Meet Rise Group | COMPASS
Adam Hestad
Co-Founder & Manging Broker
Adam grew up in the flatlands of South Dakota and moved to Seattle in 1998 after graduating as a Griz from the University of Montana. In 2001 he met and married Jaime and they live in University Park with their four kids and oversized dog. Adam started selling real estate in 2007 shortly before the market crash of 2008. It was in that falling market that Adam learned the business and while hundreds of agents fled, Adam consistently grew his client base of home sellers and buyers. Outside of work, Adam loves to ski with his family and cook - smoked meats anyone?
Tyler Davis Jones
Co-Founder & Broker
Hailing from Music City USA - Nashville, TN, Tyler moved to Seattle in 2009 with a dream to make the world a better place. Since 2013 he has used his high energy and warm approach to life to serve hundreds of Seattle area home owners and sellers. In 2016 he created the Rise Seattle Podcast which has reached over 30,000 Seattleites since its creation. Tyler and his family live in Sammamish, WA a suburb of Seattle. Outside of real estate he loves golfing with this son, Colton, biking with his daughter, Addie and making coffee for his wife, Jenn.
Lisa Kissinger
Broker
Originally from Utah, Lisa has called Seattle home since 1997. She entered the world of real estate in a more administrative capacity and quickly grew to love working with clients and thinking of all the ways she can make their real estate experience the best it can be. Now as a licensed agent, she is thrilled to partner with clients to find their perfect home or make their listing shine. Lisa lives in Shoreline with her husband JJ and their two kids, Jane and Leo.
Jenn Jones
Director of Operations
Jenn grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley, attended university in Los Angeles and made the Pacific Northwest her home in 2008. Jenn spent 15 years in nonprofit family foundations and tech, holding various business roles in human resources, management and operations. She joined the Rise Group in 2023 to help scale and operationalize their systems and lay the groundwork for business operations. Outside of her work in real estate, Jenn is known by her kids, Addie and Colton, as their adventure planner, new recipe tester and country music connoisseur.
Sarah Jean Groenink
Transaction Coordinator
Sarah Jean Groenink (a.k.a. SJ) began working in the Real Estate industry in 2003. As a licensed Real Estate Listing & Transaction Manager, SJ has a thorough knowledge of the Real Estate Purchase and Sale contracts and prides herself on being efficient with a superior eye for detail. With an ability to build relationships with not only her clients but also other professionals in the Real Estate industry including escrow closers, lenders and other vendors, SJ brings a personal level of service to everyone that she works with.
Michael Smythies
Broker
Born and raised in Bellevue, Michael has deep roots in the Seattle area. Graduating with a degree in Neuroscience from UBC, Michael developed a passion for systems and organization. After spearheading several real estate projects of his own, Michael knew he wanted to be in the business full time. In 2020, in an effort to bring awareness to youth mental health in our community, he set off to climb Washington’s 5 highest volcanoes in under 5 weeks. 100% of the proceeds were donated to local non-profit organizations that focus on serving the mental health needs of our community. You can watch the documentary about the project here.
Alix Braund
Marketing Manager
Alix is a Seattle native and spent 8+ years at Zillow where she specialized in attracting top talent through innovative marketing initiatives. Off the clock, she channels her love for food into quality time with her daughters as they experiment making new recipes and explore new culinary hotspots in the Pacific Northwest making her your go-to for dining recommendations.