Jessica Miller Essl is the co-president of M2G Ventures, a

commercial real estate private equity and advisory development

comp any based in Fort Worth, Texas. Guided by the leadership of

Jessica and her partner, Susan Gruppi, the fast-growing company

carefully invests in distinctive mixed-use and industrial

development projects located in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex

and the Austin Central Texas region.

Jessica is responsible for business development, strategy, marketing, leasing and overseeing

the company’s landlord advisory practices at M2G. Under Jessica’s leadership, the company

continues to push the envelope with innovative ways to create places users want to be. Jessica

possesses a relentless drive in truly creating value-add opportunities for all of the projects the

company touches.

Prior to starting M2G, Jessica was with Open Realty Advisors. During her tenure there, Jessica

was instrumental in the company’s landlord consulting platform. She led the strategy and

execution of the real estate roll out for Tesla and Spanx across North America. Jessica also

played a key role in the site selection and execution of other major brands, such as J. Crew,

Apple, Restoration Hardware, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Abercrombie & Fitch, to name a

few. She negotiated transactions with every major retail owner in the United States during her

time there.

Prior to joining Open Realty, Jessica was Senior Leasing Representative at Trademark Property

Company, where she specialized in the leasing strategy, execution, and project management

of super-regional malls and upscale mixed-use centers. Jessica is credited with bringing some

of the nation’s most premier specialty retailers to Trademark’s projects during her four years

there.

Jessica serves on the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth, the TCU Center for Real Estate

Advisory Board, the Board for the TCU M.J. Neeley Entrepreneurial School, and the Small

Development Council for Urban Land Institute. Jessica was named Top 40 under 40 in 2017 as

well as received the Strong Partner Award from Girls Inc. of Tarrant County. She is a graduate

of Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Real

Estate with a Concentration in Leadership.

Haresh Jethani is a real estate developer with over twelve years of experience, recognized for his strategic focus on the student housing sector. He began his development career delivering premium branded hospitality projects, including hotels for Marriott and Hilton, gaining deep insight into design, operations, and customer experience. Today, he focuses exclusively on developing student housing communities near top-tier universities across Texas and Louisiana, creating environments that combine functionality, comfort, and modern design.

Haresh’s career began on a different trajectory; after earning a master’s degree in computer engineering, he worked as a consultant for a Big Four firm. This technical and analytical foundation informs his approach to development, enabling him to integrate data-driven insights, operational efficiency, and financial rigor into every project. His combination of technical expertise, operational knowledge, and design-focused mindset positions him as a leading developer in the student housing market.

Mr. Steve Williams is a seasoned engineering and construction professional with over 28 years of experience across residential, commercial, and telecommunications projects. He frequently speaks at Multifamily conferences and events on innovation and trends in multifamily design and construction.

A Board Member of DID Affordable Housing Foundation and Reward Third Ward, Mr. Williams is actively involved in community service and youth mentorship.

As Vice President of CIVE, Inc., he oversees design, BIM, and construction, leading initiatives to implement BIM across all projects for accurate, on-time, and on-budget delivery. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.

Aamir Chandio is a seasoned marketing executive with over a decade of global experience driving brand strategy, digital transformation, and revenue growth across industries, including energy, CPG, construction, media, and fashion. He has a proven track record of scaling marketing operations, leading high-impact campaigns, and aligning initiatives with business goals to achieve measurable results.

At CIVE®, Aamir established the full marketing infrastructure, architecting a full-funnel strategy to drive qualified leads, build brand awareness, and enable sustainable growth. Fluent in multiple languages, he combines operational precision with creative strategy, turning fragmented systems into scalable, revenue-generating operations across B2B and B2C markets.

David Harrel, President of Harrel Group, is dedicated to transforming undervalued spaces into vibrant community hubs. With expertise in assembly, retail, medical, multifamily, and historic renovation, David has spent the last ten years shaping districts that attract businesses and enhance residents' lives by creating social and economic centers for future generations.

David's diverse professional background spans finance, software development, and oil and gas exploration. This wide range of experiences equips him with diverse resources and know-how to significantly impact communities and establish lasting community landmarks.

