[SOLD OUT] Miami State of The Market

An internationally recognized expert, since 1985, Mr. Jones has provided complex income-producing commercial property valuation, expert testimony, litigation support, ad valorem property tax counseling and representation, appraisal review, investment advice, marketability analysis, and feasibility analysis, including highest and best use analysis for virtually all types of commercial, industrial, residential, and special purpose real estate, on behalf of financial institutions, REIT’s, government entities, publicly traded companies, and private concerns. As a former President of the Florida Association of Property Tax Professionals, and an inaugural member of the Florida TaxWatch Tax Advisory Council, Mr. Jones has addressed the Florida Cabinet, Legislature, and various state agencies on property tax policy, technical matters, and issues impacting taxpayers. In 2008, the Association successfully collaborated with other influential groups to change Florida law affecting how the assessors must develop and support valuations in defending challenged assessments, “leveling the playing field” by lowering the burden of proof for taxpayers in assessment challenges, and requiring the development of uniform rules, policies, and procedures for Value Adjustment Boards across Florida’s 67 counties to improve fairness in taxation for all Floridians. In 2011, Mr. Jones served on the Florida Governor’s Tangible Personal Property Taskforce. In 2012, the Florida legislature sought Mr. Jones’ counsel on comprehensive property tax reform legislation. For eight years, Mr. Jones taught Appraisal Valuation in the Nathan S. Collier Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) degree program at the University of Florida. The UF MSRE program has been consistently ranked in the Top Ten of all university real estate programs in the US since the 1960’s and was named the top real estate master’s degree program in the US in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Mr. Jones has been a reviewer for the most widely used university real estate textbook, Real Estate Principles: A Value Approach by David Ling, Ph.D., FRICS and Wayne Archer, Ph.D. In addition, Mr. Jones taught the appraisal course for the Florida Bankers School for five years. The purpose of the Florida School of Banking (FSB) is to provide bank personnel at the supervisory and officer level the opportunity to increase their knowledge about the banking industry and the economy. In 2017, after ten years of collaborative scholarship and hundreds of cases, Mr. Jones and Michael J. Mard, CPA/ABV, CPCU pioneered an industry breakthrough. They successfully bridged the differences between professionally accepted business and real property valuation methods to create the Daubert-tested Authoritative Allocation Method for identifying, separating, and quantifying real property, tangible personal property, and intangible assets frequently bundled in real property ownership transfers.

Lissette Calderon is founder and CEO of Neology Life Development Group, a lifestyle- driven residential and commercial real estate firm that specializes in the transformation of undervalued communities into sought-after neighborhoods. Calderon’s rapid rise in South Florida’s highly competitive real estate industry began with her ability to see the potential in overlooked waterfront land along the Miami River. In 2000, with the introduction of her pioneering and trend setting loft-style residential building NeoLofts, and her subsequent building concepts Neo Vertika and Wind by Neo, Calderon is credited with transforming the Miami River District into one of the city’s hippest, most sought-after neighborhoods. With her most recent flagship project on the Miami River, the 199-unit Pier 19 Residences & Marina, Calderon solidified her reputation as one of South Florida’s most visionary developers. Today, Calderon is spearheading the revival of another historic Miami neighborhood: Allapattah. Neology completed the 192-unit No. 17 Residences Allapattah in 2021 (nominated for a Structure Award by the South Florida Business Journal) and is breaking ground on two more residential projects nearby later this year. Neology’s portfolio consists of 1,200 apartments under ownership that have been recently built or under development in Miami’s urban core, with a pipeline of over 500 more units planned in South Florida and beyond, along with 1,500 condo units previously built and sold representing nearly $1 billion. A second-generation Cuban-American, Calderon was born and raised in Miami and earned a bachelor’s degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She launched her career in real estate at the Related Group, and later became the firm’s first female president, serving in that role from 2014 to 2016. She is involved in numerous community organizations including Amigos for Kids, a nonprofit organization serving the needs of South Florida’s abused, abandoned and neglected children. Most recently, Calderon was appointed to The University of Miami’s Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism Advisory Board. She and her husband live in Coral Gables and have three daughters and three dogs.

Mr. Defortuna is President, CEO and Founder of Fortune International Group, a Miami-based full- service real estate firm recognized throughout South Florida, Latin America and Europe as a leader in high-end luxury real estate. He oversees all of the company’s activities across all of its business units. Mr. Defortuna is involved with the strategic decision making of the group, as well as the day-to-day operations of each of its divisions. He started the business in 1983, and quickly became a driving force in real estate. Through his company’s success and far reach into U.S., European and Latin American markets, Mr. Defortuna is widely recognized for having made a significant contribution to the internationalization of Miami and its reputation as a global business, trade and vacation hub. He currently serves as a member of the Mayor of Miami's International Council and also as Director of the Argentine-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in Miami. Additionally, he is a member of several charitable organizations in Miami, such as Manos del Sur, Mt. Sinai Hospital and St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. Mr. Defortuna holds a Bachelors Degree in Electrical and Chemical Engineering from the National University of Argentina and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Miami. Fully fluent English and Spanish, Mr. Defortuna is married to Ana Cristina and has five children.

