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Speakers and Panels

Multifamily Development: Addressing the Issue of Housing

Delivering More Units in a High-Demand, High-Cost Environment

Alex Corrales

Alex Corrales

CEO

Worcester Housing Authority

Ricky Beliveau

Ricky Beliveau

Managing Partner

V10 Development

Rich Mazzocchi

Rich Mazzocchi

Principal

Tremont Development Partners

Aksel Solberg

Aksel Solberg

Development Design Studio Lead

HFA - Architecture + Engineering

Brittany Gesner

Brittany Gesner

Principal

VHB

Samantha McDonald
Moderator

Samantha McDonald

Partner

Bowditch

Rich Mazzocchi

Principal

Tremont Development Partners

With over 25 years of multifamily housing experience, Mr. Mazzocchi is responsible for leading the development initiatives and asset management functions of Tremont. During his tenure at Boston Capital, he gained extensive expertise in both affordable and market rate multifamily housing sectors, including the investment of over $1 billion in communities throughout the US.

Mr. Mazzocchi served as the Director of Acquisitions in Boston Capital’s market rate housing group and was involved in the acquisition/development of over 12,500 multifamily units representing $1.5 billion of assets. Mr. Mazzocchi received a BS in Finance from Babson College and an MBA from Northeastern University.

Aksel Solberg

Development Design Studio Lead

HFA - Architecture + Engineering

In his 12 years of experience, Aksel has worked on many project types, including historic preservation, residential, commercial, industrial, offices, religious, educational, and museums. After many years involved in various community and industry organizations, Aksel has developed a talent for building trusting relationships with clients, consultants, and co-workers. His breadth of knowledge allows him to bring a unique perspective to every project. With an eye for detail and architectural design principles, Aksel ensures that every project is one of which clients and designers can

be proud.

Brittany Gesner

Principal

VHB

Brittany serves as VHB’s New England Industrial Team Leader and dedicates her time to ensuring VHB is actively building relationships with industrial clients, tracking, and prepositioning for industrial opportunities. She provides quality assurance to industrial development projects to ensure VHB is always delivering excellence for their clients. She manages projects providing site/civil, permitting, traffic, and environmental services for industrial developments, including warehouse, last-mile distribution, manufacturing, cold-storage and GMP facilities.

Samantha McDonald

Moderator

Bowditch

Samantha McDonald is an experienced, client-focused real estate lawyer at Bowditch, concentrating on business and real estate property law. She represents a wide range of clients and matters, including buyers and sellers of commercial real estate, land use, zoning, and development matters, leasing, and surrounding property issues. Samantha's clients include developers, nonprofits, manufacturers, retail, restaurants and educational institutions.

Growing Worcester: Attracting Business, Development and Investment

Building the Foundation for Long-Term Job Creation and Industry Expansion

Craig Blais

Craig Blais

President

Worcester Business Development Corporation

Peter Dunn

Peter Dunn

Chief Development Officer

City of Worcester

Bo Menkiti

Bo Menkiti

CEO

Menkiti Group

Steve Gentilucci

Steve Gentilucci

Vice President

Consigli

Marina Taylor

Marina Taylor

SVP - Commercial Relationship Manager

Fidelity Bank

Mark Borenstein
Moderator

Mark Borenstein

Partner

Prince Lobel

Bo Menkiti

CEO

Menkiti Group

Bo Menkiti is the Founder and CEO of the Menkiti Group, a real estate company dedicated to transforming lives

and communities through real estate. The Menkiti Group is focused on strengthening neighborhoods through

the strategic development, management, and disposition of real estate in urban markets. Mr. Menkiti also

serves as CEO and is the Founding Partner of Keller Williams Capital Properties, a residential real estate

brokerage managed by the Menkiti Group.

Mr. Menkiti’s work has been featured in David Bornstein’s book on social entrepreneurs “How to Change the

World,” and in Stephen Goldsmith’s “The Power of Social Innovation.” Mr. Menkiti has been recognized

nationally by Ebony and Inc. Magazine as one of the coolest young entrepreneurs in America, and was awarded

The National Association of Realtors Prestigious “30 under 30” award in 2006. Mr. Menkiti was also honored

as a Minority Business Leader by the Washington Business Journal and named to the paper’s 2014 Power 100,

a list of the most influential business leaders in the Washington metropolitan area. He was also recently

honored by the National Association of Realtors as the District of Columbia Realtor of the Year in 2014 and as

Keller Williams Realty International’s 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Under Mr. Menkiti’s leadership, the Menkiti Group and Keller Williams Capital Properties have been recognized

by Inc. Magazine as being among the fastest growing private companies in the nation and by the Initiative for

Competitive Inner City (ICIC) and Fortune Magazine as two of the fastest growing inner city businesses in

America.

Prior to forming the Menkiti Group and Keller Williams Capital Properties, Mr. Menkiti served as Chief

Operating Officer of College Summit, a national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the college

enrollment rate of low-income students. In this capacity, Mr. Menkiti oversaw the organization’s successful

growth into a multi-site national organization.

Mr. Menkiti served as the 2013 President of the District of Columbia Association of Realtors and is a board

member of City First Bank of DC and Dance Place. Mr. Menkiti also serves as a member of the Steering

Committee of the Small Business Policy Project and on the board of DC Water, the District of Columbia Water

and Sewer Authority. In 2015, Mr. Menkiti was inducted on the board of the Myer Foundation, the Federal

City Council, and was elected as the Executive Board Member of Prolanthropy. Earlier this year, Mr. Menkiti

launched the Capital Properties Menkiti Group Foundation, an organization that focuses its resources on

serving the diverse social needs existing in the National Capital Area.

