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Speakers and Panels

Hill Country Growth and Evolution

Exploring Key Projects and Investment Opportunities

Britt Benton
The Station at Headwaters, mixed-use retail, dining, and hospitality

Britt Benton

Managing Partner

Oryx Development

Lisa Pope Westerman
The Farm at Wellville, 75-acre retreat with spa-like casitas and event barns

Lisa Pope Westerman

Founder & CEO

LUCID

Jared Kuhn
El Cosmico Sunday Homes, 3D-printed homes in Wimberley Springs & More

Jared Kuhn

VP of Real Estate Development

ICON

Pawel Hardej
The Gabriel, 146-unit mixed-use development blending convenience and sustainability

Pawel Hardej

Principal

Metropolitan Development Company

Nick Skuteris

Nick Skuteris

Development Manager

DC Partners

Christina Kelley

Christina Kelley

Business Developer | Association Consultant

Inframark

Daniel Wheeler
Moderator

Daniel Wheeler

Vice President of Development

J Street Property Services

Britt Benton

The Station at Headwaters, mixed-use retail, dining, and hospitality

Oryx Development

Britt graduated from the prestigious St. Johns High School in Houston, Texas before obtaining a

liberal arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1991. Britt has been active in

commercial real estate and development since 1994, starting with Transwestern Commercial

Services in Houston. At Transwestern he was a key member of an investment sales team that

sold over $100 million of income properties in one year. From 1999 to 2006 Britt was Vice

President of Crosswell Torian Commercial Services. As a top producer, Britt provided brokerage

services for a variety of individual investors, landowners, and companies. In 2006 Britt founded

Oryx Commercial properties, a commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in land and

based in Austin, Texas. In 2007 Britt co-founded Oryx Development with Blake Rue. Oryx

Development initially focused on developing affordable multifamily housing projects utilizing

federal, state and private funds administered through Texas Department of Housing and

Community Affairs Tax Credit program. Oryx has entitled and sold land for the development of

over 1800 affordable and market rate multi-family units and a large single-family subdivision.

In late 2016, Oryx Development acquired the 166-acre Headwaters commercial tract in Dripping

Springs, Texas. As markets changed, Oryx has evolved into a self-developer of retail, office and

mixed-use commercial projects. In 2020, Oryx added the 78-acre Cannon Ranch mixed use

project, also in Dripping Springs. For the foreseeable future, Britt and Oryx plan to focus on the

entitlement and development of projects like Headwaters and Cannon Ranch in central Texas.

Lisa Pope Westerman

The Farm at Wellville, 75-acre retreat with spa-like casitas and event barns

LUCID

After a seasoned career with vast experiences, she identified a need to serve clients on a platform that would afford them the best design talents and skill sets around the world. Analyzing what was available in the industry, she questioned why something like this did not exist. As a result, a community-concept was conceived where every participant, from agencies to individuals, could benefit from collaborating with one another. This vision was derived from having worked at many organizational levels: from owning her own firm, to being a partner at a small firm, to most recently acting in a principal role at one of the largest design firms in the world.

Throughout the years, she havs been fortunate enough to cross paths with so much talent. It is these talents, along with newer firms and individuals she has encountered more recently, who now form her LUCID gang- a community driven to achieve the highest levels of client and participant success

Jared Kuhn

El Cosmico Sunday Homes, 3D-printed homes in Wimberley Springs & More

ICON

As Vice President of Real Estate & Sales, Jared spearheads ICON’s go-to-market strategy by forging partnerships and developing projects centered on the large-scale deployment of 3D-printed construction. His focus is on advancing major residential and commercial projects to broaden the reach of ICON’s innovative building techniques, ultimately expanding housing options to include both mainstream and affordable residences for the community.

Jared began his career as a real estate developer at Hines, where he managed mixed-use projects throughout the Southeast U.S. He later served as Executive Vice President at Ryan Companies, where he launched and led the Multifamily division, overseeing the development of over $1.1 billion in Class-A multifamily projects across the country.

A proud alumnus of both Michigan State and Columbia University, Jared resides in Austin, Texas with his wife and two children. Outside of his work in 3D-printed construction, he has a passion for music, sports, and all things Sci-Fi.

