President
Sales Estimator
Co-Founder and Project Manager
Project Manager
Antonio joined Areté Renovators as a Project Manager and subcontractor in 2010. Since joining the team, he has held additional positions including lead carpenter, assistant manager, and estimator. He became a certified carpenter at the Union Carpenter’s School in 2001 and a certified home inspector at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2006. Antonio holds 18 years of experience in the construction industry having worked on a variety of residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
Antonio prides himself on working efficiently, foreseeing potential issues, and coming up with solutions to match every client’s needs. He excels at managing our portfolio of design build clients and sourcing one-of-a-kind materials and custom finishes.
Senior Project Manager
Project Manager
Marina joined Areté Renovators in 2014 and is also a member of our Areté The Art of Design showroom team. She graduated from economics school in Serbia and then worked for over three years as an Assistant Professor. She moved to the United States She is a certified economist with seven years of experience in economics and accounting. As Project Manager, she is responsible for daily reports and communication with clients and suppliers. She also creates project estimates for clients and controls project progress, materials, and deadlines.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her dog, our Director of Morale, Rooney. Her creativity and leadership skills continue to drive Areté’s innovativeness forward.
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator
Design Consultant
Ivana joined Areté Renovators 6 years ago as a Project Coordinator managing the construction process from initial client consultation through final punch list, before changing roles to join Areté The Art of Design as a Design Consultant.
With Ivana’s background in construction and 3 years of experience in design, she has successfully completed a wide range of projects from designing rental units to single family gut rehabs. She is communicative and detail driven. She finds her design inspiration through fashion, staying on top of the latest and upcoming design trends, and keeping an eye on what other designers are doing coast to coast.
Having immigrated to the United States in 2012, Ivana always remembers what it first felt like moving somewhere new and not feeling at home in her space. She finds value and the greatest fulfillment in creating a home for her clients.
Design Consultant
Marija has always had a passion for creativity, so when she joined the Areté design team in 2019, she finally felt like she could incorporate that passion into her career. Originally from Serbia, she has lived all over the world, including Italy for 18 years before moving to Chicago in 2012. She speaks three languages and graduated from a tourist school where she fell in love with the idea of traveling and exploring new professions. Her time in Italy taught her about many different interior design and fashion trends and truly kindled her passion for the creative arts.
In her free time, she loves spending time with her son, writing autobiographies, and dancing any moment she can. She is looking forward to pushing her creative boundaries each day with Areté and reaching new goals that drive her success forward.
Design Consultant
Vasilka realized early on that the most significant details make for an astonishing design. In Europe, she attended the Faculty of Design and Technology of Furniture and Interior and is a Certified Interior Designer (CID) from ITAcademy in Serbia.
Growing up in a family rich with artistic talents – writers, architects, carpenters, chefs, and seamstresses – her talent and skills brought her to Areté The Art of Design where she turns her clients’ homes into a luxurious living experience working as a Design Consultant. She is often inspired by ancient architecture and enjoys creating elegant designs with contemporary elements.
Her curious nature has led her on other creative avenues including social media marketing, logo design, incredible DIY fashion projects, and incorporating creativity and the right ingredients to make a killer good cocktail.
Architectural Associate
Director of Operations
Gina joined the Areté Renovators and Areté The Art of Design teams in 2017 after moving to Chicago from Naples, Florida. She graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a degree in Communications and Public Relations. Prior to joining Areté she worked as Director of Corporate Administration for a community management company assisting with Human Resources and team culture, marketing, client onboarding, and managing upwards of 500 condominiums and single-family homes with operating budgets in excess of $5MM.
Gina is a creator and driven by change. She thrives on creating a client experience from first contact through project completion.
In her spare time, Gina enjoys travelling, staying on top of fashion and home trends, red wine, and experiencing the Chicago culture and food scene.
Marketing Coordinator and Photographer
Digital Marketing Coordinator
Administrative Assistant
Property Manager
Steliana joined Areté Renovators in 2015. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Real Estate Economics from the University of Economics in Sofia, Bulgaria. After graduating, she worked for two years in one of the largest real estate agencies in Varna, Bulgaria.
As a Project Coordinator with Areté Renovators she is responsible for daily communication, coordination, and updates with clients, subcontractors, and suppliers. She is also responsible for scheduling, monitoring the progress of projects, and coordinating the purchase and delivery of all materials. In her most recent role as Property Manager, she facilitates and executes lease contracts and oversees the management and completion of project maintenance requests for Areté Realty owned properties.
Property Accountant
Transportation Director
Brandon joined the team in the Spring of 2021. As transportation director, he is in charge of coordinating with the design consultants to ensure the correct materials arrive on job sites, organizing miscellaneous materials in our showroom, and maintaining an updated list of materials for each client.
Brandon is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico and moved to the United States with his family in 2007. He has experience in many different areas including the restaurant and service industries. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, spending time with friends and family, and training his new puppy, Canelo.
Artistic Director
Filip is the son of our design consultant, Marija. He is in the showroom often with her and loves to make his own interior design drawings. He attends our team meetings and is a fantastic assistant to our designers.
He loves his mom, playing with his toys, and building with legos. His favorite thing to do on the weekends is playing with his friends outside. His favorite food is an apple, his favorite animal is a lion (because of their cool manes), and his favorite color is black. He also has his yellow belt in tae-kwan-do and is well on his way to becoming a master at the sport
Forever Remembered Director of Morale