Executive Role and Company Leadership
Rowland Hobbs is the CEO and Co-founder of Stake, a financial technology company focused on delivering innovative financial infrastructure and loyalty programs for renters. Since founding Stake in 2018, Hobbs has positioned the company as a leader in the rental economy space by targeting renter wealth acceleration through cash back, banking, and credit-building services tailored specifically to renters—a traditionally underserved segment in financial services.
Under his leadership, Stake has grown significantly, with the Stake Network now reaching over 400,000 renters, creating one of the largest renter-exclusive loyalty ecosystems. The company achieved notable milestones such as the $12 million Series A funding round in mid-2022, led by RET Ventures, bolstering Stake’s expansion. In 2024, Stake further advanced its market position by acquiring Circa for $9.5 million, enabling creation of the first cash-back rent payments platform integrating rent payments with loyalty rewards.
Professional Background and Industry Experience
Rowland Hobbs brings over 15 years of experience in communications and financial product design, with prior leadership responsibilities including Managing Director and Head of Design and Innovation at Teneo Holdings and a significant role at Accenture leading product design practices in financial services. He is recognized as a leader in financial product innovation, applying his expertise to build customer-centric, socially purposeful financial solutions.
Educationally, Hobbs holds a Master’s degree from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, reflecting a strong academic foundation complementing his entrepreneurial and product design expertise.
Stake’s Business Model and Value Proposition
Stake operates at the intersection of PropTech and FinTech, addressing unique challenges in the rental market by transforming traditional landlord-tenant dynamics into mutually beneficial relationships incentivized through financial rewards. The company offers no-cost financial products including 1% cash back on rent payments and free credit-building tools, supported by AI and machine learning applications that analyze renter and property owner behaviors for improved decision-making and operational efficiency.
Stake's mission emphasizes creating wealthier, happier, and more resilient renters, contributing to renter retention and satisfaction which in turn benefits property owners and operators by reducing turnover costs and enhancing asset performance.
The innovation focus extends to solving practical challenges in incentive management, such as handling gift cards and cash incentives in property management, fostering a shift from transactional approaches to “loyalty thinking” within the multifamily real estate industry.
Company Culture and Industry Recognition
In late 2023, Stake was recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work in Multifamily,” reflecting a commitment not only to groundbreaking product development but also to fostering a strong internal culture. This recognition underlines Hobbs’ emphasis on leadership that blends business results with employee engagement.
Stake's executive team includes experienced professionals across engineering, product design, customer success, and marketing, supporting rapid scale and innovation under Hobbs’ direction.
Recent Thought Leadership and Media Presence
Rowland Hobbs actively participates in industry discussions around real estate technology and financial inclusion, highlighting Stake’s approach to free financial services for renters, deployment of AI in rental management, and the transformation of residential leasing through loyalty programs. He has been featured on various industry podcasts, keynote events including the Loyalty Summit CXM Americas, and real estate innovation platforms.
His leadership style leverages collaborative thinking and a strong belief in purposeful company building aimed at enhancing human-centric financial products.
Summary: Rowland Hobbs is a seasoned executive and visionary entrepreneur who has successfully steered Stake towards becoming a pioneering fintech entity in the rental housing market. His extensive background in product design and innovation in financial services, combined with his strategic acquisitions and capital raises, position Stake as a rapidly scaling company with a differentiated approach to renter engagement and financial empowerment. This makes Hobbs a key figure in the convergence of financial technology and real estate innovation.
