Registration Questions

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

Request Speaker Information

Speaker Topics

Tell us a Little More

Event Host

Convene 360 Madison Avenue

Convene 360 Madison Avenue

Located in Manhattan's Midtown East neighborhood, Convene 360 Madison Avenue is a three-level meeting and event venue. With 17 meeting spaces spanning 68,000 square feet, the venue is ideal for conferences, company town halls, planning meetings, or any event that requires multiple breakout spaces.

The location boasts a simple and sleek design with a dedicated Welcome Desk and reception area on each floor. Levels four and five are connected by a central staircare and each feature an 11-foot LED wall, offering additional branding opportunities. A full buy-out of all three floors can accommodate approximately 950 guests, and single-floor buyouts have a capacity of 331, 318, and 213, respectively. Convene 360 Madison Avenue provides a white box space allowing for client and event branding opportunities, in-house catering with customization options and dining private to each event, in room A/V technology supported by an on-site team, and dedicated hospitality resources.

The venue is easily accessible via public transportation and is in close proximity to Grand Central Station.

 

Join us for Coffee & Capital at the Event

Bisnow is hosting Coffee & Capital at this event, which you might be familiar with from our Escape & Ascent Events. This is an informal roundtable-type discussion where investors will discuss what investment opportunities they are looking for. There will be an opportunity for 20+ people to give a brief pitch and is a great opportunity for investors to discuss deals they are looking for and a way to find new capital partners. 

If you are interested in learning more or being involved, reach out to Chris Picher at chris.picher@bisnow.com. 

Speakers and Panels

Finance Forecast: Market Downturn, Preparing to Capitalize on 2026 & Potential Risk

How to Navigate the Major Investment Headwinds

David Greenburg

David Greenburg

Managing Director

Affinius Capital

Shannon Stotts

Shannon Stotts

Head of CRE Credit & Asset Management

Saluda Grade

Yorick Starr

Yorick Starr

MD

Invesco

Eugene Poverni

Eugene Poverni

CEO

Poverni Sheikh Group

Andrew Dansker

Andrew Dansker

CEO

Dansker Capital Group

Jack Conboy
Moderator

Jack Conboy

Partner

Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf

Shannon Stotts

Head of CRE Credit & Asset Management

Saluda Grade

Shannon Stotts is the Head of CRE Credit and Asset Management for Saluda Grade CRE. She has 25+ years in commercial real estate finance with an extensive track record in complex debt and equity transactions. Prior to joining Saluda Grade, she was Chief Credit Officer and Head of Asset Management for Real Estate Credit at Manulife Investment Management. Previously, she had various roles at Island Capital and its affiliates, serving as Chief Credit Officer for Exantas, a publicly traded mortgage REIT, and Managing Director in the Island New York City Recovery Fund. Prior to Island, she led Floating Rate Capital Markets at Natixis Real Estate Finance and had various roles in credit, structuring, and distribution at Lehman Brothers, including as a senior member of the team working out the commercial real estate portfolio post-bankruptcy. Ms. Stotts holds a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Quantitative Finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Yorick Starr

MD

Invesco

Yorick Starr is a Managing Director and Investment Officer at Invesco Real Estate. Yorick is

responsible for originating senior and mezzanine loans for the commercial real estate credit

lines of business a primary focus on the Northeast and Eastern US.

Yorick began his investment career in 2002 and joined Invesco Real Estate in 2017. Prior to

joining Invesco, he was a senior vice president of the commercial real estate group at Wells

Fargo based in New York, where he was responsible for managing a team of relationship

managers focused on institutional clients, overseeing originations, portfolio management and

day-to-day operations of the office. Yorick spent over 15 years at Wells Fargo in a variety

positions, including acquiring and financing sub-performing and performing commercial real

estate loan portfolios, managing commercial real estate loan workouts and working within a

specialty finance group.

Yorick earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of San Diego with

minors in accounting and computer science.

Eugene Poverni

CEO

Poverni Sheikh Group

Mr. Poverni’s expertise encompasses structuring and managing of the development life cycle, from project feasibility studies, to site control, financing, syndication, construction management, asset stabilization and disposition. Mr. Poverni founded the firm in 2011 and continues to be the driving force behinds its growth, and is thankful for the talented people that work at PSG to help make its’ projects and business lines a success day-in and day-out. Mr. Poverni holds a J.D. from the George Washington University, and an M.B.A from the University of Maryland.

Andrew Dansker

CEO

Dansker Capital Group

Andrew Dansker is the CEO and founder of Dansker Capital Group, a national mortgage brokerage firm with six U.S. offices and one international office. He oversees a team of 30 professionals originating commercial mortgage debt across all major asset types, with a particular focus on retail and multifamily properties. The firm primarily arranges bank and credit union financing while also executing agency, CMBS, life company, and bridge loan transactions as appropriate. Since its establishment as an independent company in 2020, Dansker Capital Group has placed well over $3 billion in commercial real estate loans nationwide.

Andrew believes the middle-market debt marketplace is under-served by professional, high-quality national firms and sees a significant opportunity for an enterprising company to fill that gap. His leadership vision is to build an organization that delivers institutional-quality service, execution, and results to the national middle-market debt space.

Andrew is a published industry commentator whose writing on the real estate lending market has appeared in The Commercial Observer, Real Estate Weekly, and New York Real Estate Journal. He is also a frequent industry speaker and contributor at conferences and events organized by Bisnow, GlobeSt, Interface, Commercial Observer, ConnectCRE, and other leading commercial real estate platforms. He has more than 15 years of experience in the real estate industry. Andrew earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Chicago and a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law.

