Registration Questions

Call: 202-684-2034
Email: eventregistration@bisnow.com

Request Speaker Information

Speaker Topics

Tell us a Little More

Presented By

WOMEN LEADING REAL ESTATE

Bisnow is excited to bring you our second annual Houston Power Women event series.  At this event, we will focus on the rising stars that are changing the industry and breaking barriers! 

The core purpose of this event is to enhance the success of women in the commercial real estate industry and promote industry diversity more generally. This event will provide education, networking, and resources for professional development. We hope through this event we are able to promote the employment and advancement of women in the industry and strive to create a better awareness of viable career paths for women in commercial real estate.

We will bring together the top female and male executives from all walks of the Houston real estate community to discuss diversity, talent, entrepreneurship, resilience,  and what it takes to get to the top of a male-dominated industry. Find out what makes these executives tick and how they are leaving their mark on the real estate industry.

To mark the second Houston Power Women event, Bisnow looked to the future. We compiled a list of the rising stars, the people behind the headlines, and those shaking up the sector.

For questions, comments or press inquiries, please email the Bisnow Texas team at houstonwomen@bisnow.com

Speakers and Panels

Alison Malkhassian

Alison Malkhassian

CEO

Alara Ventures

Emily Arbuckle

Emily Arbuckle

Project Executive

Corvus

Brandi McDonald Sikes

Brandi McDonald Sikes

Principal & Senior Advisor

SVN | J. Beard Real Estate

Sheila Condon

Sheila Condon

President and Co-founder

Clark Condon

Miranda Hadamik

Miranda Hadamik

Executive Vice President, Commercial Investment

Caldwell Companies

Gin Braverman

Gin Braverman

Founder & Creative Director

Gin Design Group

Gayle Blakeley Farris

Gayle Blakeley Farris

Regional Partner

Transwestern Development

Patti Miller

Patti Miller

VP

E.E. Reed Construction

Micki Washington

Micki Washington

Principal & Regional Leader of WorkPlace

HOK

Kate Good

Kate Good

Principal, Multifamily Development & Operations

Hunington Properties

Meredith Cress

Meredith Cress

Senior Vice President, Management Services

Hines

Lauri Goodman Lampson

Lauri Goodman Lampson

President + CEO

PDR

Carolyn Wolff Dorros

Carolyn Wolff Dorros

EVP

Wolff Companies

Alison Malkhassian

CEO

Alara Ventures

Alison Dimick Malkhassian is a 30-year veteran of the real estate industry with more than 25 years

exclusively dedicated to all facets of multifamily investments. Her experience runs across a variety of

capital platforms, including investment banking, pension fund advisory, public REIT and private equity.

Over the course of her career as a multifamily specialist, she has overseen or completed the

acquisition of over $1.1 billion in assets, $725 million of dispositions, $300 million in structured finance

transactions, and $2 billion in M&A transactions.

In 2012, Malkhassian formed Alara Ventures to focus on investing exclusively in multifamily

opportunities offering high risk-adjusted returns. Alara achieves this by utilizing moderate levels

of leverage; investing in highly desirable or unique locations; in assets especially well-suited to a

definable demand in the renter market within that specific location; and, offering multiple exit

opportunities. The firm invests with its high net-worth investor partners and to date has acquired

approximately 1,500 units valued at over $165 million.

Prior to forming Alara Ventures, she served as an Officer and Senior Vice President of Camden

Property Trust where she led acquisitions, dispositions, and research for the company between

1997 and 2003. In her capacity as a company Officer, she sat on the Investment Committee and

approved in excess of $1 billion in development activity during her tenure.

Malkhassian has served as the Director of Multifamily Investments for The Lionstone Group

where she was responsible for all aspects of the firm’s multifamily platform including the

development of its multifamily investment strategy, research, acquisitions and dispositions. Prior

to that she served as President of U.S. Residential, a subsidiary of U.S. Advisors, where she

was responsible for the Company’s multifamily investments. Before joining US Advisors,

Malkhassian served as EVP and Chief Investment Officer for WMC/Walden Investment

Partners, a subsidiary of Olympus Real Estate Partners.

She is a long-time member of National Multi-Housing Counsel and has been featured in articles

in London Financial Times, Barron’s and other publications regarding investment strategy and

structured transactions. She graduated from The University of California at Davis and lives in

Houston with her husband and son.

