Dilip Barot is an Indian-born, American social entrepreneur with interests in real estate and technology, including investment, development, and management. He is the founder of Creative Choice Group, a conglomerate of companies that are founded on doing well by doing good for the communities in which they invest. He blends lessons learned from Gandhi, Swami Vivekanand, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, and John Ruskin, and believes in “Capitalism with Heart” following Gandhi’s teaching of trusteeship.

His investments have been focused on uplifting the socio-economy of various communities by creating a better environment for jobs, education, housing and livability. Some of his investments have been in public-private partnerships where he has worked with city, state, and federal or central government in India, USA, and Jamaica. With his strong belief in doing well by doing good, he is well known for “going where no one else will go.”

Dilip Barot as well as his ventures have been featured in both national and international publications including Forbes Magazine, Reader’s Digest, Wall Street Journal, Times of India, Affordable Housing Finance, Tax Credit Advisors and Desh-Videsh. He and his ventures have also received numerous awards including 2014 Award of Excellence in Entrepreneurship from India-US Chamber of Commerce, 2014 PACE Technovation Award, 2014 / 2013 / 2012 PACE Corporate Citizen Award, 2011 Community Impact Award – Business of the Year, 2010 Employer Award of Excellence - Workforce Solutions of Texas, 2006 Best Five-Star Development– Florida, 2005 Business of the Year - Stewart Blood Center, and 2004 U.S. Corporate Stewardship Award from U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Bob Vail is the President of Kolter Urban, where he is responsible for managing Kolter’s urban infill and suburban high density investments.

Prior to being name president of Kolter Urban, Bob oversaw the creation and management of Kolter Signature Homes, a full-service residential construction firm specializing in low and mid-rise condominiums, luxury townhomes, and semi-custom single family residences. He also oversaw the creation and management of KAST Construction Company LLC, Kolter’s commercial construction affiliate.

Before joining Kolter, Bob was employed in the construction of numerous large-scale residential communities; he managed construction and delivery of 2,000 units in Florida and 500 units in North Carolina. Bob is a licensed Florida general contractor.

Joe McMillan is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DDG, an integrated

investment, development, design, construction and asset management firm focused on the

acquisition and development of real estate and underlying equity, debt or hybrid

securities.

Since founding the firm in 2009, DDG has become one of the most active developers in

Manhattan. Under McMillan’s tutelage the company has expanded its luxury real estate

portfolio to California and most recently Florida.

McMillan’s development portfolio of projects underway in prime locations in New York

City include 325 West Broadway in Soho, 12 Warren Street and 100 Franklin Street in

Tribeca, and his first tower at 180 East 88 th Street on the Upper East Side. The firm is also

developing its first residential development in Brooklyn at the former rental building The

Standish in Brooklyn Heights.

Other celebrated projects developed under his helm include 41 Bond in NoHo and the

price-record- breaking 345meatpacking in the Meatpacking District.

In San Francisco DDG is currently developing four architecturally adventurous

residential projects in the fashionable Hayes Valley neighborhood. McMillan also

recently spearheaded DDG’s acquisition of 532 West 20th Street in New York, and

Parcel T and 235 Valencia Street in San Francisco.

In addition to his developments in New York and California, McMillan led DDG through

its first foray into Florida with a new residential project in Palm Beach. Located at 3550

South Ocean Boulevard, the development will be the first new oceanfront luxury

condominium in the area in over a decade.

Prior to founding DDG McMillan was a senior member of the U.S. private equity

investment team at Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, an institutional alternative asset

management firm with over $45 billion of assets under management. He was also a

principal at Greenhill & Co., and a founding member of Greenhill Capital Partners

investment team managing $1.1 billion of equity capital.

A graduate of the University of Virginia, he holds a B.S. in Commerce, Concentration in

Finance. McMillan also served in the U.S. Army.

Mr. Herman leads investment operations for Avesta Holdings, managing the daily activities of the firm’s acquisitions, capital, and transaction teams. He has been involved in over 50 transactions totaling over 10,000 units. Previously, Neal served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry officer completing two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and also served on the staff of U.S. Special Operations Command. He holds a B.S. from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Gabe Seghi is a Vice President at Hunt Mortgage Group, a wholly owned subsidiary

of the Hunt Companies. Mr. Seghi originates Hunt Mortgage Group’s full range

of debt products for multifamily and other commercial assets nationwide, and has

expertise in all Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, CMBS and Hunt balance sheet loan

programs. His team has particular experience in Affordable and Seniors Housing with

an understanding of low income housing tax credits and other affordable housing

programs.

