Robert Olson is the founder of R.D. Olson Development, an Irvine, California-based firm engaged in the development and repositioning of commercial properties nationwide. He established the company in 1997 following nearly 20 years as founder and CEO of R.D. Olson Construction.

Mr. Olson guides the strategic vision for R.D. Olson Development with an active, hands-on approach toward every facet of construction and development. He works closely with design and development teams in some of the company’s most prestigious projects, providing valuable input for marketing, investment analysis, debt and equity structures, planning and entitlements, budgeting, constructability and end-user requirements. R.D. Olson Development is recognized for its ability to identify and act on opportunities, delivering solid execution through all phases of design and development while maintaining focus on the business strategy and the bottom line.

The majority of the firm’s developments have occurred in the Western U.S. and Hawaii, though Mr. Olson has built projects on a nationwide basis. A specialist in developing hospitality properties, the firm is also experienced in the development of office, retail, multifamily and recreational projects. Mr. Olson’s longstanding experience as a builder has proven to be highly beneficial for development projects.

Robert Olson has been recognized as a business leader and entrepreneur on numerous occasions. He is the recipient of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award, Construction Financial Management Association’s Construction Executive of the Year and the Orange County Business Journal’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship award. He was recently recognized as a 2012 Hotel Icon by Real Estate FORUM magazine, and is a frequent speaker at leading industry events.

Mr. Olson is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), including having served as Chairman of the California Coast Chapter. His philanthropic activity includes serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross. Mr. Olson is an MBA graduate of the University of Southern California.

Michael is Founder, President & CEO of Crescent Hotels & Resorts, an award winning, nationally recognized operator specializing in full service upper upscale and luxury hotels, golf resorts, destination spas and distinguished restaurants. Crescent currently operates over 100 hotels and resorts and over 200 restaurants and bars in the U.S. and Canada. Crescent is one of the few elite management companies approved to operate full-service luxury brands under the Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt affiliations. Crescent also operates a collection of iconic and lifestyle independent hotels and resorts within the Latitudes, Lifestyles by Crescent Collection. Crescent's clients include premier hotel REITs, private equity firms and major developers.

Prior to founding Crescent, Michael served as Senior Vice President of Operations for Destination Hotels & Resorts who operated signature assets including Hotel del Coronado, Eden Roc Resort and Royal Palms Resort & Spa. Prior to Destination, Michael served as Chief Operating Officer for Sunstone Hotel & Resorts and Senior Vice President of Operations for Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

Earlier in his career, Michael served as an award-winning General Manager for premier hotels with Hilton, Westin, and Sheraton brand affiliations. Michael serves on full-service Owners Advisory Boards for Marriott and Hilton, the Board of Directors of the American Hotel Lodging Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, numerous educational and philanthropic organizations and previously several publicly traded hotel companies.

As the president of the newest addition to the MFG consortium, Manchester Texas Financial Group, Douglas W. Manchester represents Manchester Financial Group and all Texas holdings in the capital city of Austin, Texas. Manchester earned his BA in Political Science with a minor in Business from Wake Forest University. Following graduation, he has applied his business knowledge in all aspects of the hotel, insurance and real estate industries. This career path has led him to Austin to engage the firm in commercial real estate ventures and hotel development.

Mike DeFrino is Chief Executive Officer for Kimpton Hotels &

Restaurants. As CEO, he is responsible for overseeing all personnel

and systems to acquire, develop, renovate, operate and maintain

the growing number of hotels and restaurants managed by

Kimpton, and to administer the overall operation of the company.

Currently, Kimpton operates 60 plus hotels and over 70 restaurants

and bars across the U.S. with an additional 16 hotels in the pipeline.

Kimpton was acquired by InterContinental Hotels Group (“IHG”) in

January 2015, opening the door for a global launch and accelerated

growth of the Kimpton brand within the U.S.

DeFrino will focus on bolstering Kimpton’s collection of boutique properties in highly desirable,

leisure destinations globally, ensuring that programming is a custom fit for the style of each

property and its guest demographic. With a continued commitment to operational excellence,

passion for a culture that cherishes heartfelt human connections, and a dedication for infusing

Kimpton’s playful spirit into the guest experience, DeFrino is a long-time champion of great

living on the road.

