Marc Blum has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of real estate investment and portfolio management. His work has encompassed a variety of areas, including acquisition, reposition and disposition of more than $750 million dollars in real estate assets, financial analysis and due diligence. Marc’s prior experience – including Vice President of Acquisitions for Klaff Realty and Senior Asset Manager for Ocwen Financial Corporation and Ocwen Investment Corporation – provide a solid base for his role as Chief Operating Officer at Next Realty.

Marc’s diverse responsibilities include acquisition and dispositions, property and asset management, leasing of all portfolio properties, as well as partnership and financial structuring and reporting. Marc holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing from Syracuse University in addition to a master’s degree in Real Estate Investment from New York University. He also holds CCIM and CPM designations.

Kent Swanson is a real estate professional with over thirty years of experience in the office, residential, retail and hotel sectors. He is currently an Executive Vice President and member of the Investment Committee of Riverside Investment & Development Company. Previously, he was CFO of Newcastle Limited, playing a key role in tripling the size of assets under management at that firm while earning a 30% portfolio IRR during his five-year tenure. Kent also had a nineteen-year tenure at The John Buck Company, rising from Senior Financial Analyst to Principal and CFO during this span. His responsibilities included the initial setup and marketing of The JBC Funds and the negotiation and startup of JBC’s Abu Dhabi based joint venture. Overall, Kent has closed over $8 billion in capital transaction in his career. Kent has served on a number of non-profit boards, including as Board Chairman of the Civic Federation, a government watchdog group. Kent has a BA in Economics from Duke University, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Chris Phares has over 20 years of experience in the general contracting market. In his current role as Vice President at Clark Construction Group, he oversees operations for the company’s Northern Division. Chris has contributed to the transformation of the city’s skyline leading projects such as 300 N LaSalle, the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Expansion and Renovation, 150 North Riverside, 215 West Lake, 110 N Wacker, and the in-progress 320 S Canal. He has also worked on significant projects throughout the country including the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, the Wheeler Sack Army Airfield Barracks in Fort Drum, New York, and Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern Indiana and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago. He is a registered Ohio Professional Engineer, a LEED accredited professional, and a Safety Trained Supervisor. Chris lives in Chicago with his wife Jennifer and two children, Harper and Reid. He enjoys golfing, coaching his kids’ sports teams, and traveling.

Ross is responsible for preconstruction, overall construction management, and business development for the Chicago Tenant Solutions team at ARCO/Murray – a Top 10 U.S. Design-Builder (ENR). Ross started at ARCO seven years ago as a Project Manager and has 13 years of industry experience. He’s worked on a wide variety of adaptive reuse projects for some of Chicago’s top developers like Shapack, Ameritus, IBT Group, The Mansueto Office, Peppercorn Capital, and Dayton Street Partners. Ross currently oversees the multi-phase construction process for The Terminal, an adaptive reuse project that will convert several historic industrial buildings in Humboldt Park into a 6.5 acre urban workspace community. The project is part of Mayor Lightfoot’s INVEST South/West initiative. Ross received his MBA in Real Estate Finance and Investment from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Building Construction Technology from Purdue University.

Mr. Pachucki is Founder and Principal of the IBT Group LLC, which focuses on creative urban

developments in metropolitan areas. Current projects include 1200 Fulton, a full-block creative

office, retail and entertainment complex in the West Fulton Market area of Chicago.

Mr. Pachucki is responsible for strategic management of all development activities for IBT Group

including pipeline, acquisition, financing, planning, leasing and project execution. He has over

30 years of real estate experience and has been involved in the development of over ten million

of square feet of office, residential and retail space throughout the country during his career.

Prior to the formation of the IBT Group, Mr. Pachucki started and oversaw retail development in

the Midwest for Opus Group of Companies, a family owned real estate company which was one

of the largest privately held real estate companies in the country.

Prior to OPUS he spent several years with Balcor as Vice president where he was responsible for

an extensive national portfolio of 2,000,000 square feet of commercial space and 60,000

residential units. An architect by training, Mr. Pachucki spent several years with at the time the

largest architectural firm in Wisconsin, Mochon, Schutte, Hackworthy & Juerisson, where he was

involved in various aspects of the design process for institutional and commercial buildings

including airports, schools and residential projects.

