Ratkovich Ventures is a privately held real estate development and advisory firm with more than four decades of experience shaping the built environment across Southern California and Hawai'i.
We specialize in the rare intersection of creative vision and disciplined execution — bringing landmark projects to life across urban mixed-use, luxury residential, resort hospitality, and the adaptive reuse of historic structures.
Our work spans the full development lifecycle: from identifying opportunity and securing complex entitlements, to sourcing capital, managing design, and delivering transformative places that endure.
Our advisory practice extends that expertise to owners, investors, and institutions who require a seasoned, discreet partner for the highest-stakes decisions in real estate.
We conceive, entitle, and execute large-scale mixed-use projects that bring new life to urban cores — weaving residential, retail, office, and cultural uses into cohesive, walkable places that stand the test of time.
With deep roots across the Hawaiian Islands — Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, and Kaua'i — we develop resort assets that honor place, culture, and environment, creating destinations of lasting distinction.
We are specialists in the meticulous art of returning historic structures to productive, contemporary use — preserving architectural legacy while creating places that serve the demands of modern life.
Our advisory practice places four decades of development expertise at the service of owners, investors, and institutions — across entitlement strategy, capital formation, design management, and complex transaction advisory.
An intimate collection of luxury oceanfront villas on Maui's celebrated Wailea coast — where the finest Hawaiian resort living meets the natural beauty of the Pacific. Private lanais, resort-level amenities, and a setting of unsurpassed beauty define this signature project.
* The Wiltern and Chapman Market were developed during James Ratkovich's tenure at The Ratkovich Company (TRC), prior to founding James Ratkovich & Associates (JRA) in 1991.
James Ratkovich is a seasoned real estate development and advisory executive with four decades of experience leading transformative commercial, residential, and resort projects across Southern California and Hawai'i.
James began his career in the early 1980s as a founding member of The Ratkovich Company (TRC), one of Los Angeles' most respected urban redevelopment firms. In 1991, he launched Ratkovich Ventures (operating as James Ratkovich & Associates, Inc.), through which he has led landmark projects from Downtown Long Beach to the island communities of Hawai'i.
Since making his first acquisition and development in Hawai'i in the late 1990s, James has devoted the majority of his practice to the Hawaiian Islands, with projects on the Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kaua'i. Over 25 years he has secured entitlements for more than 2.5 million square feet of real estate and built long-standing relationships with government officials, local contractors, and community stakeholders.
He is known for his discretion, strategic thinking, and ability to align capital with culturally and environmentally sensitive development. He has worked alongside leading institutional partners including Lehman Brothers, MSD Capital, Goldman Sachs, Nomura Securities, and CFT.
Whether you're exploring a development opportunity or seeking an experienced advisory partner, we welcome the conversation.