Congressman Patrick Erin Murphy is currently an Executive Vice President of Coastal Construction. He oversees Coastal’s diversification and growth as the company continues its expansion throughout Florida. Additionally, he co-chairs Coastal’s philanthropic arm, Coastal Cares. Patrick first started in the company as a day laborer, then project engineer, estimating assistant and accounting manager. After graduating from the University of Miami, Patrick worked at Deloitte where he earned his CPA license that he maintains today. Patrick served in U.S. Congress, representing Palm Beach and Treasure Coast in the House of Representatives for four years (2013-2017) and was the nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2016. After leaving office in 2017, he was named chair of the Future Forum Foundation, a nonprofit organization that researches key issues impacting millennials, such as automation, artificial intelligence and the sharing economy. Additionally, Patrick is conducting a bi-partisan nationwide tour of college campuses titled: “Why Gridlock Rules Washington and How We Can Solve the Crisis” that has visited 40 campuses nationwide. Inspired by these townhalls, Patrick has co-authored a textbook discussing today’s polarization titled: “A Divided Union.” Patrick served as Transition Chairman for Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. During the Fall 2017 semester, Patrick was a visiting Fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service in Washington D.C. and is currently a Senior Fellow at FIU. Patrick proudly serves as a board member of the Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services, a homeless shelter for children.

In just over a decade, Josh Schuster has established himself as a leader of the ‘next generation’ of New York real estate professionals. Having closed more than $1 billion in development deals by the age of 34, Josh started his own development company in July 2016, Silverback Development, focusing on ground-up development and adaptive reuse opportunities that enhance neighborhoods by pushing the boundaries of design.   In Silverback’s first year, Schuster and his team secured nearly $470 million in new deals and control of a $2 billion asset pipeline nationwide, in addition to $400 million in projects still underway through his previous firm, DHA Capital.   As former principal of DHA Capital, Josh sourced and led the development of many noteworthy luxury residential developments in New York City, including 50 Clinton Street, 535 West 43 rd  Street, 75 Kenmare and 12 East 13 th  Street. Prior to his time at DHA, Josh served as director of development at JMH Development, where he was responsible for the trailblazing luxury renovation of 184 Kent Avenue, one of the first and most successful multifamily conversions in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.   In addition to his professional accomplishments, Josh is the founder and chairman Bicol Clinic Foundation, a non-profit organization that builds clinics that provide free medical care in developing countries. To date, the organization has raised more than $3 million, and has built four clinics on three continents.   A graduate of Tulane University, Josh is the youngest board member of the Baruch College - Steven L. Newman Real Estate Institute, and also a co-chair of Urban Land Institute's NYC Multifamily Housing Council. He is also a member of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, and the New York Private Equity Network.

Ryan Shear manages the development of a growing real estate portfolio with over $10B in assets, including all acquisitions, financing, construction, design, marketing, sales and operations. Ryan primarily focuses on new construction condo and multifamily high rises in urban cores, including Miami, New York, Orlando, Denver, Atlanta and more. Recent condo projects he’s spearheaded include Echo Aventura, Echo Brickell, Muse Sunny Isles, Sage Longboat Key Residences, E11EVEN Hotel & Residences and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences Miami. Recent multifamily projects include X Miami, Society Las Olas, Society Biscayne, Society Orlando and Society Wynwood. Ryan graduated with a BA in Business Administration from the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University in Atlanta.

Alessandro Colantonio brings nearly 20 years of experience in commercial real estate investment, specializing in the hospitality industry, and 15 years with Gencom, having developed a successful track record in and keen understanding of complex transaction structuring, corporate acquisitions and direct real estate investments. Over this time, Mr. Colantonio has also gained extensive experience in debt capital markets and joint- venture executions with both institutional and private/HNW capital sources. As Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Colantonio is responsible for overseeing and implementing the firm’s investment strategy from underwriting through to execution and focuses on all partnership, acquisition and disposition related functions for Gencom. Mr. Colantonio leads, manages and develops Gencom’s investment and underwriting team, and works closely with Gencom’s Capital Markets, Asset Management, Finance and Legal teams. Mr. Colantonio’s primary functions include identifying, sourcing and underwriting new acquisition opportunities, corporate policy and risk management, diversification strategies, transaction, debt and equity joint venture structuring, investor relations and leading negotiations with brands, equity partners, debt providers and related 3rd parties. Mr. Colantonio is a seasoned real estate professional with experience spanning a number of North American, South American, Caribbean and European markets, along with exposure across many of the industry’s chain scales and leading hotel brands. In his time with Gencom, Mr. Colantonio has been directly or indirectly involved in over $2.0 B of transaction volume including acquisition, disposition, recapitalization, financing and strategic platform investment strategies. Prior to joining Gencom, Mr. Colantonio was a lead underwriter for GMACCH Real Estate / Capmark Financial Group, focused on commercial lending strategies across the U.S. and Canada, specializing in hospitality. At Gencom, Mr. Colantonio also plays an integral role in Gencom’s Executive Committee, Investment Committee, key operating platform oversight committees and is responsible for coordinating and presenting all investment and new business opportunities for approval by the firm’s Principal and key investors. Originally from Boston, Alessandro moved to Miami in 2001 and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, concentration in Finance, from the University of Miami. He currently resides in Coral Gables with his wife and daughter.

