Born into a third generation Los Angeles family of developers, architects, and builders, Stefano grew up in and around construction sites his entire life. As a young man, he was inspired to pursue a calling as a builder by his visits to architectural masterpieces in Europe and Asia. In his early twenties, he began his hands-on education by working in the framing trades. After working as an apprentice for a stint with the Timber Framer’s Guild in the Berkshires, he came back to his native Los Angeles to work in residential construction with a passion specifically for historic restorations. Since returning to LA, he has spent time working in historic preservation, custom homebuilding, and spec home construction for well-established LA construction firms. In 2020, he decided to open his own business focusing on design-driven residential spaces, including new construction, home renovations, and ADUs.

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Stefano holds an M-Admin in Construction Management from Northern Arizona University and a BA from University of California Santa Barbara. He has also continued his studies at the Ross Program in Real Estate at the University of Southern California. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the Timber Framer’s Guild, and the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.

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Elcano was the name of a legendary Basque sailor who first circumnavigated the world. His captain, Ferdinand Magellan, passed away halfway through a journey that he conceived. Elcano had the responsibility of assuming leadership of a leaderless expedition and he brought the sailors home on the most difficult and dangerous trip undertaken of that generation. For that adventure and heroism in the face of seemingly impossible difficulties, the company is named after him.