Alexander C. Cartwright, Ph.D. is an economist, entrepreneur, and real estate operator focused on solving housing supply challenges through market-based innovation. He is the Founder and CEO of HotelSHIFT, a real estate platform focused on converting hotels into workforce housing. Based in Dallas TX, the firm is currently overseeing the conversion of more than 1000 hotel rooms nationwide.

Blending academic insight with real-world execution, Dr. Cartwright served as Chair of the Management Department and Associate Professor of Economics in the College of Business at Ferris State University, where he became the youngest faculty member to earn tenure. He has taught MBA and undergraduate courses across a range of disciplines, including Managerial Economics, Economic Growth, and International Finance. In addition to his work in real estate, Dr. Cartwright has written and spoken on topics including economic growth, institutional design, and behavioral economics. His perspective is shaped by a belief in market-driven outcomes, capital discipline, and the importance of aligning incentives to create lasting value.

At HotelSHIFT Alex spends time working across both operating and capital markets functions, engaging with investors, lenders, and partners to scale HotelSHIFT into a national platform. Dr. Cartwright earned his B.S. in Mathematical Economics from Hampden-Sydney College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude, and first in his major. He went on to complete both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics at George Mason University, where he was named an F.A. Hayek Fellow in the program for advanced study of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center. His research has been published in leading scholarly outlets, including The Cambridge Journal of Economics, The Academy of Management Perspectives, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.