Sometimes, an ordinary activity, such as a visit to a friend’s house, can be as uneventful as any other daily occurrence; other times, it can lead to a life-changing moment. For perseverant entrepreneur Adam Mofid, it was the latter. As a college freshman attending business school at Washington University in St. Louis, Mofid took a commonplace trip to a friend’s off-campus apartment. Upon arrival, he noticed that his friend’s three-bedroom residence appeared to be on the brink of dilapidation with duct tape-patched holes in the walls, flickering lights, and a poorly maintained building. Even more shocking, however, was when his friend told him he was paying a staggering $3000 to rent the decrepit apartment. During a conversation that followed, Mofid and his friend realized there was a much more efficient way of renting, utilizing Mofid’s longstanding skills of innovation and determination. 

Presently, the San Diego, California native has undertaken multiple projects and continues to thrive in many endeavors, but all of them share one common theme — determination. While playing competitive tennis throughout his youth, one of Mofid’s teammates spoke of the entrepreneur’s greatest asset, saying he “displays positive team spirit and resilience during matches, which allows him to play an integral role on the team.” Despite only being 20 years old then, it was clear that Mofid was carrying a uniquely irrepressible spirit that would soon show itself through every venture. 

When he eventually returned to the run-down apartment, Mofid and his friend knew there was a way for everything to be done so much better, from maintenance and management to complete renovations. Although neither knew anything about real estate, they dove in headfirst, purchased a home close to campus in 2020, and never looked back. 

Easing into the waters of property ownership, the first home they bought was in excellent condition, and Mofid rented it to college friends who handled most maintenance requests themselves. With some experience under their belts, they purchased three multi-family properties the following year — however, two of these required severe gut renovation. Rather than bringing in costly professionals, Mofid managed the jobs himself, ultimately missing deadlines, failing inspections, dealing with unreliable contractors, and encountering almost everything that could go wrong.

While it was an overwhelming experience that would force most people to give up, Mofid leaned into his resilient nature and stood tall in the face of each new challenge. His steadfast work and devotion ultimately culminated in the founding of UHousing, his St. Louis-based student housing company that provides affordable, furnished, and utility-inclusive student housing. UHousing gut renovates apartments, catering to student needs and taking the hassle out of off-campus living, placing the company more in the hospitality business than real estate.

In addition to UHousing, Mofid founded a storage and shipping company in St. Louis called UTrucking. Mofid profoundly appreciates the people, food, history, and everything else about the St. Louis area, further fueling his drive to assist in every space he occupies. As a volunteer, he looks forward to continuing to teach English to refugees, mentor black youth in housing projects, and teach financial literacy to students from under-resourced high schools. With all of UHousing’s properties located in St. Louis, combined with his passion for volunteering locally, it’s safe to say that Mofid’s compassion, work ethic, and determination will remain present for years to come.