Our Team
Columbia Gorge Capital (CGC) is a real estate investment and development firm based in Hood River, OR. We are dedicated to building healthy, sustainable communities with a focus on workforce housing and economic development. Since our founding in 2020, we’ve approached planning and design with an urbanist sensibility - prioritizing walkability, inclusivity, and a sense of delight in the spaces we create.
CGC was founded by Lach Litwer and Cal Blake, who met while earning their MBAs at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.
Lach Litwer
Before co-founding CGC with Cal, Lach built and operated housing and hospitality ventures, guided by a long-standing commitment to service and community. An Army veteran and former presidential appointee at the Department of Defense, he worked to expand innovative financing for housing and infrastructure. He later advanced this mission in the private sector, financing overseas energy projects at a Bay Area merchant bank. These experiences—combining service, policy, and finance—shaped his decision to pursue real estate development, ultimately launching CGC with Cal in his home state of Oregon.
Cal Blake
Before co-founding CGC with Lach, Cal built a career rooted in service and investment. He began as a firefighter, gaining firsthand experience in the importance of resilient communities. He later moved into finance as an investment manager at Goldman Sachs, where his team managed over $5 billion across public and private markets. Today, he also serves on endowment investment committees for housing and healthcare nonprofits. These experiences—combining service, finance, and community stewardship—led him to pursue real estate development and ultimately to partner with Lach in launching CGC.
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