Mr. Menkiti is a graduate of Harvard University. He lives in the District with his wife and three young sons.

Steve Gentilucci

Vice President

Consigli

Steve Gentilucci is a Vice President and 26-year veteran at Consigli Construction Co., Inc., a 100% employee-owned leading construction manager in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Caribbean. Steve oversees the firm’s self-perform division, Riggs, which is the largest of its kind in New England. This level of self-performance enhances Consigli's projects and ensures additional management oversight, leading to improved cost control, scheduling, safety, and quality for clients. Steve has been named to the 2023 Worcester Business Journal’s Power 50 List, and he serves on several boards of directors and trustees for organizations including the Working for Worcester, the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, the Worcester Strategic Opportunities Foundation Board, and Massachusetts Laborers Health and Welfare Fund. Steve graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

Marina Taylor

SVP - Commercial Relationship Manager

Fidelity Bank

Marina Taylor is Senior Vice President, Commercial Relationship Manager, at Fidelity Cooperative Bank, bringing extensive experience in commercial lending since earning her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Dowling College in Oakdale, New York. She began her career in New York City, where she worked for six years before relocating to Massachusetts in the early 2000s. Since then, Marina has dedicated her career to serving local community banks, where she is passionate about helping businesses thrive and strengthening the communities they serve.

Deeply committed to giving back, Marina has volunteered with the Center for Women and Enterprise, served as a mentor with Girls Inc., and held board positions with Dress for Success and the Worcester Business Development Corporation (WBDC), where she currently serves as treasurer. She is also a trustee of Worcester State University.

A resident of Sutton, Massachusetts, Marina is proud to combine her professional expertise with her dedication to community service, continuing to make a meaningful impact both inside and outside the banking world.

Mark Borenstein

Moderator

Prince Lobel

Mark A. Borenstein is a partner in Prince Lobel’s Real Estate Practice Group.

Mark is a skilled real estate attorney who represents clients in complex land use matters,

acquisitions and dispositions, and leasing matters. Mark has significant experience assisting clients

with the permitting and development of commercial, residential, mixed-use, industrial, life science

and institutional projects across Central Massachusetts. He is a lifelong resident of Worcester, so

clients rely on Mark for his comprehensive knowledge of the local Worcester community, culture,

and businesses. He is known by his clients and colleagues as an inventive professional with a

unique ability to bring different parties together.

Mark also counsels clients in the food and beverage space. He represents breweries, wineries,

Opening Remarks

Darnell Dunn

Darnell Dunn

Director of Business Recruitment

Worcester Chamber of Commerce

Why You Should Attend This 2025 Worcester State of the Market

What You'll Learn:

  • What public-private initiatives are attracting major employers, startups and institutions to Worcester?

  • How are developers responding to the city’s housing needs in both market-rate and affordable segments?

  • Which neighborhoods and corridors are seeing the most real estate investment activity and why?

  • What infrastructure upgrades and transportation initiatives are driving economic development?

  • How are life sciences, healthcare, and innovation districts impacting site selection and land use planning?

  • What incentives or municipal programs are in place to help projects pencil amid rising construction costs?

  • What do demographic trends and migration data suggest about Worcester’s future housing demand?

  • How are zoning reforms or local policies supporting higher-density, mixed-use development?

  • What new projects are being planned, approved or breaking ground in 2025 and beyond?

How you'll do more business:

Enhance your business by gaining a stronger understanding of Worcester and Central Massachusetts. commercial real estate market. Understand the strong fundamentals pushing demand from owners and tenants. Hear from city officials and developers on the future of Worcester CRE, its life sciences market and the current opportunities present for investors.

Who You'll Meet: Network with a diverse group of industry leaders, including developers, financiers, urban planners, policymakers, and real estate experts. This event is a melting pot of ideas and strategies, fostering connections and collaborations in the Central Massachusetts real estate market.

Why should you 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 us.

For questions, recommendations, comments, or press inquiries please email our Northeast Event Producer, Joshua Piquion at joshua.piquion@bisnow.com. To request disability-related accommodations, please contact audrey.sullivan@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

Venue

AC Hotel Worcester
125 Front Street
Worcester, MA 01608

Ballroom: Wachusett
Floor: Ground


Parking is available under the hotel in the Worcester Common Garage. All-day parking is $10 and can be paid at the front desk (cash or card accepted)

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Agenda

Time Activity
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
Coffee, Breakfast & Networking
1:00 PM
1:45 PM
Multifamily Development: Addressing the Issue of Housing

1.) Examine how Worcester’s cost advantage is drawing renters and investors from the Boston metro area.
2.) Learn how developers and the city are coordinating to align housing with job growth and public transit access.

1:45 PM
2:00 PM
Networking Break
2:00 PM
2:45 PM
Growing Worcester: Attracting Business, Development and Investment

1.) Hear from the city's key stakeholders about investment incentives and zoning changes that are fueling growth.
2.) Explore how tax credits, opportunity zones and other financial tools are helping deals get across the finish line.

2:45 PM
3:00 PM
Post Event Networking

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