Kevin S. Bemel
Kevin Bemel helps people understand their options, manage complex responsibilities, and find a path forward. His career spans business leadership, military service, education, and media, bringing together practical experience with a deep interest in how people build meaningful lives.
As president of the Bemel Companies, Kevin applies that experience through three complementary businesses. Bemel Group provides family office, trust, and estate administration services. Hibou Advisors works with startups, early-stage businesses, and companies in transition. Snappy Patter Media produces, publishes, and manages creative work, including The WAY to WOW Shows. Each reflects a different aspect of the same purpose: helping people put their resources, abilities, and ideas to productive use.
Kevin’s business foundation began in commercial real estate. Starting in 1986, he built a practice encompassing appraisal, brokerage, consulting, management, and investment. His assignments ranged from industrial and retail properties to housing, hospitality, and entertainment-related real estate. He appraised more than $1 billion in property and handled complex matters involving ownership transitions, tax and estate valuations, and asset management. That experience continues to inform his work as a California-licensed professional fiduciary and business advisor, particularly when financial decisions carry significant consequences for families and businesses.
His understanding of those human consequences deepened during 16 years in the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps. Following rabbinical ordination in 2006, Kevin served with commands including Marine Corps bases in Okinawa, Carrier Air Wing Fourteen, Submarine Squadron 11, SEAL Team Seventeen, and the Warrior Transition Program in Germany. He attained the rank of lieutenant commander and combined pastoral care with leadership, conflict resolution, and programs supporting emotional and spiritual resilience.
Helping service members prepare for life beyond the military became an important part of that work. Kevin coached and trained more than 1,200 service members and veterans transitioning to civilian life. His book, The 8 Deadly Sins of Job Hunting – Veterans’ Edition, draws on his military and business experience to help veterans pursue meaningful employment.
Teaching provides another connection across Kevin’s career. He taught real estate investment and market analysis at UCLA Extension and developed training for civilian and military organizations in professional ethics, personal finance, leadership, and resilience. Today, as producer and host of The WAY to WOW Shows, he brings that same educational purpose to conversations with experts and innovators. Drawing on his 3 Pillars of Attainment framework, the shows explore personal growth, relationships, entrepreneurship, financial well-being, health, and intellectual pursuits.
The 3 Pillars of Attainment
Kevin holds degrees in architecture, religious studies, and library and information science. Whether administering an estate, advising a business, or hosting a conversation, he brings the same approach: understand the details, recognize the people affected, and turn complex questions into practical next steps.