Bisnow's Multifamily Annual Conference (BMAC) Tri-State 2019

Michael Cohen

VP
CoStar

Michael Cohen serves as Vice President, Advisory Services with CoStar Group (CSGP), the leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces. Founded in 1987, CoStar conducts expansive, ongoing research to produce and maintain the largest and most comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. Our suite of online services enables clients to analyze, interpret and gain unmatched insight on commercial property values, market conditions and current availabilities. CoStar Group's websites attracted an average of approximately 40 million unique monthly visitors in aggregate in the second quarter of 2018. Headquartered in Washington, DC, CoStar maintains offices throughout the U.S. and in Europe and Canada with a staff of over 3,800 worldwide, including the industry's largest professional research organization. With views on markets in the United States, Canada and Europe, CoStar’s Advisory Services supports clients with independent expertise in real estate market analysis, real estate portfolio analysis, capital market conditions, investor communications and the design of actionable real estate investment strategies. Under Mr. Cohen’s leadership, Advisory Services provides a range of bespoke research services to a client list that represents a “Who’s Who” of global real estate market participants including commercial banks, insurance companies, Wall Street firms, government agencies, pension funds, investment advisors, real estate investment trusts, and private investors. Mr. Cohen regularly speaks to industry organizations, is often quoted in the national press, and has appeared on both CNBC and Bloomberg Television. Professional associations include the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA), National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and National Apartment Association (NAA). Prior to joining CoStar Group, Mr. Cohen worked for leading analyst organizations in both the real estate and technology industries. He received his B.A. from SUNY at Buffalo, J.D. from Cornell Law School, and M.B.A. from the Carroll Graduate School of Management at Boston College. Mr. Cohen can be reached by e-mail at mcohen@costargroup.com.

Phillip Lavoie

COO
Gotham Organization

Phil is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operational, corporate, and business functions of the company and oversees preservation / value-add development projects. He joined Gotham in 2018, after overseeing asset management and property operations for a number of private equity firms and developers including Madison Realty Capital, WinnResidential, the Arker Companies, Richman Asset Management, and First Sterling Financial. Phil has overseen investment portfolios in excess of 75,000 apartments, and management portfolios in excess of 8,000 apartments / 3 million square feet of commercial property. These portfolios have consisted of a variety of uses including multifamily, office, medical, retail, industrial, and land. His areas of expertise include asset management, property management, real estate finance and development, distressed debt, and corporate organization and operational efficiency. Phil has overseen several energy retrofit projects, including one for which he received Con Edison’s Property Manager of the Year award in 2012. Phil has directed several strategic corporate and property level repositioning initiatives, leading to vastly improved financial performance, brand reputation, employee engagement, and owner/investor satisfaction. He has overseen several large-scale preservation projects in complex urban environments, arising in many cases through the foreclosure of distressed debt and the negligent disregard of prior owners. He has managed properties during receiverships, Article 7A proceedings, and bankruptcies. He has overseen the removal of thousands of city code violations and the restoration of services to disadvantaged residents. Phil holds a BS from Bard College and an MS from NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate.

Sarah Bonder

VP
ManageGo

Sarah currently serves as the Executive VP of Sales at ManageGo for the North American region, where she focuses on building strategies and collaborating with property managers and partners to help drive innovation in the property management space. With an extensive history in management and sales, Sarah joined ManageGo in 2013 and took on responsibilities in sales, consulting, and strategic partnerships. Sarah has held a series of increasingly expanding positions, including managing the in-house sales team as director of sales. Sarah also advises on the strategic development of the ManageGo product with her knack for market research and strategic expansion. By engaging with experienced real estate developers and industry leaders, following real estate development trends and attending a multitude of educational technology and real estate conferences, Sarah has been instrumental in driving the ManageGo product to new heights.

Luke Behrmann

Vice President, Product Management
redIQ

Luke Behrmann is a Product Management professional with a passion for creating customer value and the products that address the needs and problems of a market. Over ten years of experience in taking new products and technology to market is leveraged from across multiple industries and from large publicly traded companies, technology startups and academic technology transfer and commercialization. Prior to joining RedIQ, Luke oversaw a product platform and all product management activities that supported over $60MM in annual revenues and included all aspects of product planning, development and execution. Luke has a BA in Economics and an MBA with an emphasis in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business.

Chad Summers

VP
Iotas

Chad Summers is VP of Revenue for IOTAS, a smart home IoT (Internet of Things) platform that integrates hardware with software designed as an enterprise level solution for the multi-family industry. IOTAS delivers a fully-connected smart home experience for apartment residents that is voice controlled, integrated on a single app and provides automated intelligence. This allows multi-family owners and operators to attract new tenants at premium rents, while lowering utility and management costs. He formerly owned and operated an international lumber brokerage business where he developed a software to manage the complexity of quoting international supply to protect margins and enhance efficiencies. After selling his ownership in the company, Chad went on to successfully launch the fastest growing division of an accounting firm focused on the manufacturing industry where his passion for the Internet of Things grew. Chad’s background is rooted in strategic sales and marketing, cultivating partnerships, and leading teams. Throughout his career, Chad has focused on driving sustainable, profitable revenue growth.