DeFrino’s career trajectory with Kimpton has taken him from general manager (GM) to CEO in

less than two decades, as he first joined the brand as the GM of the Alexis Hotel in Seattle in

1997. He also played a vital role in Kimpton’s expansion as the brand’s first East Coast Vice

President, and subsequently as Senior Vice President of Hotels and Executive Vice President of

Hotels. DeFrino most recently served as Kimpton’s third COO in its more than 30-year history,

during which time he oversaw operations across the entire brand, with responsibility for sales

and catering, marketing, on-property guest experience, and facilities oversight. He also oversaw

all operational aspects of new hotels from underwriting to opening, as well as the conversions

of existing hotels to the Kimpton portfolio, the implementation of Kimpton’s management

systems, and training surrounding the brand’s unique approach to customer care.

Before joining Kimpton, DeFrino worked for ANA Hotels in Washington, D.C. and Ritz-Carlton

Hotels in Atlanta, Detroit and Los Angeles. Originally from Connecticut, DeFrino is a graduate of

Emory University in Atlanta. He currently resides in Ross, Calif., with his wife and three

daughters.

Michael Fuerstman is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Pendry Hotels, the new luxury brand from Montage International. In this role, Mr. Fuerstman oversees the development of the brand and its execution in design, guest experience, programming, and new development.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Fuerstman was the corporate director, acquisitions and development, for Montage Hotels & Resorts, responsible for new business development and acquisition opportunities for the company. Mr. Fuerstman joined Montage Hotels & Resorts in 2009 as the residential sales operations manager at Montage Beverly Hills, where he led a team of sales associates in the strategic planning, marketing, and sales for Montage Residences Beverly Hills. Prior to joining Montage Hotels & Resorts, he was an assistant project manager with The Athens Group, a luxury resort developer, and was the co-founder of www.socialmonkey.com, one of the web’s first location-based, mobile social networking websites.

Mr. Fuerstman was honored with Boutique Design’s 2018 Up-and-Coming Hoteliers Award and HOTELS magazine recognized Mr. Fuerstman as one of its 20 Rising Star Hoteliers all 40 and under.

Mr. Fuerstman is a graduate of Tufts University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Maki Nakamura Bara, President & Co-Founder of The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC and Chairman of the Board for affiliated management company, Sightline Hospitality, is a leading expert in investing in and repositioning urban hotels and resorts. Since the formation of Chartres Lodging in 2002, she has acquired and repositioned approximately $5 billion of lodging assets in the U.S. and Japan and completed more than $1 billion in the redevelopment of these assets. In recognition of her extensive experience in the lodging sector, particularly in acquisitions, asset management, development management and her role in the growth of the two companies, Ms. Nakamura Bara was recognized as the top "40 Under 40" by M&A Advisor, received the ''Best Executive" Stevie Award for Women in Business, was named a "Woman of Influence” in commercial real estate by Real Estate Southern California magazine, was a three-time honoree of Bisnow’s Power Women LA and recently honored as one of Hotel Management’s 2021 Influential Women in Hospitality. She is also a frequent speaker at various industry conferences. Ms. Nakamura Bara’s previous experience includes participating in the formation and growth of the lodging activities of Lend Lease Real Estate and Strategic Hotel Capital. She has also worked at Oxford Capital Partners, Inc. and PricewaterhouseCoopers in the hospitality consulting division. Ms. Nakamura Bara is a graduate of UCLA and is fluent in spoken Japanese.

Tim Powell is the Vice President & Managing Director, Development, Southwest Region for Hilton Worldwide. He is responsible for managed and franchised hotel development for all of Hilton Worldwide’s full service and select service brands in a nine state region, including Hawaii, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. Tim began his career in the hospitality industry with Hilton in 1981 as manager of project coordination, responsible for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) budget management, purchasing, logistics and installation. Over the course of the next 30 plus years, Tim has lived and worked in six countries honing his craft in the hospitality industry.

