Origin Story
Our company was founded in 2019 when three long-time friends collided at a common crossroad. Each had enjoyed fruitful careers in their various fields of expertise, but felt within themselves a sense that they were capable of something bigger, and a hunger to discover how their talents could better serve the ones they cared about. This, in short, is how an engineer, a banker, and a designer came together to launch a real estate business. We may be an unlikely union, but we believe our unique backgrounds and perspectives are not only advantages, but precisely the things that make DLB special.
Thomas Blurton
Co-Founder + Partner,
Director of Logistics
Thomas Blurton is a founding partner of the Dayton Land Barons. He has spent his working years as an engineering consultant for counties, federal agencies, and non-profit organizations. He achiveved his master's and is in process to earn a PhD in engineering. He both contracts and volunteers his time to community organizations working to advance civil equity and regional environmental sustainability. When it comes to strength-loads, corrosion and damage mitigation, life-cycle predictions and meeting code, Thomas takes the lead. Outside of DLB, Thomas enjoys upcycling waste materials into new objects, travelling to new parks, gregarious interactions with loved ones, and wrestling his pitbull mutt.
Stephen Basile
Co-Founder + Partner,
Director of Finance
Stephen Basile is one of the founding partners of Dayton Land Barons. He’s spent the past 8 years working at Wright-Patt Credit Union with most of that time spent as a Senior Financial Solutions Coach. He also had 6+ years of experience in property management and real estate investing leading up to his decision to help found Dayton Land Barons. His role within DLB includes managing and advising on the company’s finances, looking for new investment opportunities, and assisting with rehabilitation work and upkeep on the properties. His downtime is spent playing games with his fiancé and friends, participating in a game board review YouTube channel, and traveling as much as possible.
Nate Stevens
Co-Founder + Partner,
Director of Communication
Nate Stevens is the third and final founding member of Dayton Land Barons. A Graduate of the School of Advertising Art in 2009 (now The Modern College of Design), he enjoyed a long and fruitful career as a designer and brand strategist before redirecting his energy into real estate investment and Dayton Land Barons in late 2019. His responsibilities include the management and execution of our brand aesthetic and communications, in addition to being a hands-on member of the construction, rehabilitation and property management team. He is also a retired facial hair competitor, a martial artist, and an enthusiastic resident of Downtown Dayton.