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Capital, Policy, and the Next Chapter for Detroit

The capital partners and developers actually structuring and closing deals in Detroit's reshaped market. From private equity to ground-up development, what does it take to underwrite, finance, and deliver projects as the city shifts from downtown megaproj

Zain Mikho

Zain Mikho

Managing Principal

Woodward Capital Partners

Trae Allman

Trae Allman

Principal and Co-Founder

Innovo Development Group

Trae Allman

Principal and Co-Founder

Innovo Development Group

Trae Allman is Principal and Co-Founder of Innovo Development Group, where he leads the

firm’s development strategy and execution. With over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate, Trae has overseen the development of projects totaling nearly $1 billion in value, more than 20 million square feet, and over 2,000 for-rent housing units across diverse asset classes including industrial, multifamily, and mixed-use.

Trae is a results-driven leader known for bringing complex projects online expediently and under budget. He guides Innovo’s efforts from initial site evaluation through zoning, entitlement, and construction, ensuring alignment with both municipal priorities and community needs. His focus on execution and efficiency has helped position Innovo as a trusted partner in urban transformation, particularly throughout Michigan.

In his role, Trae also directs day-to-day operations, manages multidisciplinary teams, and builds strong relationships with municipalities and local governments—advancing projects that

strengthen neighborhoods and create lasting economic impact.

Building Detroit — The Pipeline, the Deals, and What's Next

The developers, owners, and capital partners delivering the city's signature projects — and the rising firms expanding the definition of who builds Detroit.

Zarah Karapetyan-Broglin

Zarah Karapetyan-Broglin

VP Construction

Olympia

LaJuan Counts

LaJuan Counts

Senior Director, Design & Construction Services

Wayne State University

Ayesha Maxwell

Ayesha Maxwell

Executive Director

Greektown Neighborhood Partnership

Opening Keynote

As the city's first Chief Executive of Health, Human Services, and Poverty, Luke Shaefer is leading Detroit's push to translate Mayor Sheffield's "Rise Higher" agenda into results.

H. Luke Shaefer, PhD
Keynote

H. Luke Shaefer, PhD

Chief Executive, Health, Human Services, and Poverty

City of Detroit

H. Luke Shaefer, PhD

Chief Executive, Health, Human Services, and Poverty

City of Detroit

H. Luke Shaefer, PhD is the City of Detroit’s first Chief Executive of Health, Human Services, and Poverty Solutions, overseeing the City’s Health Department, Office of Immigrant Affairs and Economic Inclusion, new Department of Human, Homeless and Family Services, and leading the city-wide childhood poverty reduction strategy. He is on academic leave from the University of Michigan, Ford School of Public Policy, where he is the Hermann & Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Policy. From 2016 – 2026, Shaefer served as the founding director of U-M Poverty Solutions, a presidential initiative that partners with policymakers and communities to find new ways to prevent and alleviate poverty.

Shaefer has presented at the White House and has testified before Congress on multiple occasions. His research has been published in top academic journals, has been featured in media outlets such as the Washington Post, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has appeared on programs such as PBS NewsHour. Shaefer’s co-authored book, $2.00 a Day, was named one of 100 Notable Books of 2015 by the New York Times. His co-authored book, The Injustice of Place, received the Lester Award in labor economics given by Princeton University’s Industrial Relations Section. The New York Times and Time have credited Shaefer’s co-authored research as one of the driving forces behind the expanded Child Tax Credit of 2021 that led to a historic decline in child poverty.

Shaefer is the co-founder of Rx Kids, the nation’s first community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program launched in Flint, Michigan in 2024 and now active in more than 40 rural and urban communities across Michigan including Detroit. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration and is a recipient of an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship.

