As Chief Executive Officer, Brandt Bowden oversees Capital, Development and Construction efforts for Hanover Company. He is integral to the planning and execution of Hanover’s corporate strategy. Brandt joined Hanover in 2002 as a Development Partner covering the East Coast. In 2009, Brandt headed Hanover’s Capital Markets division and soon took on the role of Chief Investment Officer. As CIO, he oversaw the investment and financing of approximately $5 billion in apartment development. Brandt is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and serves on the Multifamily Gold Council. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College, and currently serves as the Houston-area District Enrollment Director. In addition, Brandt serves on the Board of Trustees at The Kinkaid School.

Matt Shafiezadeh is the founder of Urban Genesis. Since its founding in 2013, Matt has grown Urban Genesis to $1.4 billion of AUM. 

Prior to Urban Genesis, Matt was a senior investment officer at Lionstone Investments where he sourced over $2.0 billion of commercial real estate assets across the country. Matt also spent time at both Highland Capital Management and Lazard Freres & Co. on Distressed Investments and M&A/Restructuring. He graduated with a degree in finance from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007.

He is an active member of the Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee for the UT System and Women Walking West.  Matt enjoys traveling, cooking, and a rigorous health and wellness routine. 

As Chief Executive Officer, Philip is responsible for leading Morgan’s strategic planning and growth

across all business activities – development, acquisitions, construction and property management. Philip

chairs the Executive Committee and serves on the firm’s Investment Committee and Advisory Board.

Since joining Morgan, Philip has been involved in the development and acquisitions of over 7,000 units at

a cost exceeding $1.8B in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado and Florida. Prior to joining Morgan, Philip

co-founded BlueRoot Partners to take advantage of opportunities acquiring distressed real estate assets

in Texas. His experience also includes evaluating real estate debt investment opportunities while at

CBRE Capital Partners in New York and assessing student housing development opportunities while at

Campus Living Villages.

Philip holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School at The University of

Pennsylvania. Philip is an active member of Urban Land Institute (ULI), the National Multifamily Housing

Council (NMHC), and is on the Multifamily Leadership Board for the National Association of Home

Builders (NAHB). Philip also serves on the Finance Committee for the Holocaust Museum Houston and

is a member of Young President’s Organization (YPO).

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.

Tyler Johnson is a Division President and leads operations for the Central region of Asset Living's market rate and affordable portfolio. He has worked in the property management industry at Asset Living for over 15 years, gaining experience and expertise in new construction lease-ups, value-add repositioning, compliance monitoring, and underwriting. At Asset Living, his goals include developing and retaining the best talent in the industry, executing best-in-class standard operating procedures, and employing cutting-edge leasing and operating technology to maximize value. Tyler holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Economics from Texas A&M.

Gabe Lerner is a seasoned commercial real estate and investment management leader with over a decade of experience spanning mixed-use, office, retail, and large-scale land acquisitions. Currently, he serves as Executive Vice President at Lincoln Property Company in Houston, where he focuses on expanding Lincoln’s service businesses, as well as its development and investment portfolios in the market. Additionally, his priority is to grow Lincoln’s mixed-use development business.

Originally from Houston, Gabe has led real estate acquisition, development, and financing initiatives in markets across the globe and nationally, with a particular focus on the energy and real estate sectors. His comprehensive expertise encompasses Acquisition and Divestiture Management, Legal Due Diligence, and Asset Evaluation. Prior to joining Lincoln, Gabe held the position of Managing Director at Allied Orion Group. He was responsible for the acquisition, development, and alternative investment opportunities, concentrating on multifamily properties across the Sun Belt states. His strategic vision and leadership played a crucial role in expanding the company’s portfolio and driving its growth.

Gabe’s career also includes a tenure as Managing Director for one of China’s largest private real estate developers, ZTC Investments. In this capacity, he spearheaded investments, oversight, and management of projects outside mainland China, with a portfolio that included ventures in North America, Europe, Japan, and other global locales. Gabe started his career working as an attorney in Houston, Texas.

Carter Bechtol brings nearly three decades of commercial real estate experience to his role as Partner and Head of Triten Residential at Triten Real Estate Partners. With a diverse career spanning leadership roles at Stanmore Partners, The Morgan Group, and Camden and Lincoln Property Company, Carter has built a reputation as a collaborative, reliable partner. Carter has led the development and acquisition of 12,000 units at a cost exceeding $2 billion in Texas, Florida, California, North Carolina, and Missouri.

A proud Texan, Carter earned his undergraduate degree in History from the University of Texas and later completed his MBA at Rice University. His journey into real estate began serendipitously but evolved into a fulfilling career defined by successful projects and a passion for building teams that thrive on shared expertise.

Outside of work, Carter is deeply committed to giving back. He serves on the board of Agape Development, a Houston-based nonprofit focused on Christian ministry and affordable housing in the city’s Third Ward. When he’s not working or volunteering, Carter enjoys spending time with his wife, Natalie, and their three children.