Pawel Hardej

The Gabriel, 146-unit mixed-use development blending convenience and sustainability

Metropolitan Development Company

Pawel (Paul) Hardej (Principal), is an architect, developer, entitlement expert and community steward. He combines the vision and passion of a long-time entrepreneur with the steady hand and structured approach of a corporate professional, allowing him to interface naturally with a wide range of clients and partners. He has been directly responsible for the acquisition, design, development or redevelopment of almost $2 billion of mixed-use, condominium, multi-family communities totaling over 2,000 units, as well as multiple retail and entertainment properties. Pawel has also negotiated millions of dollars in incentives, tax credit deals and complex entitlements and is considered a zoning and urban planning expert. Prior to founding Metropolitan, he was an Executive Vice President at Lincoln Ventures and also served as Vice President of Development at Intracorp, one of North America’s largest residential developers, where he managed the development of multiple projects, including the 49-story 44 East condominium high-rise project in downtown Austin, TX. Pawel started his career in Chicago, IL, his first adopted hometown in the United States as the founder and CEO of Metropolitan Development Enterprises where he developed numerous award winning mid-rise and town home projects over a ten year stretch.

A native of Warsaw, Poland and now residing in Austin, TX, Pawel studied Architecture at both Warsaw Politechnic University and at the University of Detroit Mercy and also at the International Academy of Merchandising & Design in Chicago.

Nick Skuteris

Development Manager

DC Partners

Nick Skuteris oversees day-to-day activities in the full-cycle development process

including upfront due diligence, project planning, construction and design coordination,

and leads the transition process with building maintenance and operations. He keeps

the lender up to date on the project budgets, coordinates with future tenants, and

provides information to the building management, operations, and engineering teams.

Previously, Mr. Skuteris worked with a Commercial General Contractor as Assistant

Project Manager for two separate projects. After joining DC Partners, Mr. Skuteris was

Project Manager for The Arts Residences at Thompson San Antonio Hotel and still

serves as liaison with that project. Currently, he is the Development Manager for the

4411 San Felipe mixed-use office/retail development.

Education

 Masters of Business Administration, Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of

Business

 Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Minor in Construction

Management, Louisiana State University

Christina Kelley

Business Developer | Association Consultant

Inframark

Christina Kelley is a credentialed Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) and holds the Association Management Specialist (AMS) designation, both awarded by the Community Associations Institute (CAI), an internationally recognized organization dedicated to upholding industry best practices. With nine years of experience in community management, Christina has a robust background in master-planned community management.

Throughout her career, she has managed a diverse range of community types, including new developments, established residential neighborhoods, commercial associations, and mixed-use projects. She has led a team of managers responsible for various association structures, providing expertise in problem-solving and effective management.

Recently moving into a business development role, Christina utilizes her extensive experience to support developers and board members by aligning with their vision, preparing budgets, reviewing documents set up, and addressing deficit funding. She works closely with developers as a consultant, to enhance community projects, applying her deep expertise in community management to offer tailored solutions and drive sustainable growth.

Daniel Wheeler

Moderator

J Street Property Services

Mr. Wheeler joined J Street Property Services in 2021 shortly after the launch

their Development Company in Dallas Texas. Mr. Wheeler oversees all active

development projects for J Street, working closely with all members of the

project development team.

Prior to J Street, Mr. Wheeler worked as a Development and Construction

Management professional and entrepreneur, with full cycle experience including

developing and managing a project vision and scope, translating vision to design,

managing the design process, and overseeing the construction phase to

closeout. To date Mr. Wheeler has developed projects totaling over $1 Billion in

total capitalization.

Hospitality Insights and Opportunity

A Deep Dive into the Tourism and Culinary Boom Shaping Hill Country

Dylan Petrich
Boutique hotel acquisitions, Juniper Ridge, Canyon Lake Cabins, Hacienda del Rio & More

Dylan Petrich

Managing Partner

Outpost Capital

Felipe Castillo
The Backyard, 3,700-seat amphitheater with 60K retail, hotel, and multifamily

Felipe Castillo

Partner

PlaceMKR

Chris De La Mora
The Village: Fredericksburg’s Premier Tiny Home Resort

Chris De La Mora

President

WellStar Properties

Ashley Heeren

Ashley Heeren

Principal

Low Design Office

Corryn Williams
Moderator

Corryn Williams

Director of Marketing, Associate Principal

Method Architecture

Felipe Castillo

The Backyard, 3,700-seat amphitheater with 60K retail, hotel, and multifamily

PlaceMKR

Mr. Castillo has over 22-years of experience in commercial real estate and development with another 9-years in architecture. He is also an Architect and a U.S. Army Veteran, plus, holds both a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Architecture degrees from Texas Tech University. Throughout Mr. Castillo’s real estate development career, he has led real estate development efforts for multiple build-to-rent, multifamily, and high-rise mixed-use development projects, moreover, he has personally managed over 29+ zoning cases for multiple development projects across the United States.

