New York Healthcare Real Estate Conference

Since joining Atkins Companies in 2012, Cory has been involved with the development, investment, financing, and property management of the expanding portfolio of properties. He is a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson in the State of New Jersey. Cory earned a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in real estate and risk management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Business.

Danei Wallen is a registered architect and senior project manager with nearly two decades of experience in healthcare and higher education projects. Her strategic oversight has driven projects for major healthcare systems and municipal hospitals, leading to repeated client engagements. Notable works include her current leadership of a major university dental school design and construction project, radiation oncology centers, wellness hubs, and multimedia educational facilities. Danei's comprehensive architectural foundation and proven ability to navigate complex regulatory environments make her an exceptional project manager in dense urban settings and occupied facility renovations. Her technical expertise, combined with strong stakeholder management and risk mitigation skills, consistently delivers projects that exceeds client expectations. Beyond her project management roles, Danei is a recognized leader within the A/E/C community. She has served as an AIA New York board member and chaired the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, advocating for diversity and inclusion and fostering mentorship among young professionals. She holds affiliations with AIA, NOMA, and RIBA, and earned her Bachelor of Architecture from The City College of the City University of New York in 2010. Danei is dually an educator and a scholar; she is pursuing her Masters in Public Health at Yale University, where she also serves as a Professor for Systems Integration in their Graduate School of Architecture.

Jonathan C. Hernandez has designed new construction work as well as renovations and rehabilitations. He is the lead partner of the GMS Hospitals and Healthcare initiative. Jonathan’s projects include the infrastructure and facility upgrades at Lenox Hill Hospital and MEETH on the Upper East Side, a new Central Utility Plant and Mother Baby Hospital Wing at Staten Island University Hospital and repurposing of existing big box retail space into new Medical Facilities. Recently completed projects include a new orthopedic practice in Tarrytown New York, a new Ambulatory Care Facility in Union Turnpike, Queens and a new Orthopedic – PT Facility in Scarsdale NY. Jonathan is the President of the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) and is a past member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA). He is certified by the Structural Engineering Certification Board (SECB), and a member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), CoreNet Global, The Architectural League of New York, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and SEAoNY.

Sophie is a principal at EwingCole and provides quality design and service for projects of various scales. She enjoys seeking innovative solutions to new challenges on complex healthcare projects, from initial research and exploratory planning through design and construction. Sophie has a compassionate design approach and is committed to implementing the design vision. She believes that building consensus among all project stakeholders leads to uniquely detailed spatial solutions that positively impact the quality of people’s lives.

Raymond Prucha is a Principal at BR+A with more than 30 years of experience in the electrical industry. His background as a licensed electrical contractor brings a practical, constructible approach to every project he leads. Raymond has guided teams on numerous high‑profile projects across healthcare, higher education, commercial, and mission‑critical sectors, helping deliver successful outcomes through thoughtful, real‑world design solutions. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and is a registered Professional Electrical Engineer as well as a LEED Accredited Professional. Committed to advancing the profession, Raymond has contributed extensively through teaching and code development, including serving as Chair of the Technical Committee for the NYC Electrical Code Revisions, a principal member of National Electrical Code Code‑Making Panel 13, Adjunct Instructor for Building Systems for Healthcare at the New York School of Interior Design, and instructor for The National Electrical Code and Its Application at The Cooper Union.

Steven Kirschenbaum is a real estate and construction executive with extensive leadership experience in development, construction management, and corporate strategy. He serves as EVP of Corporate Strategy at B.R. Fries & Associates-General Contractor/Construction Manager, where he leads business transformation initiatives, drives growth across Healthcare, Education, and Life Science/Bio Science sectors, and oversees strategic planning, and operational optimization. Previously, Steven was EVP of Corporate Strategy at R.P. Brennan and Principal of Madison Advisory Group, where he advised real estate owners and directed the development and conversion of more than 2,500 residential units across New York City. He also served as COO at Swig Equities and Helmsley Spear, overseeing a 4-million-square-foot commercial portfolio and major residential development projects. Earlier, as COO & General Counsel at Metro Loft Management, he led the development of 1,300 residential units across 1.5 million square feet of large-scale office-to-residential conversions. Steven holds a J.D. from the University of Toledo College of Law, with study at Brooklyn Law School, and a B.S. in Accounting from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management.

