Wilshire partners with dedicated healthcare operators to launch and grow assisted living communities — providing the capital, real estate, and a clear path to ownership that most professionals never thought possible.
Scroll
"Wilshire helps healthcare operators become owners."
Our Difference
Built by operators. Investing in the next generation.
For decades, small owner-operated care homes defined the heart of assisted living. Today many have been absorbed by large corporate operators focused primarily on financial returns. Wilshire was created to bring ownership back to the people who deliver the care.
25+
Years Operating
775
Units Owned
25
Communities
01
Real Estate Capital
Wilshire owns the real estate, removing the highest barrier most operators face when pursuing ownership.
02
Operator Credibility
Our guidance comes from 25+ years of actually running assisted living communities.
03
Path to Ownership
Every Wilshire partnership is structured with a defined path to ownership. Operators are not tenants. They are future owners.
04
Mission-Aligned Capital
We structure rents for operator success, not maximum extraction. When operators thrive, communities thrive.
Wilshire Invests in the Real Estate
We acquire, develop, or reposition the property — removing the single largest barrier to assisted living ownership.
You Build & Operate the Care
Operators focus on what they do best: building culture, leading staff, and creating exceptional resident experiences.
Together We Create Ownership
Operators who demonstrate excellence earn a defined path to OWNERSHIP in future communities.
The Wilshire Model
A structured path where operators become owners.
No one has formalized this in assisted living. The industry offers two options: large corporate chains or Resource Constrained Solo Operators. Wilshire is the bridge.
Wilshire Provides
Real estate acquisition
Facility development capital
Long-term lease structure
Branding & Marketing support
Licensing guidance
Vendor network access
Operator Circle Network
Ownership Path
The Ownership Roadmap
From Operator to Owner
The people who dedicate their lives to caring for residents should have a path to ownership. Here is how that path works.
1
Launch a Community
Wilshire acquires the real estate. You lead operations with our full structural support.
2
Build Operational Excellence
Focus on occupancy, staff culture, regulatory compliance, and resident satisfaction.
3
Earn Ownership
Benchmark qualified operators execute a structured transition to Real Estate ownership on a defined timeline.
4
Build Your Future
Your first community is the foundation. Wilshire helps you build at your pace.
The People Behind Wilshire
Leadership built from the inside out.
Krista Mendyke
Chief Executive Officer
Jim Mendyke
Chairman
Dominic Rickert
Chief Operating Officer
Karla Anderson
Chief Financial Officer
Macy Mendyke
President & Co-Founder
Current Network
Quality Communities, One consistent standard.
Across our network, our focus remains consistent: stable real estate, empowered operators, and exceptional care.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
206
Assisted Living Units
Arizona
Arizona
78
Assisted Living Units
Total units under the Wilshire platform
284
Units
Operator Stories
Real operators. Real ownership.
"I had the clinical experience. I had the passion. Wilshire gave me the real estate and the path. Now I own the building I built my career in."
RN · New Build to Ownership · Wisconsin
"We had seen what was possible and what was lacking in institutional care. Wilshire let us build something better — on our own terms."
EMT Couple · Lease-to-Ownership · Wisconsin
"I went from 90-hour weeks in a facility I didn't own to running my own community with a life I'm proud of. That shift changed everything."
Director of Nursing · Owner-Operator · Wisconsin
Begin the Conversation
Ready to own your future?
Wilshire reviews a limited number of new partnerships each year. If you are an experienced healthcare professional ready to build something of your own, we welcome a conversation.
A limited number of partnerships accepted annually
Krista
The Founder
A story built from the inside out.
Wilshire was not built in a boardroom. It was built in our assisted living communities, beside residents and families who entrusted us with their care, and alongside the caregivers who dedicate their lives to providing it.
"
"A better place. A better life for everyone today."
— Krista Mendyke, Founder · Wilshire Group
25+
Years Operating
775
Units Owned
WI
Founded in Wisconsin
The Beginning
She started the same way you did.
Krista Mendyke did not begin her career with access to capital, a portfolio of properties, or a team of advisors. She began with a belief — that people in the final chapters of their lives deserve to live in a place that feels like home, led by people who genuinely care.
Her first facility was made possible by an investor who believed in her vision before she had proven it. That act of trust changed everything.
"I had the experience. I had the passion. What I needed was someone who would bet on me. When I found that, everything became possible."
Over the next 25 years, Krista built, operated, and scaled multiple assisted living communities across Wisconsin. She hired the caregivers, managed the surveys, handled the families, and navigated the regulations.
The Turning Point
What the industry was becoming.
As the years passed, Krista watched a shift happen. The small, passionate owner-operators who had built remarkable communities began to disappear — not because they failed, but because the capital structures of the industry made it nearly impossible for them to compete and grow on their own terms.