Appointed by Siemens as Head of Commercial Markets in the U.S., David oversees Siemens’ business in the real estate industry. In this role, David is responsible for developing a road map for the business, driving customer engagement and deal development, executing the solutions and maintaining a hand on the pulse of the market. Prior to leading the Commercial Market, David served as Chief City Executive for the Northeast. As the lead City executive, David built the regional Siemens teams, established relationships with key city and regional decision makers, and drove Siemens’ solutions into the respective markets. Before becoming involved with Cities business, David was a Director of Business Development with Siemens One, a division of Siemens Corporation. This organization within Siemens is focused on bringing the breadth of Siemens to projects thereby providing a single, integrated, solution. David’s leadership has produced more than $1.5B in incremental sales during his ten-year tenure. David began his Siemens career as Product Specialist for Siemens Medical Systems where he became involved in the FDA pre-market approval (PMA) program for the MRI systems. Following success in receiving Siemens first FDA approval for MRI, David took an assignment to lead a new program for the analysis of blood for the detection of cancer where he was responsible for product development, marketing and sales planning through regulatory release. Success of this program led to the spinoff of the technology to a start-up company. At this time, David became involved in the beginnings of the medical image networking systems (PACS) business where he was responsible for developing the U.S. Market. Successful launch of this program led David into his final role before leaving Siemens to start his own business. As director of Siemens Healthcare, David developed the cross company offering to build the first Siemens integrated hospital. David left Siemens for two years to launch a new company, Hipression, LLC. The company was focused on developing and marketing medical image data compression technology. The first generation of product was able to far exceed existing commercially available products. David previously served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the Regional Plan Association and is a member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Washington University, St. Louis and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California.

Igor Reyes graduated from Florida A&M University where he received his Bachelors in Architecture in 1993, and originally joined Nichols Architects in 1999 as a project manager. Working at the firm, Igor has been involved with many of the award winning designs such as 1450 Brickell, International Finance Bank, as well as other innovative designs such as VUE, Marriott at Miami World Center, and Met 2 at Metropolitan Miami. As a principal, he has concentrated on the further development of the design culture and the marketing of the Nichols Architects legacy. Representative clients of the firm include hospitality and development giants such as Marriott, Westin, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Waldorf Astoria, Starwood, St. Regis, “W” Rosewood, Fairmont, Regent, Loews, Nikko, and Hilton.

A designer with over 20 years of experience, John believes architecture is as much about building relationships as building buildings. He applies this philosophy collaborating closely with clients on mixed-use, residential, and cultural projects of varied scales around the world. John believes that every project begins with a unique question relevant to its physical, social, and cultural space and that his role is not only to provide a solution, but to help define the question itself. Working globally, John has addressed a broad range of questions, from challenging urban planning paradigms, to designing a building with a fully transparent core, to developing built-in furniture from bent plywood. His work in Miami leverages the local architectural language to prioritize use, comfort, and wellbeing. In Shenzhen, the TP Link Headquarters rends the form of the typical office tower in half, organizing flexible workspace around a full-height, 30-floor atrium. Another common theme in John’s work is the integration of nature, whether for One Shenzhen Bay, a 4 million square foot mixed-use neighborhood that is organized around lush central courtyards, or the massing of 10 South Van Ness, a residential building in San Francisco defined by amenity sky gardens, or TP Link LXD, an innovative low-scale office building with a linear park embedded in its structure. At KPF, John mentors junior staff, and is involved in the firm’s community groups. John was the recipient of the Lucile Lowenfish Design Award from Columbia University, where he received his Master of Architecture degree. He is a registered architect in the United States (New York State).--

Alexandra, never content with an off-the-shelf approach, is known to seek out creative solutions to meet her clients' objectives. Alexandra focuses her practice on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including complex commercial financing on behalf of borrowers and lenders, acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing. She has significant experience in the REIT and hospitality industries and is active with the servicing, workout, and documentation of loans on a nationwide basis. Alexandra's practice also includes structuring transactions for optimum documentary stamp and intangible tax treatment.

Rey Melendi joined 13th Floor in 2012, and oversees the development, construction, and operational asset management of the Sponsor’s investments. Prior to 13th Floor, Mr. Melendi was the Director of REO at Rialto Capital Management LLC. At Rialto Capital Management LLC, he managed over $300 million in commercial and residential REO properties in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Eastern Seaboard. Prior to joining Rialto, Mr. Melendi held several senior roles within Lennar Corporation. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President at Lennar Ventures, focusing on strategic partnerships in the Renewable Energy Industry, as well as managing Lennar’s Government Affairs initiatives at the Federal and State level. As a member of the Lennar family for over 17 years, he held the titles of President (of the South East Florida Land Division), Real Estate and Sales Agent, Superintendent, Construction Area Manager, Director of Construction, VP of Construction, and Division President. Mr. Melendi’s areas of expertise include construction, development, underwriting, and acquisition of land, and day-to-day management of large groups of personnel. He has in depth knowledge of land entitlement, permitting processes, and DRIs. Mr. Melendi was President of the Builders Association of South Florida and is a member of its Board of Directors. He is also involved with the United Way Young Leaders. In 2005, he was awarded the prestigious Latin Builders Association “Land Developer of the Year” Award. He holds an associate degree in Criminal Justice and has a General Contractor’s License.