Brandon Reiner is a partner in Tannenbaum Helpern’s Construction & Design practice. He represents developers, owners, condominium and co-op boards, landlords, and tenants in connection with construction projects throughout the country, including ground up developments, renovations of existing buildings, landlord or tenant build-outs, daily operations of existing buildings and renovations of residential units. Brandon regularly drafts, reviews and negotiates construction management agreements, architectural services agreements, various construction contracts and various professional services agreements, utilizing both manuscript forms and AIA documents. He also counsels clients on their rights when they need to access neighboring properties over the course of construction projects as well as when a neighboring developer requests access to a client’s property. Brandon also negotiates license agreements. Brandon regularly guides clients through the variety of challenges that might arise in the execution of complex construction projects, such as liens and bonding, change order disputes, other contractual issues and defective work. He also regularly drafts, reviews and negotiates contracts for the daily operations of buildings, including telecommunications, marketing, maintenance and software as a service. Brandon also has crucial experience in the healthcare sector, having served as construction counsel for major hospitals nationally in connection with contractual matters and project counseling across these hospitals’ property portfolios. Brandon has notably provided counsel in connection with the construction of new facilities providing critical patient care and renovations of existing facilities. He is a member of the Association of Medical Facility Professionals (AMFP), an organization dedicated to providing resources and networking opportunities to professionals working and specializing in healthcare environments. Brandon regularly provides continuing legal education programs and in-house tutorials to clients and owner’s representatives. He has been both a panelist and moderator on numerous construction-related panels, with a particular focus on the healthcare construction sector. He has also written articles on construction issues facing his clients and is the co-chair of the Construction Law Committee, New York State Bar Association: Real Property Law Section. Brandon’s extensive experience advising clients through the full lifecycle of construction projects and his deep understanding of his clients’ daily business operations has established him as a trusted advisor. His body of clients includes Vornado Realty Trust, Mount Sinai Health System, Hospital for Special Surgery, Albanese Organization, Jack Resnick & Sons, Inc., Time Equities, Inc., Cammeby’s International, Rockrose Development Corp., Sterling Equities, the New York and Brooklyn Public Libraries and Friends Seminary. Prior to joining the firm, Brandon worked in the legal department of a public benefit corporation that funds multi-family affordable housing through the use of bonds and tax-credits. In this position, he worked on deals that funded both new development and preservation of existing buildings. Brandon notably worked on Hurricane Sandy recovery and resiliency financings as well. Brandon has been selected as a “Rising Star” in Super Lawyers® for the New York Metro Area (2017-2025) and included on the list of “Ones to Watch” for Best Lawyers® in America (2021-2026).

Avani Parikh is an architect-planner specializing in healthcare. She is the founder of Avani Parikh Architecture and co-author of Choice Architecture: A New Approach to Behavior, Design, and Wellness (Routledge, 2018). The book applies behavioral economics and rational choice theory to architectural design, particularly in healthcare settings. She has worked at Moshe Safdie and Associates, Larsen Shein Ginsberg, HOK, and New York Presbyterian Hospital, with projects including expansion and replacement programs for academic medical centers and community hospitals across the tri-state area. Her clients have included Weill Cornell, NYU, and the New York Academy of Medicine. Earlier in her career, she developed a Transfer of Development Rights proposal for a state-appointed committee on Bombay's development plan. She served as co-chair of the AIANY Health Facilities Committee and on the Program Committee for the New York Society for Health Planning. She holds a Master of City Planning from UC Berkeley.