Dan Wurtzel

President, New York Region
FirstService Residential

Dan Wurtzel is President of the New York operations of FirstService Residential, the leading residential property management company in North America. He oversees the departments and teams that collectively manage nearly 500 condominium, cooperative and rental properties comprising 70,000 apartments in New York City. A 30-year industry veteran, Dan is a board member of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations (RABLOR). He holds a Registered in Apartment Management (RAM) credential from the National Associated Builders and Owners (NABO) and is a licensed real estate salesperson in New York State. His numerous awards and honors include being named “RAM of the Year” by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). He also received the Emma Lazarus Award from the Associated Builders and Owners of Greater New York (ABO) as well as a Management Achievement Award from Habitat magazine. Under Dan’s leadership, FirstService Residential associates are provided the tools and technology necessary to successfully navigate the complex financial, regulatory, and operational challenges they face daily. He also is responsible for ensuring that FirstService Residential delivers its promise of “service excellence” to board members, building owners and residents across the company’s New York City portfolio. Dan served on NABO’s national Board of Governors from 2003 to 2006 and shares his expertise by speaking at industry events and conducting seminars on topics such as building finances and labor relations. For over a decade, he has been an active board member of Community Access, Inc., a non-profit organization that assists New Yorkers living with psychiatric disabilities make the transition from shelters and institutions to independent living. Dan joined the company in 1987 as a Property Manager and was promoted to positions of increasing responsibility including Vice President, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer prior to being named President in 2008. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s business school.

Georgianna Oliver

Founder & CEO
Tour24

Georgianna W. Oliver is the CEO and founder of Tour24®, the award-winning platform for self-guided tours. Oliver is a serial entrepreneur and a corporate executive that has built several businesses in the proptech space. These innovations include EverGreen Solutions, AptBudget both sold to RealPage, Inc. and Package Concierge® which sold in 2017 to Gibraltar Industries, Inc. Her passion for turning roadblocks into efficiencies has resulted in a 20-year track record of building and launching successful businesses fueled by innovation. In addition to her role as founder of Tour24, she served as an executive for Gibraltar Industries, and oversaw the growth and management of Package Concierge®. Georgianna serves on the Multifamily Technology Entrepreneur Conference (MTEC) Advisory Board, is an Advisory Committee member of National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and on the Silicon Valley Bank Brain Trust Advisory Board of Innovators. She is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur.com’s Entrepreneur Leadership Network, serves as a Forbes Business Council Advisor and is a founding board member of the National Leased Housing Association (NLHA) Education Fund.

Caroline Vary

Managing Director of Asset Management
Jonathan Rose Companies

Over the past 25 years, Jonathan Rose Companies has been a thought-leader in socially and environmentally responsible real estate practices. Jonathan Rose Companies is a mission-based, real estate firm recognized for its ability to achieve visionary goals through practical strategies and cost-effective green solutions. The firm has nationally recognized experience in the investment and development of green mixed-use housing and office projects. Jonathan Rose Companies has developed, owned and managed over $1.5 billion in real estate. Caroline Vary joined Jonathan Rose Companies in 2007. She brings 20 years of experience in asset management, leasing, financing, design, construction and development to her role as a Managing Director. Ms. Vary led the development of the LEED Gold Certified Metro Green Residential development, adjacent to the Stamford Transportation Center. She is also responsible for overseeing the asset management of the Firm’s East Coast portfolio and has implemented green retrofits of existing buildings nationally. While under the direction of Ms. Vary, the Connecticut Office of Jonathan Rose Companies received an Environmental Merit Award for Outstanding Achievements in Preserving New England’s environment. Ms. Vary is also a founding member of the Stamford 2030 district, an initiative of property owners and community and professional partners working toward the goal of reductions in energy, water and transportation emissions related to the operations of commercial and large-scale residential buildings. Stamford is the 6th 2030 District in the Network which is comprised of leading-edge cities across North America. Previously with Taconic Investment Partners, Ms. Vary served as Vice President responsible for the re-positioning of their commercial portfolio. A member of the Urban Land Institute, and American Planning Association, Ms. Vary holds a BARCH in Architecture and a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. She holds a Real Estate Broker’s License in NY and CT, and actively serves in the Board of Stamford2030 and Franklin Street Works.