Inigo Ardid oversees the day-to-day operations of development projects as well as the acquisition of new properties for Key International. He is a seasoned real estate developer who has been involved in over $4 Billion worth of real estate transactions and has built over 10 Million square feet of real estate. His projects include buying and developing hotels, rental and for sale residential properties, purchasing distressed asset notes, office buildings, and retail properties. Inigo has developed over 2,000 hotel keys and over 2,600 residential units. Key International is headquartered in Miami and has been developing and acquiring properties in the United States since the 1970’s. A few of Key International’s landmark developments include the Eden Roc Miami Beach, the Marriott Stanton South Beach, and several luxury condominium towers including The Harbour, 1010 Brickell, 400 Sunny Isles, Eden House, and Mint & Ivy.

Brad Meltzer is a Partner and President of Two Roads Development. In this role, he oversees real estate development activities from design through construction and supports the team in identifying new opportunities. Meltzer has facilitated the growth of numerous regional business units scaling some from start up to more than 250 employees. Specializing in delivering high-end projects, Meltzer has led award-winning projects from inception to completion across various asset classes, including condominium, multifamily, hospitality, office, and retail. A sampling of such projects includes Biscayne Beach, The One Thousand Museum Tower, the 4 Tower Paraiso Complex, the Ritz Carlton Residences Miami Beach, The Marquis, Millicento, W Hotel South Beach, One Hotel and Homes, Icon Bay, Carillon Miami Beach (aka Canyon Ranch), Town Center One at Dadeland, Aventura Mall Expansion, Westshore Marina Pointe, Mandarin Oriental Miami. Meltzer led the construction of 15 buildings in excess of 35 stories and 2 in excess of 60 stories. He holds a Masters's in Architecture from Tulane University and has more than 30 years of construction experience, having headed a top national construction firm as its CEO. Meltzer also sits on the Advisory Board of the University of Miami MRED+U and Construction Management programs, Tulane University School of Architecture Advisory Board, Gulliver Prep Board of Trustees, and Voices for Children Board of Directors.

Bruce Gago heads FCP’s South Florida office as Senior Vice President– Acquisitions, where he sources multifamily investments and works closely with the company’s commercial and structured investment teams on transactions in those sectors.

Branko Kuzmanovic is head of the Acquisitions department at Empira Group, a fully integrated, institutional real estate investment firm focused on high-end multifamily development opportunities. Empira Group currently has mid-rise and high-rise development projects in Dallas and Miami. Earlier in his career, Branko held the position of Direction of Acquisitions at Next Realty where he spearheaded sourcing and underwriting of new acquisition opportunities. Branko holds a degree in Finance from the Purdue University as well as an MBA with a concentration in Finance from the Illinois State University.

Danielle Gonzalez concentrates on commercial real estate law. She represents national and local clients in connection with the acquisition, financing, leasing and disposition of retail centers, office buildings, industrial parks, multi-family residential properties, self-storage centers, parking facilities, and raw-land developments throughout the United States. Danielle possesses vast experience advising on commercial leasing, and represents both landlords and tenants on leases covering all real estate asset classes. She represents sellers and purchasers with the acquisition and disposition of numerous types of real property. She counsels borrowers in connection with secured financings, including acquisition loans, refinances and defeasances. Danielle also has experience counseling retail clients on the development of shopping center pads for brand-specific uses, including the negotiation of ground leases, CC&Rs, easements and design guidelines. She also has experience with acquiring, developing and financing self-storage centers. Finally, she counsels owners and managers in the negotiation of property management, as well as parking facility, agreements.

Bernardo Fort-Brescia, FAIA, is a founding Principal of Arquitectonica. He studied architecture and urban planning at Princeton University and received a Master of Architecture from Harvard University, where he later taught. Today Arquitectonica has designed buildings in 58 countries from offices around the world. Mr. Fort-Brescia’s designs have won hundreds of design awards. His work has been featured in 6,000 national and international publications and has been the subject of numerous museum exhibitions in the Americas, Europe and Asia. He is the recipient of the AIA Florida Honor for Design Award and the AIA Silver Medal for Design Excellence. He was honored as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and was inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame. Mr. Fort-Brescia was honored by the Salvadori Center in New York with the 2000 Founder’s Award. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Urban Land Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, marking the first time an architect has won the award. Mr. Fort-Brescia has taught at Harvard University, University of Miami and Florida International University, and has chaired architectural advisory boards at these institutions as well, including the University of Miami School of Architecture. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Wolfsonian Museum and the New World Symphony. He is also a strong supporter of the National YoungArts Foundation. Mr. Fort-Brescia currently sits on the Urban Land Institute Advisory Board.

