Meet Our Team
Driving Positive, Lasting Impact Through Meaningful Collaborations
Ryan M. LeVasseur, Founder
As the founder of LeVass Ventures, Ryan proves that thoughtful investments in engaging spaces and quality developments not only deliver exceptional financial returns but also strengthen relationships and enrich lives. With over 20 years of experience and $9.0 billion in profitable real estate ventures, he has successfully led a wide range of complex and rewarding projects. Renowned for his hands-on approach and innovative strategies, Ryan specializes in guiding clients through groundbreaking initiatives and excels at the intersection of value creation and visionary execution.
Ryan’s extensive background shapes his current endeavors. He previously managed Rice University’s development portfolio, spearheading transformative projects such as the Ion Innovation District and Rice Village developments. During his tenure as Managing Director at Hines, Ryan held leadership roles on landmark projects like One Vanderbilt and the Hudson Square portfolio. These experiences inform his commitment to helping clients achieve ambitious goals, driving sustainable growth and impactful transformations. Ryan proudly serves a diverse clientele, including commercial developers, publicly traded companies, private universities, religious organizations, museums, and local government agencies.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Ryan is deeply engaged in his community and industry. He serves on the boards of the Lawndale Arts Center, Midtown Management District, Houston NAIOP, and the ULI Houston Advisory Council. A recognized expert, Ryan is frequently featured at real estate conferences and cited in leading publications. He holds degrees from Columbia and Rice Universities and has served as an adjunct professor at Columbia, teaching real estate market analysis. With a passion for both his profession and community, Ryan continues to inspire and drive positive change in every endeavor he pursues.
Dr. Jan E. Odegard, Senior Advisor
As a senior advisor to LeVass Ventures, Dr. Jan E. Odegard brings more than 30 years of experience advancing innovation ecosystems, academic partnerships, and technology-driven economic development. Known for his ability to translate institutional goals into operational reality, Jan specializes in designing programs, partnerships, and talent pathways that activate innovation districts and create measurable impact. His career blends university leadership, industry engagement, and ecosystem building, positioning him as a trusted guide for clients navigating complex, high-stake environments.
Jan’s background spans decades of leadership at Rice University, where he served as Executive Director of the Ken Kennedy Institute and later as Executive Director of the Ion. At the Ion, he led the development of academic-corporate partnerships, startup programming, workforce initiatives, and community activation, helping establish the district as a nationally recognized platform for inclusive innovation. His work at Rice shaped one of the country’s most respected centers for high-performance computing, AI, and data science, bridging research excellence with market-aligned applications. Jan has advised universities, civic organizations, and research institutions across the country on innovation strategy, ecosystem design, and technology translation.
Beyond his advisory work, Jan leads the Houston chapter of Venture University and actively mentors founders, investors, and emerging leaders. A recipient of national and institutional awards for innovation leadership, he is widely recognized for shaping collaborative environments where ideas, talent, and enterprise converge. Jan holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University, with additional degrees from Texas A&M and Telemark College of Engineering.
Bill Fulton, FAICP, Senior Advisor
As a senior advisor to LeVass Ventures, Bill Fulton brings more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of land use, housing, economic development, and urban policy. Over his career he has worked on hundreds of projects for dozens of clients, building a reputation for rigorous analysis, accessible work products, and action-oriented outcomes. Known for translating complex policy into practical direction, Bill specializes in helping clients understand both the regulatory and on-the-ground realities of the built environments they set out to create. Trained in both urban planning and communication, and equally fluent in housing and economic development, he helps clients craft an integrated approach to the built environment.
Bill’s background spans local government, academia, and national advocacy. In California, he served as Mayor of Ventura and as Director of Planning and Economic Development for the City of San Diego, giving him firsthand command of the political and administrative realities his clients navigate. In Texas, he led the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University for eight years, directing work on growth, demographics, and development in one of the nation’s fastest-expanding metros. In Washington, D.C., he served as Vice President of Policy and Implementation at Smart Growth America. In addition to his work with LeVass Ventures, Bill currently serves as Co-Director of the Center for Housing Policy and Design at UC San Diego and as a Fellow at the Terner Center at UC Berkeley.
Beyond his advisory work, Bill is among the most widely read voices in his field. He is the author of eight books, including The Regional City: Planning for the End of Sprawl, written with Peter Calthorpe, and Guide to California Planning, the standard urban planning textbook in the state, now in its sixth edition. His most recent book, Place and Prosperity: How Cities Help Us Connect and Innovate, was published by Island Press in 2022. He writes The Future of Where, a newsletter exploring the role of place and proximity in our lives, and has been named one of Planetizen’s Top 100 Urban Thinkers. A trained meeting and process facilitator, Bill holds master’s degrees in mass communication from The American University and in urban planning from UCLA.