Why You Can't Miss This Event

Detroit just turned a corner. After 12 years of Mike Duggan, Mayor Mary Sheffield was sworn in on January 1, 2026 as the city's first woman mayor — winning 77% of the vote and signaling a new chapter focused on neighborhoods, affordable housing, and economic dignity. At the same moment, GM officially moved into Hudson's Detroit, the JW Marriott is rising on the riverfront, the District Detroit's UMCI campus is breaking ground on its residential tower, and a Bedrock-led $1.6B redevelopment of the Renaissance Center is in the planning phase.

Detroit's CRE story has never been more in motion. Bisnow's Detroit Construction & Development event convenes the developers, owners, capital partners, public officials, and design and construction leaders building the next chapter — downtown, in the District, in the neighborhoods, and across the metro.

What We'll Explore

  1. The Sheffield Era

    • Detroit's first woman mayor, a 'Rise Higher' platform, and what her affordable-housing and neighborhood-investment priorities mean for the development pipeline

  2. Beyond Downtown

    • Sheffield's signature commitment to push redevelopment into the middle neighborhoods — and what capital, partners, and policies it will take to actually deliver

  3. The District Detroit, Phase II

    • Olympia + Related's revived plan: UMCI ($250M, 2027), the 313-unit student/faculty residential tower, Henry Street Apartments, two new hotels

  4. The 2026 Hospitality Pipeline

    • JW Marriott Water Square (600 keys), Detroit EDITION at Hudson's, NoMad at Michigan Central, Little Caesars Arena Hotel — 1,200+ rooms coming online

  5. Capital, Incentives, and Brownfield Politics

    • Transformational Brownfield Plans, MSF awards, and the political conversation around incentives that Sheffield is now stewarding

  6. Closing the Capital Gap for Black, Women, and Neighborhood Developers

    • How Cinnaire's WE Build, Capital Impact / EDI, JPMorgan Chase's Empowering Change cohort, and the Detroit Development Fund are scaling the next generation

  7. Healthcare and Higher Ed CRE

    • Henry Ford's $1.2B 'Destination: Grand,' UMCI's robotics and manufacturing focus, and what institutional users are doing to the demand picture

How You'll Do More Business

Detroit's most active developers, owners, and capital partners will be in one room — the people actually closing deals on Hudson's-, District-, riverfront-, and neighborhood-scale projects. Whether you're underwriting your next acquisition, sourcing capital for a project, evaluating a market entry, or building your network in Detroit's new political era, this is the morning that puts the right people at the same table.

Why You Should Attend This Program: 

Bisnow events convene the biggest power players in the industry to help you grow your business across a complex market. With engaging discussions, exclusive networking opportunities, and the largest and most equipped audience in the field, Bisnow’s unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of the market makes attendance a value add for any CRE professional. 

Questions about your ticket purchase or interested in sponsoring? 

Reach out to customerservice@bisnow.com for customer support. For questions, recommendations, comments or press inquiries please email our Chicago event producer Will Follett at will.follett@bisnow.com. To request disability-related accommodations, please contact janet.fernandez@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

Agenda

Time Activity
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
Breakfast and Networking
1:00 PM
1:15 PM
Opening Keynote: Luke Shaefer: Chief Executive, Health, Human Services, and Poverty, City of Detroit
1:15 PM
2:00 PM
Capital, Policy, and the Next Chapter for Detroit

The capital partners and developers actually structuring and closing deals in Detroit's reshaped market. From private equity to ground-up development, what does it take to underwrite, finance, and deliver projects as the city shifts from downtown megaprojects toward opportunity citywide, and where is capital flowing next?
2:00 PM
2:45 PM
Anchors & Neighborhoods — Institutions Shaping Detroit's Growth

Detroit's anchor institutions and neighborhood-level developers are redefining who builds the city. From Olympia's District Detroit build-out to Wayne State's campus expansion to Greektown's neighborhood investment strategy, how are large institutional projects and grassroots development competing, and collaborating, for capital, talent, and momentum?
2:45 PM
3:00 PM
Closing Networking

Sponsors

Innovo

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