Andy along with his Co-Principal at UrbanX, Coralee Penabad, are the developers behind the River Landing Shops & Residences, an 8.14-acre-mixed use development under construction on the Miami River and the catalyst for development in the neighboring Allapattah community. River Landing is a modern urban lifestyle center bringing national retailers, shops, restaurants, office, entertainment and a waterfront linear park to Miami’s riverfront for residents and visitors. River Landing is creating a waterfront shopping and dining destination to serve rising neighboring communities such as the Miami Health District -- which enjoys one of the largest day-time populations in Florida--, downtown Miami, Allapattah, Little Havana and more. It will consist of approx. 345,000 square feet of retail/commercial space, 135,000 square feet of office, 528 market-rate apartments, more than 2,000 parking spaces and a landscaped Riverwalk. Future tenants include Publix Super Markets, Burlington Stores, TJ Maxx, West Marine, Ross Dress For Less, AT&T, Old Navy, Chick-Fil-A and Hobby Lobby. Andrew can speak to the state of the construction, retail, lending and CRE industry during the Coronavirus crisis. He can compare - up to a certain point - the impact of the current financial crisis versus the economic crisis of 2008-2011. Back then, he did a lot of work disposing distressed assets for other developers.

Mike joined Arch Amenities Group after acquisition of LifeStart to lead the firm's growth. Working with national and regional leadership and leading the new business development team, Mike focuses on maintaining, enhancing, and growing client relationships across the portfolio. Experience Mike has more than 30 years of experience in fitness and real estate operations.  Mike most recently served as Chief Operating Officer for LifeStart’s portfolio of 100 properties. He had direct oversight of the management divisions of their fitness and hospitality platforms. He lead operations, design, construction, sales and marketing, growing the management portfolio from 29 sites to 100. The main catalyst of growth was the added scope of full-building programming and amenity management. LifeStart helped Tishman Speyer launch their ZO program in the Chicago and Boston Markets and subsequently started providing Community Engagement and hospitality management solutions for groups like Zeller, MBRE, Shorenstein, Brookfield, Silverstein and CIM. Education and affiliations Mike received a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Rehabilitation from the Illinois State University, a Master of Science in Exercise Science from Illinois State University and a Master of Education from University of Illinois Chicago.

With over a decade of construction and insurance experience, Daniel has managed nearly $1 billion dollars worth of new construction, commercial and residential remodeling. In addition, Daniel has placed hundreds of insurance policies, serves as an expert witness in thousands of insurance disputes, and assisted community associations, business owners and homeowners recover from a wide variety of property and business income losses. He maintains a strong commitment to the community and serves on the BB&T Local Advisory Board and as Vice-Chairman of Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce.

As the Vice President of Stiles Marketing, Adrienne Zalkind is an accomplished leader responsible for guiding a team of experts in real estate marketing, branding, business development, and public relations. With an extensive background spanning over 23 years, Ms. Zalkind possesses a wealth of experience in crafting and executing strategic marketing and investor relations programs for public and private firms across a diverse array of industries, including real estate development, banking, pharmaceutical, homebuilding, commercial fitness, and trade organizations. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated her versatility in both in-house global communications and agency-based public relations. Ms. Zalkind has established herself as a specialist in the realm of real estate, dedicating much of her career to corporate public relations, project branding and campaign management. She excels at building brands, orchestrating compelling marketing campaigns, implementing effective leasing strategies, and positioning properties for sale. Under her guidance, her team has garnered a reputation for creating award-winning branding, marketing, and public relations campaigns, resulting in heightened exposure and market value for a diverse range of commercial real estate projects, including mixed-use Class A office buildings and retail shopping centers. In prior roles, Ms. Zalkind implemented comprehensive investor relations and communication programs for companies and agencies, successfully raising awareness in business and consumer media as well as within Wall Street circles. Among the noteworthy companies she has served are BankAtlantic Bancorp (NYSE: BBX), Levitt Corporation (NYSE: LEV), and Kos Pharmaceuticals. She provided specialized client offerings, including full-scale branding and public relations campaigns, repositioning strategies, business development initiatives, and ghost-writing for esteemed publications like Forbes. Ms. Zalkind’s professional journey began as both a freelance writer for the Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel as well as her role of associate producer for the investigative reporting unit at CBS-WFOR Miami. During this time, she co-produced an Emmy-nominated investigative documentary, showcasing her commitment to impactful storytelling. Ms. Zalkind remains actively engaged in industry and community affairs, currently serving on the Jack & Jill Center’s Marketing Board with previous board roles at Business for the Arts Broward, The Humane Society of Broward, and The American Heart Association. Additionally, she is a member of NAIOP and sits on the association’s Awards Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Journalism and Communications from Florida International University, graduating with honors (Cum Laude).

