For over a quarter century, Ben Fileccia has held multiple hospitality roles and, in so

doing, gleaned a deep understanding of the industry. Coupled with an unrelenting work

ethic and dedication to the industry, he has become the Commonwealth’s go-to

hospitality advocate. Making the industry better is the fabric of who Fileccia is. One of

the pandemic’s most recognizable figures, he organized industry-focused vaccination

clinics, crafted legislation, and fought tirelessly for the industry’s future. But pandemic or

not, Fileccia continues his unrelenting dedication to this industry because he believes a

strong hospitality culture is the foundation of a vibrant and evolving community.

Fileccia is currently the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Engagement at the

Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association and lives in Philadelphia. During his

tenure at the PRLA, Ben has received the National Association for Catering & Events

2021 Industry Hero Award, City & State's 2021 Philly Power 100, recognizing Philly’s

top political power brokers and influencers, City & State's 2022 Pennsylvania Fifty Over

50, which honors the most prominent leaders in government, business, and media over

the age of fifty, and City & State's The 2023 Labor Power 100 in recognition of his

efforts to get Pennsylvania back to work after the pandemic.

Gary worked as a real estate and corporate transactions attorney for 25+ years in several of Greater

Philadelphia’s most sophisticated law firms before leaving the practice of law in 2014. At that time, Gary

joined Tactix as a broker, and has since been working exclusively with end-users of commercial real

estate, whether as tenants or owner-occupants.

Gary continues to put his legal training and experience to work for clients in a diverse set of industries,

including financial services, law, life sciences, healthcare, tech, and manufacturing businesses, among

others. Gary’s brokerage engagements include headquarters work for Ghost Robotics, LLR Partners, LBC

Credit Partners, LL Funds, Lubert-Adler Partners, Camping Management, Alli Fabrication, LIA Diagnostics,

Context Therapeutics, Claim Therapeutics, Revitas, and SDI.

Gary executed the relocation of Biomeme’s headquarters, lab, biomanufacturing, and fulfillment

operations to 401 North Broad Street. This transaction was recognized by The Philadelphia Business

Journal as 2021 Office Deal of the Year.

Forge Health is working with Gary on a multi-market basis to expand the clinical presence reach of that

company’s unique, efficacious outpatient and intensive outpatient behavioral health offering.

Gary also has had the privilege of representing several regional law firms, including Weber Gallagher,

Earp Cohn, Charlson Braber, Sansweet, Dearden and Burke, and Liss & Marion.

In addition to his work with office, laboratory/R&D, and manufacturing users, Gary’s has also leant his

skills to the region’s senior housing, education, and food service industries—through continuing

engagements with Capitol Seniors Housing, Clementine Montessori School, DanDan, Cogito Coffee, Fork,

and High Street Hospitality Group.

For the last several years, Gary has also served as an advisor to Penn Hillel. Gary also served on the

Pennsylvania Advisory Broad of The Trust for Public Land and continues to sponsor and advise the

Mentor Connect program created jointly by the Philadelphia Association for Capital and Technologies

(PACT) and Ben Franklin Technology Partners. He also is a regular speaker at Pennsylvania Bar Institute

events on topics affecting practicing attorneys and brokers in the commercial real estate process.

Gary is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin—Madison and the University of Pennsylvania Carey

School of Law.

Brian joined Southern Land Company in 2017 to help oversee Southern Land’s iconic project in Philadelphia, The Laurel Rittenhouse Square. Since arriving at Southern Land, Brian has been responsible for driving the company’s growth in the Philadelphia region where he has worked to acquire new sites, managing the entitlement process, and works with the design and construction teams. Prior to joining Southern Land, Brian was a Vice President for Toll Brothers City Living division in Philadelphia where he oversaw all of the company’s operations Philadelphia. These responsibilities included acquisitions, entitlements, construction, sales, marketing, and advertising. Brian takes time to support the city’s real estate development community as a volunteer and has spent countless hours advocating on behalf of industry professionals as a past president of the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia (BIA). He also sits on the Real Estate Committee for the Philadelphia Regulatory Reform Commission.

Seth A. Shapiro has been the Director of Urban Design at BartonPartners since joining the firm in 2008. Seth. serves as Principal-in-Charge, Project Manager and Lead Designer for all land planning and urban design projects within the practice. Citing a strict commitment to a collaborative approach to design, Seth coordinates his team of talented planners, architectural designers and landscape architects through the early stages of conceptual design, all the way through project entitlement. Trained as both an architect and an urban designer, Seth has a Bachelor of Architecture Degree (BArch) from the University of Miami and a Masters of Architecture in Urban Design (MAUD) from The Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Seth is also Vice President of the Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance.

Brett has a broad range of experience in new construction, major renovations, and interior fitouts in sectors ranging from multi-family and hospitality to retail, commercial, and education. His can-do attitude and attention to each project’s unique details led him to his current role overseeing Clemens' Project Management division. Known for his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, he is also instrumental in planning the company's most complex projects. Brett's leadership ensures that every project meets the highest standards of quality and client satisfaction.

Kari spearheads Federal Realty’s Philadelphia and New Jersey shopping center portfolios. In her role, she is responsible for the strategic planning and performance of 20 assets representing approximately 4.5 million square feet of real estate. Kari joined Federal in 2013 as a senior acquisitions associate and most recently served as director of asset management, where she oversaw 2.8 million square feet of retail assets in the Washington metropolitan area. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for Urban Land Institute Philadelphia and as co-chair of its Community and Economic Development Council. Kari is also a board member of the Ardmore Initiative, the Business Improvement District for Ardmore, PA. Kari holds a Bachelor of Science from The Georgia Institute of Technology, where she graduated with highest honors. In 2023, Kari was the recipient of The Philadelphia’s Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty award, which recognizes 40 individuals who are leaving an imprint on the region.

As Vice President and Director of MSC U, Mr. Stein helps to redefine campuses and business improvement districts all over the country to attract students, impress alumni, retain talent and engage the community. MSC U is a full service advisory firm offering comprehensive retail solutions to institutions of higher education, developers, municipalities, medical centers, not-for profits as well as professional service companies, including, but not limited to: market analysis, portfolio evaluation, master planning, concept design, retail merchandising, existing lease analysis, strategic long term planning and end user placement.

Mr. Stein’s diverse experience within the higher education sector was developed during a 9 year career at American Campus Communities (NYSE:ACC). While with ACC, Mr. Stein held various positions in both management and development. Mr. Stein spent the majority of his tenure at ACC managing on-campus developments and was responsible for multiple ground-up, mixed-use projects totaling over half of a billion dollars in investments for institutions including Arizona State University, Drexel University and the University of New Mexico, amongst others. He is an active member of a number of professional organizations, including ICSC, Lambda Alpha International, and NACAS, serving as both a member and speaker/panelist for such groups. Mr. Stein was recently recognized by Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philly 2014” as the “Best Real Estate Visionary”.

Matthew Stein on MSC University: “Our approach is simple. We add value by looking at and understanding the bigger picture throughout the development continuum. From construction advisory services to portfolio analysis, we provide comprehensive solutions based on our partner’s needs. We are experienced enough to be the safe choice, while creative and imaginative enough to be the group you want helping define your project.”

Mr. Stein lives in Philadelphia with his wife Emily, their daughter Lenora, and their rescue dog, Cassidy.