Jack Conboy

Moderator

Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf

Jack Conboy is a Partner with the law firm of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf. He represents various financial institutions and real estate operators in connection with acquisitions, sales, financing and refinancing of commercial properties. He also counsels landlords and tenants in the leasing of commercial space. In addition, Mr. Conboy has experience in representing clients in the purchase and sale of residential real estate, including condominiums, cooperative apartments, and single and multi-family homes. Jack has been nominated to The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch in the category of Banking & Finance Law, and has also been named to Super Lawyers - New York Metro Rising Star. He earned a JD from St. John’s University School of Law and a BA from Bucknell University.

Acquisitions & Opportunities to Buy Distressed Assets

Most In-Demand Asset Classes, Top Geographies and Undervalued Properties

David Becker

David Becker

Senior Managing Director, Head of Equity Strategy

Time Equities

Stuart Milstein

Stuart Milstein

Founder and Principal

Drake Street Partners

D'Juan O'Donald

D'Juan O'Donald

Executive Director, Commercial & Investment Bank

J.P. Morgan

Brian Flax

Brian Flax

Executive Vice President of Sales

Meridian Capital

Matthew Scoville

Matthew Scoville

Partner

Hunton Andrews Kurth

Christopher Gorman
Moderator

Christopher Gorman

Member - Litigation

Rosenberg & Estis

David Becker

Senior Managing Director, Head of Equity Strategy

Time Equities

David Becker oversees all Equity Department personnel and capital market strategies including institutional equity, strategic joint ventures, family offices, tax exchanges, and a series of investment and debt funds offered throughout the Broker-Dealer financial advisory community to high-net-worth investors.

With a distinguished, 25-year career in real estate, Mr. Becker has extensive acquisitions and asset management experience across a variety of asset classes (including residential, industrial, office, retail and student housing), with concentrations in the US, Caribbean, and Western European markets.

Mr. Becker sits on a variety of TEl committees that serve to review company policies, evaluate new investment opportunities, develop long-term company strategy and plan for the continuity of TEI's legacy portfolio.

Mr. Becker is also a partner in The Becker Organization, a family real estate office run by his brother, Bryan Becker.

Mr. Becker graduated from Tulane University's A.B. Freeman School of Business with dual degrees in Finance and Accounting and holds securities licenses 22 and 63 with Time Equities Securities (TES).

D'Juan O'Donald

Executive Director, Commercial & Investment Bank

J.P. Morgan

D’Juan O’Donald’s career has spanned Commercial Real Estate, Distressed/Special Situations, Structured Finance, Institutional Investment Management and Capital Markets. D’Juan sits in JPMorgan’s Commercial & Investment Bank and currently spearheads a new platform to manage, and maximize value of, a national portfolio of large-scale, distressed and undervalued properties. Previously, D’Juan was responsible for investment strategy, acquisitions, redevelopments, and dispositions across JPMorgan’s balance sheet-owned real estate & REO portfolio ($20B). Prior to JPMC, he was sourced and executed equity, debt, and structured capital solutions ($2B) in the private market for institutional and middle market investors at Ackman Ziff. Before Ackman Ziff, he was employed by H/2 Capital Partners ($12B AUM international fund manager). While at H/2, D’Juan underwrote, managed, sourced, structured, and acquired CMBS, CDOs, senior mortgages, NPL’s, corporate loans, secondary equity fund LP interests and net-leased real estate, plus participated in investor relations activities. D’Juan began his career at LNR Property Corporation, a subsidiary of Starwood Property Trust, in the Real Estate Investment Management, Finance & Servicing Group, where he amassed a breadth and depth of experience by remaining active in every part of the economic cycle by rotating through each revenue generating business unit. Highlights include directly facilitating the acquisition of subordinate, unrated bonds from CMBS pools ($16B); distressed loan restructures/workouts ($500MM); assisting in the partnership formation with FinTech company Ten-X (f/k/a Auction.com) and evaluating B-Notes, mezzanine loans, REOs, NPLs, RPLs, distressed, special situation and other opportunistic real estate equity and high yield credit investments ($10B). D’Juan holds an M.B.A. from The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (Finance & Management), is a CAIA charterholder and obtained a B.A. in Mathematics from Duke University. On campus, D’Juan competed on the Football and Track & Field teams and was a member of the Duke Investment Club. Subsequently, D’Juan was a professional athlete in the Arena Football League. As an active member of the community, D’Juan serves as a board member of the DowntownDC BID (on the Finance Committee), previously served on the Advisory Board of the Robert F. Kennedy Young Leaders (RFK Human Rights Center) and volunteered with the Duke Alumni Clubs of NY and South Florida.

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.

Matthew Scoville

Partner

Hunton Andrews Kurth

Matthew is widely known for closing major deals in New York City and helping clients build real estate portfolios across the United States and beyond. A powerful negotiator who understands the legal and business issues on both sides of a transaction, Matt is respected by his clients, opposing counsel and other parties alike for his result-driven approach. This ability to shepherd complex transactions to a successful conclusion is evidenced by his impressive client list.

As a partner in the firm’s capital finance and real estate practice, Matt cuts a wide swath across the real estate industry by advising owners, developers, investors and lenders, among them REITS, private equity funds and family offices, on a variety of transactions. These include construction and real estate finance, acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, real estate developments, preferred equity investments, mezzanine loan originations, and secondary market purchases, leasing, and loan workouts and restructurings. Well-connected in the real estate world, Matt looks to generate business for his clients by introducing them to potential partners and new deals.

