What We Do
Architects of Resilience
We advise professional sports organizations, ownership groups, and entertainment venue owners on the future of sports venues and district real estate.
We start by strengthening the asset itself — shaping long-term real estate and operational strategy that protects value, manages risk exposure, and positions venues for sustained performance in a changing economic, regulatory, and physical environment.
From there, we expand outward into the surrounding district — identifying and structuring opportunities that transform venue-adjacent land into high-performing mixed-use ecosystems, including housing, retail, hospitality, and entertainment uses that extend the value of the asset beyond game day.
When strategy and opportunity align, we move into execution — supporting or leading real estate transactions, including land acquisition, development partnerships, and tenant negotiations that bring the district vision to life.
Why It Matters
Sports venues and the districts around them are one economic ecosystem.
Professional sports venues are no longer standalone assets — they are the economic engines of modern sports districts, shaping investment patterns, real estate values, and the long-term growth of the communities around them.
For ownership groups, these decisions extend far beyond the building itself. Venue strategy now directly impacts franchise valuation, development rights, public-private partnerships, and the ability to unlock long-term district value.
As capital markets, municipalities, and leagues place greater emphasis on mixed-use development, sustainability, and community outcomes, sports organizations that treat their venues as integrated real estate ecosystems will be positioned to lead the next era of growth.
Those that do not will increasingly face higher costs, constrained development options, and reactive negotiations rather than proactive value creation.
Core Values
People
We prioritize people at every level — investors, partners, communities, and future generations — recognizing that long-term value is created when human outcomes are considered alongside financial performance.
Culture
We cultivate a culture of accountability, curiosity, and innovative thinking, where diverse perspectives strengthen decision-making and resilient outcomes.
Integrity
We operate with transparent, consistent, and principled actions, establishing trust and credibility with all stakeholders.
Integration
Sustainability, risk management, and community development are not separate disciplines at Zelyx. They inform each other in every engagement. The whole is always greater than the parts.
Equity
We do not separate financial returns from community outcomes. The most durable real estate strategies are the ones that build community wealth alongside portfolio wealth.
Resilience
We design for durability — not just performance today but competitive relevance through disruption. Every engagement is oriented toward building something that lasts.
Meet Our Founder
"The teams that will define the next era of professional sports are the ones that figured out how to build something that lasts — for the franchise, for the fans, and for the city that made them."
Dez Emryk
Founder & Principal
Dez Emryk is the Founder and Principal of Zelyx — a former Division I basketball player at Appalachian State University, a 13-year risk management professional, and a licensed commercial real estate broker. Sports is not just her market — it is her experience.
Before founding Zelyx, Dez worked with global financial institutions on climate risk, regulatory strategy, and resilient business practices within their real estate portfolios.
She founded Zelyx because she believes in the power of sports and entertainment to better the communities they occupy — and saw an industry that wasn't living up to that responsibility. That belief is the foundation of everything Zelyx does.
She is based in Atlanta, GA where she also coaches high school varsity girls basketball and track.