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The Rice

The Rice

Welcome to re-envisioned apartments for rent in the heart of downtown Houston, Texas. The Rice has been THE place for entrepreneurs, who’s who and A-listers — including U.S. Presidents. This striking building has been a distinguished part of the Houston skyline for decades and evokes a rich history, glamour and elegance that’s undeniably relevant today. We invite you to enjoy completely upgraded, fully appointed residences with dazzling downtown views. Discover hand-selected designer finishes and industrial loft inspired style. Experience modern amenity signatures like a fully equipped fitness studio, valet, concierge services, retail level restaurants, salon and other thoughtful services. With a Walk Score® of 97, everything you desire is incredibly close. It’s time to claim the upscale downtown life you’ve always wanted right now at The Rice.

Speakers and Panels

Jonathan Brinsden

Jonathan Brinsden

CEO

Midway

Gerry Hedgcock
OPENING REMARKS

Gerry Hedgcock

Acquisitions & Asset Management

Crow Holdings Capital Real Estate

Jonathan Brinsden

CEO

Midway

Jonathan Brinsden serves as chief executive officer of Midway and guides the company’s overall business strategy and operations. Jonathan is a member of Midway’s leadership team and investment committee.

Jonathan joined Midway’s development team in 2001, was named chief operating officer in 2008 and chief executive officer in 2013. Prior to joining Midway, Jonathan served as president and chief operating officer of Hamm Corporation, a Houston-based development company.

He is a member of the Urban Land Institute Global Board of Directors, Board of Trustees and the Governance Committee, and past Chair of ULI Houston. He is also a board member of NAIOP and an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Jonathan is active in a number of civic leadership and charitable organizations including the board of Central Houston, Vice Chairman of Buffalo Bayou Partnership and Chairman of the Board of SEARCH. Jonathan is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Bauer Graduate Real Estate Program and serves on the Executive Advisory Board.

Jonathan holds a Master of Science in Land and Real Estate Development, a Bachelor of Science in Construction Science and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design, all from Texas A&M University.

Gerry Hedgcock

OPENING REMARKS

Crow Holdings Capital Real Estate

Gerry Hedgcock currently works in the multi-family and land group and has been a member of the real estate team since 2003. He has overall responsibility for the performance of CHC-RE’s multifamily portfolio and leads multifamily acquisition efforts throughout the southeastern United States. Gerry also sits on the Investment Committee for the Build-to-Hold Fund. He is an active member of the National Multi-Housing Council, The Real Estate Council, and SMU Folsum Institute. Gerry received a B.B.A. degree in Finance and Real Estate Finance from Southern Methodist University in 2001.

Resilience & Revitalization Downtown

Live-Work-Play, Jones Plaza, Downtown's 20-Year Plan, Residential & Millennial Influence

Laurie Baker

Laurie Baker

EVP & COO

Camden

Bob Eury

Bob Eury

President

Central Houston

Jim Bell

Jim Bell

Corporate Managing Director

Savills Studley

Daniel Gilbane

Daniel Gilbane

Business Unit Leader

Gilbane Building Company

Alex Morales
Moderator

Alex Morales

Structural Steel Specialist

American Institute of Steel Construction

Laurie Baker

EVP & COO

Camden

Laurie Baker is responsible for the oversight and strategy of Camden's Portfolio Operations, as well as Asset Management, Sustainability, Revenue and Business Intelligence, Information Technology, Marketing, and Camden's customer experience. During her time with Camden, Laurie has held several roles, including Senior Vice President of Fund & Asset Management, and has been responsible for Camden's reposition and redevelopment program totaling more than $900 million in property improvements. Laurie has a deep understanding of the multifamily industry, evolving customer preferences, and driving transformational change.

Before joining Camden in 1999, Laurie was Vice President at Walden Residential Properties and spent nine years at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Laurie is an officer on the National Multifamily Housing Council's Executive Committee. She is a member and former chair of ULI's Multifamily Bronze Council, and a ULI Global Governing Trustee. She serves on the boards of Camp For All and Texas A&M's Master of Real Estate Program. Laurie is an ongoing guest lecturer for George Washington University's Master of Real Estate Investment Institute. She is past President of CREW Network and CREW Houston and was recognized four times by Real Estate Forum as a Women of Influence. Laurie received her MBA in Finance from George Washington University and a BBA from Sam Houston State University.