He is active in pro bono work and leads the coordination of the annual NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program in New York, which brings high school seniors from The Urban Assembly School for Law & Justice into the firm to teach them about the law and legal careers, encourage them to enter the field and support them in their pursuits.

Christopher Gorman

Moderator

Rosenberg & Estis

Christopher A. Gorman joined Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. in 2023 and is a

Member with the firm’s Litigation Department.

Gorman concentrates his practice in all phases of complex commercial

litigation in State and Federal Courts. Gorman has litigated cases on behalf

of corporations and individuals involving a variety of substantive areas of the

law, including breach of contract, commercial and residential mortgage fore-

closure actions, construction litigation, landlord-tenant litigation, partnership

and shareholder disputes, bankruptcy litigation, estate litigation, employment

and restrictive covenant disputes, RICO, trademark litigation, and a wide

array of real estate-related litigation. Gorman also serves as outside general

counsel to several start-up entities and other corporations providing advice

to clients on all general corporate, mergers and acquisitions, contract and

employment-related matters.

Gorman has been designated as a New York Super Lawyer in Business

Litigation since 2021, a distinction earned by only 5% of the lawyers in the

NY metro area. Gorman was selected as a “New York Super Lawyers Rising

Star” in the area of business litigation for the years 2013 through 2017. In

2016, Gorman was selected by the Long Island Business News as one of

Long Island’s “40 Under 40” future business leaders of Long Island.

Gorman is frequently called upon to lecture to the Bar on various matters.

Recent presentations include a presentation made on behalf of the Nassau

County Bar Association entitled “The Anatomy of a Mortgage Foreclosure

Action,” a presentation made on behalf of the Construction Law Committee

of the Nassau County Bar Association on New York State’s Prompt Payment

Act, a presentation made on behalf of the New Jersey Law Journal entitled

“Recent Developments in the Law Governing the Preservation of Electron-

ically Stored Information,” as well as a program on behalf of the New York

State Bar Association entitled “Debt Collection and the Enforcement of

Money Judgments,” where Gorman’s presentation focused upon the ethical

obligations of lawyers and others collecting consumer debts, including obli-

gations imposed by the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Gorman

also regularly publishes articles on matters of interest to the Bar. Articles that

Gorman has authored have appeared in, among other publications, the New

York Law Journal, Law360, Nassau Lawyer, and the Vermont Law Review.

Prior to joining Rosenberg & Estis, Gorman was a Partner with Abrams

Fensterman, LLP, where he served as the Director of the Real Estate and

Construction Litigation Department.

Financing Construction Deals: Ground-up Projects, Conversions & Capital Improvements

Hear What Types of Developments are Attracting Capital

Russell Young

Russell Young

EVP, Investment Management Group

RXR

David Friedman

David Friedman

EVP, Chief Credit Officer

Arbor Realty Trust

Aaron Krawitz

Aaron Krawitz

Founder & CEO

Bravo Capital

Max Herzog

Max Herzog

Executive Managing Director

IPA

Chris Lawton

Chris Lawton

Managing Director

Nuveen Green Capital

Ilya Leyvi
Moderator

Ilya Leyvi

Partner

Adler & Stachenfeld

David Friedman

EVP, Chief Credit Officer

Arbor Realty Trust

David Friedman is Arbor’s Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer and Head of Non-Agency Production & Syndications. He joined Arbor in February 2022 as Executive Vice President responsible for leading Arbor’s loan-syndicated lending platform tasked with the development of its strategic partnerships for loan origination and establishing access to new sources of capital, as well as managing and growing existing relationships to fund Arbor’s business needs. In May 2024, David was given expanded responsibilities and named as Chief Credit Officer and Head of Non-Agency Production & Syndications. As Chief Credit Officer, David sets go-forward credit policy for all lines of business, excluding Agency, and has day-to-day responsibility, oversight, and decision-making authority over Arbor’s credit function and process for new originations on Structured Finance, Residential Financing (SFR and BTR), and Non-Agency Lending and Investments platforms. As Head of Non-Agency Production & Syndications, David has oversight and responsibility for: Arbor Private Label (APL), Arbor Private Investment (API), Arbor Private Construction (APC), Mezzanine Debt Lending and Preferred Equity Investments. In addition to those responsibilities, David continues to lead the firm’s direction in syndicated and capital markets and mortgage-related fund formation efforts.

Bringing over two decades of experience in commercial real estate lending, origination, credit, and directing syndication efforts at institutional groups, David is adept at successfully establishing and managing multiple programs. Prior to Arbor, he held leadership roles at financial powerhouses such as Greystone, TD Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and PNC Bank.

David holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Finance & Investment from NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Babson College.

Aaron Krawitz

Founder & CEO

Bravo Capital

For over 15 years, Aaron Krawitz has overseen a number of the most sophisticated real estate transactions in the nation. Mr. Krawitz is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bravo Capital. He sits on its Management Committee and its Credit Committee. Mr. Krawitz was formerly the President at Dwight Capital and previously held various positions at Gibson Dunn and Skadden Arps. Mr. Krawitz received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania (with honors), and a JD from Michigan Law School (Michigan Law Review).

Chris Lawton

Managing Director

Nuveen Green Capital

Chris Lawton is Managing Director, Head of Originations for Nuveen Green Capital – a leading provider of sustainable commercial real estate finance. With over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate structured finance, Chris leads NGC’s growth and originations strategies – with focus on C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) deal structuring and lending.