Emily Arbuckle

Project Executive

Corvus

A graduate of The University of Texas- Austin, Emily Arbuckle joined GSD Construction fall of 2017. Amidst her mission to cultivate new CRE relationships and diversify the firm’s project portfolio, she also uncovered a passion for the construction process. Fast forward three years, the GSD team has been awarded over 94,000 SQ FT of ground up construction, earned a spot on the 2020 Houston Business Journal’s “Fast 100” and the TAMU “Aggie 100”, and added three seasoned, construction professionals to the office. With a dedication to quality construction and the client experience, GSD looks forward to many more exceptional Houston projects.

Sheila Condon

President and Co-founder

Clark Condon

As President and co-founder of Clark Condon, a Houston-based landscape architectural design firm, Sheila oversees design and general operations for the firm. Her depth of experience, from recreational and commercial facilities to public sector projects, gives her a broad-based knowledge that assures accuracy and client satisfaction. Sheila remains engaged and collaborative within the firm and serves as a mentor sharing her more than three decades of expertise. Moreover, her leadership directs and supports a team disciplined in how to respond to the growing value of environmental stewardship. Sheila earned a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture at Rutgers in 1981 and co-founded Clark Condon four years later. She was also the past recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from the Department of Landscape Architecture at Rutgers University. In 2006, she was inducted as a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Miranda Hadamik

Executive Vice President, Commercial Investment

Caldwell Companies

Miranda joined Caldwell Companies in 2010 and now serves as Vice President – Investments. Miranda is responsible for the due diligence process of underwriting the financial feasibility and development viability of potential investment opportunities in order to grow our commercial and residential portfolios. She participates in evaluating development and disposition strategies for portfolio assets along with assisting in the sourcing of debt and equity capital.

Miranda began her career with Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, LLC as a real estate analyst in 2008. While with Deloitte Miranda performed appraisals, site inspections, audit support appraisal reviews, market studies, rent studies, lease abstracts, and leasehold interest valuations for property types including retail, office, industrial, land and multi-family properties.

Miranda graduated from Texas A&M University, earning her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing in 2006 and her Master of Real Estate in 2008. She was a member of the Aggie Women’s golf team and she still enjoys playing.

Miranda and her husband Brad are members of Houston’s First Baptist Church. They both served on the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Gate Keepers Committee and participated in the MS150. In her spare time she enjoys spending time cooking, traveling, fishing, cycling and watching Aggie football with her husband.

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.

Gayle Blakeley Farris

Regional Partner

Transwestern Development

Gayle is based in Houston and serves as Regional Partner for Life Science & Healthcare

development. She is responsible for the pursuit, conceptualization and execution of projects

focused around life sciences and healthcare asset class. This includes institutional and

corporate campuses, research buildings, and mixed-use placemaking projects in markets

where university and healthcare research are tech transfer real estate facilities and campus

placemaking demand drivers.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Gayle has directed and participated in some of the most innovative life science

developments in the country. Her work has been focused on translational research

campuses and urban revitalization projects involving some of the nation’s most respected

research universities, hospitals and bioscience companies. Her recent work as real estate

advisor to Harvard University focused on master planning its 375-acre Allston campus

including its Enterprise Research innovation campus.

Gayle also spent 25 years in Boston as CEO, Forest City Enterprises Science & Technology

Group where she directed the development of $2 billion of translational research and life

science facilities. Her work included:

 University Park @ MIT – 2.3 million square foot, 27-acre tech transfer campus

developed in partnership with MIT. The campus includes 1.5 million SF corporate

headquarters, research, R&D facilities for Novartis, Takada Oncology, and Mass

General/ Brigham & Women’s Hospital in addition to 700 residential units, a

hotel-conference center, and retail amenities.

 Science & Tech Park @ Johns Hopkins – Revitalization of an 88-acre Baltimore

neighborhood through a public private partnership anchored by Johns Hopkins.

The campus now includes a million SF of biomedical research facilities and a

hotel, mixed-income housing, and a new elementary school.

 University of Pennsylvania Translational Research Labs – Strategic partnership

with Penn to create biomedical research facility to foster collaboration and drug

commercialization between university and corporate research projects.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/RECOGNITION

Mass Biotech Council & International Board

MIT Center for Real Estate

Research affiliate MIT School of Architecture & Planning New Century Cities Initiative

ULI

Past President & Chairman of NAIOP Massachusetts chapter

Frequent industry speaker on university tech clusters and urban placemaking

EDUCATION

Gayle has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, International Relations and Urban

Planning from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN.