Richard Whatcott is Regional Vice President of Operations for Camden Property Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust headquartered in Houston, Texas. Camden owns and operates more than 160 apartment communities across the United States and employs over 1,600 team members. Whatcott oversees the strategy, performance, and operations of Camden's Texas portfolio, comprising nearly 20,000 apartment homes across the Houston, Austin, and Dallas markets.

During his 19-year career with Camden, Richard has held a variety of leadership roles supporting property operations in both Texas and Colorado. He has extensive experience in leasing, operations, marketing, maintenance, and organizational leadership, helping drive operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and financial performance across one of the company's largest portfolios. Whatcott believes that people are the key differentiator in delivering exceptional service and long-term business success.

Beyond his responsibilities at Camden, Whatcott is an active leader within the multifamily housing industry. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Houston Apartment Association and previously served as President of the Texas Apartment Association's Education Foundation. Throughout his career, he has been a passionate advocate for workforce development, working to elevate career opportunities for maintenance professionals and strengthen the pipeline of skilled talent entering the multifamily industry.

Whatcott holds both a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Management from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Tamara serves as Executive Vice President of Onsite Operations & Strategic Partnerships at New
Hope Housing, Inc., where she provides strategic oversight of more than $350 million in
affordable housing assets across 15 communities. She leads multidisciplinary teams spanning
property management, compliance, and resident programs, advancing the organization’s mission
to deliver high-quality, deeply affordable housing as a catalyst for stability, health, and economic
mobility.
Her work focuses on strengthening operational performance while expanding the role of housing
as essential community infrastructure — integrating supportive services, health partnerships,
and innovative collaborations that help residents not only remain housed but build pathways
forward.
Beyond her executive role, Tamara provides consulting support to Texas affordable housing
developers, helping organizations strengthen operational strategies, improve systems, and build
sustainable resident services models. Through this work, she shares lessons learned, champions
best practices, and helps scale impact across the affordable housing landscape.
She currently serves as Chair of the Texas Association of Community Development Corporations
(TACDC) and as a member of the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers (TAAHP)
Conference Committee, contributing to statewide strategy, policy dialogue, and sector
advancement.

Michael is a seasoned real estate finance professional with a distinguished track record of originating over $5 billion in senior, bridge, and mezzanine loans while at Northwind Group. Michael heads Northwind Group's CRE Credit strategy, overseeing the sourcing and execution of new real estate lending opportunities, leading comprehensive due diligence, underwriting, and loan servicing to drive strategic portfolio growth.

Before joining Northwind, Michael served as Associate Director at Ladder Capital, where structuring and asset-managing a diverse portfolio of commercial real estate loans. Prior to that, he served as an Investment Banking Associate at Hodes, Weil & Associates and as an Associate at Cerberus Capital Management's commercial real estate debt arm, FirstKey.

Michael holds a B.B.A. from Emory University's Goizueta Business School and brings deep institutional experience from leading real estate investment banking and private equity firms.

Chris Lessard is the founding Principal of Lessard Design and is recognized worldwide as a design innovator, which can be partly attributed to his uncanny ability to recognize and understand market trends. His continued success is evidenced by the more than 500 national and local awards he and his firm have received including honors from the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the Congress of New Urbanism (CNU), and the Best in American Living.

Joseph is a Principal Partner and CEO with BECI. From Houston, TX, he is a grounded leader who brings common-sense building enclosure solutions to new and existing maintenance and restoration construction projects. He has over 20 years of experience related to design, project management, and on-site quality assurance observations, specializing in roofing, waterproofing, and the overall building enclosure. He is a firm realist and believes better decisions come from confronting the facts. He embodies BECI's servant-leadership culture and people-first atmosphere.

Talbot Wyckoff is a Mortgage Banker with KeyBank Real Estate Capital in Dallas, TX.

With over a decade of commercial real estate lending experience, Talbot has been

involved in over $1 billion of multifamily loan volume in his career, primarily in agency

lending- with prior stints at Colliers, KeyBank, and Trimont.

Feras is a serial entrepreneur with a tech background. He holds a Computer Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and began his career working at Microsoft as a Program Manager where he became an Invited Expert of the W3C to help define the next generation of the web, followed by starting his own software firm. After Microsoft, Feras continued his career in real estate by launching Disrupt Equity with Ben Suttles to focus on large-scale apartment acquisitions. To date, Disrupt Equity has acquired 5,000+ units and $1B+ in assets acquired, primarily throughout Texas, Georgia and Florida.

Kevin Wilson is Senior Vice President of Marketing & Strategy at Southern Land Company, where he leads the strategic positioning, marketing, and go-to-market approach for the company’s diverse national portfolio, spanning master-planned communities, multifamily, mixed-use, corporate, hospitality, and mortgage divisions.

He brings together brand strategy, market intelligence, consumer insights, data analytics, leasing and sales performance, and resident experience to drive measurable business results. From shaping the earliest vision and positioning of a new development through launch, stabilization, and long-term operations, his work is focused on creating differentiated brands, accelerating market velocity, and building lasting value.