Prior to NGC, Chris was with Bank OZK (formerly Bank of the Ozarks), where he was Managing Director of Northeast Originations for the bank’s Real Estate Specialties Group in New York City. In his time with Bank OZK, Chris closed over $8 billion of construction and bridge facilities, formed the bank’s life-science lending program, and built the bank’s loan portfolio in Boston and Philadelphia.

Before joining Bank OZK, Chris was a Director in the New York office of Frankfurt, Germany-based DekaBank, where, in 2009, he helped establish the bank’s first U.S. office. From 2004 to 2009, he was with Hypo Real Estate Capital where he originated, structured, and closed over $4 billion of senior and mezzanine commercial real estate financings. Chris began his real estate career in 2003 as an Analyst with CBRE Capital Markets.

Chris graduated with a B.S in Business from Miami University and an M.S. in Real Estate from New York University.

Ilya Leyvi

Moderator

Adler & Stachenfeld

Ilya Leyvi chairs Adler & Stachenfeld’s Real Estate Finance Practice, where he facilitates some of the largest and most complex commercial real estate debt deals in the U.S. and internationally.

Recognized as an astute and approachable counsel, Mr. Leyvi represents lenders and borrowers with bridge loans, construction loans, mezzanine loans, commercial mortgage-backed securities loans, and preferred equity investments involving industrial, hotel, multi-family, self-storage, and specialty properties.

As a practice leader, he is responsible for structuring and executing complicated commercial real estate debt platforms and arrangements for lenders, as well as borrowers, and identifying growth opportunities for his clients. Mr. Leyvi excels in this regard in part through his collaborative approach by working closely with his clients and their deal counterparts. He ensures that all parties walk away knowing their positions are heard and carefully considered – ultimately enabling him to make highly intricate structured transactions move forward seamlessly.

GP & LP Partnerships: Who is Looking for What, Where & Why?

Equity, Debt, GP's & Other Capital Sources

Peter Lewis

Peter Lewis

Chairman & President

Wharton Equity Partners

Ron Dalal

Ron Dalal

Partner

Declaration Partners

Marion Jones

Marion Jones

Principal and Executive Managing Director

Avison Young

Jason Weissman

Jason Weissman

Founder

The Broadway Company

Tom Lesnick

Tom Lesnick

Managing Partner

Admiral Real Estate Advisors

Christopher Terry
Moderator

Christopher Terry

Partner

Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C.

Peter Lewis

Chairman & President

Wharton Equity Partners

Mr. Lewis is Chairman and founder of Wharton Industrial, a fully integrated investor and

developer of last mile, urban infill and larger distribution facilities located along the

Eastern Seaboard, Florida and the Southeast United States. Wharton Industrial is a

platform company of New York-based real estate investment firm, Wharton Equity

Partners, which Mr. Lewis founded in 1987.

In forming Wharton Industrial in 2017, Mr. Lewis sought to capitalize on the secular

change in industrial real estate brought on by the emergence of e-commerce. Since that

time, Wharton Industrial has acquired and developed over 4.5 million SF of warehouses.

Notable transactions include the development of a 988,000-SF bulk distribution facility in

Atlanta, GA which was leased to Phillips van Heusen before completion; the acquisition

of a 283,500-SF former subway repair facility in Philadelphia, which was completely

renovated into a last-mile distribution center, leased to Amazon and sold in November

2020; and the development of a 617,000-SF bulk distribution warehouse located in Ocala,

FL, which was leased to Amazon and sold to a REIT at the highest per-square-foot price

ever achieved in the market in June 2020.

Wharton Industrial’s growth has been fueled by joint ventures with such firms as Starwood

Capital, Carlyle and Walton Street Capital.

Wharton Industrial’s market leadership and forward-thinking approach flows from that of

its parent company, Wharton Equity Partners. Over the course of the last three decades,

Mr. Lewis has been the visionary force behind shaping Wharton Equity’s prowess as an

opportunistic investor that has consistently been ahead of the curve in making large bets

on emerging real estate trends in industrial, multi-family, self-storage and other asset

classes.

Over his career, Mr. Lewis has been involved in well over $2 billion of real estate

transactions. In addition, Mr. Lewis and Wharton Equity are active venture capital

investors with a focus on later-stage growth companies. The firm’s current holdings

include positions in Dataminr and Latch.

Mr. Lewis received his BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of

Pennsylvania and his MBA from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He

is a sought-after industry speaker and a frequent guest lecturer at Columbia Business

School on the topic of “The Future of Real Estate.” Mr. Lewis resides in Old Westbury,

Long Island with his wife and three children.

Ron Dalal

Partner

Declaration Partners

Ron Dalal is a Partner and member of the real estate investment team in the Bethesda, MD office, and is a voting member of Declaration’s Real Estate Investment Committee. Prior to joining Declaration in 2018, Ron was a Vice President at JBG SMITH Properties (formerly The JBG Companies). In this role, Ron focused on property-level real estate acquisitions, development joint ventures, and corporate initiatives. Prior to that, he was an Investment Manager at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), based in the UAE. While at ADIA, his primary focus was on real estate acquisitions and asset management in the US, Canada, and Latin America, across all property types.

Ron began his career in the investment banking and investment management group at Goldman Sachs. Ron graduated from University of Maryland. Ron currently serves on the board of the Robert H. Smith School of Business Foundation and is a member of the Global Exchange Council with the Urban Land Institute. Outside of work, Ron enjoys traveling, hiking, and attempting to fly fish.