Before coming to PlaceMKR, Mr. Castillo was the Managing Director for Urban Moment, a Build-to-rent/Single-family-to-rent Texas based development firm with over a $1BN in equity allocated toward BTR/SFR developments. He led the company’s corporate development, partnership, and acquisition strategy. During and prior to his period with Urban Moment, he has been working on BTR/SFR and multifamily development efforts for several years, with numerous communities developed and/or breaking ground. He has an extensive understanding of the BTR/SFR development process and has a versatile background which understands real estate development from multiple points-of-view.

Prior to Urban Moment, Mr. Castillo was the Chief Operating Officer for De La Vega Capital and led the company’s strategy and growth with an emphasis on De La Vega’s national real estate development efforts. Prior to De La Vega, Mr. Castillo was the Senior Vice President for HALL Group and lead the development efforts for HALL; he oversaw real estate endeavors, entitlements, design, and financial oversight for all new ground-up development projects for Dallas, Frisco, and Napa.

Ashley Heeren

Principal

Low Design Office

Ashley Heeren is a Principal of Low Design Office, an integrated architecture and design studio that focuses on realizing more with less. Ashley’s professional expertise is rooted in public-spirted projects, with work ranging in scale across diverse typologies and ecosystems, always tied back to community wellness. With experience delivering complex high-performance projects in hospitality and other commercial sectors, Ashley works to broaden conversations around justice and health – for both people and planet. She also ardently promotes education and mentorship, and her exceptional strengths have been recognized most recently with an AIA Austin Honor Award and as an Austin Under 40 Finalist.

Why You Should Attend this Commercial Real Estate Event

What You’ll Learn 

  • What are the latest innovations in commercial real estate in the Texas Hill Country?

  • What are the key investment insights for the area and what makes it so attractive to residents?

  • Which industries are leading economic growth in the region, and how is this impacting the area's population growth?

  • What major developments are currently underway in the Texas Hill Country and how are they shaping the region's real estate landscape?

  • How is the rapid population growth surrounding Austin and San Antonio influencing the demand for commercial real estate?

  • What are the emerging opportunities for hospitality investments in the Texas Hill Country?

  • How are rural areas like Fredericksburg and Johnson City being impacted by new luxury developments?

  • What role does wine tourism play in driving real estate investments in the region?

  • How can investors capitalize on the increasing demand for weekend retreats and second homes?

  • What are the most promising areas for commercial real estate development within the Texas Hill Country?

How You'll Do More Business By Attending:

Join us for our first-ever deep dive into the Texas Hill Country real estate market, which is experiencing unprecedented growth. Nestled between Austin and San Antonio, The Hill Country is transforming into a premier destination for luxury living and hospitality. This picturesque region, known for its stunning natural beauty and vibrant communities, is attracting a diverse range of residents, from remote workers to retirees.

Discover how key infrastructure projects and strategic transportation networks are enhancing connectivity and accessibility, bolstering economic activities, and improving the quality of life for residents. Uncover the pulse of new development projects, from luxury resorts to burgeoning wine tourism ventures, and gain insights into the unique challenges and opportunities within this rapidly evolving region.

Who You’ll Meet During Networking: Owners, developers, investors, brokers, city and government officials, business consultants, architects, engineers, lawyers, accountants, bankers and technology companies.

Why You Should Attend: Bisnow events bring together the biggest power players in the industry to identify opportunities, build your network and expand your business. With the largest audience of commercial real estate professionals in the world, no one knows how to help your business more than we do. Join Bisnow as we jump into the market to analyze its strengths and strategize on its areas of opportunity. You don't want to miss this event!

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For questions, recommendations, comments, or press inquiries please email our Texas event producer, Ansley Bird, at ansley.bird@bisnow.com.

To request disability-related accommodations, please contact hanna.anderson@bisnow.com no later than seven business days before the event.

Hill Country News And Projects

Agenda

Time Activity
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
Breakfast and Networking
3:00 PM
3:45 PM
Hill Country Growth and Evolution

Exploring Key Projects and Investment Opportunities

3:45 PM
4:00 PM
Networking Break
4:00 PM
4:45 PM
Hospitality Insights and Opportunity

A Deep Dive into the Tourism and Culinary Boom Shaping Hill Country

4:45 PM
5:15 PM
Closing Networking

Sponsors

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