Our Approach
Three Rules Capital is an entrepreneurial, value-based real estate investment and development company. Founded by Will Bennett and Roberto Ruiz Vargas, the pair believe in the power of partnership having worked closely with leading luxury hospitality brands to transform extraordinary locations into vibrant communities.
This has included overseeing the structure of equity investment, construction, and development of major resort and residential projects throughout Mexico, Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Portugal, and New York.
Our Story
Will Bennett and Roberto Ruiz Vargas, Three Rules’ co-founders, developed a bond having worked on opposite sides of the renowned Costas Palmas development in the East Cape in Los Cabos, Mexico. After successfully completing that project which features hospitality partners, Four Seasons and Aman, in addition to, a beach and yacht club, marina, and a Robert Trent Jones II golf course; they aimed to build a special luxury residential community for east coast customers.
They identified Puerto Rico as an ideal market in early 2021, and in partnership with Reuben Brothers Capital, began to acquire the 2,200+ acres that now make up our ambitious first project, Esencia.
In 2023, Harish Venkatesh joined the partnership to help oversee investments and finance. The three partners are supported by a team of world class professionals, the majority of whom have worked with one of the partners in a prior endeavor.
The Three Rules
The three rules, timeless principles passed on by Will’s late mother, are:
Always tell the truth
Always be kind
Always do your best
These three rules are not just words; but values that are embedded in the fabric of our company culture. Upholding the value of honesty, we prioritize transparency and integrity in our dealings internally and externally. Kindness forms the cornerstone of our interactions, fostering empathy and trust in our exchanges. Finally, we have an unwavering commitment to excellence and will always deliver nothing short of our very best.
Our Team
Will Bennett
Chief Executive Officer, Three Rules Capital (3RC)
Professional Experience
- 10+ years of Real Estate and related experience.
- Founded 3RC with Roberto Ruiz Vargas.
From 2016 was Managing Director, Partner, and Head of Development at Irongate, an entrepreneurial full-service Real Estate firm specializing in the development of luxury branded residential and resort communities. Led the day-to-day development process of all Irongate projects across all asset classes as well as helping source new development opportunities. Select projects at Irongate included the Ritz Carlton Residences in Waikiki (completed in 2018) and the Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas (opened summer in 2019).
Prior to Irongate, worked at the Related Companies, a leading privately owned Real Estate development company. Select projects at Related included 70 Vestry in Tribeca (designed by Robert A.M. Stern, with interiors by Daniel Romualdez), and 456 Washington St (designed by BKSK, with interiors by Rockwell).
- Prior experience includes working in investment banking and private equity.
- Board Member, Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board
Education:
MBA, Harvard Business School
BA, Wesleyan University
Roberto Ruiz Vargas
Chief Operating Officer
Professional Experience
- 20+ years of Real Estate experience across engineering, development, and construction focused across several sectors including infrastructure, energy, and luxury hospitality. Esencia is his third development that includes an Aman Resort.
- Founded Three Rules Capital (3RC) with Will Bennett.
Prior to 3RC, he founded and is a Partner of CCGC and Vanderhorst & Ruiz where he led the construction of several award winning hospitality projects, including the Four Seasons Resort (opened in 2019) and Amanvari Resort at Costa Palmas in the Sea of Cortes in Mexico’s South Baja Peninsula; the award winning Amanera Resort at Playa Grande in the Dominican Republic (opened in 2015) and the Playa Grande Beach Club (opened in 2013) at Playa Grande in the Dominican Republic. In Punta Cana he worked on the development and construction of the Punta Cana International Airport and the Tom Fazio designed Corales Golf Community. He was an Executive Director at Hermes Group (Mexico) where he oversaw the firm’s structuring, capital investment and execution of projects in the high-end hospitality and Real Estate sectors, including the structuring and launch of Costa Terra in Comporta, Portugal, a joint venture between Hermes Group and Discovery Land Company. Has worked on other projects in high-end hospitality in Belize and Cancún.
His firm CCGC has a long-standing track record in the construction and development of over 1,600 megawatt of energy assets and infrastructure assets worth $6 billion+ in the Dominican Republic.
Education:
Master of Engineering Management, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Summa Cum Laude, Santo Domingo Technological Institute
Harish Venkatesh
Chief Financial & Investment Officer, Three Rules Capital (3RC)
Professional Experience
- 10+ years of public and private investing experience.
- 3+ years of experience leading high growth companies.
- Joined 3RC in late 2023; classmates with Will Bennett at Harvard Business School
- From 2020 was an early investor, President and Chief Financial Officer of Alerzo Limited, a leading B2B e-commerce platform serving West Africa where he remains on the Board of Directors.
- Prior to Alerzo, held positions at leading investment firms including Latimer Light Capital (Partner & Managing Director), Reservoir Capital (Vice President) and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (Associate, Tech & Infrastructure Private Equity) investing across multiple sectors and asset classes in both the public and private markets.
- Began his career at UBS Investment Bank in Los Angeles as a generalist investment banking analyst.
Education:
MBA, Harvard Business School (distinction)
BA, Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario (Ivey Scholar, distinction)
