Grant grew up in a small town in rural Michigan. Although his dad was not a contractor, he was handy, and Grant learned to make and fix things from an early age. As a student at Brown University he majored in economics, but took his share of art and architecture classes, feeding his interest in design and building. He also developed a niche designing and building bars in fraternities.

After college, a short stint working in finance in New York quickly taught him he wanted to follow a different path. He began his professional career at Bayshore Global Management, one of the Bay Area’s most prominent family offices, where he focused on the acquisition and development of residential properties. It was at Bayshore that his interests in construction, economics and people came together, and it was here that he absorbed and internalized the values that would become the core values of his own business.

Grant founded his company in 2014, specializing in client representation and project management for high-end residential projects. The name — Peak Projects — grew out of his love for the mountains, and the idea of peaks as symbols of achievement.

We love that the first value you list in the Peak Projects brochure is: “use business to practice kindness.”
At Bayshore, I learned to view business through a lens of empathy, transparency, generosity and kindness. I internalized the way the team at Bayshore approached projects, and when I left to form Peak Projects, the principles I learned formed our core values.

How do you foster kindness as a core value at Peak Projects?
I try to lead by example, and everyone knows our mission and values — we state it clearly and often.

How do you encourage empathy and kindness in your team?
We start with the hiring process. We could focus solely on skills, but we don’t. We have a stringent hiring process. We are clear and transparent with everyone, at all times, both internally and with our clients.

We truly believe that using a carrot instead of a stick is the best way to draw the best out of people. We focus on the emotional intelligence of the people we bring on board as much as their skill set.”

How has your approach made a difference for your staff and your clients?
We are able to build trusting relationships, and we leave our egos at the door. We have all worked remotely from the beginning. We were really ahead of the curve on that. If you hire motivated people and lead through positivity, you don’t necessarily need a common office to do excellent work.

What’s the one thing you love most about what you do?

The process — being involved in the design and construction of beautiful complex works of art.

I’ve alway enjoyed building tangible things and love that we are able to help organize and elevate the process of truly exceptional homes and estates.”

Who — or what — inspires you?
The people — the exceptional folks at Peak, our creative industry partners and our inspiring clients.

What’s the single best business or creative advice you’ve ever received?
“Do the right thing regardless of profit, treat your employees really well, and give back as much as you can.” — Yvon Chouinard after a lecture at Stanford.

If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?
I’d be a backcountry snowboard guide.

How do you love spending time outside of work?
Boating, fishing, biking and snowboarding with my wife and 3 boys.

What is one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I almost moved to Canada to live with a host family and play hockey after middle school.

Last book you read?
“Billionaires Wilderness” by Justin Farrell.

Do you have a favorite quote? If so, we’d love to hear it!
“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together” — African Proverb.