David Adelman

David J. Adelman is the founder of Darco Spirits, a premium spirits company committed to exceptional quality and bold innovation. Darco’s portfolio includes American Harvest Vodka, a USDA-certified organic vodka crafted from Idaho-grown ingredients, and Beach Whiskey, known for its vibrant flavors like Island Coconut and Bonfire Cinnamon, as well as a growing line of low-ABV canned cocktails.

Beyond Darco Spirits, Adelman is a dynamic entrepreneur and active private investor. For nearly 30 years, he has served as CEO of Campus Apartments, a national leader in student housing, with over $2 billion in assets under management across 18 states, housing more than 25,000 students attending 70+ colleges and universities. He is also the founder and vice chairman of Future Standard (formerly known as FS Investments), a leading alternative asset manager with over $90 billion in assets under management, and the founder of Darco Capital, his family office investment vehicle, where he has made more than 90 venture capital and growth equity investments across sports, deep-tech, artificial intelligence, energy, defense technology, and other sectors.

Adelman is a partner in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), an industry-leading sports and entertainment group, and serves as the Chairman of the Joint Venture between HBSE and Comcast to develop a world-class live entertainment venue in Philadelphia, which will be the future home of the 76ers, Flyers, and the newly announced WNBA franchise.

An active philanthropist and civic leader, Adelman previously served for eight years on the Penn Medicine Board of Trustees and is the immediate past board co-chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. As the former chairman of the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, he led the development of The Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza in Philadelphia. Adelman’s leadership and pioneering contributions have earned him several “Executive of the Year” and “Entrepreneur of the Year” awards. He was also named one of Philadelphia’s Top Most Influential People by Philadelphia Magazine for three consecutive years and one of 2023’s Top CEOs by Philadelphia Business Journal. He was the 2025 recipient of the 46th annual Americanism Award from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and was inducted into the Multi-Family Executive (MFE) 2025 Hall of Fame.