Marion Jones

Principal and Executive Managing Director

Avison Young

Marion Jones is a Principal and Executive Managing Director of U.S. Capital Markets at Avison Young, based in the firm’s Manhattan office. In her role, Marion spearheads the firm’s capital markets strategy, driving strategic growth, expanding market share, and positioning Avison Young for continued success in both domestic and global markets. Through her dynamic leadership, she is committed to deepening the firm’s capital markets footprint across the U.S., enhancing client relationships, and fostering a collaborative environment that ensures client-focused solutions. Marion’s emphasis on cross-functional communication and teamwork empowers her to deliver exceptional results grounded in a comprehensive understanding of market trends, data-driven technology, and industry connectivity.

With over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate—spanning debt and equity, sales, market expansion, and team-building—Marion has closed more than $9 billion in transactions. Her strategic expertise is recognized across both middle-market and institutional sectors, where she has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor, known for her ability to drive impactful market positioning and solve complex challenges with innovative, interdisciplinary approaches. Marion’s leadership is characterized by a commitment to advancing our clients’ objectives, as well as championing the growth and development of her team.

As a member of Avison Young’s U.S. Executive Committee, Marion works closely with the U.S. Capital Markets Executive Committee to ensure strategic alignment and foster a unified vision for the firm’s success. Her credentials also include licenses as a broker in New York and Connecticut.

Marion’s previous leadership experience as Managing Director of Capital Markets at JLL, as well as her roles at Ackman-Ziff, Eastern Consolidated, and CBRE, further solidify her as a highly regarded thought leader and key influencer in the commercial real estate industry. She is an active member of Urban Land Institute and WX (Women Executive in NY Real Estate). She has taught at the graduate level at Fordham University’s Real Estate Institute and been recognized with several industry awards. Marion is deeply involved in her community of Westport CT, serving on the Affordable Housing Advisory Board of Homes with Hope, a local affordable housing non-profit as well as volunteering in her local parish and at the Westport Public Library.

Jason Weissman

Founder

The Broadway Company

Jason S. Weisman was born in Boston, MA. He attended Newton South High School, graduated from Curry College in three years and received an MBA from Babson College. While attending university, Jason began his career in real estate working for a local brokerage company and that is where he fell in love with the built environment and the art of the deal.

Mr. Weissman founded Boston Realty Advisors in 2001. At the time, Jason was a pioneer, one of the first in the industry to embrace the live-work-play model, now known as “mixed-use”. He launched the firm with multiple service lines under one roof – created leadership roles for multifamily, office, retail, hospitality and user housing – and became the largest, independent real estate services firm in New England.

Mr. Weissman manages the investment sales and capital markets platform, with an owner-aligned philosophy. He represents some of the most distinguished investors on strategic real estate matters, having transacted millions of square feet worth billions of dollars throughout his career.

Mr. Weissman is an industry thought leader and enjoys a reputation of being creative and an out-of-the-box thinker. He regularly appears in local and industry publications, is a part of the Forbes Real Estate Council and has been a guest speaker at Harvard, MIT and Suffolk University.

Jason advocates to preserve the authenticity of Boston, while also ensuring its growth as a leading city of global innovation. He is the founder of The Broadway Company, a real estate investment company with over 60 investment properties in North America and is an active member of numerous organizations including the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

Mr. Weissman’s advises on the largest transformative projects in Boston; from concept through delivery. His dedication to Boston extends to multiple special cause issues and organizations including Boston Children’s Hospital and Combined Jewish Philanthropies. He is an avid runner and a foreign film buff, including credited as executive producer for multiple films. He and his wife reside in South Boston.

Tom Lesnick

Managing Partner

Admiral Real Estate Advisors

Tom Lesnick is a corporate finance, real estate, and capital markets professional with deep expertise in navigating complex transactions and guiding executives through pivotal strategic and investment decisions. His efforts have facilitated the raising of over $25 billion in institutional capital for a diverse real estate clientele, ranging from large, public REITs to private, closely held sponsors across all property types.

Before establishing Admiral Real Estate Advisors, Tom served in Truist’s Real Estate Corporate and Investment Banking group, focusing on REIT investment banking and private capital advisory. His prior roles include positions in investment banking and equity research at Baird, D.A. Davidson, and Capital One, where as a Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst he led coverage of Apartment, Industrial, Office, and Student Housing REITs.

Tom earned a BBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, graduating with Honors in Finance. Additionally, he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and Series 7, 63, 79, 86, and 87 registrations with FINRA. He currently lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and two sons.

Christopher Terry

Moderator

Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C.

Chris Terry is a partner in the Real Estate Practice Group of Kleinberg Kaplan. He advises a diverse group of clients, including investors, owners, operators, developers, lenders and borrowers, in the areas of real estate and real estate finance law, including joint venture transactions, real estate development, sales and acquisitions, financing, leasing and real estate private equity across the continental United States and Hawaii. He has particular experience in medical office and healthcare development.

Chris is a member of the inaugural Rising Leaders Council (“RLC”) of Revista. In his role on the RLC, Chris, alongside other selected leaders across the healthcare real estate industry, acts as a resource to the Revista Advisory Board and Executive Team. As the sole legal advisor on the council, Chris offers a strong and diverse perspective as it relates to investments, best practices and industry trends.