Mr. Pachucki graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science in

Architecture and also completed graduate level studies at the University of Wisconsin Graduate

School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

As RATIO’s Chicago Interiors Leader, Andrea brings her national, award-winning experience of more than 18 years in the interior design industry to the firm. Primarily focused on designing for the ever-evolving corporate workplace market, Andrea’s multifaceted skillset also includes project management, client engagement, and mentorship within RATIO’s Chicago design studio. A highly creative interior designer, Andrea strives to develop truly collaborative relationships with each of her clients, translating their ideas into functional and beautiful design solutions that represent their unique brands, visions, and cultures.

As Principal and COO at Mauge, a Chicago-based marketing boutique in its 26th year, Ginna leads a team of branding experts known for precision and excellence in real estate and beyond. In many ways, she’s the foundation of Mauge’s success, building the relationships it takes to provide their best-in-class service, motivated by just how much stronger businesses can be with Mauge at their side. When not at work, she enjoys spending time hiking, reading, and planning her next adventure!

Regina Stilp is a leading commercial real estate developer with over 30 years' experience

developing properties that strengthen cities.

As Founding Principal of Farpoint Development, Regina co-founded the firm in 2016 and has guided its

growth across the Midwest and Southeast, spearheading development work totaling $4.9 billion in

value created. She oversees Bronzeville Lakefront on Chicago's South Side, a 48-acre mixed-use

project reimagining the former Michael Reese Medical Center site.

Prior to founding Farpoint, Regina developed some of Chicago's most acclaimed projects, including

Google's first Midwest headquarters and McDonald's global headquarters at the former Harpo Studios.

Her expertise in public-private partnerships and innovative deal structures has positioned Farpoint as a

leader for groundbreaking urban projects.

As a prominent leader in Chicago real estate, Regina has received significant industry recognition,

including the 2024 Industry Leadership Award from Roosevelt University's Marshall Bennett Institute of

Real Estate and the 2025 Executive of the Year award from the Illinois Real Estate Journal. Currently,

she serves on the Board of Directors of The Magnificent Mile Association, Roosevelt University's

Advisory Board, the Membership Committee of the Economic Club of Chicago, the First Women's Bank

Advisory Committee, and is a member of the Urban Land Institute and CREW. She is also named

among Crain's Notable Chicago Women in Construction and Design.

Additionally, Regina actively mentors the next generation of real estate leaders through The Goldie

Initiative and the Howard E. Eisenberg Foundation. Regina holds a degree from the University of Iowa

and brings her global perspective, shaped by travels to every continent, to her work enriching the

urban landscape. She lives with her family in Wilmette.

How I came to architecture

and design...

Thinking back, I’ve always had an affinity

for the mechanics of things. My dad was

a self-taught jack of all trades. Building a

family cottage with him, at age twelve,

was a pivotal experience for me. I found

technical drawing in high school and

quickly moved into CAD (for MS-DOS).

During college, I found my love for design

and all things architecture. My early career

was spent working in educational and

municipal buildings. Those experiences

taught me the process of building while

I developed my process of design. Now

having spent more than 15 years focused

on workplace, I find myself excited by the

continuous evolution of the office.

My role at EWP...

Is first and foremost about creating an

environment where my team can succeed.

Putting them in a position of success

means our clients get our best. Teaching,

mentoring, and directing each have their

time. As project principal, I’m responsible

for the overall direction of the project,

keeping an eye on the big picture goals, and

helping to navigate challenges.

Outside of EWP...

Husband and Dad to three boys, I spend

an inordinate amount of time sleeping in

tents. You need a hobby, said no parent of

three boys ever. Life would not be the same

without them and I’m grateful for it. When

free time presents itself and the world is

not a mess traveling is a passion and I’m

always looking forward to my next trip.

Wendy Spreenberg is the founder and president of YES! Your Exceptional Space®, a Strategic Partner in the development of Innovative & Flexible Workspaces. YES! is a boutique consulting firm, providing a comprehensive portfolio of services to the coworking and flexible workspace industry. Wendy and her team understand the many layers and complexities that go into creating exceptional workspace—from site selection, experience design, concierge level service, IT infrastructure, staffing, training and operations. She works with a wide array of small entrepreneurial businesses and their leadership.

Since 2001, Wendy’s experience has taken her across North America, from Vancouver to Puerto Rico, working with over 80 flexible workspace projects to start new locations, to reposition existing businesses or buildings with entrepreneurs and landlords.

Additionally, Wendy is a frequently sought out speaker and podcast guest with local media, Everything Coworking (podcast), at NeoCon Chicago, IIDA, InBIA, WANY (Workspace Assn. of New York) and the Global Workspace Association.