Ian Bruce Eichner

Chairman
The Continuum Company

Ian Bruce Eichner, a seasoned developer of urban mixed-use properties, has a proven track record in real estate spanning more than three decades. His vast portfolio of projects in New York, Miami and Las Vegas include City Spire, One Broadway Place, The Manhattan Club, The Kingsley, Royale, American, and Boulevard as well as Montague Street built in Brooklyn Heights. Outside of New York he has developed the Continuum, a 2-tower gated condominium community in South Beach, and the Cosmopolitan, a 3,000 room resort and casino on the Las Vegas strip. His latest project 45 East 22nd Street, recently completed, is the tallest and, considered by many, the most iconic building in the Flatiron District. Transforming the downtown skyline, the tower consists of a glass silhouette of 65 stories which rises 777 feet into the sky. The striking exterior, crafted by the global architectural firm of Kohn Peterson Fox, wraps around timeless interiors created by the Martin Brudzinski Design Studio. The building contains 82 apartments and approximately 230,000 sale-able square feet with the following five floors of amenities including:  Landscaped garden and fifth floor terrace designed by Oehme Van Sweden  Fitness center  Children’s playroom  Indoor basketball court  Golf simulator  Drawing room with separate billiards and cards rooms  Upper Club on the 54th floor with bar, private dining room and catering kitchen  Automated private residential parking garage His newest project 960 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn is a proposed 1.3 million square feet development consisting of 1600 residential housing units including a proposed 50/50 split between market rate, work-force and low-income apartments. Mr. Eichner’s acute business sense has produced a series of visionary real estate developments that have been characterized by a creative mix of distinctive purpose- built properties. Each of these properties illustrates his extensive real estate expertise and ability to take situations which others may find unachievable and off-putting, and design and execute solutions which realize value for the developer. Mr. Eichner’s notable development achievements that were the first in their class include: 1. First high-rise built in Brooklyn Heights since landmarks height legislation was passed in 1965 (Montague Street, 1998) 2. First urban timeshare in New York, with a new concept of being able to book stays one day at a time (The Manhattan Club, 1996) 3. First and only beachfront gated community in South Beach (The Continuum, 2003-2008) 4. First development on the Las Vegas strip to employ an urban development model, maximizing a small (8.5 acre) site to its full square footage potential of 6 ½ million square feet. (The Cosmopolitan) Mr. Eichner’s career in real estate follows almost a decade in the criminal justice system, including terms as an Assistant District Attorney and program development chief of a New York State agency during Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s tenure.

Rekha Unnithan

Impact Investing Portfolio Manager
Nuveen

Rekha is responsible for determining Nuveen's Impact Investment strategy across sectors, asset classes, and regions. She originates and underwrites new deals and manages impact investments to execute Nuveen’s commitment across thematic areas of Affordable Housing, Inclusive Finance and Community & Economic Development. She also oversees a multi-asset class impact investing portfolio which includes private equity, private real estate, mortgages and fund investments. Prior to joining Nuveen in 2012, she worked for Bank of America Merrill Lynch as a vice president in their Institutional Investment Group. She has also held various positions at Merrill Lynch in Institutional Investments, and Investment Oversight and Risk Management. Rekha holds a BA in economics from Yale University and an MBA with a specialization in financial instruments & markets, and social innovation & impact from New York University’s Stern School of Business. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder, and a Certified Investment Management analyst (CIMA®). Rekha is a board member of Aeris, a non-profit organization that helps investors make and monitor mission investments, and she also serves on the advisory board of the Global Impact investing Network’s Institutional Investor Initiative.

Aaron Koffman

President
Hudson Companies

Aaron Koffman leads Hudson's affordable housing pipeline and portfolio. Aaron relishes the challenge of putting Hudson's best feet forward on public and private competitions for development sites and building lasting partnerships with public, private and non-profit organizations. Aaron is continually inspired by his Hudson colleagues and loves working to bring transformative mixed-use developments like La Central, The Peninsula, BEC II and Greenpoint Hospital to reality. Aaron is a New York State Volunteer Firefighter who earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UC Berkeley and his Master of City Planning from MIT. Aaron also serves on the NYC Waterfront Management Advisory Board as well as the Board of the NYU Furman Center, Coro New York, and the Center for Urban Pedagogy. He remains a diehard Los Angeles Lakers and Angels fan.

Michael Staton

Vice President, Mortgage Officer
CPC Mortgage Company

Michael K. Staton is a Vice President and Mortgage Officer at CPC Mortgage Company LLC, a subsidiary of The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) that focuses on the company’s Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and FHA lending. Prior to joining CPC, Staton was Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Financing at TD Bank where his primary responsibilities were financing multifamily housing developments, office buildings, retail centers and industrial space. As Vice President of Originations at WNC & Associates, his focus was on managing relationships with clients and investing in Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties, as a Limited Partner, to create and preserve multifamily, affordable housing and to maximize the rate of return to Investors for property acquisitions. Staton also spent over 20 years at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency where he served in several key roles, including Director of Multifamily Programs and Lending, Director of Credit, Assistant Director of Financial Management along with other essential positions. Staton holds a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Hampton University and a Master's Degree from Rider University.