Bob Eury

President

Central Houston

For thirty-two years Robert M. Eury has served as President of Central Houston, Inc., a private, nonprofit corporation, formed to lead the planning and implementation of the redevelopment of Houston’s central city area—principally downtown. Mr. Eury is also the Executive Director of the Houston Downtown Management District, a special assessment district within downtown Houston. Mr. Eury was Vice President and Director of Research Development for Rice Center prior to starting Central Houston in 1983. During his nine years with Rice Center, his research focused on

land use/transportation joint development, urban services delivery, development regulation, and environmental design. Prior to joining Rice Center in 1974, Mr. Eury served as Director of Community Planning Studies for the Urban Studies Center, University of Louisville, Kentucky.

Jim Bell

Corporate Managing Director

Savills Studley

With over fourteen years of experience in tenant representation, Jim Bell specializes in office lease acquisition,

lease disposition, lease restructuring, workplace strategy and project management as a Corporate Managing

Director at Savills Studley. His transaction expertise, attention to detail and commitment to excellence create

bottom line savings and risk adverse real estate solutions that ultimately benefit his clients. In addition, he works

closely with tenants to create a workplace that improves the quality of life for their employees and drives

business performance.

Activities & Achievements

Jim is an active alumnus of St. John’s School and Trinity University. He is involved in the St. John’s Lacrosse

program and continues to play at the club level. He is serving his second term on the St. John’s Alumni Board.

He volunteers and coaches at Mission Squash, an intensive urban youth enrichment program that combines

academic coaching, squash training, and community service into one all-encompassing experience for students,

grades 6 to 12. Jim enjoys running, playing tennis and golf, history and live music.

Education

Jim earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science with minors in business and history from Trinity University.

Daniel Gilbane

Business Unit Leader

Gilbane Building Company

Dan is Gilbane’s Southwestern regional office’s business unit leader responsible for overseeing sales, marketing, operations, and strategy with a focus on providing quality services and workmanship that promotes strong client relationships, customer satisfaction, repeat clients and new business growth.

In 2009, Dan transferred from Gilbane Development Company to Gilbane Building Company with a dedicated focus on securing the Company’s regional presence and future growth in the corporate and commercial market. He led the marketing and sales efforts for Gilbane’s Southwest regional office where the Company has been responsible for high profile projects in downtown Houston such as the Hess Tower, Kinder Morgan Tower Renovations, Hines Block 58, Discovery Green Park, Hurricane Harvey Flood Relief, Houston First Flood Relief and the G.T. Mickey Leland Federal Building.

Dan is an active member of the Houston community and is on the boards of the Houston of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, YES Prep Public Schools, the Greater Houston Partnership, and Houston Methodist’s President’s Leadership Council. He is active in the real estate community and is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties.

Dan graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and received his Master’s in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

Alex Morales

Moderator

American Institute of Steel Construction

Alex is a design professional whose work and collaboration across the AEC industry span several years. Exploration, curiosity, and due diligence have been essential in his commitment to perpetually improve as a designer. Prior to his roles in construction project management, his career began in practicing traditional architecture, where he worked in industrial, commercial, mixed-use, civic, and institutional real estate projects. He believes that architecture lifts the human spirit and is a champion of goals that lead to knowledge diversification, consensus-building, and effective strategies that result in profitable, healthy projects.

Bridging the worlds of architecture and construction led him to develop passion and build knowledge in steel design and construction. He is happy to share this passion to derive viable design options in steel with his community of project stakeholders to best position for the delivery of healthy projects.

His accomplishments in his profession have garnered several industry awards, including recent recognition by Engineering News-Record 2022 Top 20 Under 40 Texas & Louisiana, The American Institute of Architects Houston Presidential Citation, and the Building Design & Construction 2021 40 Under 40 Award. As a firm believer of the “it takes a village” adage, Alex has championed the development of career mentorship programs in his industry, including within the teams and firms with whom he has been a part. He is an alumnus of Texas A&M's College of Architecture and currently serves as Associate Director on AIA Houston's Board of Directors as well as serving on the Board of Directors for the Building Enclosure Council Houston.

