Kristen Ahrens brings 25 years of experience in the real estate industry to her role with Blueprint. She joined the firm in 2024 as a Senior Managing Director focused on Debt Capital Markets, responsible for overseeing the debt placement function for seniors housing sponsors and the development of innovative financial solutions. Kristen also builds and manages relationships with lenders and investors in the space, working to elevate Blueprint’s platform and expand its reach.

Prior to joining Blueprint, Kristen co-founded Doyenne Healthcare Capital, a Chicago-based, woman- and minority-owned private equity firm focused on co-investing in healthcare real estate with institutional capital partners. As Chief Operating Officer, Kristen played a critical role in establishing the infrastructure of the firm.

Previously, Kristen served as a Principal Business Development at Capitol Seniors Housing (“CSH”), a Washington, D.C.-based seniors housing private equity firm. In this role, she focused on expanding capital, lending, and operating relationships across the CSH footprint. As a member of the leadership team, Kristen was also tasked with keeping a pulse on the direction of the overall seniors housing sector and advising the team on strategy and direction.

Prior to her time at CSH, Kristen served as a Managing Director at CapitalOne Healthcare Finance where she focused on senior living debt financing. While at CapitalOne, Kristen’s annual loan origination exceeded $2.5 billion and annual loans booked averaged in excess of $500 million. She was consistently a top performer, receiving the 2017 CapitalOne Top Healthcare Producer award.

Before CapitalOne, Kristen worked in a variety of banking roles in the seniors housing sector for GE Healthcare Financial Services, Heller Financial, and Ocwen Financial. She also completed two years as an auditor at Ernst & Young focused on the real estate, technology, and healthcare sectors and was an onsite controller for the first publicly traded senior living company, Standish Care.

Kristen holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with Honors from the University of Florida.