Matthew Baron

President
Baron Property Group, LLC

Matthew M. Baron is the President of Baron Property Group. Since 2005, Matthew has acquired and developed over $1.5 billion worth of property in NY and Los Angeles. Mr. Baron currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Long Island City BID, and is also a member of the Board of Directors of Doorkee, which is a company he helped found. Mr. Baron was also an Adjunct Lecturer at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies where he taught a course on Real Estate Development. Mr. Baron holds a BS in Finance from NYU Stern and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Olga Malkin Horn

Head of Real Estate NYC
Sonder

Olga Malkin Horn is the Head of Real Estate for NYC at Sonder, where she is responsible for growth of the Sonder platform. Prior to joining Sonder, Olga served as the Director of Acquisitions at Intrinsic Hotel Capital, where she was responsible for acquiring hotels around the country to reposition. Prior to this role, Olga was an investment professional within BlackRock's Real Estate Private Equity Division, where she was responsible for acquisitions across all property types and investment strategies in NY, NJ, CT and PA. Olga began her career at Lehman Brothers and subsequently Barclays, in the Investment Banking Division, where she worked on M&A deals as well as debt and equity financings within the Industrials Group. Olga completed her undergrad degree at Brandeis University majoring in Economics, European Cultural Studies, and Business. She also received an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Chris Bledsoe

Founder & CEO
Ollie

Chris is co-founder and CEO of Ollie, leaving behind his finance career in 2011 to focus his full time and energy on his passion for the development of coliving and micro-housing communities. His prior experience as both an institutional investor and an angel investor in the consumer sector led him to re-imagine how the multi-family housing sector could, and should, be very different if only real estate developers would segment and innovate their product as a consumer category rather than as a commoditized asset class or an investment vehicle. Chris’ entrepreneurial roots pre-date Ollie. He is one of the initial seed investors in the organic baby food manufacturer, Happy Family Brands, which boasts nationwide distribution in most major grocers, including Whole Foods, Target and Wal-Mart, and was acquired by global food giant Groupe Danone in 2013. He also serves as an informal advisor to other food startups, including popsicle maker Ruby’s Naturals as well as egg substitute manufacturer Beyond Eggs. Before making the entrepreneurial leap, Chris was a consumer staples analyst with Chicago-based hedge fund Citadel Investment Group. He began his career at the investment banking firm of JPMorgan Chase & Co, which he joined following his graduation from Georgetown University, where he was enrolled in the McDonough School of Business.

Bryan Oos

Regional Director, Acquisitions & Development
Toll Brothers

Bryan Oos is responsible for the acquisition of apartment development sites in the New York, Washington D.C. and Miami metropolitan areas. Bryan has been responsible for various aspects of the land acquisition, underwriting and approvals for 10 projects built or in the pipeline in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia, totaling over 4,300 units. Prior to joining Toll Brothers Apartment Living in 2011, Bryan was a Vice President of Development at Michaels Development Company, where he worked on the redevelopment of public housing into mixed-income communities. Prior to Michaels, he was a Director of Development at Forest City Residential, where he worked on mixed-use redevelopment projects in the New York and Boston metropolitan areas with a focus on public and private financing structures. Bryan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from James Madison University and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.

Karim Hutson

President & CEO
Genesis Companies

Under Karim’s stewardship, Genesis has fostered community advancement through high-quality multifamily development in urban centers. Prior to founding Genesis, Karim was an investment banker with Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs and an investor with General Atlantic, a private equity firm in Greenwich, Connecticut. Karim earned a BA in Economics and Philosophy from Amherst College. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. A resident of Harlem, Karim serves as Treasurer of the Trustee Board of the First Corinthian Baptist Church, Trustee of the Citizens Budget Commission, Trustee of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance Board, Board Member of the Citizens Housing Planning Council, the New York State Association for Affordable Housing and a Member of the Leadership Council for Habitat for Humanity NYC. He is married to Luz Elena and has two daughters.

Jim Driscoll

SVP Development
Waypoint Residential

Senior Vice President, Development at Waypoint Residential with leadership responsibility for the firm’s rental residential, senior housing and student housing development efforts in the Northeast region, including land acquisition, construction and lease-up of new properties, as well as supporting teams in other geographic regions. Driscoll, who has more than 25 years of experience leading the planning and development of residential and mixed-use properties, joined Waypoint from LCOR, where he served as senior vice president of development. Previously, Driscoll held senior-level positions as at M/I Homes, K. Hovnanian Homes and Archstone.

