Never give up. Always be better.
Hi, I’m Liz Bapasola, Ed.D., Partner at Champion Investment Properties.
For more than a decade, I worked in higher education — building teams, leading complex operations, teaching leadership, and earning my doctorate in Higher Education Leadership. Then in 2019, everything changed at once. My division was restructured, and Sam was facing potential downsizing at BlackRock.
Soon after, we sat down as a couple and set a five-year vision for our family — and Champion Investment Properties was born.
Named after Sam’s grandfather’s manufacturing business in India, Champion is a symbol of grit and perseverance we try to live up to every day. Sam leads acquisitions and analysis. I lead operations, systems, and relationships.
The transition wasn’t easy. I had no background in finance or real estate, and imposter syndrome hit hard — especially in a male dominated industry. But I found my edge by leaning into what had always made me successful: psychology, systems thinking, and the belief that small habits compound over time.
What I didn’t expect was how much my background in leadership and organizational psychology would shape the way I approach this business. How you build a team, how you communicate under pressure, how you stay grounded when deals get hard — that matters as much as the numbers. It’s what makes us different, and it’s what I love most about this work (as well as working with Sam every day).
As Champion has grown, I’ve realized that what I missed from my years in higher education — the helping, teaching, and inspiring side — still lives inside this work. So I started writing about it.
In 2011, I gave a TEDx Talk at Temple University on leading with integrity and meaning — a belief that still anchors everything I build today. Watch it here →
This site is my reflection space. I write about the mindset, habits, leadership, and psychology behind building Champion — and behind building yourself. Not the highlight reel. The real and authentic stuff.
If you’re navigating a big transition, building something of your own, or just trying to get better at the work and the life — I hope something here resonates.
Never give up. Always be better.