Chris Hake – WiscoREIA Owner

Chris Hake was the founder and driving force behind the rise of Madison REIA, which he launched in August 2012. In 2021, he merged Madison REIA with WiscoREIA, expanding its reach to ELEVEN monthly REIA meeting locations across Wisconsin and growing its community base of guests and members to over 1000 active investors and entrepreneurs.

With more than 30 years of hands-on experience in real estate, Chris is passionate about giving back. He continues to lead monthly meetings in Madison and frequently shares the lessons he's learned from decades "in the trenches." Chris is most energized by helping new investors discover if real estate is the right path for them, and if so, guiding them to the best possible start for long-term success. He speaks regularly at events throughout Wisconsin and across the U.S., covering topics on real estate investing, business, and personal growth.

A lifelong Madisonian, Chris began his investing journey with a house hack in 1994 and since been involved in hundreds of flips and rental properties. Over the years, he has raised more than $20 million to fund deals and has trained thousands of students through his local coaching programs. From 2006 to 2010, he also taught the Real Estate Investing course at Madison Area Technical College, where hundreds more learned the fundamentals from his real-world approach.

Today, Chris focuses much of his energy on growing Just Simple Storage LLC, a storage investment company he founded that now owns 900 units across 9 facilities in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan.

Outside of real estate, Chris is a devoted husband to his wife, Suzanna, and a proud father to their three boys: Tyler, Tanner, and Trelan. He’s also a fan of classic muscle cars (especially Corvettes and Mustangs), and enjoys outdoor adventures like golf, fishing, and pickleball. At his core, Chris is committed to living out his Life and Business Vision each day, guided by strong values and a passion for helping others succeed.  

Feel free to reach out to Chris at chrishake@gmail.com 

Tanner Hake

Tanner Hake has been around the real estate investing and REIA environment for the past 7 years, learning the business firsthand and being exposed to investors, entrepreneurs, deals, education and the relationships that make this business work.

Since 2025, Tanner has taken a much more active role with WiscoREIA, helping with meetings, check-ins, setup, and making sure members and guests feel welcome. His role has continued to grow and he is now stepping into a larger leadership position with WiscoREIA, including serving as a Co-Host for the Madison chapter.

Outside of WiscoREIA, Tanner has spent more than 4 years working in the self-storage industry with Just Simple Storage. Today, he serves in a management and operations role, overseeing multiple facilities and handling everything from day-to-day operations and tenant relations to maintenance, contractors, facility improvements and the many problems that come with actually operating real estate.

That experience has given Tanner boots-on-the-ground education in real estate that goes well beyond just learning about it. He has been involved in the day-to-day side of running properties, working with tenants and contractors, solving problems and helping improve the facilities he oversees.

Tanner is also actively looking for his first real estate investment as an owner, whether that is a self-storage opportunity, a single-family property, duplex or a property he can house hack. He enjoys connecting with other investors and business owners and is excited to continue learning while taking on a bigger leadership role within the WiscoREIA community across Wisconsin.