Large investment groups acquired these communities. The culture often changed. What had been resident-first became investor-first.
"The people who built the best homes in this industry were being pushed out of it — not by failure, but by the absence of the right capital partner."
Krista knew there was another way. She had lived it from both sides. Wilshire was her answer to what the industry needed most.
The Next Generation
Built from experience. Evolving for what comes next.
Wilshire was never meant to remain static. As healthcare continues to evolve, the next generation has stepped forward to help shape the future of the company. Krista's daughter Macy, representing the second generation of leadership, has helped integrate new ideas, modern communication, and a renewed focus on education, collaboration, and operator development.
Together, they are building something larger than a traditional real estate firm — a platform where healthcare professionals can grow into ownership, leadership, and long-term impact.
"When experience and innovation come together, you stop building a company and start building a legacy. That's what Wilshire is becoming."
By blending decades of operational experience with fresh perspective, Wilshire Group continues to expand its mission: helping capable operators build meaningful businesses while improving care in communities across Wisconsin, Arizona, and beyond.
Krista Mendyke
Founder & CEO
25+ years building and operating assisted living communities across Wisconsin. The experience behind the model.
Macy Mendyke
President & Co-Founder
Second generation leadership focused on operator relationships, platform development, and expanding Wilshire's vision for the future.
The Journey
25 years of building from within.
Every chapter of Krista's career contributed to the model Wilshire represents today. The operations. The exits. The lessons. The relationships. This is not a company that found senior housing as an asset class — it is a company born of a lifetime inside it.
The Early Years · 1999
First facility. First belief.
With the support of a capital partner who believed in her vision, Krista developed her first assisted living community in Wisconsin. The mission: a better place, a better life for everyone today.
The Growth Years · 2001–2024
Building a portfolio.
Krista scaled operations across countless Wisconsin communities, building deep experience in staffing, operations, resident care, regulatory compliance, and the full ownership lifecycle.
The Insight
Seeing what the industry was missing.
After two decades of operating, Krista recognized a structural gap: countless talented healthcare professionals who had the skill and passion to lead great communities but no path to owning one.
The Formation
Wilshire Group is born.
Wilshire was established to be the Platform Krista once needed, combining real estate capital, operating expertise, and a genuine belief in the people who deliver care.
Today
A platform in motion.
With our current communities and a growing vision for expansion, Wilshire is building the operator ownership platform the assisted living industry has always needed.
What We Believe
The People Closest to the care deserve ownership.
01
The People Closest to the care deserve ownership.
The Industry Professionals who lead caregivers, know every resident by name, and make decisions at midnight are the ones who deserve ownership opportunities. Wilshire exists to make that possible.
02
Partners should enable great care, not compromise it.
Wilshire structures every partnership so operators can succeed — because when operators thrive financially, residents thrive.
03
Authenticity is the only brand that lasts.
We were operators before we were investors. That history is not a footnote — it is the entire basis for why operators trust Wilshire.
04
Small Independent operators hold the heart of this industry.
Assisted living began in homes where owners knew every resident by name. That model delivers better care. Wilshire is committed to keeping those homes independent, capitalized, and owner-led.
In healthcare, reputation is everything. Wilshire selects a small number of partners each year — not to be exclusive, but because every partnership reflects the Wilshire standard of care.
06
Ownership changes how people lead.
An operator with a path to ownership leads differently. They invest like it's theirs — because it will be. They hire for quality. That shift in mindset creates better communities, for everyone inside them.
"Built by operators. Investing in the next generation of assisted living owners."
The Leadership Team
The team behind the vision.
Krista Mendyke
Chief Executive Officer
Jim Mendyke
Chairman
Dominic Rickert
Chief Operating Officer
Karla Anderson
Chief Financial Officer
Macy Mendyke
President & Co-Founder
Ready to Build?
Start your own story.
Wilshire partners with a limited number of healthcare leaders each year. If you have the experience and the passion, we provide a clear path to ownership.
Operator Partnership Program
Build your own assisted living community.
Many healthcare professionals dream of operating their own facility. The path has always been unclear until now. Wilshire was built to bridge the gap between your expertise and a future you actually own.
The Partnership Structure
What Wilshire brings. What you bring.
Wilshire Provides
The capital, real estate, and platform you need to launch.
Real estate acquisition or development of the facility
Long-term triple-net lease structure designed for operator success
Licensing guidance and regulatory navigation support
Branding and Marketing your unique identity
Vendor network and preferred partner relationships
Access to the Wilshire Operator Network
Growth opportunities within the expanding Wilshire Platform
A defined, structured path toward ownership
You Provide
The leadership, culture, and care that defines great communities.
