Just Get Up: Dr. Ishnella Azad’s Journey from Psychiatry to a Billion‑Dollar Real‑Estate Empire Artwork

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Badass Women in Business

Just Get Up: Dr. Ishnella Azad’s Journey from Psychiatry to a Billion‑Dollar Real‑Estate Empire

May 06, 2025 • Aggie & Cristy • Season 4 • Episode 24

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Brilliant scientist, neuro‑psychiatrist, amputee, and serial entrepreneur, Dr. Ishnella “Ish” Azad has never met an obstacle she wouldn’t charge. Growing up in a family of Sikh real‑estate investors, Ish juggled three science degrees at the University of Houston while co‑founding 5Rivers Commercial Real Estate with her father. After residency at UCLA and Cedars‑Sinai she walked away from medicine to scale the firm to 4.2 million sq ft and $550 million in assets, raising $70 million from 120 everyday investors along the way.

A life‑threatening infection and leg amputation could have ended the story. Instead, Ish doubled down, buying the largest shopping center in Georgia and pivoting into data centers through her technology platform, Data Journey. Today she is closing on $200 million in digital infrastructure, championing Chillirack’s energy‑cutting innovation, and blazing a path for women, minorities, and the middle class to build generational wealth.

Key Takeaways

How a side hustle in college became 5Rivers CRE, now approaching a one‑billion‑dollar portfolio
Lessons from raising $40 million in cash in three and a half months, investor by investor
The power of resilience: 11 surgeries, an amputation, and the mantra that kept her moving
Why Ish invites teachers, nurses, truck drivers, and architects to the cap‑table rather than whales
Data centers as the “new shopping malls” and why infrastructure investing matters post‑COVID
Investing in Chillirack to slash data‑center energy use by 50 percent and double rentable space
Faith, service, and Sikh principles that fuel her mission to lift the middle class
Career No. 5 on the horizon: politics, publishing, and a louder megaphone for equity

Mic‑Drop Quote
“Life will knock you down, but if you aren’t dead, just get up.”

Resources & Links

Data Journey: https://www.datajourney.com
5Rivers Commercial Real Estate: https://www.5riverscre.com
Chillirack technology: https://chillirack.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ishnella-kaur-azad-0524a38/

Connect with Dr. Ishnella Azad

Email: iazad@datajourney.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ishnella-kaur-azad-0524a38/

For speaking invitations, investment inquiries, or mentorship requests, reach out directly and tell Ish you heard her on the Badass Women in Business podcast.

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