David is a graduate of Leadership Richardson and a long-time Board Member and Contributor to Art Conspiracy, a nonprofit that unites artists and musicians to raise funds and awareness for regional creative programs in Dallas. Additionally, he is an active board member with Central Arts, a network of nonprofit locations in the metroplex providing venues for young local artists to showcase and perform their art, helping them gain confidence in themselves and their abilities.

Diagnosed at an early age with learning differences, David credits much of his success to his unique approach to problem-solving, which helped him realize that he was never confined to conventional thinking. A Dallas native, David lives in Dallas with his wife and two sons.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GroundFloor. Prior to forming GroundFloor in 2009, Mr. Bolin

practiced law at Jackson Walker L.L.P. as a Land Use Associate. While there, Mr. Bolin worked with some

of the top development companies in Dallas-Fort Worth on land development, zoning and public incentive

matters. During law school, Mr. Bolin worked with the in-house counsel of Hillwood Capital on the $2

billion Victory Park Project, and with Harvest Partners on the $750 million Park Lane Project. After law

school, he took a position in acquisitions with INCAP Fund assisting with the River District land assembly

in the North Oak Cliff area of Dallas. Mr. Bolin is a graduate of the Dedman School of Law at Southern

Methodist University where he was inducted as a Barrister and received the John F. Kennedy award given

annually to two of the top graduating law students. Mr. Bolin is a graduate of The City College of New York,

graduating Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

Andy Hesser joined the Garland team in July 2019 to oversee the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Departments (PRCAD). The PRCAD team has completed four master plans under Andy’s leadership: Cultural Arts, PRCAD, Trails and Aquatics. In addition, his teams are involved in more than 80 parks, facilities, and trail construction projects. PRCAD has received approximately $2.5 million in Texas Parks and Wildlife Grants for park development.

Andy has expanded visitor and special events offerings, including new live music opportunities and new programs, exhibits and visitor attractions at the Landmark Museum.

In 2022, the PRCAD team received the Gold Medal Award from Texas Recreation and Park Society, while Visit Garland and the special events team has received nearly a dozen marketing and programming awards. Andy has a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource, Recreation and Tourism Management from Colorado State University.

James Nelson is Principal and Head of U.S. Investment Sales where he leads Avison Young’s significant investment sale efforts and growth strategies in the top U.S. markets. Avison Young is a full service global real estate firm with over 5,000 real estate professionals located in 120 offices in 20 countries including more than 50 offices across the United States. With a differentiated approach, the cohesive U.S. Investment Sales Group leverages best in class execution to deliver superior results for clients.

Since joining Avison Young in 2018, James has been involved in over 225 sales valued at well above $3 billion dollars, resulting in his being named a top global top producer, a Commercial Observer’s Power 100, and a CoStar Power Broker. James has also been a recipient of REBNY’s prestigious Edward S. Gordan Deal of the Year award. Some noteworthy clients include The Archdiocese of New York, Breaking Ground, The Carlyle Group, JP Morgan Chase, Salvation Army and Vornado among others.

James builds unique sales platforms at Avison Young consisting of a unified, client-first sales group that is broken out by asset class and providing the best client experience. This approach aligns with Avison Young’s principally owned structure which allows principals to be personally invested in the long-term success of their clients.

Throughout his over 25-year career, James has been involved in the sale of approximately 500 property and loan sales for an aggregate value of over $5 billion dollars. Prior to joining Avison Young, James served as Vice Chairman of Cushman & Wakefield, where his team was ranked the number one Investment Sales broker nationwide in 2016. Previously, James was a partner and top producer for Massey Knakal for six of their last eight years and was named the company’s youngest partner in 2004.

James is passionate about real estate and helping others achieve success. With his Wall Street Journal bestselling book The Insider’s Edge To Real Estate Investing, podcast, videos, and weekly Forbes articles, he advises on how to navigate and stay on top of this ever-changing market. He enjoys guest lecturing at Columbia, Fordham, NYU, Wharton, and of course his alma mater Colgate. He often provides this real estate expertise to notable mainstream publications such as The Wall Street Journal, NY Times, and the NY Post.