Debt: Lending on Deals Amidst Changing Rates & Evolving Lending Sources

Banks, Debt Funds, Other Lending Sources-- Rates, Risk and Assessing Returns

Stephanie Wiggins

Stephanie Wiggins

Head of Production, Agency Lending

PGIM Real Estate

David Hochfelder

David Hochfelder

CIO

Naftali Group

Charles Rigoglioso

Charles Rigoglioso

Senior Director

Berkadia

Robbie Pinkas

Robbie Pinkas

SVP

Pace Loan Group

Edward James (E.J.) Edelman

Edward James (E.J.) Edelman

Partner

CohnReznick

John Rickert
Moderator

John Rickert

Principal & Founder

Lee & Associates | Cincinnati

Stephanie Wiggins

Head of Production, Agency Lending

PGIM Real Estate

Stephanie Wiggins is managing director and head of production for Agency and FHA Lending with

PGIM Real Estate. Based in Arlington, Virginia, she leads loan originations for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac,

Affordable and FHA multifamily loans, and focuses on the development of strategic initiatives that serve

to expand business opportunities and facilitate growth.

Stephanie is a highly accomplished and recognized senior leader, with over 35 years of demonstrable

success in commercial real estate financial services, having overseen the origination of thousands of

transactions nationwide. In addition, Stephanie is deeply committed to the creation and preservation

of affordable housing, as well as the promotion of a more inclusive Commercial Real Estate Finance

industry. She is a frequent participant in forums and panels sponsored by industry associations and

agencies that focus on these important issues.

Prior to joining the company in 2021, Stephanie served as senior vice president and chief production

officer for the FHA team at Walker and Dunlop. She also served a 19-year tenure as executive vice

president and chief investment officer for AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, a socially responsible

fixed-income investment fund where she managed multifamily originations and operations with a focus on

FHA and Agency executions.

Stephanie serves as a board member of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association, a professional

association of affordable housing and multifamily owners, developers, and professionals. She also holds

key roles within several industry associations, including memberships in the National Multifamily Housing

Council (NMHC) Finance Committee, NMHC’s DEI Subcommittee; Urban Land Institute’s (ULI’s)

Public Private Partnership Council, ULI’s Women’s Leadership Initiative; Mortgage Bankers Association’s

COMBOG Council, and MBA’s Commercial Council as Chair; Freddie Mac’s Head of Production

Council and the Real Estate Executive Council (REEC).

Within PGIM, Stephanie serves as a member of the US Debt Executive Council. Stephanie also serves as

chair for the board of directors for The Campagna Center, a nonprofit organization that provides

educational and social development programs for underserved children, teens and adults in Alexandria,

Virginia.

Stephanie earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from American University’s Kogod

School of Business, where she studied real estate and urban development.

David Hochfelder

CIO

Naftali Group

As Chief Investment Officer atThe Naftali Group, David oversees the company’s

acquisitions group and is responsible for the sourcing, structuring and execution of the firm’s

investments.

Previously, David was Director of Acquisitions at RFR Holding, where he was instrumental in executing

more than $2.5 billion of property acquisitions and credit investments encompassing over 3.5 million

square feet of assets across the office, residential, retail and hotel sectors. Prior to RFR David worked at

The City Investment Fund, a real estate private equity fund, where he was responsible for underwriting

and executing the fund’s acquisitions. David began his career at The Lightstone Group as a financial

analyst supporting the firm’s nationwide property and credit investments.

David graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Philosophy, and

completed an MBA at Columbia Business School and an M.S. in Real Estate from New York University.

Charles Rigoglioso

Senior Director

Berkadia

Charles Rigoglioso is a Senior Director in the New York City and New Jersey offices. He has been a commercial real estate finance professional since 2012 and is primarily responsible for the origination and placement of both debt and structured finance transactions for all property types throughout the U.S. Throughout his career, Mr. Rigoglioso has utilized his prior lending experience to provide creative financing

structures and capital placements for his clients. He has participated in originating,

underwriting, and processing in excess of $10 billion of debt, equity, and mezzanine

loan transactions.

Prior to joining Berkadia in April of 2018, Charles was Senior Multifamily Policy Analyst at the Federal Housing Financing Agency (FHFA), a Washington D.C. regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Prior to FHFA, Mr. Rigoglioso was a director at Berkely Point Capital (now Newmark), specializing in debt and equity placements. The genesis of Mr. Rigoglioso’ real estate career started at Prudential (PGIM Real Estate), responsible for underwriting and closing structured real estate debt secured by commercial properties.

Robbie Pinkas

SVP

Pace Loan Group

Robbie Pinkas joined PLG in 2024 as Senior Vice President of Originations. He brings over 15 years of experience to the role, including three years leading transaction execution and program authority relationships at North Bridge, a C-PACE lender.

At PLG, Robbie is responsible for loan origination, loan underwriting, and portfolio monitoring. Prior to PLG, he worked in progressively senior roles at Credit Suisse, Google, Douglaston Development, and The Collective, a London-based co-living company.

Robbie graduated from Harvard University with an AB in History, cum laude.

Edward James (E.J.) Edelman

Partner

CohnReznick

E.J. Edelman provides portfolio valuations, real estate appraisals, business valuations, and financial consulting/reporting services related to acquisition, mortgage, estate, ad valorem tax, condemnation, litigation, and other purposes. He leads the national audit valuation group which includes review services for valuations of real estate, complex financial instruments, and businesses.

John Rickert

Moderator

Lee & Associates | Cincinnati

John’s diverse real estate background includes extensive property management experience with central business district class A office high rise, industrial, office/flex, retail, suburban office, and public facilities management.