Mr. Turman is Senior Vice President, Lodging Development for the Western United States Region. He is located in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Turman joined Marriott International in 1986 and has 29 years of service with the company in a wide range of hotel, regional, and corporate-based positions in operations and sales.

Sonnet currently serves as Vice President and General Manager for Project Management Advisors, Inc. (PMA), a national real estate advisory firm specializing in Development Management, Project Management, Investor Representation and Program Management services. She has spent the bulk of her 30-plus year career as an architect, developer, business strategist and planner working for both national and international firms. As general manager, Sonnet oversees projects across multiple sectors, including high-rise and multifamily residential, entertainment, healthcare, educational, and commercial.

Prior to joining PMA, Sonnet was Vice President, Design and Construction at NBC Universal, where she was responsible for developing and leading design, construction and related capital planning services for NBCUniversal and DreamWork’s West Coast Studio Operations. In this role, she managed the planning and execution of construction projects at the iconic 400 + acre Universal Lot in Studio City.

She was honored in 2016 and 2017 by Bisnow as one of “Los Angeles’ Power Women.” In the past year, Sonnet has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as part of their Women’s Leadership Series, the 2020 class of Thriving in Their 40s, and as a Women of Influence in Construction and Design. Sonnet Hui is a Trustee of the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU).

As the Downtown Los Angeles Alliance's Executive Director, Nicholas ‘Nick’ Griffin spearheads the organization’s efforts to

attract new businesses, retailers, investors and residents to what has grown to become

one of the nation’s most dynamic urban centers. Hailed the “next great American City,”

by GQ Magazine, Downtown LA has experienced unprecedented growth over the past

16-years, in large part due to the efforts of the DTLA Alliance's economic development team.

Prior to the DTLA Alliance, Nick spent more than 25 years in business development in the real

estate, media/entertainment and technology industries. For the previous 10 years, Nick

was a leading commercial leasing and sales broker in New York City, where he was

responsible for more than $100M in transactions. Prior to his rise in real estate, Nick

spent a decade as a marketing and sales executive in the creative media and

technology industries. Nick is a graduate of UCLA and holds an MBA from Ohio State

University.

As President and Chief Executive Officer of The Robert Green Company, Mr. Green is responsible for managing all activities of the company. His responsibilities and areas of expertise include acquisition and feasibility analysis, transaction structuring, finance, development management, entitlement processing, design supervision, construction management, and operator interface and coordination. Formerly the Director of Development for Hillman Properties, his experience includes the design, construction and development of large-scale mixed-use, commercial office, and hospitality projects. Hotel and resort development have been the most notable project types that Mr. Green has developed or constructed throughout his career, and have been the focus of his activity.

Mr. Green launched The Robert Green Company during the successful completion of the Four Seasons Resort Aviara in Carlsbad, (currently Park Hyatt Aviara), a 650,000 square foot resort complex with three restaurants and an 18-hole golf course. His other projects include the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley in Palo Alto, and the Four Seasons Resort, Jackson Hole. Projects currently under construction are the Pendry Hotel San Diego in the Gaslamp Quarter, the Kimpton Hotel in Hollywood, CA, Saggio Hills Resort & Residences in Healdsburg, CA and SilverRock Resort & Residences in La Quinta, CA. Projects currently in planning are the Fifth Avenue Landing Convention Center Hotel in San Diego, CA and Joie de Vivre Hotel in Mountain View, CA.

Mr. Green has been a member of the Board of Management of the Magdalena Ecke YMCA in Encinitas for eight years, and served a two-year position as its Board Chairman. A husband and father of four children, Mr. Green also served for four years as member of the Nativity School Advisory Board in Rancho Santa Fe, and served for two years as its Board Chairman.

Mr. Green graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He also received a Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California.

Jay Newman joined The Athens Group in 2000 as Chief Operating Officer where he focuses on the company’s financial affairs and development opportunities. He has more than 32 years of experience in commercial real estate including development along with entitlements and design, acquisitions, joint ventures, finance and dispositions. Jay is primarily responsible for managing the acquisition and financing of many of The Athens Group's projects including the raising of equity capital. In addition, Jay was primarily responsible for the development and financing of the mixed-use Montage Beverly Hills in California and the acquisition, re-entitlement and redesign of the West Hollywood mixed-use Edition project and is currently engaged in the planning and entitlement for the re-development of the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.