Jeff Dunne

Vice Chairman
CBRE

Jeff Dunne has 36 years of experience in the real estate investment banking business as an advisor and transactional agent for retail, office, apartments, industrial and new development projects. He leads a team of 15 people that focus on investment sales and equity raises to capitalize projects largely located within two hours of Manhattan. Jeff has closed in excess of $19 billion in over 300 investment transactions since 2007 and over $30 billion during his career.

Eric Anderson

VP of Marketing
Stay Alfred

Eric is VP of Marketing for Stay Alfred, a national provider of upscale travel apartments in downtown neighborhoods, recently ranked among the Top 1000 fastest-growing companies in the Inc 5000. Eric oversees customer acquisition, brand, revenue management, and corporate sales; his primary focus is on building the company’s direct channel of repeat customers while aligning the product with the needs of multifamily developer partners. Eric brings two decades of experience as a marketing strategist for B2B, education, travel, and consumer brands. He specializes in digitally integrated cross-channel programs rooted in a deep understanding of customer behavior. He mostly recently led the turnaround and private equity acquisition of an ed tech company, and previously transformed marketing practices at student travel company Ambassadors Group as the company’s COO and SVP of Marketing. Eric is the author of Social Media Marketing: Game Theory and the Emergence of Collaboration, published by Springer. He holds a PhD ABD in Cultural Theory.

Sandra Thompson

Deputy Director
FHFA

As Deputy Director of DHMG, Thompson oversees FHFA’s housing and regulatory policy, financial analysis research and all mission activities for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks. She has held this position since March, 2013. Prior to joining FHFA, Thompson worked at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), for more than 23 years in a variety of leadership positions, most recently as Director, Division of Risk Management Supervision. During her time at FDIC, Thompson led the agency’s examination and enforcement program for risk management and consumer protection at the height of the financial crisis. She also led the FDIC’s outreach initiatives in response to a crisis of consumer confidence in the banking system. Her experiences range from supervision to consumer protection, risk management and consumer outreach activities. Thompson is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Winell Belfonte

Partner
CohnReznick

Winell Belfonte is a partner in CohnReznick’s Affordable Housing and Not-for-Profit and Education Industry practices. She serves as the partner in charge of the Firm's New York office affordable housing practice. In this capacity, she is the lead service provider and business advisor to her clients and accountable for the dissemination and implementation of technical issues for affordable housing and not-for-profit clients. Winell has 30 years of experience providing services to a broad range of clients. Her extensive experience comes in the areas of audit, accounting, and tax for not-for-profit and for-profit clients including real estate developers, investors, syndicators, contractors, and property managers, as well as charities and foundations. Her business advisory expertise includes strategic planning, the design and implementation of internal control structures, financial analysis, budgets, regulatory compliance, and investor requirements. As a frequent speaker, Winell has become well known for her technical expertise. She has spoken to many not-for-profit and affordable housing audiences and graduated from a nine-month community leadership program with Leadership of Greater Washington in 2010.

Charles Bendit

Co-CEO
Taconic Investment Partners

Prior to founding Taconic with Paul Pariser in 1997, Charlie formed CBC Properties, where he acquired, repositioned, and managed more than one million square feet of office properties in New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as several hundred apartment units in the New York metropolitan area. Earlier in his career, he was a managing director at Jones Lang Wootton (JLW), where he was responsible for property acquisitions, sales, and financing for the firm’s international clientele, with a focus on New York, Washington, D.C., and Toronto. In these latter two cities he established JLW’s regional offices and business platforms. A graduate of George Washington University, Charlie is actively involved in the educational community serving as a Regent of the New York State Board of Education, a board member of PENCIL, and a participant in PENCIL’s annual Principal for a Day program. In addition, Charlie is a member of the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board of New York, the Executive Committee of the Board of Advisors of the George Washington University School of Business, and the Advisory Board of the University’s Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis.

David Dishy

President, Development
L & M Development Partners

David is responsible for all investment and new development activity at L+M Development Partners, including oversight for each of the core expertise groups and investment platforms with Goldman Sachs’ Urban Investment Group and Citi Community Capital. He brings over 25 years of acquisitions, finance and new development experience, and has been a key participant in transactions involving over 20,000 units and $5 billion of investment. Prior to joining L+M, David spent much of his career in senior development roles at Forest City Ratner Companies and Tishman Speyer in New York. He began his professional life working in city planning and economic development before joining HR&A Advisors to focus on public-private development strategy and housing finance. David has served with organizations such as the Enterprise Community Partners New York Advisory Board, the Randall’s Island Park Alliance, the LIC Partnership, Manhattan Community Board 7, and as a fellow with Coro New York. He graduated from Harvard College with a degree in urban studies and earned an M.S. in real estate development from Columbia University.

