New York Hotel & Hospitality Conference

Mr. Dandapani is a hotel industry veteran who cofounded Apple Core Hotels, an owner-operator of boutique hotels in Manhattan in 1993 and was president of the company till December 2016. He was appointed President and Chief Executive officer of the Hotel Association in January 2017. He is an active participant in the hospitality industry and has spoken on hospitality issues at many forums sponsored by organizations such as the Lodging Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, the ALIS conference, University of California at Los Angeles, Columbia University, New York University and the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives. In 1998, he was recognized by Crain’s New York Business as one of the top 100 minority business leaders in New York City. In 2002, the Asian American Business Development Center, New York selected him as one of 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business. He has written in a number of industry publications and the mainstream media on topics affecting the hotel industry. As a Part of New York's response to the COVID crisis, Mr. Dandapani has been appointed by Mayor de Blasio to the COVID-19 Arts, Culture and Tourism Sector Advisory Council. He was also appointed by Governor Cuomo to the “New York Forward Advisory Board” tasked with guiding the state’s reopening strategy in the aftermath of the Covid 19 crisis. Mr. Dandapani has a Master’s degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and is a winner of the Aga Khan Foundation Scholar for graduate studies. He also holds the CHAE certification from HFTP.

Jay Morrow leads HWE’s New York Hospitality Investment Advisory practice. He specializes in institutional-grade hotel and resort property transactions throughout North America, including investment advisory and capital placement with both domestic and international buyers. Mr. Morrow is a frequent speaker at industry events, including the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference and other publications and conferences. He joined the firm in 2008 after earning of a B.B.A. in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, GA, where he was a four-year letterman and two-year captain of the Men’s Baseball team.

Anudeep Gosal is a seasoned hotel investment professional with a wealth of expertise in transaction advisory and asset management. As the Director of the Hotel Advisory Group at Besen Partners, Anudeep has dedicated his career to helping clients navigate the complexities of the hospitality sector. He is highly skilled in all aspects of hotel acquisitions, including sourcing, underwriting, deal structuring, financing, negotiations, due diligence, and closing. Anudeep's expertise extends across a wide range of hotel assets, including limited service, select service, and full-service properties. He is known for his ability to lead a team and establish a culture of hard work and exceptional service, while maintaining a focus on delivering results for his clients. He takes pride in his structured approach to the acquisition process and his aggressive marketing strategies, which have consistently resulted in competitive offers for his clients. With a deep understanding of the hotel industry and a commitment to delivering results, Anudeep is an invaluable resource for any organization looking to invest in hotel assets. He is passionate about the hospitality sector and is dedicated to helping his clients achieve their investment goals through his expertise and experience.

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.

As Director of Interior Design for RODE Architects, Jessica has been at the forefront of RODE's growth in the design of hospitality spaces (including hotels, restaurants, and amenities) as well as bringing her expertise to multi-family, corporate, complex institutional, and academic research facilities. Jessica brings a unique approach to RODE’s interiors projects by mixing the tried and true with originality and innovation. With 16 years of experience in the field, her leadership has helped RODE to integrate a more complete, full-service approach to the architectural practice. Jessica holds a BFA from Suffolk University and a MID from the Boston Architectural College. She remains connected to her Alma Mater as an adjunct faculty member at the BAC.

Michelle Acevedo is the Principal/Owner of MAD Hospitality Studio, LLC, a Washington DC area-based Design Firm offering Interior Design, Project Management, and Design Consulting Services to the Hospitality Industry since 2012. Prior to starting her own firm, she held the position of Vice President of Design at Tishman Hotel Corporation in New York City. During her 10+ year tenure at Tishman, she worked on a broad range of Hotel projects totaling over $5 Million annually, leading both the Design aspect as well as managing the Owner’s interest. With over 28 years of experience, including positions at top design firms Gensler and BBGM, Ms. Acevedo offers a unique skill set providing high-quality and effective design solutions while managing budgets and schedules. MAD Hospitality Studio, LLC offers specialized design services in the full-service, luxury, and boutique hospitality sectors, leading projects through the various phases from Conceptual Planning through Construction Administration, a start-to-finish comprehensive and effective design approach.

Mr. Davis is the Americas Chief Executive Officer in JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group in New York, where he is responsible for raising debt and equity capital for hotel owners and is one of the leaders of the Hotel Investment Banking group. In this role, Mr. Davis works closely with the lending community, including banks, life insurance companies, debt funds, mezzanine providers and CMBS lenders, as well as institutional owners of commercial real estate. Since joining JLL in 2013, Mr. Davis has been involved in almost $20 billion of financings which include ground-up construction projects, value-add/transitional assets and stabilized properties. Notable transactions include the financing of the JW Marriott Essex House, the Standard High Line, the One Hotel Central Park, Loews Regency San Francisco and the Ritz Carlton St. Thomas. Representative clients include ADIA, Ashford Hospitality, Barings, Blackstone Group, Highgate Hotels, Rockpoint Group, Starwood Capital and Walton Street Capital, among others. In 2020, Mr. Davis was named the Jack A. Shaffer Financial Advisor of the Year. Positions Prior to joining JLL, Mr. Davis spent almost a decade as a lender at Merrill Lynch and UBS, where he was involved in sourcing and executing over $7 billion of first mortgage and mezzanine financings for securitization and balance sheet. In this role, Mr. Davis was actively involved in loan origination, loan structuring and closing. Mr. Davis also spent three years as a partner and co-founder of FundCore Finance, a high yield lending platform that made opportunistic investments following the financial crisis. Previously, Mr. Davis worked as an attorney in Washington, D.C., where he covered banking and securities policy issues for members of the House and Senate Banking Committees. Education and Affiliations Mr. Davis holds a B.A. with Honors in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Scott Markowitz is a leading bankruptcy attorney in New York and frequently handles Chapter 11 cases across industries. Drawing upon his wide-ranging bankruptcy and restructuring background, Scott has particular experience handling Chapter 11 cases for hotels and is seen as an expert within this niche area of the New York hospitality industry. As co-chair of Tarter Krinsky & Drogin’s Bankruptcy and Corporate Restructuring Practice, Scott works alongside the Firm’s Real Estate Practice to handle all distressed real estate matters and guide clients through the process.