Patti Miller

VP

E.E. Reed Construction

Patti leads the strategic planning and revenue generation efforts at E.E. Reed Construction. She provides direction and leadership for the company by developing and executing various company initiatives. Patti is responsible for short and long-term strategies, as well as, many day-to-day operational activities. In her business development role, she manages client relationships, tracks valid job opportunities, and is responsible for all external and internal communication. Patti works closely with a team of doer-sellers, management and lower-level employees to increase profitability. It is her focus to identify and set company goals and create plans to achieve those goals. She develops and oversees all internal and external marketing campaigns including print and social media, website development and content, company newsletters and corporate publications. On the operational side, Patti is involved with staffing, recruitment and training of current and future employees. She helps to initiate and implement new technology for all levels of the organization. She works closely with Human Resources, Information Technology, the Chief Financial Officer and President on a daily basis. Patti is collaborative with strong interpersonal skills. She is motivated, ambitious and possesses exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal. Patti has a demonstrated leadership ability and a well-rounded knowledge of business. She is a driven team builder. In 2017 Patti graduated with an MBA from Texas A&M University. Prior to that, she attended the University of Texas at Austin and received a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies. A continuous learner, Patti holds several certifications and is always looking for an opportunity to grow.

Micki Washington

Principal & Regional Leader of WorkPlace

HOK

Micki is a registered Architect and Interior Designer in Texas, who serves as the Regional Leader of WorkPlace for Texas and bordering states based out of HOK’s Houston office. Over her 20+ years in the design industry, she has extensive experience with large-scale corporate headquarters buildings, managing project teams to deliver next-generation workplaces. She works with major corporate clients and headquarters projects for clients in the Oil & Gas, Technology, IT, Higher Education and Manufacturing. She also brings past expertise with healthcare, hospitality and civic buildings. In her role, Micki focuses on collaborating with large corporate workplace clients and connecting with leadership across HOK’s global workplace practice, focusing on helping companies streamline communication efforts as their Account Manager, between their decision-making teams and HOK’s design support.

With Micki’s years of design experience in the corporate market, she has expertise in all aspects of the project and construction design process, project management, business development, quality control and client relationship building. Her project experience ranges from large scale corporate headquarters interiors build-outs to small office suite renovations, and everything in between.

Attachments area

Kate Good

Principal, Multifamily Development & Operations

Hunington Properties

Kate Good has been leasing apartments her entire adult life. She quickly gained recognition from her employer, Trammell Crow, as the number one leasing consultant by leasing 52 apartments and closing 48 renewals in one month! Her expertise and enthusiasm took her up the ladder in the corporate world until 15 years ago. She then decided to start her own business as a professional speaker and marketing solutions expert.

Kate has shared her innovative ideas with many organizations, including Apartment Associations in 53 cities, and national conventions such as 18 presentations at The National Apartment Association Annual Convention, 24 appearances at the Multi-Family Brainstorming Sessions, 10 presentations at the International Builders Show, and is an eight time presenter at the Multi-Housing World Annual Convention. She consistently receives the highest marks possible for her content, presentation style and audience involvement. Her presentations have been described as “enthusiastic,” “cutting-edge,” and “quality information.” Each year she is proud to share her depth of knowledge with over 20,000 industry professionals.

What sets Kate apart from other speakers is her career commitment of always working on site. For 14 years Kate consulted with companies across the United States and Canada to create game changing leasing and marketing programs for new construction and distressed communities. In 2012, Kate joined forces with Hunington Properties to create Hunington Residential which is the multifamily development and management arm of this firm. Kate serves as Principal of Multifamily Development and Operations. Her first community, Vargos on the Lake in Houston, TX, broke ground in the third quarter of 2013. Three additional apartment communities started development in the summer of 2014.

Twelve years ago, Kate joined three of the industry’s top speakers to form The Apartment All Stars, an educational tour delivering high energy events in association with local Apartment Associations. The team has now grown to seven and expanded to offer private events for individual companies and Webinars.

Meredith Cress

Senior Vice President, Management Services

Hines

Meredith is responsible for Southwest Region Management Services which includes property and facility

management, engineering, and maintenance services for over 39 million square feet of commercial office,

residential, industrial, life sciences, medical and retail assets under management. Meredith is also

responsible for the diversification strategy and growth of her property management business into different

sectors of real estate.