Meade Curtis

Vice President
WinnCompanies

Meade Curtis joined WinnDevelopment in January of 2016 as the Vice President of Development, where he is responsible for executing business and fostering institutional investment relationships throughout New York and New Jersey. Meade has over a decade of real estate experience, having previously served as Vice President at AllianceBernstein Real Estate Partners, where he was responsible for sourcing investments on the behalf of the $1.2 billion real estate opportunity fund. Additionally, he has held positions at Blackstone and Merrill Lynch. Meade holds a dual degree in Finance and Economics from Washington University in St. Louis.

Andrew Lyons

Real Estate & Construction Consultant
Fulcrum

Andrew Lyons leads Fulcrum’s New York office where he is primarily responsible for client engagements in the New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Fairfield County, Connecticut and other surrounding areas. Andrew has a diverse background; most notably in construction project management services, auditing, finance, and process design and improvement. With this diverse background of experience, Andrew continues to assist Fulcrum’s clientele on multiple large, complex projects.

Miki Naftali

Chairman & CEO
Naftali Group

Miki Naftali is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Naftali Group, established in 2011. With over 25 years of experience in the international real estate industry, Mr. Naftali has a track record of acquiring, developing and managing properties with a total of $9 billion in assets, across North America, Asia, Europe and Israel. Mr. Naftali has developed a vast portfolio of 18 luxury condominium buildings in New York City with a total of 1,333 residential units- among other projects including luxury rental buildings and mixed-use properties. Mr. Naftali is noted for spotting unique opportunities and launching projects that raise the bar for creative development in the domestic and international real estate industries. From an array of ground-up new development to meticulously preserving and restoring landmark buildings, Mr. Naftali’s success in development creates unparalleled demand and value. His most notable project in New York has been the $450 million restoration and reconfiguration of the iconic Plaza Hotel, preserving its beauty and history while transforming it into a successful mixed- use development, containing a five-star hotel, private residences, and celebrated shops with a world-renowned gourmet food hall. Prior to establishing Naftali Group, Mr. Naftali was the President and CEO of Elad Group and its subsidiaries, overseeing all operations in New York, Florida, Canada and Singapore. He was instrumental in launching Elad Canada’s IPO, and served as the chairman after it became public. He established and was the President and CEO of Elad Properties, the development arm of Elad Group, which acquired The Plaza Hotel among other notable properties. Miki Naftali was recognized for his development, marketing and financial activities- ranked No. 18 on the list of the Top 100 Most Powerful People in New York Real Estate by the New York Observer. Mr. Naftali is the former Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of DGRE, a European real estate investment firm with an impressive portfolio of holdings. Mr. Naftali is an active keynote speaker and accomplished guest lecturer. He has addressed a Private Society at Yale University, the YJP Real Estate Investment Summit, Friends of the IDF and audiences of University of Sothern California and Columbia Business School.

David McCarty

Vice President
Alloy Development

David directs acquisitions, entitlements, project financing, and development of Alloy’s projects.

Bob Knakal

Senior Managing Director, Head of New York
JLL Capital Markets

As Chairman, NY Investment Sales with JLL Capital Markets, Bob co-leads the investment sales division in New York City. Bob was Chairman and Founding Partner of Massey Knakal Realty Services, New York’s #1 building sales firm. He started his real estate career in 1984 at CB Richard Ellis where he met Paul J. Massey Jr. They both left CB in 1988 to form Massey Knakal. From 1988 through 2014, Massey Knakal closed over 6,000 transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $23 billion. To date, Bob has been personally responsible for the sale of 1,873 buildings (generally considered to be the highest total ever for a single broker in New York) and over $18 billion in sales. On December 31, 2014, Cushman & Wakefield acquired Massey Knakal. At Cushman & Wakefield, Bob acted as Chairman of New York Investment Sales. He was ranked the top originating investment sales broker at Cushman & Wakefield, globally, in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Since 2009, Bob has written a weekly column on the New York City Real Estate Market called Concrete Thoughts for the Commercial Observer.

Highlyann Krasnow

Partners
MNS

Evi Angelakis

Founder
Golden Key

Evi Kokalari - Angelakis is the Founder of Golden Key Realty Group, a company she started a few years ago, with a focus on Multi-Family Properties, Shopping Centers, Office Buildings and Development Sites. Evi Kokalari - Angelakis has almost two decades of experience in new development, closely collaborating with developers in the planning, marketing, and sales of new residential buildings throughout the city. She is very familiar with all the phases of development as she served as the controller for a large construction company focusing on DEP, Port Authority, MTA and SCA projects. That experience, intertwined with her property management skills and 20 years of investment sales record, sets her aside from the competition. Evi Kokalari - Angelakis has established an excellent reputation as a creative thinker. Solving problems with patience and professionalism, makes her a valuable asset to her clients. Being an investor herself, she understands all the facets of buying wisely, building smart and flipping when appropriate. Having managed residential and commercial properties for the past 15 years, has given her a detailed knowledge of the pros and cons of owning and managing a building. She advises her clients continuously well beyond a transaction is completed as she has extensive knowledge of dealing with City’s and State’s agency like DHCR, HPD, DOB, DOF. She is an expert on negotiating complicated deals and has proven to be very effective problem solver in the commercial market. No deal is ever big enough to satisfy her appetite for great challenges. It is through these challenges that she truly thrives. Evi Kokalari - Angelakis is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York and ICSC. She is also a member of REBNY’s Queens Commercial Committee.

