Shiv Gettu sits down with Kevin Kirton, CEO of Buckhead Investment Partners, who shares his journey from being born with a congenital heart defect requiring emergency surgery at just seven weeks old by famed surgeon Denton Cooley to becoming a pioneering real estate developer in Houston.

Raised in a hard-working household where his father instilled a strong work ethic and refused to let him sleep in, Kevin developed an early curiosity for building and creating. After studying economics and finance at Washington University in St. Louis, he found his way into real estate, combining his love for problem-solving, mathematics, and following his curiosity.

Kevin opens up about his side hustles, including a patent-pending cooking device, an award-winning furniture design made from a single sheet of plywood, and his latest tech ventures. But the conversation's highlight features the fascinating saga of the "Ashby High-rise" (now called The Langley), a development project that resulted in unprecedented legal battles with the City of Houston, a month-long trial where Kevin spent seven hours on the witness stand, and personal attacks that revealed surprising truths about human nature.

When asked what he's most proud of, Kevin doesn't hesitate – his wife and three children remain his greatest accomplishment.

Humans of Multifamily is presented by Zuma, the AI assistant for your full-resident lifecycle. Visit getzuma.com and follow Shiv on LinkedIn

00:00 Early Years and Emergency Heart Surgery09:00 Father's Influence and Work Ethic15:00 Academic Interests and Math Curiosity23:00 College Experience at Washington University31:00 Side Hustles and Creative Ventures42:00 Podcast Recommendations and Reading Habits51:00 Basketball, Tennis, and Rice University Connection55:00 The Legendary Ashby High-Rise Battle