Restaurant Roundup

Downtown's Culinary & Foodie Scene

Nick Hernandez

Nick Hernandez

Managing Director, Retail Services

Transwestern

Anh Mai

Anh Mai

Partner

Company of Nomads

Gin Braverman

Gin Braverman

Founder & Creative Director

Gin Design Group

Ahrif Sarumi

Ahrif Sarumi

Co-Founder

Aces of Taste

Jonathan Enav

Jonathan Enav

President

US Property Management

Chef Troy Guard

Chef Troy Guard

Owner & Chef

TAG Restaurant Group

Chris Tripoli
Moderator

Chris Tripoli

Principal

A' La Carte Foodservice Consulting Group

Nick Hernandez

Managing Director, Retail Services

Transwestern

Nick plays a leading role in the strategic direction and leadership of Transwestern in the

area of retail services on a regional and national basis. With his Houston team, he is

responsible for overseeing and executing retail transactions in the greater Houston

market place. A specialist in tenant representation, Nick’s client portfolio includes many

national and local retail and restaurant tenants such as Darden Restaurants (Olive

Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s, Yard House,

Cheddars, and Bahama Breeze), Acme Oyster House, Lidia’s Italy, The Men’s

Wearhouse, The Children’s

Place, J. Alexander’s, Le Bilboquet, Ocean Prime, Mercantil Bank, Larry North Fitness,

Star Furniture, Memorial Hermann, Voicebox Karaoke, Original Pancake House and

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. Using his skills in the urban/lifestyle retail environment, Nick

has been involved in Houston’s most high profile lifestyle/mixed use developments,

including Market Street at The Woodlands, LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch, Sugar Land

Town Square, CityCentre at Town & Country, West Ave at River Oaks and High Street.

Nick currently leads a team that is working on Houston’s most dynamic mixed-use

projects including River Oaks District, CityPlace at Springwoods Village, Imperial

Market, Allen Center, Capitol Tower and The Shops at Houston Center.

Gin Braverman

Founder & Creative Director

Gin Design Group

Gin Braverman is the founder and creative director of the visionary firm gin design group. She has spent the last decade shaping Houston’s burgeoning hospitality scene, developing originative and fully integrated designs for award-winning food and beverage concepts, independent chefs, sommeliers and national restaurant and hospitality groups.

Like all worthwhile paths, Gin’s was winding. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, her career began in NYC working in production for TV and film, ultimately designing for HGTV’s extreme home remodel show Home Rules. She also spent significant time abroad, traveling Europe and living in Asia, at one point working with a Taiwanese design firm. When she moved to Houston, she joined the team at Installations Antiques, where she deepened her appreciation for and understanding of artisanship in the built-environment apprenticing in their workshop. Multi-cultural fascination and global immersion define her approach and inform her diverse design portfolio both in and outside of Houston.

The firm's work has been featured in such esteemed publications as GQ, Architectural Digest, The Architect’s Newspaper, Texas Monthly, PaperCity, Wallpaper* City Guide, Interior Design, The New York Times, Hospitality Design, and others.

Ahrif Sarumi

Co-Founder

Aces of Taste

Ahrif Sarumi co-founded Aces of Taste in 2014 to elevate Houston’s blossoming food culture with interactive dining experiences. The company is known for its upscale pop-up events in unconventional spaces and has recently expanded into catering, hospitality staffing and coordinating private dining events. The Chicago-native holds a Bachelors of Journalism and Mass Communication at The University of Iowa and moved to Houston in 2010 to complete a Masters of Higher Education at University of Houston. After graduation, his passions for storytelling and community building led him down the entrepreneurial path of consulting for Texas-based small businesses. After a year of growing awareness and revenue for his clients, he focused his marketing insights on creating a modern hospitality brand of his own.

Within two years, Aces of Taste had been featured in print magazines and digital media sites after working with James Beard Award winner Chef Hugo Ortega, and Food Network's Top Chef winners Shannen Tune, Justin Turner, and Evelyn Garcia. Having developed a trusted brand in the food & beverage industry, Aces of Taste has been tapped to execute multiple events for national companies/organizations including Bank of America, Mary Kay, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and several global liquor brands.

Jonathan Enav

President

US Property Management

Jonathan Enav seamlessly bridges the gap between real estate investment and technology innovation. With a foundation in Engineering from Imperial College London and an MBA from Harvard Business School, he has successfully maneuvered his career across diverse landscapes. Jonathan's work involves directing strategic real estate investments across the U.S. and the Caribbean, as well as fostering the growth of regional tech startups. His balanced blend of academic grounding and practical experience fuels his ability to create value in each venture, championing a vision of sustainable growth and mutual success.

Chef Troy Guard

Owner & Chef

TAG Restaurant Group

Raised in both Hawaii and San Diego, Troy Guard spent much of his youth in the ocean or the kitchen. His career

started in college at the famed La Costa Resort in San Diego. At the age of 21, Guard began his tutelage under

fusion legend Roy Yamaguchi in Hawaii. During their eight-year journey together, Chef Guard developed a

distinct multicultural style that would lead him to executive chef positions all over the world; from acclaimed New

York hotspot TAO and Doc Cheng’s in Singapore, to Richard Sandoval’s award-winning Latin-Asian fusion

restaurant Zengo.