In addition to his property management background, John has distinguished himself in all aspects of tenant improvement and building construction. John has worked for such industry leaders as Hines Interests, Cabot Industrial Trust (now Cabot Properties) and CB Richard Ellis. John received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science at the University of Richmond. John is a graduate of Culver Military Academy and a former United States Army Officer and helicopter pilot.

EXPERIENCE:

Principal and Founder - Cincinnati, Ohio 2001 to Present

RICORE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.

GENERAL CONTRACTING PARTNERS, LLC.

RICORE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SPECIAL ASSETS, LLC.

Vice President and Midwest/West Regional Director

Cabot Industrial Trust

Cincinnati, Ohio

1998 –December 2001

Vice President and Director

Commercial/CB Richard Ellis

Cincinnati, Ohio

1994 – 1998

AFFILIATIONS

• Former Chairman, Deerfield, Ohio Township Trustee Advisory Board

• Former Board of Zoning Appeals Commissioner, Deerfield Township

• Founder & Former President, Cincinnati Chapter – Culver Alumni Association

• Member Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)

• Member Institute of Real Estate Management

• Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM)

EDUCATION

• United States Army Flight Training Academy, Fort Rucker, Alabama, 1988

• University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, 1987 - BA, Economics

• Culver Military Academy, Culver, Indiana, 1983 - Cum Laude

• Active Real Estate Broker’s License, Ohio – 2003 to present

• Active Real Estate Broker’s License, Kentucky – 2009 to present

Evolving Capital Stack: How to Structure Deals & Quantify Returns

The Latest on Structuring Deals & What This Means for Payouts and Waterfalls

Adam Gibbons

Adam Gibbons

Co-Head, Chief Investment Officer

GID Credit

Jason Hernandez

Jason Hernandez

Head of Real Estate Debt, Americas

Nuveen Real Estate

Anthony Ledesma

Anthony Ledesma

Founding Partner

DIA Capital Group

Brian Murray

Brian Murray

Partner, Head of Americas

Clifton Blake Asset Management

Drew Fletcher

Drew Fletcher

President

Greystone Capital Advisors

Ryan Moore
Moderator

Ryan Moore

Director

Citrin Cooperman

Jason Hernandez

Head of Real Estate Debt, Americas

Nuveen Real Estate

Jason leads the originations platform in the Americas for Nuveen Real Estate and is focused on further expanding the firm’s third-party real estate debt business.

Prior to joining the business in 2018, Jason was a managing director at ACORE Capital where he led a team responsible for the sourcing and execution of structured finance investments, including mortgage, mezzanine and preferred equity. As one of the initial employees of ACORE, he helped grow the firm from a start-up, to one of the largest private lenders in the United States, with $9 billion AUM in just under three years. Jason has also held a number of roles at GE Capital Real Estate. Most recently he was a senior director in the strategic capital group focused on whole loan origination with institutional clients.

Jason graduated with a B.S. from Illinois State University and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School. He is a graduate of the GE Capital Financial Management Programme with roles including finance, underwriting and M&A and is a member of Commercial Real Estate Finance Council.

Anthony Ledesma

Founding Partner

DIA Capital Group

Anthony Ledesma is the Founding Partner of DIA Capital Group. With nearly 20 years

of experience and a career spanning over $40 billion in commercial real estate

transactions, Anthony brings deep industry expertise across both advisory and principal

investment roles.

Before founding DIA Capital Group, Anthony was a Managing Director and Co-Head at

Hodges Ward Elliott (HWE), where he played a key role in expanding the platform

beyond New York and into new verticals. Prior to HWE, he served as Managing Director

and Co-Head of JLL’s New York Institutional Investment Sales team, where he became

the youngest professional ever promoted to MD at that level within the firm.

Over the course of his career, Anthony has led landmark transactions, including 550

Madison Avenue / Sony Building (Office – $1.4 billion), 5 Bryant Park (Office – $640

million), Tower 56 (Office Recapitalization – $275 million), The Cole (Multifamily – $130

million), and 156 East 56th Street (Land – $104 million). He began his career at CBRE’s

Institutional Properties Group, executing both buy-side and sell-side mandates for

institutional clients.

On the principal investing side, Anthony has also held senior leadership roles, including

Head of Investments at Wolf Realty, where he oversaw an 86-property multifamily

portfolio across the tri-state area.

He holds a B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania and is a frequent guest lecturer for

the David Hirsch Fellows Program at NYU. Anthony lives in New York with his wife,

Danielle, and their two children, Isabella and Antonio.

Drew Fletcher

President

Greystone Capital Advisors

Drew Fletcher is President 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 best-in-class Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, CMBS, Bridge, balance-sheet and special situation lending platforms.

Drew has over 24 years of commercial real estate experience. Prior to joining Greystone, Drew served as Chief Financial Officer of Edison Properties LLC, one of the largest private real estate owners in New York City, with a portfolio of urban self-storage, office, mixed-use, and multifamily assets, as well as 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 Masters of Accountancy in Taxation from Rutgers University. He volunteers his time as a guest lecturer at the NYU Real Estate Institute and is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York and the Urban Land Institute. Drew also serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of Greystone Housing Impact Investors L.P. (NYSE: GHI), a publicly traded limited partnership that provides debt and equity financing to affordable and market-rate multifamily housing. Drew was named to the Commercial Observer’s 50 Most Powerful People in Commercial Real Estate Finance.