In her role, Meredith is responsible for operational oversight of all asset types in Texas, Colorado, and

Arizona, leading a talented team of approximately 400 employees. She was responsible for starting up

Hines’ new multifamily property management arm, Hines Living formerly known as Willowick Residential,

in the Southwest Region, scaling from one property of 224 units under management in late 2019 to nine

properties at over 4,200 units by year-end 2023. Meredith believes providing exceptional service and

support to our clients, as well as our valued employees who serve them, is paramount to Hines’ success.

Meredith brings two decades of experience in leading real estate property and facility management teams

with an expertise in Class A commercial office space. Having joined Hines in 2004, she has contributed to

the industry through the Houston chapter of the Building Owners & Managers Association, where she

served on the board of directors for six years, including the role of president in 2016. Additionally,

Meredith participated as a board member for Texas BOMA, as well as the University of Houston’s Bauer

College of Business Advisory Board.

Meredith earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Texas Tech University. She

enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her husband, two kids, and French bulldogs.

Lauri Goodman Lampson

President + CEO

PDR

Lauri Goodman Lampson is a business visionary who challenges executives to rethink their

approach to work and place. As PDR’s President and CEO, she is the mastermind behind the

firm’s innovative business model and integrated approach to consulting, design, and brand

services.

PDR guides organizations to leverage the boundless opportunities in front of them to move

forward faster. They work to simplify the complexity of workplace decisions— creating places

and experiences that make people, businesses, ideas, and decisions BETTER.

As a designer, workplace strategist, and business advisor, Lauri has built PDR into the thought

leadership platform and creative powerhouse it is today.

Carolyn Wolff Dorros

EVP

Wolff Companies

Carolyn Wolff Dorros is currently Executive Vice President of Wolff Companies, a real estate development company based in Houston, TX. She works on the oversight and management of the company’s financial asset portfolios as well as land development, strategic planning, marketing and communications.

Ms. Dorros graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1997 and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she earned honors in her second year. She has served as President of the Harvard Business School Club of Houston and as Chair of her class’s 10 and 15 year reunions.

Prior to joining Wolff Companies, Ms. Dorros was the Administrative Director of Neurosciences at Stanford Medical Center, where she also served as Director of Business Development. She also worked at Medsite, Inc., as a Product Manager and as APM/CSC Healthcare as a Research Associate.

Ms. Dorros serves on the Boards of Texas Children’s Hospital, St. John’s School, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, New Hope Housing and the West Houston Association. She is also the past Chair of Breakthrough Houston.

Ms. Dorros and her husband, Chris, have a daughter and a son.

2021 Rising Stars

Amy English

Amy English

Principal, Director of Interiors

HOK

Anna Deans

Anna Deans

EVP

Midway

Bijal Patel

Bijal Patel

Founder & Creative Director

LAUNCH

Christen Vestal

Christen Vestal

Director of Development & Acquisitions

Provident Realty Advisors

Crissy Nolen

Crissy Nolen

Chief Marketing Officer

Colliers Int.

Elizabeth Huff

Elizabeth Huff

Economic Development Director

Sugar Land

Katy Gragg

Katy Gragg

Senior Vice President

Transwestern

Lacee Jacobs

Lacee Jacobs

VP

Midway

Laura Denkler

Laura Denkler

Managing Director

Hines

Morgan Relyea Colt

Morgan Relyea Colt

Executive Managing Director

Cushman & Wakefield

Natalie Garza

Natalie Garza

Senior Vice President, Commercial Real Estate

Amegy Bank

Natali Juarbe

Natali Juarbe

Property Manager

Granite Properties

Nora Casanova

Nora Casanova

Logistics Manager

Karsten Interior Services

Rebekah Gandy

Rebekah Gandy

Sciences Practice Area Leader, South Central

Gensler

Rima Soroka

Rima Soroka

Director of Leasing

Parkway

Sarah Starry

Sarah Starry

Director, Leasing

Radom Capital

Simran Khurana

Simran Khurana

Project Manager

Cadence McShane Construction

Sobi Qazi

Sobi Qazi

Associate Advisor

SVN | J.Beard Real Estate - Greater Houston

Tiffany Ryland

Tiffany Ryland

Associate Director

ARVO Realty Advisors

Yewande Fapohunda

Yewande Fapohunda

SVP

High Street Residential

Anna Deans

EVP

Midway

Anna Deans Executive Vice President, Investment and Development

As Executive Vice President, Deans oversees the development of commercial and multifamily projects from inception to delivery, to ensure the entirety of the project aligns with Midway’s investment strategy. Deans’ expertise lies within the strategy and execution of large-scale, mixed-use destinations. One of Deans’ primary projects is Midway’s East River project, 150 acres of carefully designed, multi-phase, mixed-use development that will transform Houston’s waterfront east of Downtown into a new economic center.

