I took over the family business at 26 after my father died. Finishing his final project helped me grieve.

Camilla Kodsi took over her father's company at age 26 after his unexpected death.

Ark Capital Group

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Camilla Kodsi, 27, the principal of Ark Capital Group, a Florida-based real estate investment firm founded by her father, Isaac Kodsi. When her father died unexpectedly in August 2025 in the middle of developing Arbor Residences, a residential building in Coconut Grove, Florida, Camilla took over the company and his projects. The following has been edited for length and clarity.My dad started Ark Capital. He used to focus on debt and equity, but right now we're focusing on development. We're acquiring properties, like Arbor Residences, a boutique condominium, and revitalizing them.When I was 24, my dad was like, "Hey, I have this project down the street. You need to get your sales license and I'm going to put you on my sales team." That was my first introduction to real estate. I did sales for about a year, and then I became fully involved in the project.I kept sitting in on construction meetings, got involved with some subcontractors here and there, and I just loved it. My dad needed help with permitting and pointed to me in one of the meetings, like, "This girl's got nothing but time," and threw me in. That's pretty much how it started.I definitely fell into this career — it's a passion that found me before I found it.