Zach Murphy

Co-Founder
Pender Capital

Zach is the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Pender Capital. Zach co-founded Pender in 2015 and brings over 16 years of experience in both commercial real estate finance and capital markets expertise. Zach oversees the firm’s Investment and Research program which includes deal sourcing, research, and structuring and is a member of the Investment and Research Committee and the Management Committee. Prior to Pender, Zach served as Managing Director/ Senior Vice President for Liberty SBF, a commercial finance company based in Philadelphia, where he was responsible for establishing Liberty’s Western Regional HQ in Los Angeles and directed West Coast originations and operations. Zach personally originated over $60 million of commercial loans during the first year of operations on the West Coast. In 2008, Zach joined Silver Point Capital, LP in New York, a Goldman Sachs partner fund, where he was responsible for commercial real estate loan originations and insurance-linked securities trading. During his tenure at Silver Point, Zach traded more than $500 million in distressed commercial real estate debt, insurance-linked securities, and assets in the capital markets. From 2004 to 2008, Zach served as Senior Vice President/Division Director of Velocity Commercial Capital where he was the company’s highest grossing originator in e

Jason Ward

Director
Hunt Real Estate Capital

Jason Ward is currently a Director at Hunt Real Estate Capital and focuses on the origination of multifamily housing. Prior to his current roles, Jason was the Deputy Chief Underwriter for Hunt Real Estate Capital’s Small Loan Group and was responsible for the unit’s credit and underwriting. Mr. Ward joined Hunt Real Estate Capital in 2016. Prior to joining Hunt, Mr. Ward was an Assistant Vice President at Arbor Commercial Mortgage where he most recently was part of the team that developed Arbor Loan Express. Additionally he was part of the team responsible for building out the Freddie Mac Small Balance Loan (SBL) Program. His responsibilities included the underwriting of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debt, as well as supporting the development of new business lines. During his career, Mr. Ward has underwritten properties spanning multiple asset classes and types. Before Arbor, Mr. Ward was responsible for the underwriting, originations, and asset management at the Housing Development Fund, a Loan Fund emphasizing the financing of affordable properties throughout southwest Connecticut. Before that, he worked on UBS’ Real Estate Finance platform underwriting both on and off-book transactions. Before UBS, Mr. Ward was an Assistant Vice President at Related Capital / Charter Mac and was responsible for the underwriting of Affordable Multifamily Debt and Equity. In total, Mr. Ward has been involved in the underwriting of more than $5 billion in debt and equity transactions. Mr. Ward holds a B.B.A. in Finance from Hofstra University and a M.S. in Real Estate Finance from New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate.

Brian Flax

Executive Vice President of Sales
Meridian Capital

Brian Flax currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Sales at Meridian Capital Group, where his main focus is overseeing broker performance and driving sales growth. His day-to-day responsibilities include managing the current mortgage brokers in Meridian’s New York office, as well as recruiting, onboarding, training, and managing new brokers within the firm. Brian created and continues to supervise the Meridian University sales training program, which has been highlighted by Bisnow and The Commercial Observer. On a daily basis, Brian works closely with the Meridian research and marketing departments to organize, oversee, and constantly improve a proactive approach to servicing existing clients and acquiring new clients. Additionally, he focuses on fostering cohesiveness among Meridian’s three divisions—debt capital markets, investment sales, and retail leasing—to improve client service and drive new business. In addition to his role as a sales manager, Brian helps develop and manage many of the firm’s lender relationships. Prior to joining Meridian in 2012, he spent nine years at Newtek Business Services Inc., a publicly traded consulting firm, where he held titles including Head of Sales, Chief Marketing Officer, and Senior Vice President of Operations.

Drew Fletcher

President
Greystone Capital Advisors

Drew Fletcher is head of Greystone Capital Advisors where he oversees a team of professionals responsible for arranging creative debt and equity solutions for institutional and private commercial property owners and developers, and provides strategic advisory services for institutions, investors and borrowers. GCA also focuses on large loan mortgage origination across Greystone’s Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, CMBS, Bridge, balance-sheet and special situation lending platforms. Drew has over 20 years of commercial real estate experience, having directly originated and executed on more than $10 billion of financing transactions. Prior to joining Greystone in 2013, Drew was the Chief Financial Officer of Edison Properties LLC, one of the largest private real estate owners in New York City, with a $5 billion diversified portfolio of self-storage, office, multifamily and substantial land holdings throughout the NY Metro Region. Drew received a B.A. in Economics and Communications from Wake Forest University; an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University; and a Master of Accountancy in Taxation from Rutgers University. He volunteers his time as a guest lecturer at the NYU Real Estate Institute and also is an active member of the Real Estate Board of New York and the Urban Land Institute. Drew also was named to the Commercial Observer’s 50 Most Powerful People in Commercial Real Estate Finance in 2018.

