Freeman is a venture capitalist-turned-real estate developer-turned-antiques dealer who recently opened her first business, the Foundry, at 14th and U streets NW. Freeman buys and refurbishes antiques great and small and can often be found on the road or hard at work on a future masterpiece in her garage. How did you get from venture capital to antiques?

It is a jump, isn’t it? … Tech and venture capital was a way to pay the mortgage, really. When the money increased, my brother and I went out and bought our first building to redevelop. … So for about the last 16 years I really got into design and development. It really turned into a passion for me.