ABOUT MIDWAY

Houston-based Midway is a privately owned real estate investment and development firm that has provided the highest level of quality, service and value to clients and investors for over 50 years. Midway’s portfolio of projects completed and/or underway consists of more than 45 million square feet of properties ranges from mixed-use destinations to office, industrial facilities, and master-planned residential communities. Midway continues to develop projects of distinction, aesthetic relevance and enduring value for investors, clients, and the people who live, work, and thrive in the environment they create.

Bijal Patel

Founder & Creative Director

LAUNCH

Bijal Patel, RID, is the Founder and Creative Director at LAUNCH, a cutting-edge Interior Design and

Graphics firm for CRE, which specializes in creating experience-rich, authentic spaces & graphics that

help reflect their client's brand, strategy and end-users. She has a reputation for being a change maker

who can deliver while taking the whole team along the journey. She is often called in to completely re-

envision a market segment, brand or space. With her fresh design & ROI-focused work, she has received

multiple Design and Business awards from the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Texas /

Oklahoma Chapter, Hotel World Competition, Houston Business Journal’s Landmark Award, and J.D.

Power & Associates. The firm’s attitude is entrepreneurial, positive, and tenacious with a dash of

humor. Patel got her Master’s in Interior Design from the prestigious Savannah College of Art &

Design (SCAD), has a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the University of Florida and has lived /

practiced design in Florida, Georgia, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and various parts of Texas. Her

clients include: JLABS of Johnson & Johnson, Southwestern Energy, Central Houston, Trammell

Crow, CBRE, Hines, BBVA Compass Stadium, Targa Resources, BMC Software, Kavi Properties

and many more!

Christen Vestal

Director of Development & Acquisitions

Provident Realty Advisors

Christen joined Provident Realty Advisors in 2022 as the Director of Development & Acquisitions. She is

the first women Development Partner at Provident and one of the only women developers in the industrial

sector of Houston.

Christen has developed over 8 million sqft of Class A Institutional industrial facilities. She is a career

industrial developer with experience in projects that range from extremely specialized manufacturing

facilities to Speculative big box developments. Career highlights include a build-to-suit project for one of

the largest e-commerce companies in the country, speculative distributions projects ranging from 100,000

sf to as large as 1,000,000 sf buildings under one roof. Her career consists of development of over 700

acres and $1B worth of transaction value.

Christen is the 2022 RedNews Emerging Leader of the Year, RedNews Finalist for Woman of the Year

and Bisnow Developing leader for 2021. She holds an MBA from the Freeman School of Business,

Tulane University.

Christen is a mother of two and wife to a successful real estate entrepreneur. Her and her family are

members at Second Baptist Church. Christen is dedicated to giving to Sky High for Children, a very

special charity that raises money to fund cancer treatments for kids.

Elizabeth Huff

Economic Development Director

Sugar Land

Elizabeth Huff is a dynamic leader whose strategic vision and collaborative approach

have elevated Sugar Land’s economic development and tourism efforts to new heights.

As Director of Economic Development and Tourism, she leads a multifaceted team

responsible for business recruitment, business retention, tourism marketing and sales

through Visit Sugar Land, the city’s official tourism DMO (destination management

organization). Under her leadership, Visit Sugar Land has expanded tourism initiatives,

strengthened partnerships with local businesses, and created signature experiences

that highlight the city’s unique character, from major festivals to nationally recognized

events at Constellation Field. Her work has positioned Sugar Land as a premier

destination for businesses, visitors, and residents while driving long-term prosperity for

the community.

With more than 15 years of experience in economic development, Elizabeth brings deep

industry knowledge and a regional perspective shaped by her prior roles with the

Greater Houston Partnership and the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance.

She has successfully directed Sugar Land’s annual business plan, advancing efforts to

attract and retain high-value employers, support small business growth, and enhance

the city’s identity as a vibrant, culturally rich destination. Recent successes under her

leadership include Sugar Land’s partnership with Plug and Play Tech Center, one of

the world’s leading innovation platforms, and the city’s sponsorship of FIFA 2026

Houston Host Committee, which has elevated Sugar Land’s global profile as a hub for

both business innovation and international tourism.  In 2021, she was recognized as

Bisnow’s Rising Star, reflecting her innovative leadership and regional impact.