Todd Phillips

SVP, Multifamily Lending
Capital One

Willy Walker

Chairman & CEO
Walker & Dunlop

Willy Walker is consistently recognized as one of the most influential executives in the United States commercial real estate finance industry. He joined the company in 2003 as executive vice president and chief operating officer and became chief executive officer in 2007. Under Mr. Walker’s leadership, Walker & Dunlop has grown from a small, family-owned business with one office and forty-six employees to become one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States with twenty-five offices and over five hundred employees. Walker & Dunlop has been named one of the "50 Fastest Growing Companies" in the Washington Region every year since 2011, named a "Great Places to Work" in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and named a “Top Workplace” by the Washington Post in 2014 and 2016. Investors in Walker & Dunlop’s IPO saw their stock appreciate 191% in the company’s first five years as a public company. Mr. Walker won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2011. Prior to joining Walker & Dunlop, Mr. Walker was president of the European and Latin American divisions of TeleTech, a global business process outsourcing company. He previously worked at private equity firm Newbridge Latin America, and was also general manager of a regional airline start-up in Argentina. He currently serves on the boards of the Mortgage Bankers Association, the Federal City Council, the Sustainable Technology Fund, and St. Albans School. Mr. Walker was Chairman of the Board of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) from 2008 until 2012, and Chairman of the Board of Transcom, a global business process outsourcing company, from 2007 until 2012. Mr. Walker received his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Lawrence University and Master’s degree in Business Administration from Harvard University. He has run the Boston Marathon in 2:36, is an avid cyclist, and can likely be found on the ski slopes of Sun Valley when not running Walker & Dunlop.

Brahm Cramer

Co-Chief Investment Officer
Prospect Ridge

Brahm Cramer is Co-Chief Investment Officer of Prospect Ridge. Prior to the formation of Prospect Ridge, he was a partner at AllianceBernstein (AB) and together with Jay Nydick, founded its U.S. Real Estate Investments group in 2009 and Commercial Real Estate Debt Group in 2013. Prior to AB, Mr. Cramer was a partner at Goldman Sachs, where he served as co-head of the Real Estate Principal Investment Area; co-chaired the Whitehall investment committees and served as chief financial officer of the Whitehall funds; served on the Firmwide Risk Committee; and oversaw the firm’s balance-sheet real estate positions. He holds a BCom (Hons) from Queen’s University in Canada and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He currently serves as the Board Chair for Civic Builders, a New York–based nonprofit that builds charter schools. Mr. Cramer serves on the Prospect Ridge, AB Real Estate Partners and AB Commercial Real Estate Debt Investment Committees.

Rick Kleeman

Founding Partner
Wheelock Street Capital

Rick Kleeman is a founder and Managing Partner of Wheelock Street Capital (“Wheelock”), a real estate private equity firm established in 2008. Since its inception, Wheelock has raised seven funds comprising over $4 billion of equity capital and has acquired over 160 properties nationwide. Mr. Kleeman has over 30 years experience with all major real estate asset classes.  Together with his partner and co-founder, Jonathan Paul, Mr. Kleeman has built Wheelock with a commitment to a set of guiding principles that prioritize returns to its investors over expansion of its asset base. Wheelock’s strategy is built around property level operating expertise and employs in-house “verticals” in hospitality, residential land and homebuilding, retail, office and industrial. These verticals are led by talented industry veterans who provide Wheelock with the ability to creatively reposition properties and enhance operating performance. Wheelock’s investment performance has consistently fallen in the top quartile of its industry peers.   Before founding Wheelock, Mr. Kleeman spent over 15 years at Starwood Capital Group, where he was one of the earliest partners and served as Senior Managing Director and Head of Acquisitions. At Starwood, Mr. Kleeman was directly or indirectly involved in the majority of the firm’s investments, which comprised over 215 transactions within all major asset classes, across eight equity funds and totaling $6 billion in institutional capital commitments.  Mr. Kleeman led the acquisition of Westin Hotels & Resorts, National and American Golf, and Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts in collaboration with Starwood Hotels, helped lead the acquisition of ITT Sheraton, and led the formation of Starwood Land Ventures and the growth of Troon Golf.  Mr. Kleeman serves on the Boards of the Norwalk Open Doors Shelter, The Waterside School in Stamford, CT and is a member of the President’s Leadership Council of Dartmouth College.   Mr. Kleeman received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar. He is the proud father of three children, Amanda, Andrew and Serena.