Troy joined Yamaguchi for his next culinary adventure – the launch of Roy’s New China Max in Hong Kong. By

age 25, he was responsible for several Roy’s outposts throughout Asia. Troy spent eight years working closely

with Yamaguchi before taking the coveted post of Executive Chef at New York City hotspot, TAO. Leading a high-

volume operation with a large kitchen staff prepared him for his next calling at The Raffles Hotel in

Singapore—where, as Chef de Cuisine at the world-renowned Doc Cheng's restaurant, he developed his own

unique Pacific Rim style. It was at Doc Cheng’s that Troy met Richard Sandoval, the visionary behind award-

winning “Modern Mexican” concept restaurants across the United States. Together, Guard and Sandoval hatched

the idea of creating Denver’s first Latin-Asian fusion restaurant, Zengo, in the city’s emerging Riverfront area.

After life at Zengo, Troy led several other restaurants to success – including nine75 and Ocean. Still, the calling of

owning his own restaurant beckoned – and 2 years later, TAG became that reality. Chef Guard opened his

flagship restaurant, TAG, on Larimer Square in the bustling LoDo District of downtown Denver. A culmination of a

life-long dream, TAG embodies Guard’s unique vision of Continental Social Food – a combination of his Hawaiian

roots, his Pan-Asian expertise and fresh, local Colorado ingredients.

Since the opening of TAG, Guard has created that of a restaurant empire across Denver with concepts including

Los Chingones (“badass” Mexican), bubu (quick-casual), TAG Burger Bar (imaginative, handcrafted burgers),

Guard and Grace (modern American steakhouse), Mister Tuna (American eclectic), HashTAG

(breakfast/brunch) and FNG (neighborhood wood-fired eatery). In 2019, Guard will make his first move outside of

Colorado with the opening of Guard and Grace in Houston, Texas.

Chris Tripoli

Moderator

A' La Carte Foodservice Consulting Group

Chris Tripoli has over 35 years of service in the hospitality industry as a designer, developer, owner and operator. He graduated from Phoenix College after completing Food Service Management and moved to Houston, Texas, where he assisted in the rapid expansion of a casual family restaurant chain. Later, Chris founded his first restaurant company and expanded it into a small chain. He has developed award winning restaurants and provided assistance on a variety of airport, convention center, parks, theaters, and retail center projects. Chris consults on concept development, operations, and growth related matters with a variety of chains (franchisors and franchisees) and independent operators.

He teaches courses in “opening restaurants” and proper growth strategies at the Small Business Development Center of the University of Houston. Chris has written for “The Consultant,” “My Table” magazine, Restaurant Start-up and Growth and has been featured in various other trade publications. He is a guest speaker for a variety of hospitality meetings, seminars and a participant in industry workshops. Chris is currently providing one-day seminars on restaurant operations and growth strategies throughout the United States and Mexico.

Chris remains active in the Foodservice Consultant Society International, National Restaurant Association, Texas Restaurant Association, the TRA Education Foundation, and is on the advisory board of The University of Houston Small Business Development Center.

Summary

1. How will Houston's 20 Year Plan improve the visitor appeal, business climate, livability, and connectivity in the area?

2. How are millennials defining and shaping how we live, work, and experience Downtown? What are the anticipated impacts of these new developments on Houston's overall demographics?

3. With a lack of sufficient infrastructure and highways, what major initiatives are being taken in the coming years to improve this and seamlessly connect Downtown to Uptown?

4. What role do emerging restaurants and food halls play in the culture of Downtown?

5. With large corporations moving out and into the suburbs, how does Downtown stay resilient and show it can gain from loss?


Continuing Education Sponsored by Commercial Gateway
Pending Texas Real Estate Commission Approval: 2hr Credit by HAR.com Provider Number 0002

Venue

The Rice
909 Texas St.
Houston, Texas 77002

Ballroom: The Crystal Ballroom


$12 per car at valet stand located close to Sambuca entrance on Texas St

Agenda

Time Activity
12:30 PM
1:30 PM
Breakfast & Networking!
1:30 PM
2:15 PM
Resilience & Revitalization Downtown
2:15 PM
3:00 PM
Live, Work, Play: How Millennials Are Defining Downtown
3:00 PM
3:30 PM
Networking!