Tere Blanca is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Inc., the leading independently owned commercial real estate services firm in Florida. She founded the firm in 2009 after identifying a need in the marketplace for a local advisory and brokerage firm built on a culture of giving clients a highly personalized approach to service. With Tere’s vision, progressive leadership and foundation of passion, care and commitment to excellence, teams are purpose built and strategies are customized to fit each clients’ diverse needs allowing the firm to achieve successful outcomes and setting new market standards. Blanca Commercial Real Estate now has a dynamic team of more than 45 top professionals that embrace a culture of collaboration and caring for each other, the firm’s clients and the community. It is recognized as one of the top commercial real estate brokerage services companies in Florida, ranked by the South Florida Business Journal as one of the top ten firms in South Florida, maintaining more than 32% market share of all office lease transactions executed in Class A and B office space in Miami; the firm’s home base. Expanding across South Florida, the firm now has 3 offices across the region and has grown its services to include property management, tenant engagement services and development consulting. Throughout her 35-year career, Tere has participated and led many significant lease transactions and new development projects from land acquisition to the master planning, design, construction, marketing, lease-up, and sale of office and mixed-use assets. Clients of the firm include Nuveen Real Estate, Allianz, Hines, Agave Holdings, Lincoln Property Company, Blackstone, TA Realty, Federal Realty, Shorenstein, Stiles, Related Group, AIMCO, and the law firms of Akerman LLP, and White & Case, LLP; Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Miami Herald Media Company; WeWork; Coastal Construction, Quirch Foods, Inc.; Insigneo; Inktel, DASI, Neutralogistics, Mexican Consulate and the University of Miami, to name a few. Prior to launching Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Tere served for five years as Senior Managing Director for Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, Inc., where she led the firm’s South Florida region, achieving significant revenue growth and increased profitability. Tere also held the position of senior vice president at Codina Realty Services, Inc. ONCOR International where she was consistently among the top producers during her 14-year tenure. Tere holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in international marketing and finance and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami and is fluent in English and Spanish. She is the proud mother of two daughters and resides with her husband in Coral Gables. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ● Chair of Urban Land Institute (ULI) for Southeast Florida and the Caribbean ● Member of the Board of Directors of BankUnited ● Member of the Board of Trustees of Miami Dade College ● Member of the University of Miami’s Herbert School of Business Real Estate Advisory Council ● Executive Committee Member of Urban Land Institute (ULI) ● Past chair and current Member of the Board of Miami-Dade County’s official economic development agency, The Beacon Council ● Member of the Board of Governors of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce ● Member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Gold ● Associate member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Chapter ● Member of Women Corporate Directors (WCD) ● Past member of the Board of Directors of The Miami Foundation ● Past chair of the Board of Directors of City Year Miami AWARDS & RECOGNITION: ● “Top 100 Power Leaders”, South Florida Business Journal ● “Ultimate CEO”, South Florida Business Journal ● “Most Influential Business Women”, South Florida Business Journal ● “Power Leader of the Year”, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce ● “Office Broker of the Year”, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce ● “Women of Influence: Legends”, Real Estate Forum ● “Women of Influence”, Real Estate Forum ● “Top 25 Women in Real Estate”, Commercial Property Executive ● “Top Dealmakers of the Year”, Daily Business Review ● “Successful Hispanic Women of the Year”, Camacol ● “Philanthropist of the Year”, City Year Miami ● “Community Leader of the Year”, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Ofo Ezeugwu is the CEO and Founder of WYL and a 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 lister for his work in social impact. WYL is a VC and Google-backed platform that turns meaningful feedback from residents on their living experiences into actionable insights that help home providers better understand and engage their communities. He graduated from Temple University and was the VP of the student body and the youngest alumni convocation speaker in the school's history. Ofo was recently named to Forbes’ #Next1000 List, recognized as the Young Professional of the Year by the African American Chamber of Commerce, and was named one of BET's #30Under30 as well as a Modern Man by Black Enterprise. His work has been featured in TechCrunch, Newsweek, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Blavity, The New York Post, and more. A board of trustee member at D'Youville College, Ofo sits on the Board of Directors for several non-profit organizations, as well. He's actively engaged in the community and often speaks to local grade schools in the NYC area on leadership, college planning, entrepreneurship, and life skills. Ofo has given lectures on tech, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills at prestigious institutions like The White House during the Obama Administration, Harvard University, Princeton University, Columbia University, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, among others. He's a professional actor and model, as well, with lead roles in productions like The Letter, which premiered at The Lincoln Center, has walked New York Fashion Week, and been featured numerous times on the Today Show over the years. He’s worked with companies like Nike, ESPN, Facebook, Starbucks and more. Ofo lives by the mantra: "No steps backward; just forward progress."

Asi Cymbal is the Chairman of Cymbal DLT Companies. Mr. Cymbal has over 30 years of experience in real estate development, construction, finance, and law. He is driven by his passion for great architecture and design, his focus on transforming communities, and his commitment to creating great wealth for his investors. He has been fortunate to work with the world’s best architects and designers (Philippe Starck, Bjarke Ingels, Enrique Norten, Jo Palma, Arquitectonica) as a first mover in neighborhoods at a critical time in their transition (the Financial District in Manhattan, Tribeca, SOHO, the Miami Design District, Wynwood, Downtown Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach, Miami Gardens). Mr. Cymbal is grateful to his investors and proud of the fact that he has rewarded them with unmatched returns.  Mr. Cymbal raised his first fund in 2010.  That $3 million fund is now worth over $180 million.  He is focused on increasing that to $700 million by 2026. After experimenting with retirement in 2014, he came back to create a second fund during the 2020 Pandemic.  He turned that $16 million fund into $90 million in 20 months. Mr. Cymbal is currently raising a $100 million evergreen fund to be deployed into the $2 billion Cymbal DLT pipeline. Mr. Cymbal also has significant food and beverage experience. He has co-created and owned over half a dozen of the hottest restaurants and clubs in Miami, including Sra. Martinez (with celebrity chef and James Beard award-winner, Michelle Bernstein), Bardot, and gigi. Mr. Cymbal has been named by the South Florida Business Journal as a Heavy Hitter in Construction and Real Estate Development, a Top 100 Power Leader, and as one of 2013’s People to Watch. He has also appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Mr. Cymbal is the Vice Chair and board member of Florida International University’s College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts - Miami Beach Urban Studios. He is also a board member of Wynwood Norte, the organization that is spearheading the revitalization of north Wynwood. Mr. Cymbal was a past board member of Business for the Arts of Broward. Mr. Cymbal is a graduate of Vassar College and the UCLA School of Law. He is an experienced real estate and business attorney licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and Washington D.C., and is a licensed general contractor in Florida.

