Our Team
Gabriel Martinez
Principal / Owner
Gabriel grew up in Little Village—one of Chicago’s largest communities of Mexican descent. He has not only seen his community grow and evolve through the years, but greater Chicagoland as a whole. From a young age, Gabriel knew he wanted to vitalize neighborhoods and impact communities.
For more than twenty years, Gabriel’s done just that.
As a young adult working a full-time job, Gabriel had his sights on real estate and made his first investment. Knowing he wanted to make intentional real estate investments, he started planning for more residential and commercial investments. From learning the ins and outs of general contracting to consulting for a materials company worth $600M, Gabriel has firsthand experience working with every level of a project. Throughout his career, he’s created strategic partnerships with community, business, and elected officials to ensure success for his projects.
In 2011, Gabriel launched Primera Group, Inc., to better leverage his experience and that of his peers—who he invited to join Primera at his side as part of his strategic leadership team.
Gabriel is a member of the Latino Leadership Council, a prominent group of Latino leaders in the Chicago area that seeks to increase Latino power and representation in the public and private sectors.
Gabe is also the the CEO and Chairman of the Board of GRI, a cannabis company that was recently awarded licenses for dispensaries, craft grow cultivation, infusion, and transportation of cannabis in the budding $1B Illinois market. The first Green Rose Dispensary opened in the River North neighborhood of Chicago in December 2022.
Zach Waickman
Chief Executive Officer
Originally from Ohio, Zach has called Chicago home for the past 20 years. He first came to the Windy City to attend Loyola University Chicago, going on to earn both his BA and MBA from the Jesuit university in the Rogers Park neighborhood.
Since joining Primera in 2011, Zach has overseen projects in commercial project consulting, planned development, and strategic business partnerships. He recognizes the need for a holistic approach to his work, living by the Latin phrase, “cura personalis,” which translates to “care for the whole person.”
Zach has extensive knowledge and experience with zoning analysis, finance modeling, strategic project development, and consulting services. He also has a decade-plus of experience in sustainability initiatives and education.
Since 2019 Zach has been an advisor to the CEO and Chairman of a cannabis start-up in Chicago as they applied for, were awarded, and are now launching operations in Illinois. In 2022 Zach founded Great Lakes Cannabis to build and launch his own cannabis dispensaries in Illinois.
In his spare time Zach is an ardent supporter of early childhood education and volunteers his time.