Elizabeth holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Louisiana State University and

is widely respected for her integrity, thoughtfulness, and results-driven approach.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, she is deeply committed to mentorship,

cultivating talent, and fostering relationships with stakeholders at every level. Her

genuine passion for building connections, advancing shared goals, and driving

economic and tourism initiatives has made her a trailblazer in her field and a driving

force behind Sugar Land’s continued success.

Lacee Jacobs

VP

Midway

Lacee Jacobs began her career at Midway and she now returns as Vice President of

Strategic Leasing and Advisory. Lacee is responsible for the development and

implementation of commercial leasing and merchandising strategies to create value and

ensure the success of Midway’s commercial developments. Drawing on nearly a decade

of industry experience, she specializes in merchandising and advising national, regional,

first-to-market, and experiential brands.

Previously, Lacee worked with CBRE, strengthening their urban leasing team in Houston

with her local and global perspective of the real estate market, translating to strategic and

lasting real estate decisions for her clients. Prior to CBRE Lacee worked with EDGE

Realty and Waterman Steele. Her extensive owner/developer client list includes Clarion

Partners, Greystar, HINES, Mill Creek, Stonelake Capital, Riverway Properties, Newform,

SFT Investments, Skanska, Provident Realty and SUBEA USA. Lacee has helped imple-

ment growth strategies for best-in-class brands such as Fox Restaurant Group (North

Italia, Flower Child, Culinary Dropout, The Henry and Doughbird ), CAMP, Ballard

Designs, Run On by Jack Rabbit, Lazy Dog Restaurants, The Max Challenge, BRG

Hospitality (Eunice), and Tenfold Coffee.

Lacee graduated from The University of Houston with a Bachelor of Business Administra-

tion in Marketing and a minor in Finance. She is an active volunteer with youth focused

organizations including House of Tiny Treasures, as well as personal

Morgan Relyea Colt

Executive Managing Director

Cushman & Wakefield

Morgan Relyea Colt represents tenants in the acquisition and disposition of office space. Taking into consideration her clients’ long- and short-term objectives, with proper attention to “exit strategy,” she develops strategic plans based on current and future market conditions, identifying cost savings and flexibility using qualitative site analysis, detailed financial analyses, and maximizing negotiation leverage. Ms. Colt specializes in transactions that include leases, expansions, renewals/extensions, subleasing, build-to-suits, sales and sale/leasebacks.

Ms. Colt has nine years of tenant representation experience at Cushman & Wakefield, where she initially began working in its Client Services Group, surveying markets and space opportunities for clients, which allowed her the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of the Houston office space market. She transitioned into brokerage and quickly worked her way up to Executive Managing Director applying her extensive marketing, research expertise and tactical negotiating skills to assist her clients in making informed and objective decisions on their office space needs.

Rebekah Gandy

Sciences Practice Area Leader, South Central

Gensler

As Gensler’s South Central Sciences Practice Area Leader, Rebekah utilizes her more than 15

years of experience to create innovative spaces in the science and technology fields. Having

touched more than 4.2 million square feet of laboratory real estate in her work, Rebekah is an

expert in navigating the intricacies involved with designing labs for both institutional and private

organizations, including high-tech environments, CGMP clean rooms and large

biopharmaceutical headquarters.

Rebekah actively incorporates new ideas and strategies into her clients’ projects and is involved

in the process from early schematic design to post occupancy. A firm believer in collaborative

design, Rebekah has been successful in delivering technically complicated projects in an

efficient manner while taking purposeful actions to facilitate the involvement of all team

members.

As a leader in the industry, Rebekah was recognized as a 2021 Bisnow Houston Power Women

Rising Star and is often called upon to speak at life science conferences, webinars, and events.

In her free time, Rebekah dedicates herself to furthering Gensler’s Diversity, Equity, and

Inclusion efforts, and she has also served as an ACE mentor and has chaired various positions

for AIA Houston.

Rima Soroka

Director of Leasing

Parkway

Director of Leasing Rima Soroka specializes in the leasing and marketing of the company’s nearly nine million square foot Houston portfolio. Soroka brings creativity, tenacity and responsiveness, along with more than 14 years of prior experience working with the highest level of institutional clients and top quality assets in Houston and New York City, to her role. Before Parkway, she was a First Vice President with CBRE for over a decade. Through new development and the repositioning of undervalued assets, she created more than $650 million in value for her clients, which ranged from institutional investors to local developers. Before relocating to Houston, Soroka was a senior financial analyst with CBRE’s Manhattan Agency Group, working with landlords such as the Trump Organization and the Kushner Companies. She is active in National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), Urban Land Institute (ULI), the Jewish Federation’s Commercial Real Estate Society and Preservation Houston. Soroka is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin. Her awards include 2020 HBJ Heavy Hitter, Connect Media’s Next Generation Award 2018 and CBRE Rookie of the Year 2012.

