Don Wenner
Don Wenner

When Don Wenner looks back on his childhood, marked by more than 20 moves before finishing elementary school, he sees not hardship, but purpose.

The founder and CEO of DLP Capital, one of the fastest-growing private real estate investment firms in the U.S., Wenner built his company not just on business acumen but on a deep, personal understanding of what it means to lack stable, affordable housing. Raised by teenage parents in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, Wenner's early years were defined by financial uncertainty, thrift shop clothes, and the absence of a permanent home. Today, he leads a company with $5 billion in assets under management1 and a mission that is unmistakably humanitarian: to create thriving communities and transform lives through attainable housing.

This month, that mission earned him the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Florida Award from Ernst & Young, and in November, he'll head to the national stage as a finalist for the coveted U.S. title.

One story sticks with Wenner even after nearly two decades in real estate. Early in his career, he helped a woman who had been renting for over 20 years and could no longer afford her rising rent find a home to call her own. She was clear on the phone: no stairs. Only when they arrived at the home did Wenner realize that even the two small steps to the entrance were a barrier. "Who's going to help you move in?" he asked. "You are," she said.

And that he did. He helped her move, made sure the home was perfect, and to this day, they exchange Christmas cards. "It was the first time I really saw real estate as something bigger than a business," Wenner says. "It was service. It was making an impact."

Wenner's entrepreneurial streak surfaced early. In elementary school, he sold donuts door-to-door. By college, he was working as a door-to-door security system salesman. At 22, still a college student, he launched a residential real estate business that would eventually become DLP Capital.

His entry into a renowned real estate firm as a young agent was met with skepticism. "They laughed at how ambitious I was," he recalls. But he wasn't trying to be the smartest in the room, just the hardest-working. Wenner hired a driver out of his own paycheck so he could make more calls between showings. That driver still works for DLP Capital today.

It's a fitting example of one of his company's core values: the 20-Mile March: the commitment to steady, relentless progress, no matter the weather, the market, or the odds.

What began as a real estate brokerage soon evolved into something much larger. Today, DLP Capital invests in multifamily and single-family rental communities, outdoor hospitality resorts, and workforce housing. He also launched DLP Bank and a nonprofit foundation, DLP Positive Returns, which reinvests in underserved communities.

The DLP Team
The DLP Team

At the core of it all is Wenner's proprietary Elite Execution System (EES), a blueprint for building high-growth, high-impact businesses. Outlined in his bestselling book Building an Elite Organization, the system has been adopted by companies nationwide— and even abroad. His second book, Building an Elite Career, takes those principles to the employee level. A third title, Building an Extraordinary Organization, is due next year and reframes elite performance through the lens of business as ministry.

Now headquartered in St. Augustine, FL, DLP Capital moved its operations south from Pennsylvania for a reason. Wenner saw Jacksonville as a city where he could make the biggest impact, a place with deep housing needs, yet strong schools and potential. He's now focused on a bold mission: eradicate homelessness in the Jacksonville region.

His passion for impact doesn't stop at housing. Education is central to Wenner's personal and professional life. He and his wife, Carla, a former elementary school teacher, read regularly with their three sons, rotating book discussions at the dinner table. At DLP, reading is part of the culture, with their leadership-driven book club, Driven for Greatness, a staple on many employees' calendars. In his blog, "Don's Thoughts," he often shares insights from the four or more books he reads each month.

For Wenner, success isn't measured in transactions or awards, but in lives changed and communities built. Today, his wife, three boys, and even his parents are all part of the DLP journey. "It's not just business," he says. "It's people. It's a mission. It's a movement."