Carlos Rosso is the Founder of Rosso Development, a fully integrated development firm focused on high-end boutique development opportunities. Rosso is set to oversee multiple upcoming awe-inspiring projects in key markets in South Florida and Latin America—with the first ever The Standard Residences in Midtown Miami as his debut project. Rosso founded Rosso Development in 2020 after nearly 20 years with The Related Group, where he was a driving force behind the company’s condominium operations. As the president of the condominium and international development divisions, he oversaw all facets of condominium development domestically and internationally. Over the course of his career, Rosso developed well over 16,000 units, and in the process, mastered diverse development disciplines including construction, project financing, land acquisition and sales and marketing. Under his leadership, Related successfully delivered iconic projects including the 1,600 unit Paraiso District in Miami; Residences by ARMANI/CASA designed by César Pelli; Hyde Beach House; Park Grove by OMA/Rem Koolhaas; Auberge Beach Residences and Spa in Fort Lauderdale; SLS Cancun & Residences in Mexico; and V:HOUSE in Brazil. Prior to his time at Related, Rosso held a number of positions across global development firms, having served as Vice President of Real Estate Development for Investment Properties Ltd. in Boston; and ten years as Project Director for Besix International, overseeing the development and construction of over ten million square feet of multi-family, hotel and office buildings in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Rosso graduated summa cum laude from the Universidad de Buenos Aires with a master’s degree in Architecture. He also earned a master’s degree in Real Estate Development and Finance, with the highest honors, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). www.rossodev.com

Fueled by his innate creativity and armed with a diehard entrepreneurial spirit, Harvey Hernandez began his involvement in real estate development as a hands-on investor in the rapidly expanding South Florida market. With more than two decades in South Florida, he has observed first-hand the region’s tremendous capacity for change and progress. Holding firm to excellence from the forefront of the industry, Harvey continues to revitalize the high-end residential market by developing innovative projects that deliver the best in location, cutting- edge amenities, luxury finishes and forward-thinking design. Harvey entered the real estate industry following a successful foray scaling a technology startup that sold in year 2000. The sale provided the initial capital for the $260 million-dollar multifamily development firm, H&H Development Company -- a pivotal catalyst to Harvey’s career. These ventures paved the way for Harvey’s subsequent endeavors, giving him the necessary momentum to launch Newgard Development Group and NGD Homesharing LLC. In 2017, Harvey partnered with Airbnb to create Niido, the first and only residential brand designed to encourage and facilitate home sharing. The partnership includes multifamily developments that are tailor-made to optimize flexible living, with a suite of technology, services and amenities. The first Niido, powered by Airbnb, communities are open in Orlando and Nashville with more locations coming soon. Following Niido’s launch, in June of 2019, Harvey expanded his partnership with Airbnb to create yet another revolutionary new hospitality brand, Natiivo. Purposely designed, built and licensed for home sharing, Natiivo is the first brand to offer ownership with home sharing as an amenity. On the heels of the success of Natiivo Miami and Natiivo Austin, which both sold out before breaking ground, his latest brand LOFTY has debuted its first iteration in Brickell, Miami. Harvey’s other notable projects include Gale Boutique Hotel Fort Lauderdale, Gale Residences in Fort Lauderdale; One Flagler office building, Centro Condominium Miami and BrickellHouse.

Arturo is an accomplished architect, urban designer and educator with exemplary experience in design, architecture and institutional campus planning. Arturo brings an unmatched design vision and a collaborative team-based working spirit. He has over thirty-three years of experience merging design practice, master planning, and urban design solving complex sites and programs in Healthcare, Academic and Commercial mixed-use. Arturo has worked with private and public-sector entities, developers, institutions, community-based organizations, and city regulatory agencies leading teams on projects that involve a rigorous design process and with a variety of alternative delivery approaches including P3, Design Assist, Design-Build and IPD.

