BGSU alumna soars to success as her business in Toledo is recognized as one of the fastest-growing in the country

LPG real estate has seen 1,300% growth, making Jackelyn (Szabo) Lee '17 and her husband, Andrew, owners of the fastest-growing private business in Toledo

By Branden Ferguson:

A Bowling Green State University alumna and Toledo entrepreneur, Jackelyn (Szabo) Lee '17, landed her business on Inc.com's prestigious list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in America. Lee and her husband saw their real estate business, LPG, grow more than 1,300% over the past three years, making it one of the 10 fastest-growing private companies in Ohio and No. 275 nationally.

"We went from self-managing a handful of units to now owning more than 150 properties, managing over 600 units for investors and completing more than 250 remodels a year," said Lee. "We've built a real estate brokerage with a team of agents, expanded divisions and created systems that allow us to serve investors all over the world."

Lee credits BGSU with helping her build a strong foundation for her future in business.

"BGSU gave me my start in business," she said. "I attended a job fair and landed an internship with an insurance company. That internship ultimately led to a successful nine-year career and enabled me to establish a vast network of connections. That network became the foundation I later leaned on when I launched into real estate."

A year after graduating in 2017 with a business administration degree specializing in marketing, Lee and her husband, Andrew, purchased their first rental property. They continued to work full-time while building LPG, seeking financial freedom and flexibility. Recognizing a need for more industry support, they launched their property management services company in 2021.

By 2024, the business had grown so much that both Lee and her husband were able to quit their jobs to focus on LPG full-time.

"We thought this would be something small at first," said Lee. "To look back and see how fast it's grown and to have national recognition as one of the fastest-growing companies in America has been both humbling and surreal."

The idea of being a successful entrepreneur is not something Lee ever dreamed of when she was a student.

"I wasn't great at school," Lee said. "I was the student who struggled and didn't know if I'd make it through.

"I hope my story can show current students that success doesn't come from being perfect – it comes from grit, resilience and finding opportunity when others don't see it."

Lee admits that while she struggled academically, she thrived when it came to networking and connecting with people.

"I was able to make the most out of small opportunities and turn them into big doors that eventually opened to allow me to grow professionally," Lee said. "I turned a job fair into an internship, the internship into a nine-year career, and nearly a decade of networking into a successful business."

LPG's team is excited to be recognized as one of the fastest-growing businesses in the country, but Lee believes the company's success is about more than the recognition.

"We're not just providing housing – we're revitalizing neighborhoods, creating homes where families can thrive and providing jobs for people in Toledo," Lee said. "Being recognized puts everything into perspective. It showed us how far we've come in such a short time."

Lee hopes to focus on scaling sustainably and continuing to innovate. She wants LPG to be known not just for its growth, but for the way it cares about people, including its clients, team members and the community.

"I want to keep mentoring, sharing my story and inspiring others to build something from the ground up," Lee said. "If I could leave BGSU students with one thing, it's that you don't have to have it all figured out. You need the drive to keep going, the courage to take risks and the grit to get back up when you fall."