In 1993, Jay was one of the founding members of the national real estate law firm of Pircher, Nichols & Meeks based in Los Angeles where he was a managing partner and a real estate transactional attorney. In 1995, he joined Highridge Partners in Los Angeles as Senior Vice President of the Summit Commercial Properties Division, where he focused on the purchasing, repositioning, leasing, management and sale of shopping centers and office buildings on both a one-off and portfolio basis. Jay was one of the founders of Lend Lease Development (US) in 1996, where he focused on the development of resorts (including The Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, California), shopping centers and office buildings. As Senior Vice President of Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, Inc., and a member of the Lend Lease Lodging Group, he focused on the development of new hotels and resorts throughout the United States and was primarily responsible for the creation of the Resort Development Program.

Jay received his undergraduate degree in applied economics (summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of California at Berkeley in 1978, and his MBA and Juris Doctorate degree from Stanford University in 1982. He is a guest lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Policy and Planning and a frequent speaker at ULI, Meet the Money, Bisnow, the Southern California Development Forum and CLE International. Jay sits on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors of the Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau, and the Board of Directors of Beverly Hills Rotary. Jay is also actively involved in Imagine LA. Jay and his family reside in Los Angeles, California.

“Bud” Ovrom is the Executive Director of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s new Los Angeles Department of Convention & Tourism Development. Mr. Ovrom has been tasked with turning the Convention Center into an economic engine for the City, with initiatives such as the proposed NFL stadium, privatizing the day-to-day management of the Convention Center, expanding the Center and promoting the construction of more hotels.

This is Mr. Ovrom’s fourth executive position since coming to the City of Los Angeles 11 years ago. Mr. Ovrom was the Chief Executive Officer of the Redevelopment Agency (CRA/LA) in the Hahn Administration from 2003 to 2005. When Antonio Villaraigosa was elected Mayor in 2005, he asked Mr. Ovrom to join his Administration as Deputy Mayor of Economic Development. At the end of his first term, Mayor Villaraigosa asked him to stay on as General Manager of the Building and Safety Department.

Prior to coming to Los Angeles, Ovrom was the City Manager of the City of Burbank for 18 years. Ovrom also held City Manager positions in Downey and Monrovia, and started his career as Assistant to the City Manager of Simi Valley in 1970.

As Managing Partner of Steinberg Hart’s Los Angeles office and leader of the firm’s Mixed-Use practice, Simon Ha has nearly two decades of experience in the planning, design and construction of large-scale award-winning mixed-use, hospitality, and multi-family projects in the City of Los Angeles and beyond. With an education in urban housing development from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Simon leverages his knowledge of functional design, placemaking, and the development process to yield the highest value for his clients while achieving the goals of the city, community and the urban environment. Prior to joining Steinberg Hart, he was the Managing Partner at TSK-LA and a Principal at TCA Architects.

Simon is an engaged community leader in Downtown LA. He is active on various boards and committees, including the AIA National Housing Knowledge Community, Central City Association, Downtown Center Business Improvement District, Skid Row Housing Trust, and City of LA’s Zoning Advisory Committee.

David Hart is the President and CEO of Steinberg Hart, an international Architecture, Interiors, and Planning firm headquartered in Los Angeles. Founded in 1953, the firm’s seven offices focus on higher education, urban mixed-use residential, performing and visual arts, hospitality, government, civic and commercial projects.

David developed Steinberg Hart’s reputation as a leader in Higher Education through the design of inspirational, sustainable projects that shape the way students learn and socialize for institutions such as Stanford, UCLA, and USC. He now leads the firm’s large-scale mixed-use practice in urban cores, with projects such as Los Angeles’ Vision on Wilshire and San Jose’s Miro Towers. Leveraging his experience working with public agencies, institutions, builders, and developers, he works to advance complex public-private-partnership projects with an emphasis on responsible density, affordability, community impact and value creation for clients.