Prior to joining Southern Land Company, Kevin served as Vice President of Marketing for Kushner and its property management subsidiary, Westminster Management. In that role, he oversaw marketing across a wide-ranging portfolio of multifamily communities, mixed-use and new development projects, commercial, hotels, and restaurants. Earlier in his career, Kevin held marketing roles with Toll Brothers and Home Properties. An award-winning marketer, Kevin was named a 2022 Crain’s New York Business Leader in Advertising, Marketing, and PR. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Ursinus College.

Alex delivers a dynamically versed perspective in commercial real estate having experience at both an international law firm and a commercial real estate development company. For 11 years, he served clients in acquisitions, dispositions, ground-up development, landlord/tenant representation, and financing on behalf of Andrews Kurth LLP. During his career at AK, Alex developed a strong relationship with PinPoint Commercial, a real estate development company in Houston, and was later hired to serve as General Counsel.

Alex's role at PinPoint allowed him to learn a greater appreciation for the business side of real estate development. He takes pride in helping clients solve problems from a practical perspective, weighing both legal and business interests.

Alex received his J.D., cume laude, from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and his B.S., magna cume laude, in Finance from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.

Alex and his family are members of Chapelwood United Methodist Church and the Houston Racquet Club, where he served as President of the Board in 2020.

As President and Co-Owner of JRH Engineering, Jennifer Henrichs oversees the growth, expansion, and operations of the firm’s civil development division. JRH is a family-owned engineering firm established in 2009 that partners with developers on residential subdivisions, multifamily, commercial, industrial, public infrastructure, drainage, utility, and environmental projects.

After eight years in the healthcare industry, Jennifer’s growing interest in real estate development led her to join JRH full time in 2015. Her experience across the field, design, permitting, and construction phases has given her a comprehensive understanding of the development process and the challenges that can affect a project’s cost, schedule, and financial viability. She believes that not every property is worth developing and that not all dirt is worth the dig. Jennifer specializes in identifying hidden risks and opportunities early so developers can make informed decisions that lead to successful projects.

Her notable recent work includes a 141-acre residential subdivision in Alvin, Texas. Her favorite multifamily project is The Oleander at Broadway in Galveston, which included residential buildings, public roadways, water and sanitary infrastructure expansion, private site utilities, and construction management services. Jennifer also brings an owner’s perspective as a commercial real estate developer, having recently completed a 12-acre public mini-storage development with a regional detention facility.

Since 2020, Jennifer has served on the City of Pearland Planning and Zoning Commission, providing her with valuable insight into municipal planning, entitlements, infrastructure, and responsible community growth. She is active with the Urban Land Institute and volunteers for industry speaking engagements, including presentations to the University of Houston’s Undergraduate Real Estate Scholars program.

Jennifer was recognized as the 2025 Innovator of the Year at Bisnow’s Houston Women Leading Real Estate Awards.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and her Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Lamar University. She also holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and maintains her professional license in Texas

Jeremy Yost is a decorated U.S. Navy veteran and visionary real estate developer with a commanding record of leadership, growth, and community impact. During his four years of active duty, he was named Sailor of the Year twice for his command and was a two-time runner-up for Blue Jacket of the Year for Navy Region Midwest. While serving, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the University of Phoenix—an early demonstration of his relentless drive and discipline.

Mr. Yost advanced his education by attending the graduate school of technology at Eastern Illinois University and completing his MBA from Michigan State University. Since founding his first real estate venture in 2009, he has grown into a leading force in affordable and supportive housing, senior living, and hospitality across Illinois and Indiana—successfully overseeing the development of more than $200 million in real estate assets.

He currently serves as Managing Partner of Innovative Development Partners, LLC and leads Yost Management Services, Inc., which operates 24 multifamily housing communities, multiple assisted living facilities, and the Hilton Garden Inn and McKenna-Yost Convention Center.

Beyond business, Mr. Yost is a Master Mason at Masonic Lodge #35 in Charleston, Illinois, and is deeply committed to civic service. He sits on the boards of Illinois Affordable Housing, NFP, Illinois Housing Council, Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (legislative committee), and the South Central Continuum of Care. His previous leadership roles include the Eastern Illinois University Panther Club Executive Board, Chair of Fundraising for EIU Athletics, Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce Board, and Finance Officer for American Legion Post 93.

His accolades include EIU Panther Club's Rookie of the Year, Biggest Catch Fundraiser (twice), and Partner of the Year by the Coles County Council on Aging. His work and leadership have been featured in CEO Magazine, E! Online, The Daily Caller, OK! Magazine, Reuters, and most recently as one of the Top Leaders on Fox 5 San Diego.

In recognition of his significant contributions to supportive housing development, Mr. Yost was honored with the Supportive Housing Developer Recognition of Service award at the 2025 Home Illinois Summit.

Mr. Yost resides in Charleston, Illinois, where he proudly raises his children and continues to invest in the future of his community.