Day-to-day operational leadership and management
Staffing, culture, and team development
Resident care and community reputation
Regulatory compliance and survey readiness
Financial discipline and a commitment to continuous learning
Alignment with the Wilshire standard of care
The passion to build a legacy of care — not just a career
A commitment to accessibility that puts residents and family needs at the forefront of every decision.
Who We Partner With
Four operator profiles we seek.
The best operators don't come from investment backgrounds. They come from inside the walls of the communities they've dedicated their careers to.
Profile 01 · Safest First Partnership
The Proven Administrator
Executive Directors, Directors of Nursing, and regional managers who have spent years navigating regulations, managing staff, and building care cultures. What they typically lack is capital and real estate access — both of which Wilshire provides.
Executive DirectorDirector of NursingRegional Manager
Profile 02 · Mission-Driven
The Caregiver Entrepreneur
Nurses, CNAs, MDs, DOs, NPs, PAs, LPNs, EMTs, MAs, and care coordinators who dream of owning a community. With the right structure, mentorship, and real estate partner, they often create the strongest care environments.
Nurse / RNCNACare CoordinatorMedical Professional
Profile 03 · Best Long-Term Partners
The Family-Owned Operator
Already running one or two communities, they understand the business and want to scale — but hit the wall of capital and real estate constraints. Wilshire provides the expansion platform.
1–2 Facility OwnerFamily Business
Profile 04 · Future Pipeline
The Emerging Healthcare Leader
The administrator or experienced caregiver who wants an ownership path now — not in 10–20 years. Wilshire becomes their launching platform for decades to come.
Young AdministratorHealthcare MBA
Our Selection Process
Three questions that determine fit.
1
Would I trust this person to care for my own parent?
If the answer isn't an immediate yes, the partnership will not serve residents the way it must.
2
Do they have genuine experience in staffing and resident care?
Operations experience is non-negotiable. We mentor and support — we don't replace operational knowledge.
3
Are they financially disciplined and committed for the long term?
Ownership is a long-term commitment. Wilshire partnerships are not short-term arrangements.
What We Are Looking For
The qualities that define great partners.
Wilshire selects a limited number of new operators each year — because the quality of every partner reflects our reputation and the care delivered to residents.
The ideal Wilshire partner leads with integrity, understands what it takes to run a great assisted living community, and is genuinely committed to building something meaningful and lasting.
Who We Do Not Partner With
We deliberately avoid the "pure investor operator" — those who see assisted living primarily as a real estate play, hire management companies to run operations, and optimize for margins above all else. This model produces staff turnover, poor care, and regulatory risk.
These are the stories of healthcare professionals who took the step. Each one is different. The outcome is the same.
Registered Nurse
RN-Led New Build to Ownership
A Registered Nurse with decades of experience operating communities for a national provider built her ideal assisted living facility. After leasing the new build and stabilizing operations, she purchased the real estate outright — operating the community alongside her daughter, also an RN. The facility maintains long waitlists as the preferred provider in its market.
Nurse Practitioner
Stabilizing Rural Care
A Nurse Practitioner with years of providing primary care in assisted living facilities stepped into a distressed facility in a rural community — a market aligned with her lifelong mission to serve underserved populations. With capital structured to match her operational realities and ongoing support from Wilshire, she stabilized the facility and preserved access to quality care where it was needed most.
EMT Couple
Building Values-Driven Care
After working in both corporate and privately run facilities, an EMT couple aspired to build a care environment rooted in compassion, responsiveness, and dignity. Through a lease-to-ownership partnership with Wilshire, they became operators and community leaders — delivering hands-on, resident-first care that reflects the values they carried throughout their careers in emergency medicine.
Management Team
From Managers to Owners
An experienced professional team managing assisted living communities under third-party contracts identified facilities they believed could thrive under ownership-aligned leadership. They contacted Wilshire to acquire the properties and leased them back with structured buyout provisions — transitioning from managers to owners. The result: long-term stability for residents and a business built on leadership genuinely invested in the community's future.
Registered Nurse · Legacy Transition
A Legacy of Service, Passed Forward
A Registered Nurse serving an underserved population leased an assisted living facility dedicated to her community. After years of successful operation, she retired and transitioned leadership to her son, who now serves as successor — preserving continuity of care, community trust, and family legacy.
Director of Nursing
From Burnout to Balanced Ownership
A Registered Nurse Director of Nursing working in large skilled nursing facilities was seeking a way out of 90-hour workweeks and institutional constraints. Through a partnership with Wilshire, she stepped into ownership and operation of her own assisted living facility — building a business aligned with her values while achieving a sustainable, balanced life.
The Common Thread
Operators gain a clear, structured path to ownership
Care quality improves through aligned incentives and combined experience
Communities benefit from stable, committed leadership
Healthcare professionals reclaim purpose, autonomy, and balance
"Where Great Operators Become Great Owners."