As a thought leader, David speaks regularly at conferences both nationally and locally, including Greenbuild, P3C, SCUP, Educause, and NACUBO, and he has been tapped by publications such as GlobeSt, Monocle, the Silicon Valley Business Journal, and Bloomberg CityLab for his insights on design and urban issues of our time. David serves on the ULI Urban Revitalization Council, the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics Policy Advisory Board at the University of California at Berkeley, the Los Angeles Business Council Board of Directors, and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

As Vice President of the California Buildings District, Jack oversees all of PCL Construction’s building

operations in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. He began with PCL as an intern on the UCLA

Anderson Graduate School of Management in 1993. Upon graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering

from UCLA, he transitioned to working full-time in the field on such notable projects as STAPLES Center.

He served many roles for the company over the years including Project Manager, Manager of Special

Projects, and Director of Business Development, until assuming PCL’s leadership role in Los Angeles in

2013 and overseeing such high profile projects as Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

PCL’s current projects include the Banc of California Stadium for LAFC, UCLA Anderson School of

Management Addition, LAX Midfield Satellite Concourse, and Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine.

Alan X. Reay is the president and founder of Atlas Hospitality Group (Atlas). Atlas has closed over $4.5 billion in

California hotel sales and is considered the “expert” on the California hotel market.

Reay has an extensive hotel industry background, including serving as the director of sales with London-based ABC

International Hotel Guide. In that position, Reay established contacts from all over the world.

Reay has tracked the hotel market for decades and is quoted extensively within the hotel trade and general press.

He publishes biannual reports covering California hotel sales and development, along with two monthly newsletters,

one geared toward hotel owners and the other for lenders.

Atlas has received coverage from numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg

Businessweek, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register, The San Francisco Chronicle and The San

Diego Union-Tribune.

Reay has also appeared on KCBS Radio, KTLA Channel 5 News and National Public Radio.

A regular guest speaker at numerous trade events as well as the Southern California Appraisal Institute, Reay is often

retained as an expert witness for important hotel-related legal cases.

Reay has represented major clients such as Wells Fargo Bank, Pacific Western Bank, Corporex, Sunstone Hotels and

the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He has also closed transactions with some of the largest special

servicers in the country, including LNR, CWCapital and Helios AMC.

Ellen joined Ollie in July 2016 to lead the expansion strategy for the co-living platform on the West Coast. Ellen’s experience in urban development, specifically on key projects in the Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) renaissance, confirmed her belief in the future for micro-unit development and coliving in the residential sector. Before joining Ollie, Ellen served as associate development manager for Mack Urban’s DTLA multifamily high-rise development. Prior to her work in project management, Ellen played a key role on the JLL Development Asset Strategy team, a national land and development brokerage group. As a senior analyst, Ellen focused on complex multi-phase redevelopment feasibility, including the $6 billion, 8,000-unit master plan for Treasure and Yerba Buena Islands in San Francisco, California. In 2014, Ellen received a Community Impact Award from the Los Angeles Business Council for her work supporting revitalization of the Los Angeles River and river adjacent neighborhoods. Ellen began her career as a sustainability associate with Krout & Associates, a Southern California strategic planning group, advising on climate adaptation and mitigation strategies for West Coast cities. Her core value system remains rooted in sustainable development, informing her support for the future of coliving. Ellen Parry holds a Master’s of Planning with Deans Merit Scholar distinction from the University of Southern California (USC) and a USC Bachelor’s degree in International Relations.

Rob shares overall leadership for the firm with his brother and Co-CEO, Mike Lowe. Rob focuses on operations both at the corporate level and across its real estate activities. Additionally, Rob and Mike co-chair the firm’s wholly owned hospitality affiliate, CoralTree Hospitality Group. He is a past Trustee and President of the Palisades Presbyterian Church, is currently on the Board of Managers at the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, and is an active member of Urban Land Institute. Rob is an avid surfer and enjoys travel with his family. Education: Stanford University, AB; University of California, Los Angeles, MBA