When Lukas Huberman and his sister, Nikolette (Huberman) Jacob, unexpectedly stepped into leadership and ownership positions at real estate investment firm BLT Enterprises after their father’s untimely passing in 2021, they inherited more than a thriving Southern California real estate portfolio. They also inherited their late father’s relentless entrepreneurial spirit, forged from humble beginnings with a single trash truck and a determination to build something lasting.
Their father, Bernie Huberman, instilled in them the value of hard work and reinvestment. “Up until the very end of his life, there was never this mentality of ‘We’re there,’” Lukas says. “It was, ‘Keep raising the bar, keep pushing yourself.’ It was an internal challenge. The fire that he had internally was irreplaceable and was a motor that I think continually motivated everyone around him. And that’s still with us today even though he’s not here physically.”
Today, the siblings work alongside each other on BLT’s leadership team and as co-owners, balancing family bonds with professional responsibilities. Nikolette is vice president and manager real estate investment, while Lukas serves as vice president and manager of real estate investment. “Most of our overlap is really on the partnership/owner side and, on the day-to-day side our tasks are segmented, which is helpful,” Lukas says.
Still, it takes work to co-exist as sibling co-leaders and co-owners. “In terms of our dynamic, it’s not without its challenges, but we’re really lucky that we have a friendship and brother-sister dynamic at its core,” Nikolette says. “We try to recognize that there are sort of three different relationships that we have here, which is unique: We’re brother-sister/friends, we’re coworkers and then we’re partners. And sometimes we have to remind ourselves in conversations, ‘Wait, let’s take off our brother-sister hat, we’re coworkers right now, how do we look at this?’”
And while they’ve been forced to forge ahead without their father to guide them, they are not alone. Many of their father’s longtime colleagues remain integral to the enterprise, including his business partner and BLT co-founder, Dan Rosenthal, who now serves as the company’s CEO. “It is a funny dynamic because a lot of these people were at our bar and bat mitzvahs,” Nikolette says. “And we went to the company picnics and were the annoying kids making noise and showing up to the office to take a piece of licorice from the front desk. I’m sure for them, it took a moment to shift gears and go from looking at us as children that they cared a lot about to peers. And I think we have come into this role with a level of respect and open communication and shown that we’re here to work hard and learn and check our egos at the door.”
The ‘Lifetime Landlord’ Philosophy
BLT Enterprises began in 1984 as a waste management company founded by Bernie Huberman and Dan Rosenthal, who started out driving a waste truck in the 1970s. They grew the business by acquiring and operating their own facilities, and later leveraged that expertise to expand into real estate. Beginning with their first industrial development in 1996, the partners went on to build, acquire and manage more than 5 million square feet of commercial property.
BLT’s real estate portfolio includes logistics properties with blue-chip tenants like Amazon, FedEx and PepsiCo. What sets the company apart, Lukas explains, is its patient, long-term approach. “We’re not looking at exits. Our philosophy is to be a lifetime landlord. We want to be your first and last landlord.”
That commitment translates into creative problem-solving for tenants. For example, when one needed more parking, BLT negotiated with the city to acquire adjacent land and expand the existing site — after the tenant had failed in their own attempts. “We retained them in place because we could move faster and think differently,” Lukas says.
The siblings have also helped steer BLT into new arenas, including film and television soundstages in Hollywood. Initially acquired as a real estate play, the soundstage business proved so strong — and the team so aligned with BLT’s culture—that the family decided to keep and grow the operation. “It’s just another example of being open to opportunities outside our wheelhouse,” Nikolette says.
Philanthropy, Family and the Future
The Hubermans have carried forward another of their father’s values: giving back. BLT’s philanthropy focuses on education, healthcare and homelessness in the communities where it operates. Recently, the company added employee volunteer days and a matching program to support causes chosen by staff.
Succession planning was never explicit in the Hubermans’ household. Their father encouraged his children to forge their own paths first. Lukas worked in real estate, while Nikolette built a career in banking before returning. “He wanted us to learn elsewhere so we had something to add,” Nikolette says.
Today, the siblings embrace the same philosophy. They are focused on “building the bench” of future leaders — family and nonfamily alike — ensuring the enterprise can thrive well beyond their generation. “The legacy is bigger than us,” Lukas says. “We’re motivated not just to grow the business, but to carry forward the values that built it.”
To hear more from Nikolette and Lukas, check out their interview on the Family Business/Business Family podcast. Don’t miss an episode! Follow Family Business/Business Family on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.