH }

This is about perspective, math, and timing, for high-income professionals who want freedom, not just a paycheck. 

Some truths can’t be unseen!

I recently read a post by a creator who publicly set a goal to hit 100,000 followers by December 2025, but stopped at 13,000.

And instead of forcing it…

She took the goal back.

Why?

Because during a period when impressions dropped (yes, creators complained):

✔️ Revenue increased
✔️ Clients increased
✔️ Impact deepened

She stopped chasing clouds
and started chasing CLARITY.

That’s the shift I wish more professionals would make.

Everyone keeps asking:
“What really drives long-term results on LinkedIn, visibility or engagement?”

Here’s the truth:

Visibility gets people to see you.
Engagement makes people remember you.

But here’s what most people miss, meaningful engagement actually drives visibility too.

Not copy-paste comments.
Not AI-flavored responses.
Not posting just to go viral.

When you focus on clarity:

1️⃣ Speaking directly to your people

2️⃣ Addressing real, lived pain points

3️⃣ Sharing perspective instead of performing for attention

…the algorithm follows you, not the other way around.

Chasing virality creates noise.

Chasing clarity builds trust.

And trust is what leads to conversations, clients, and real influence.

That’s why impressions alone are a weak metric.

Impact is measured by:

• who listens
• who stays
• who reaches out
• who takes action

This is exactly why I created LinkedIn Unlocked; to help professionals stop shouting into the void and start showing up with clarity that compounds into real opportunities.

So if you’ve been posting consistently and wondering, “Why isn’t this turning into opportunities?”

This is for you 👇🏿

🔗 [ https://lnkd.in/eFweBkr2 ]

The goal isn’t to be everywhere.

The goal is to be unmistakable to the right people!

Have a great weekend ahead!

Dear LinkedIn family, I want to personally apologize for today’s webinar experience.

Due to unexpected technical and network issues on my end, I was not able to deliver the session in the way you deserved and I know how valuable your time is. 

Spending part of your day troubleshooting instead of learning was frustrating, and I take full responsibility for that. 

Please know this is not the standard I hold myself to. 

I will be hosting a new webinar very soon, with everything fully tested and dialed in, so we can focus entirely on delivering value, clarity, and an exceptional experience from start to finish. 

You’ll be the first to hear once the new date is confirmed. 

Thank you sincerely for your patience, grace, and for showing up despite the hiccup. 

I truly appreciate you!

taplio

The Battle

Nick Stromwall

Nkem Ezeamama, MD.

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taplio

The Battle

Nick Stromwall

Nkem Ezeamama, MD.

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

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