James serves on the boards of REBNY, SparkYouth NYC, and USA Water Polo and is a former Chairman of YM/WREA. He is also a co-founder of the Real Estate Services Alliance (RESA) and the Colgate Real Estate Council. His greatest joy is spending time with his wife Allison and three sons Luke, Austin, and TJ either at home in Connecticut, up on the Cape, or travelling to their water polo tournaments on the West Coast. You can follow James on Instagram at @jamesnelsonnyc or visit jamesnelson.com for more information.

Peter S. Brodsky is an investor and business executive who, through a

majority-owned company, owns the Reimagine RedBird development

(formerly known as Southwest Center Mall and, prior to that, Red Bird

Mall). He is investing in the mall and its surrounding land to restore it to

a place of pride and quality in the community.

Prior to acquiring the mall, Peter was a founder and partner of HBC

Investments LLC, a firm focused on investing both third party capital and

the capital of its principals in growth-oriented companies. Prior to co-

founding HBC, Peter was a partner at the private equity firm of HM

Capital Partners and its predecessor, Hicks Muse, where he was

employed for over 15 years. At HM Capital, Peter focused on the media

industry and was responsible for deploying or managing over $2.6 billion of equity investments and completed

over 100 transactions.

In the civic and non-profit arenas, Peter serves on several boards. He serves as Chairman of the City of Dallas’s

Animal Advisory Commission, which advises Dallas Animal Services, the city animal shelter and control service

provider. On the Commission, Peter’s focus is addressing the stray and loose dog crisis in southern Dallas. Peter

also serves on the Boards of: KIPP Dallas-Fort Worth, a network of seven high-performing charter schools serving

over 3,000 students in grades K through 9th in southern Dallas, which he chaired from January 2011 through June

2017; and North Texas Public Broadcasting, the owner and operator of Dallas-Fort Worth’s PBS and NPR affiliates.

Peter received a BA in Russian Literature from Yale College. He lives in Dallas, TX with his wife Lael and their three

children.

Mehrdad Moayedi has been a fixture in the construction and development business for more than 40 years, observing the real estate and market trends of North Texas to consistently drive business success. In 1990, he established Centurion American Custom Homes and has taken on executive duties as president and CEO of Centurion American Development Group.

Centurion works closely with cities, investors, community members and key stakeholders to engage in real estate projects covering all areas of development spanning residential master-planned communities, commercial properties, mixed-use projects, and hospitality assets. More than 200,000 lots have been developed spanning approximately 75,000 acres in more than 300 premier developments since its inception. Under Moayedi’s leadership, Centurion American was recently awarded “Best Real Estate Deal of 2024” by the Dallas Business Journal for the company’s largest development to date, Legacy Hills in Celina, TX. A host of other local, regional, and national accolades have been given over the years for notable

projects, community involvement and leadership in the industry. Moayedi himself has received the John Harbin Visionary Award for his dedication and impact in Tarrant and Denton counties.

A few notable current developments are:

· City Point in North Richland Hills, TX

· Legacy Hills in Celina, TX

· Collin Creek Mall re-development in Plano, TX

· Platinum Ranch in Gunter, TX

· The Statler Hotel and residences in downtown Dallas, TX

In addition to his achievements, Moayedi is very active in giving back, underwriting several local

charities that touch lives and benefit our communities. Over the years, he’s been a proud supporter of many community partners and associations across the state of Texas.

As Senior Vice President of Building Repositioning, Brooks McDaniel provides overall direction and leadership to STOBG’s Building Repositioning Group. He works closely with the NYC-based executive leadership for Pavarini McGovern and Structure Tone to develop long-range strategic plans to help establish STOBG as an expert in building repositioning, particularly in the NYC market, as well as work with leadership across the organization to best leverage the company’s expertise in this important sector.

Brooks was previously Vice President of Design & Development at Extell Development

Company, where he was responsible for the design of millions of square feet of residential,

commercial office, hotels, retail, and educational buildings. Prior to working at Extell, Brooks

was a project director at SHoP Architects in New York, where he worked on various cultural,

residential, and institutional projects. Earlier in his career, he also worked as an architect at

Asymptote Architecture, Davis Brody Bond, and Roger Ferris & Partners. A registered architect, Brooks earned undergraduate degrees in management and in marketing from Lehigh University and a master’s of architecture from Parsons New School in New York.