Ian Bruce Eichner, a seasoned developer of urban mixed-use properties, has a proven track record in real estate spanning more than three decades. His vast portfolio of projects in New York, Miami and Las Vegas include City Spire, One Broadway Place, The Manhattan Club, The Kingsley, Royale, American, and Boulevard as well as Montague Street built in Brooklyn Heights. Outside of New York he has developed the Continuum, a 2-tower gated condominium community in South Beach, and the Cosmopolitan, a 3,000 room resort and casino on the Las Vegas strip. His latest project 45 East 22nd Street, recently completed, is the tallest and, considered by many, the most iconic building in the Flatiron District. Transforming the downtown skyline, the tower consists of a glass silhouette of 65 stories which rises 777 feet into the sky. The striking exterior, crafted by the global architectural firm of Kohn Peterson Fox, wraps around timeless interiors created by the Martin Brudzinski Design Studio. The building contains 82 apartments and approximately 230,000 sale-able square feet with the following five floors of amenities including:  Landscaped garden and fifth floor terrace designed by Oehme Van Sweden  Fitness center  Children’s playroom  Indoor basketball court  Golf simulator  Drawing room with separate billiards and cards rooms  Upper Club on the 54th floor with bar, private dining room and catering kitchen  Automated private residential parking garage His newest project 960 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn is a proposed 1.3 million square feet development consisting of 1600 residential housing units including a proposed 50/50 split between market rate, work-force and low-income apartments. Mr. Eichner’s acute business sense has produced a series of visionary real estate developments that have been characterized by a creative mix of distinctive purpose- built properties. Each of these properties illustrates his extensive real estate expertise and ability to take situations which others may find unachievable and off-putting, and design and execute solutions which realize value for the developer. Mr. Eichner’s notable development achievements that were the first in their class include: 1. First high-rise built in Brooklyn Heights since landmarks height legislation was passed in 1965 (Montague Street, 1998) 2. First urban timeshare in New York, with a new concept of being able to book stays one day at a time (The Manhattan Club, 1996) 3. First and only beachfront gated community in South Beach (The Continuum, 2003-2008) 4. First development on the Las Vegas strip to employ an urban development model, maximizing a small (8.5 acre) site to its full square footage potential of 6 ½ million square feet. (The Cosmopolitan) Mr. Eichner’s career in real estate follows almost a decade in the criminal justice system, including terms as an Assistant District Attorney and program development chief of a New York State agency during Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s tenure.

Kevin O’Grady is the Managing Director, Co-CIO and Partner of Concord Summit. With over 40 years of commercial real estate finance and related industry experience, Mr. O’Grady provides solutions for commercial real estate transactions of all types of asset classes, including office, retail, multi-family, for-sale residential condominiums, hospitality, industrial and mixed-use developments both urban and suburban. In his combined experience, Mr. O’Grady has been responsible for the development of over 10 million square feet of commercial projects, 23 master planned housing communities, 6 million square feet of commercial leasing and over $22 billion in structured finance closings. Prior to founding Concord Summit, Mr. O’Grady was SVP and Managing Director with Walker and Dunlop. Mr. O’Grady has also served as a founding member of the National Equity Practice Group of Cohen Financial, a division of Guggenheim, a Director at LJ Melody and was a senior officer at various recognized development companies, including Atlantic Gulf Communities, HF Ahmanson, Robert Trent Jones Development, Turner Development, and CSX Development.

Mr. Murad joined Meridian in 2018 and currently serves as a Managing Director in the company’s New York City headquarters. He is responsible for the origination and placement of loans across a broad array of property types, including residential condominiums, multifamily, hospitality, and retail in locations including the Tri-State area and nationally. Mr. Murad and his team specialize in the financing of transitional assets including land acquisitions, ground up development, value-add repositioning, and capitalization restructurings. Prior to joining Meridian, Mr. Murad was a Director at Eastern Consolidated, where he managed the execution and placement of new loan originations. Prior to joining Eastern Consolidated, Mr. Murad spent three years at GCP Capital Group where he began his career as an analyst. Over the course of his career, Mr. Murad has negotiated more than $4 billion in financing covering residential condominiums, multifamily, hospitality, office, retail, and other property types across the United States. Notable financing transactions negotiated by Mr. Murad include a $350 million construction loan for a 66-story condominium development at 126 Madison Avenue in Manhattan, and a $68 million bridge loan for the repositioning of a 257-key hotel into the Gurney’s Newport Resort & Marina in Rhode Island. Mr. Murad holds a Bachelor of Science degree magna cum laude in finance and real estate from the University of South Carolina. He is also a member of REBNY and was recognized by Commercial Real Estate 20 Awards as a “Rising Star of Commercial Real Estate- Advisory” in 2019.

Drawing on his prior experience as a banker and general counsel for a private equity firm, Joe Hernandez counsels a variety of clients in negotiating and structuring complex commercial real estate transactions. He represents real estate developers, financial institutions, private equity firms, and public entities in all phases of such transactions, with deals across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. He handles acquisitions, development, financing, leasing, joint ventures, and advises clients on raising capital for real estate projects. He also represents developers and investors in the area of condominium redevelopment, which oftentimes involves the complex process of terminating an existing condominium. He helps clients navigate all stages of the process, from due diligence, joint venture structuring, and termination strategies to acquisition financing, construction financing, and mezzanine financings that facilitate the redevelopment. Joe is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL), a prestigious fellowship reserved for lawyers distinguished for their skill, experience, and high standards of professional and ethical conduct in the practice of real estate law. He also serves as Chair of ACREL’s Common Interest Ownership Committee.