Crystal Moya: From Homelessness to VP at Luma Residential

Shiv Gettu sits down with Crystal Moya, Vice President of Operations at Luma Residential, who shares her extraordinary journey from homelessness to multifamily leadership. Born to Mexican immigrant parents, Crystal experienced profound instability in her early years - living in a car between ages 8-11, moving constantly across multiple states, and briefly joining a gang as a way to find belonging. Through raw, emotional storytelling, she reveals the pivotal moments that changed her trajectory: a church outreach program that gave her hope, a 13-year-old's decision to board a Greyhound bus alone to attend a specialized high school, and a property management job she initially viewed as temporary while pursuing medical school dreams. Crystal's philosophy of "no matter what, you have to make it happen" guided her from homeless child to college graduate to industry executive, all while supporting her family and breaking generational cycles. Her powerful reflections on resilience, self-motivation, and compassion born from adversity offer insights for anyone facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles.Humans of Multifamily is presented by Zuma, the AI assistant for your full-resident lifecycle.Visit getzuma.com and follow Shiv on LinkedIn.00:00 From Homelessness to Hope10:00 The Black Trash Bag Journey17:00 Finding Church & Changing Course25:00 First Steps into Property Management38:00 Breaking the Educational Cycle