Sarah Starry

Director, Leasing

Radom Capital

Sarah Starry is the Director of Leasing for Radom Capital, where she maintains up-to-date knowledge of retail trends, develops and executes creative leasing strategies, and cultivates new relationships with prospective tenants and members of the brokerage community. In addition to canvasing and targeting local and first-to-market fashion, food, fitness and beauty concepts, she also actively participates in the site planning, design processes, and marketing materials.

Sarah was previously with Streetwise Retail Advisors where she gained experience representing tenants, landlords, and transacting on behalf of buyers and sellers of commercial property. Here she uncovered her passion for urban mixed-use development, particularly those that push the envelope, and a desire to make relationships with tenants seeking spaces of that type.

A resident of the Heights since graduating from Texas A&M University, Sarah is a Vice Chair on the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Parade Committee, sits on the Young Professionals Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, and is the founder and designer of the recognized “bed. no breakfast”, Starry’s Studio, in her hometown of Fredericksburg, Texas.

Yewande Fapohunda

SVP

High Street Residential

As a Senior Vice President, Yewande is responsible for sourcing, shaping and executing new Multifamily development opportunities throughout the Houston area under TCC’s “High Street Residential” brand. She has extensive industry experience in Multifamily development and operations, having worked previously with AvalonBay Communities and Greystar Real Estate Partners. Yewande is skilled in site selection, due diligence, financial analysis and project feasibility, governmental entitlements, design, and management of development teams. She also has prior capital markets experience with Goldman Sachs in New York.

Yewande has a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Panel Discussion: The Women Transforming Houston Real Estate

What trends are market leaders seeing shape the industry?

Susan Hill

Susan Hill

Senior Managing Director

JLL

Kristen Rabel

Kristen Rabel

Senior Vice President

CBRE

PJ Glasco

PJ Glasco

Houston Health Leader

CannonDesign

Susan Pohl

Susan Pohl

SVP, Acquisitions

Barvin

Catherine Lee

Catherine Lee

President

Douglas Elliman Texas

Dichelle Burrus
Moderator

Dichelle Burrus

Project Executive - Business Unit Leadership Team.

DPR Construction

Susan Hill

Senior Managing Director

JLL

Ms. Hill is a Senior Managing Director in the Houston office of HFF with more than 29 years of experience in commercial real estate. She is primarily responsible for originating debt and equity placement transactions throughout the southern United States across all property types. During the course of her career, Ms. Hill has completed in excess of $8 billion in commercial real estate transactions.

Kristen Rabel

Senior Vice President

CBRE

Kristen began her real estate career in 1996. Within twelve months in the business, she

focused her efforts on Landlord representation, marketing office space and negotiating

leases. In 1999, Kristen was named Grubb & Ellis’ “Rookie of the Year” and in 2001, was

awarded NAIOP’s prestigious “Rising Star” award for office leasing brokers.

In 2005, she made the strategic move to Trammell Crow Company, now CBRE, to take the

next stop in her career. Since joining CBRE, Kristen continues to be a top producer from

year to year among the Houston office. Currently, Kristen is responsible for leasing office

space throughout the greater Houston area. Her strengths include actively marketing

properties, financial lease analysis, negotiating lease structure, and executing leases for a

wide range of owners, all with different goal sets for their respective properties. She is

currently responsible for leasing over 5 million square feet of space in 20 different properties

in Houston. Kristen’s attention to detail allows her to complete over 90 transactions a year.

In 2013 Kristen was awarded the HOLBA Landlord Representative of the Year.

PJ Glasco

Houston Health Leader

CannonDesign

PJ is a talented healthcare planner and designer who has worked with many of the nation’s top healthcare institutions to create landmark facilities. Her designs have enhanced the campuses of several institutions, including Texas Children’s Hospital, Harris Health System, the University of Texas Medical Branch and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. PJ is a past chair of the Houston chapter of the AIA Committee on Architecture for Health and has presented at national industry conferences for several years. PJ has been previously recognized in the “40 Under 40” program of Building Design and Construction as well as by the Houston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” and Engineering News-Record’s “20 Under 40” for the Texas and Louisiana Region.