Jennifer Picquet-Reyes began her career in 2000 and has managed projects in a wide variety of sectors which involve new construction, renovation processes, restoration as well as LEED certification. As a team leader, Mrs. Picquet-Reyes collaborates with our clients and consultants to coordinate all parts and phases of a project, from the early stages of programming, planning and schematic design through construction documents, construction administration and project closeout, and delivers a thorough, well designed and sustainable building.

Jennifer is currently working on several hotel projects, including the adaptive reuse of multiple historic buildings. Dallas/Fort Worth renovation experience includes the Butler Brothers Building, Allen Building, Mercantile Commerce Building, 211 N Ervay in Dallas and the Sinclair and Sanger Buildings in Fort Worth. Current Historic tax credit projects include the Gospel Lighthouse Church conversion to a Dream Center, The El Tropicano Hotel in San Antonio, as well as several other projects in various cities. Renovation experience outside Texas includes the First National Bank building in Oklahoma City, which includes residential and an Autograph by Marriott. Jennifer is also working on the Jefferson Building in St. Louis, which is being renovated into residential and an AC Hotel by Marriott. Jennifer’s new construction multi-family and hotel recent projects include A 2o acre mixed use development in Fredericksburg, TX, 3111 Sunset on Lake Grapevine, Springs Ranch in Colorado Springs, CO, the Galleries at Park Lane in Dallas, Amelia Farmer’s Market Residential in Dallas, The AC/Moxy Dual Brand in Uptown, AC by Marriott Hotel in Fort Worth, Embassy Suites in Amarillo, and The Delta by Marriott in Southlake, TX, renovation of the Hyatt Regency Hill Country and The Woodlands Resorts.

Jennifer’s work with prior firms includes the project management of the historic Thurgood Marshall US Courthouse, 35-story building housing 23 courtrooms in downtown Manhattan. The project included MEP and life safety upgrade for the entire facility, new courtrooms, as well as numerous preservation efforts and LEED certification. Also, the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum in New York seamlessly integrates both new infrastructure systems and design interventions within the historic building. Jennifer also has experience in Washington DC working in the US capitol building on a HABs project for the Old Supreme Court Chamber and several on-call projects with the Architect of the Capitol. Jennifer’s previous experience also includes multi-family residential, hotels, libraries, schools, transit, radiation facilities and tenant finish outs.

With these projects has come a knowledge of and experience with historic preservation, LEED certification, adaptive reuse, design, construction schedule, document coordination and construction administration. These projects have taken her to environments all over the country.

Note: Some of the projects listed above were performed by Mrs. Picquet-Reyes while she was employed at another firm.

Howard brings more than 30 years of experience in accounting, audit and assurance, including more than two decades at a Big Four accounting firm. He has served as the lead client service partner to a number of public and private real estate companies ranging in size from $10 million to $13 billion in assets. Howard has experience with all major real estate classes, including office, multifamily, industrial, retail and hotels. Howard also has worked with property managers, land developers and construction companies.

In addition to real estate operators and developers, Howard also has extensive experience working with funds, including real estate and other private equity funds, as well as with portfolio companies. He has assisted clients with fund formation, structuring, ongoing accounting and reporting.

Howard has assisted clients with strategic operating and financial decisions regarding company formation, market analysis, tax structuring and planning, accounting systems, financing, investor relations, compliance and financial reporting. He has extensive experience working with REITs, partnerships and LLCs.

He has also advised companies regarding SEC accounting and reporting standards, business combinations, valuation, consolidation, stock compensation, leasing and sales, internal controls, compliance and corporate governance.

Howard also has international experience, having worked for four years in Shanghai, PRC, where he served multinational clients who invested in Chinese real estate. While there, he served as the lead partner for a United States IPO of a local Chinese real estate company.

Howard is an active member and has held leadership roles in several industry organizations, including the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth (REC of FW). He has served his community as a board member for the Dallas Mayor’s Committee for the Employment of People with Disabilities and the Arts District Friends, as well as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Irving. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from the University of Houston.