Mr. Seghi joined Hunt Mortgage Group from Pillar Finance - a Guggenheim Partners

Affi liate, where he was a Vice President, Capital Markets. While at Pillar, he forged

strong relationships with commercial real estate developers and estate owner/

operators throughout the United States. His focus was primarily on multifamily and

senior housing in the Southeast. Prior to that, Mr. Seghi was Vice President, with

Housing and Healthcare- HHC Finance based out of Chevy Chase, MD.

Mr. Seghi received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Yeshiva University. He

currently serves on the executive board for the Alliance of Corporate Real Estate

Executive and Specialists (ACRES). He also donates his time by serving on the

board of Camp Moshava of Wild Rose, as well as being on the Young Leadership

Committee for the Jewish Museum of Florida- FIU.

A University of Florida graduate, Rob Siemens started working for his father, Richard, fresh out of college, doing construction before transitioning to marketing. Before the Siemens Group officially formed in 1990, Rob gained valuable experience by overseeing marketing for major projects such as Gleneagles Country Club and Polo Club Boca Raton.

Since then, he has overseen public relations, marketing and management for all of the firm’s statewide projects. Siemens says that Akoya, for which he also serves as a sales associate, is truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity.

“There is no other community in South Florida where you can build this type of building—there simply isn’t the land for it. Akoya is brand new, has all the luxury amenities and is located in the nation’s top country club. There is no other opportunity like it.”

Todd grew up in Miami Beach, Florida and was exposed to the designs of Morris Lapidus and the beauty of the Mediterranean homes of Miami Beach, Palm Beach and Coral Gables. Todd worked as a Engineer for a Fire Sprinkler Company which enabled him to learn about building structure from the inside out. Todd drafted the plans for many of the buildings on Miami including the Jackie Gleason, the Miami International Airport, and flew to the Bahamas weekly to the Atlantis to do their fire sprinkler plans. This experience taught him everything he needed to know about construction from the start to finish of a building project. Todd then went on to purchase small homes renovate them and quickly sell them. His turn around time was recognized by his first investor which decided to make Todd a partner because the homes were selling too quickly for the investor to make any interest on his money. Todd then started building interest on his money. Todd then started building million dollar homes that sold in record time and brought new modern design to Miami Beach which was dominated by Mediterranean design. Todd has built condominiums, renovated masterpieces like the Carl Fisher Estate and Cher's Estate on La Gorce Island as well as sold or built homes for Michael Bay, Wayne Boich, Chris Bosh, Ugo Colombo, Hulk Hogan, Billy Joel, Richard Leeds, Zydrunas Llgauskas, Shariff Malnik, Sean Posner, Alex Rodriguez(A-Rod), Jason Rubell, Rony Seikaly and Lil Wayne. Todd's building speed, organizational skills and determination make him stand apart from others.

David M. Layman, shareholder in the West Palm Beach office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A., has concentrated his practice in commercial real estate transactions and land use law for more than 30 years.

Among his noteworthy transactions, Layman represented the developer of the ultra-luxury condominium, The Bristol, in all related land acquisitions and in the closing of its $206 million construction loan. The financing is the largest single construction loan in West Palm Beach to date. Layman also assisted affiliates of Castle Lanterra Properties in obtaining financing and closing on their $63.5 million purchase of the Loftin Place apartment complex with the most comprehensive amenity package and ultra-luxury finishes in a downtown rental project in West Palm Beach. He also represented an affiliate of the Amirsaleh Family Trust in a $19.5 million purchase of Via Bice on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.

Layman has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America from 2010-2018 where he was selected as “Lawyer of the Year” in Real Estate Law in West Palm Beach in 2010 and 2016. He is also rated AV Preeminent® 5.0 out of 5 by Martindale-Hubbell®. He earned a B.A. with high honors from the University of Florida and a J.D. with honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.