Susan Pohl

SVP, Acquisitions

Barvin

Experienced Vice President, Acquisitions with a demonstrated history, working for over twenty five years in the multi-family investment industry purchasing over 30,000 units valued at over $3B nationally. Skilled in Real Estate Acquisitions, Finance, Dispositions, Asset Management and Development. Strong real estate professional with a BA in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.

Catherine Lee

President

Douglas Elliman Texas

Catherine Lee is the Chief Operating Officer and In-House Counsel for Douglas Elliman Texas. In addition to legal counsel, Catherine is charged with driving the company’s growth and managing financial operations as well as all day-to-day operations including marketing, human resources, recruiting, accounting, and business development.

Prior to this position, Catherine served as Chief Operating Officer and Partner of Sudhoff Companies, until Douglas Elliman formed a joint venture with Sudhoff Companies creating Douglas Elliman Texas. She has been a strategic family investor with Sudhoff Companies since 2010, becoming a major influencer in the company’s luxury real estate development across retail, multifamily, and residential with projects ranging from value-add repositioning to ground-up construction.

Before capitalizing in real estate, Catherine owned operated, and franchised 22 Applebee’s statewide and managed a 70-manager team with 1,300 employees. She was the only female franchisee for the global restaurant brand. Prior to the restaurant business, Catherine previously served as an Associate with Vinson & Elkins in their finance section.

Born and raised in Houston, Catherine graduated with honors from Rice University and holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Dichelle Burrus

Moderator

DPR Construction

Dichelle Burrus, Senior Project Manager

Dichelle has 12-years of healthcare and life science building experience and serves as Senior Project

Manager for DPR Construction’s projects in Houston. She has vast experience in overseeing completion

of over 2 million square feet of healthcare and life science projects, valued at over $428 million. She has

a proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with a reputation of detailed, goal-focused

decision making.

Dichelle is skilled in pre-construction services, team building, and operational management with a track

record of high-quality projects delivered on time resulting in exemplary customer satisfaction. Additionally,

Dichelle has served as an Owner’s Representative and is accomplished in construction phase services.

Her previous experience as a Sr. Project Manager for MD Anderson Cancer Center gives her a unique

perspective when bidding and managing projects as she can better understand and identify Owner’s

issues and pain points on projects and provide solutions that work best for the project team and the

facility.

Dichelle is active in several community organizations including National Association of Women in

Construction and The Construction Owners Association of America.

Dichelle holds a Bachelor of Science in both Architectural and Civil Engineering from The University of

Missouri-Rolla.

Why Sponsor?

Bisnow events are known for facilitating deal-making with lots of networking opportunities. Whether you are an owner, developer, manager, broker, lender, supplier, or consultant, your company is a crucial part of the national healthcare market. Bisnow offers many opportunities for you to build goodwill and raise your company’s profile in this ever-changing industry. You’ll connect with existing and potential customers, partners, distributors, investors and vendors, and have the opportunity to showcase your products and services in front of a large and relevant audience.

If you are interested in sponsoring please reach out to Bisnow's Houston Director Kim Schell at Kim.Schell@bisnow.com

Our Commitment To Your Safety

We have experienced the enthusiasm of returning to live in-person events this year, having safely and successfully hosted more than 23,000 executives to date. While we are thrilled to convene together to propel growth within CRE, COVID-19 remains a worldwide concern and Bisnow is committed to practicing safe protocols at our events. You can expect the following:

  • In accordance with CDC guidelines, we are recommending that all participants wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. Masks will be made available at the door.

  • Temperature checks will be conducted at entry.

  • Attendance at the event will be capped and no tickets will be sold at the door. 

  • Contact tracing procedures will be employed for any reported exposure.

  • Socially distanced seating will be available in the main event space.

  • Enhanced sanitization protocols will be adhered to throughout the event space including regularly disinfecting surfaces throughout the event and hand sanitizer provided to all attendees.

As local regulations and guidance evolve, the CRE industry continues to lead the way forward. We look forward to gathering safely to do what we do best: network, connect, and engage to do more business. We look forward to hosting you soon.

Agenda

Time Activity
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
Coffee, Networking & Breakfast
3:00 PM
3:45 PM
Panel Discussion: The Women Transforming Houston Real Estate

What trends are market leaders seeing shape the industry?

3:45 PM
4:15 PM
Celebration of Houston Rising Stars
4:15 PM
5:00 PM
Closing Networking