Ryan Moore

Moderator

Citrin Cooperman

Ryan is a director in Citrin Cooperman’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Practice based out of the New York City office focusing on real estate clients and specializing in providing ongoing finance operations, decision support, and special finance projects to middle-market companies. Ryan’s experience includes many different asset classes including multifamily, mixed-use, office, triple-net, retail, hospitality, and storage facilities. Ryan is the Chair of the firm’s Advisory Growth Committee and a member of the firm’s Real Estate Committee.

Ryan joined Citrin Cooperman in September 2021 after working as a director of accounting for a private equity real estate firm based in New York City.

Why to Attend the Annual Finance Conference

Join us in New York City for our National Commercial Real Estate Finance Conference in September. Bisnow's premier finance conference, hosted annually in New York City. This event attracts the top speakers annually for a capital markets focused conference will feature top lenders, borrowers, owners, developers, banks, institutional capital, family offices, debt funds, brokers, lawyers and more. 

What you'll learn:     

  • Hear from the most active capital sources on their deployment strategies and the types of deals that pencil favorable returns in this market place.

  • Gain a better understanding how the political environment both nationally and locally is impacting investor sentiment.

  • Banks, debt funds and other lending entities will opine on the debt markets and how the lack of clarity from the fed is impacting deal volume, loan size and lender's risk appetite.

  • Hear from the nation's top GPs & LPs about the equity markets and how successful joint ventures are changing how top firms are approaching investment opportunities.

  • Top executives will share lessons learned from this current market cycle and how to prepare for what is ahead in 2026.

  • Hear nationally about macroeconomic factors, population trends as well as supply and demand dynamics that are influencing deal flow and pricing.

  • Panelists will touch on the role of regional banks and how market trends are changing the way sponsors secure financing.

  • The commercial real estate industry will discuss the distressed financing market, including workouts, the impact of maturing loans and 1031 exchanges.

  • Understand how the nation's top debt providers and private equity shops are approaching opportunistic and value-add investment plays.

How you'll do more business:

Enhance your business and network by hearing from the nation's leading deal makers on the future of commercial real estate debt, value-add investments and how the industry is evaluating the geo-political impact of their investments. Hear from c-level executives and heads of real estate from the top owners, investors, debt providers and brokers on strategies to find the right deals. 

Who attends: Investors, developers, owners, lenders, banks, equity raisers, debt funds, family offices, brokers, lawyers, accountants, heads of real estate and consultants. 

Why You Should Attend: 

Bisnow Super Regional Events are bigger, bolder and even more of what you need to close deals. This event will feature c-level executive speakers and global heads of real estate that are changing the financing and investment landscapes. 

Super Regional events are custom built to deliver the most ROI on your day. Get exposure to the top decision makers as they hit the stage to share the inside scoop on upcoming projects and unexpected perspectives. With unparalleled networking opportunities throughout, you’ll connect with the leads you actually need.

For questions, recommendations, comments, or press inquiries please email our Director of New York Events, Chris Picher at chris.picher@bisnow.com. 

To request disability-related accommodations, please contact audrey.sullivan@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

Featured Finance Deals and Investment News

Venue

Convene
360 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017

Floor: 6th Floor

 
 
Get Directions

Agenda

Time Activity
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
Coffee, Breakfast & Networking
1:00 PM
1:45 PM
Finance Forecast: Lessons Learned from the Market Downturn & Preparing to Capitalize on 2026

1. Analyze key takeaways from recent market volatility and how they are reshaping investment, development, financing and lending strategies.
2. Explore forward-looking indicators and investor sentiment heading into 2026.

1:45 PM
2:30 PM
Acquisitions & Opportunities to Buy Distressed Assets

1. Identify where distress is emerging and how to source deals before they go to market.
2. Assess the risks and rewards of investing in undervalued properties.
3. Learn how capital providers are underwriting distressed opportunities today.

2:30 PM
2:45 PM
Networking & Coffee Break
2:45 PM
3:30 PM
Financing Construction Deals: Ground-up Projects, Conversions & Capital Improvements

1. Navigate funding challenges in today’s tighter credit environment for development.
2. Compare lender appetite for ground-up construction vs. adaptive reuse and renovations as well as the size of projects.

3:30 PM
4:15 PM
GP & LP Partnerships: Who is Looking for What, Where & Why?

1. Examine evolving preferences in deal structures, returns, and markets.
2. Discover how GPs and LPs are aligning interests in a risk-sensitive environment.
3. Hear directly from investors on where capital is flowing and why. What does this mean for institutional capital as well as family offices.

4:15 PM
4:35 PM
Lunch & Networking!
4:35 PM
5:15 PM
Coffee & Capital (During Lunch Break)

The industry’s top capital sources will talk about where their money is winning deals right now. You’ll hear directly from them — what’s working, what’s not, how they’re navigating the market, and if they'll invest in your deal!

5:15 PM
6:00 PM
Debt: Lending on Deals Amidst Changing Rates

1. Gain insights on how lenders are pricing deals with interest rate uncertainty.
2. Compare loan terms, leverage, and covenants across asset classes.
3. Understand the new underwriting norms shaping debt markets.

6:00 PM
6:45 PM
Evolving Capital Stack: How to Structure Deals & Quantify Returns

1. Explore creative approaches to layering debt, equity, and mezz financing.
2. Understand how to underwrite returns amid shifting market assumptions.
3. Learn how to model risk-adjusted returns in today’s capital environment.

6:45 PM
6:55 PM
Networking

PS - Want the attendee list for free?

Biscred gives you access to 4.6 million commercial real estate contacts and powerful filters built for CRE: search by industry, asset class experience, property count, job seniority, metros, and more. Book a demo today and get the attendee list for free when you mention this promotion.