Limited Partnerships Available
Is this your path?
Wilshire reviews a limited number of new partnerships each year. If you are an experienced healthcare professional ready to own your own community, we welcome a conversation.
The Ownership Roadmap
From operator to owner.
Wilshire was built on a simple belief: the people who dedicate their lives to caring for residents should have a path to ownership. This is that path — structured, transparent, and designed so both sides win.
Most administrators and caregivers never see a clear roadmap to ownership. Wilshire shows one. That changes everything.
1
Step One
Launch a Community
Getting Started
Wilshire invests in the real estate. You lead the care.
The single largest barrier to assisted living ownership is access to real estate capital. Most talented administrators never take the step simply because the financial entry point feels impossible. Wilshire solves that.
Wilshire Provides at Launch
Real estate acquisition or development
Facility readiness and build-out
Long-term NNN lease structure
Licensing and regulatory guidance
Vendor network and partnerships
Mentorship from experienced operators
20–60
Ideal Unit Range
WI + AZ
Primary Markets
NNN
Lease Structure
2
Step Two
Build Operational Excellence
Months 1–24
Build the culture. Stabilize the community. Earn the trust.
The first year to two years of any community define its trajectory. This is the period where great operators distinguish themselves — through consistent, disciplined leadership on the ground.
Wilshire provides ongoing strategic guidance drawn from decades of operating experience. We exist in this phase as the experienced voice who has navigated every challenge you will face.
Focus Areas in Year One
Occupancy ramp and census growth
Staff culture and retention
Resident satisfaction and family trust
Regulatory compliance and survey readiness
Financial discipline and reporting
Community reputation and local referrals
3
Step Three
Grow Within the Platform
Years 2–4
Proven operators get access to more opportunity.
Operators who demonstrate strong performance — stable occupancy, consistent lease payments, excellent care standards — are invited to grow within the Wilshire Platform.
Growth Opportunities Available
Additional Wilshire Platform Resources
Priority on new developments
Access to Wilshire Operator Network
Mentorship of newer operators
Co-investment exploration
2–4
Years to Expansion Eligibility
4–6
Operators Accepted Annually
4
Step Four
Earn Ownership Participation
The Defining Step
Not a tenant forever. A future owner.
Most healthcare real-estate investors never offer operators a real path to ownership. Lease agreements keep operators as tenants indefinitely with no mechanism to ever own what they have built.
Wilshire is built differently. Operators who meet defined performance benchmarks earn the right to advance, on their timeline, not ours.
Instead of feeling like "I'm renting someone else's building," operators feel like "I'm building my future." That difference changes how people lead — and the communities they create.
5
Step Five
Build Your Portfolio
The Long Game
From one community to a portfolio of your own.
Over time, we envision many Wilshire operators move from running a single community to building a multi-facility portfolio. At this stage, the relationship with Wilshire evolves — from operator-landlord to long-term strategic partners and co-investors.
2–5
Typical Mature Portfolio (Communities)
60–150
Total Units Under Management
10yr
Target Partnership Horizon
The Earn-In Structure
How ownership is built over time.
The Wilshire earn-in model aligns incentives over a structured timeline. Operators are building toward something real at every phase.
This timeline is illustrative. Actual milestones and structures are determined through individual partnership agreements.
"If you want to own your own assisted living facility someday — talk to Wilshire."
Ready to explore your path?
Operator Readiness Assessment
Are you ready to own your community?
This assessment helps you understand where you stand on the path to assisted living ownership — and whether a Wilshire partnership might be right for you. There are no wrong answers. Only honest ones.
10
Questions
5
Minutes
3
Result Tiers
Your ProgressQuestion 1 of 10
Healthcare Experience
How many years have you worked in a healthcare or assisted living environment?
Leadership Role
What is the most senior leadership role you have held in a care setting?
Staffing & Operations
Have you directly managed and scheduled a care team of staff members?
Regulatory Knowledge
How familiar are you with state assisted living licensing and regulatory requirements?
Financial Literacy
How comfortable are you with the financial side of running a small business?
Care Philosophy
How would you describe your approach to resident care?
Commitment Level
How long have you been thinking about owning or operating your own assisted living community?
Operating Reserves
Do you have access to working capital to cover expenses during the ramp-up period?
Market & Location
Are you open to launching a community in Wisconsin or Arizona — Wilshire's primary markets?
Long-Term Vision
What does success look like for you in 10 years?
Almost There
Your results are ready. Where should we send them?
Enter your contact information below. Wilshire will never share your information or add you to any list without your permission.
Please enter your name and a valid email address.
Your information is private and will never be sold or shared.
