Bio
Cosmo Palmieri serves as an Advisor to JLM Financial, bringing more than 35 years of experience across private equity, alternative investments, real estate development, construction, private credit, and asset management. Throughout his career, he has overseen several billion dollars of transactions and investments across real estate, private equity, private credit, operating businesses, hospitality, and other alternative asset classes, combining investment analysis and capital allocation with the perspective of a long-term owner, developer, lender, and operator.
For approximately 30 years, Cosmo has worked with an Austin-based family office, where he has been responsible for asset management, real estate development, alternative investments, private equity, and the acquisition and disposition of both operating businesses and real estate assets. In this capacity, he has evaluated and structured investments, overseen development and operating portfolios, worked with lenders and investment partners, and managed assets through their full life cycle, integrating financial analysis with hands-on operational oversight to drive long-term performance.
Cosmo is also the Founder and Board Chairman of Sendero Homes, an Austin-based real estate development and custom homebuilding company founded in 1994. His development experience includes nearly 20 residential subdivisions in the greater Austin area representing more than 4,000 single-family lots, as well as luxury residential construction and a range of commercial projects. His work spans residential and commercial real estate, including office and retail buildings, restaurants, hospitality-related developments, and other entrepreneurial ventures. He has also owned and operated restaurant businesses, further broadening his experience across both real estate and operating companies.
In addition, Cosmo has extensive experience in private credit and direct lending, including originating, underwriting, structuring, and managing privately negotiated loans and other credit investments. His lending experience spans real estate-backed and asset-based transactions, bridge and transitional financing, development and construction lending, and special-situation credit opportunities. Working from both lender and principal-investor perspectives, he has developed deep expertise in evaluating collateral, structuring downside protection, assessing sponsor and borrower risk, and balancing capital preservation with risk-adjusted returns.
A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Economics, Cosmo was also a three-year football letterman for the Texas Longhorns. His multidisciplinary background as an investor, asset manager, developer, builder, lender, and business owner provides JLM Financial with a seasoned perspective on evaluating opportunities, structuring investments, managing risk, and creating long-term value across private-market and alternative investment strategies.