From Architect to Award-Winning Founder: How Stephanie Golik Built an AI Adviser for Real Estate Investors

Northeastern Alum Develops AI Adviser for Real Estate Investors, Wins Innovator Award

Stephanie Golik, a 2015 graduate of Northeastern University, transitioned from architecture to product design and entrepreneurship, culminating in the sale of her startup Huddle in 2024. Recently, she earned first prize in the “AI and Technology” category at the 2025 Women Who Empower Innovator Awards for Frontflip, her AI-powered tool for real estate investors.

A Clear Focus on What Energizes You

Golik openly shares how she once doubted her career success. Now, she advises aspiring entrepreneurs and product developers to pursue what genuinely energizes them and to allow themselves time to figure things out. Her own path reflects this approach—starting with architecture, moving into product design leadership at Cruise (a self-driving car company), and then launching startups.

About Frontflip: AI-Driven Real Estate Insights

Frontflip targets individual investors interested in U.S. real estate. The platform enables users to enter any property address and receive instant reports highlighting value-creation opportunities. It gathers unstructured data from various sources and summarizes investment scenarios, including tailored advice based on property specifics and neighborhood trends.

Unlike typical real estate apps focused on property discovery, Frontflip concentrates on assessing potential returns for investors without the need for extensive manual research. The service is available via website and iOS app, offering a free tier with limited property checks and a subscription plan for unlimited access. It is optimized for investors managing up to 50 properties.

From Architecture to Product Design and Startups

Golik grew up in a family of entrepreneurs in Miami, surrounded by creative energy, yet initially saw herself primarily as a designer rather than a business person. Her architecture education helped bridge creativity and business constraints, but her co-op experiences showed her that traditional architecture wasn’t the right fit.

After graduating, she gave herself six months in New York City to either start an architecture firm or pivot to entrepreneurship. Finding more excitement in the latter, she began building her skills by working at startups and participating in competitions like NYC BigApps. This led to her first product design job and eventually leadership roles at companies like Mapfit and Cruise.

Building Startups and Sharing Knowledge

In 2021, Golik launched Huddle, a fractional talent marketplace for part-time creative and product leaders. She raised over $3.5 million before selling the company in 2024. Now, with Frontflip, she continues to combine design and entrepreneurship.

She also created an online course, “Go from Designer to Founder,” aimed at helping designers transition into startup founders. Her core message is simple: when you find work that truly excites you, focus on making it happen.

Recognition and Support

The Women Who Empower Innovator Awards celebrate Northeastern affiliates making an impact in technology, health, sustainability, and social innovation. Over five years, they have invested more than $1.8 million in winners to help grow their ventures.

Winning this award provides Frontflip with valuable visibility and a grant, allowing Golik and her team to focus on product development without immediate fundraising pressures.

What Product Developers Can Learn from Stephanie Golik’s Journey

• Embrace career pivots when your current path doesn’t energize you.
• Build skills through hands-on experience, competitions, and internships.
• Focus on solving clear user problems—in Frontflip’s case, simplifying real estate investment analysis.
• Combine creative strengths with business acumen to lead product development effectively.
• Share your knowledge to empower others transitioning into entrepreneurship.

For product developers interested in AI-driven tools and entrepreneurship, exploring courses in AI and product leadership can be highly valuable. Resources like Complete AI Training's courses by job role provide practical learning paths.

Stephanie Golik’s story shows that successful product development often comes from finding the right intersection of passion, creativity, and business focus—and having the courage to pivot when necessary.