Sam Bakhshandehpour is the President and Board Member of José Andrés Group (JAG). Driven by the mission of “Changing the world through the power of food,” JAG’s platform spans 30+ restaurants across 9 markets globally and multiple cuisines, including the 2-Michelin starred Minibar, and numerous Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants. Mr. Bakhshandehpour also runs José Andrés Media division (JAM) which produces food-related cultural content across scripted, unscripted – film and television, books, podcasts, and digital content. JAM also houses numerous global partnerships and a consumer products platform.

Through his hospitality platform, The Silverstone Companies, Mr. Bakhshandehpour has made numerous investments including The Electric Jane, Cultivate Hospitality, Bazaar by José Andrés, and select other hotel, restaurant and lifestyle properties.

Previously, Mr. Bakhshandehpour served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of sbeEntertainment, a private-equity backed hotel, restaurant and nightlife company with over 80 properties globally.

Mr. Bakhshandehpour started his career on Wall Street with J.P. Morgan Securities running the Global Casino and West Coast Real Estate & Lodging Investment Banking practice focused on mergers & acquisitions and capital raising.

Mr. Bakhshandehpour holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. He served on the board of The New Home Company (NYSE: NWHM) and Georgetown University McDonough School of Business’ Board of Advisors as a Board Member and Capital Campaigns Committee Member. He is a trustee of Federal City Council (FC2), a founding member of the Georgetown Wall Street Alliance West, and a Senior Advisor to Montminy & Co., FINRA-registered (series 7, 24, 63). Mr. Bakhshandehpour is also an active member and former Chair of the Bel Air Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization.

Julissa Marenco is the Smithsonian’s Assistant Secretary for Communications and External Affairs and Chief Marketing Officer. Marenco oversees the Institution’s offices of Public Affairs, Government Relations, Visitor Services, Special Events and Protocol, and Marketing and Branding.

Previously, Marenco served as the chief external affairs officer and senior advisor at the Federal Communications Commission where she directed outreach, education and external affairs in the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. She was responsible for establishing strategic partnerships and developing outreach efforts to consumers, stakeholders and public and private partners.

A former television executive, Marenco was the president of ZGS Communications Station Group where she oversaw the management and direction of 13 Telemundo television stations, three radio stations, multiple digital properties and more than 200 employees. She was responsible for implementing strategic partnerships, marketing initiatives and public relations campaigns designed to drive ratings, increase audience shares and build awareness and branding. Marenco established key relationships with community stakeholders, Fortune 500 companies, Congress, press and media organizations, and federal, local and state governments. Before that, she was the general manager of Telemundo WZDC 25 in Washington, D.C. As general manager, she oversaw the day-to-day management, operation and financial management of the station.

Marenco earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Rowan University and her master’s degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 2007, she was selected by the President of the United States to serve as a White House Fellow.

Marenco is an executive board member and the vice chair of communications for the Washington, D.C., chapter of the International Women’s Forum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing women’s leadership globally and locally. In addition, she is a board member of Destination DC, Washington, D.C.’s official marketing organization. In 2020, she was elected to serve on the board of directors of the American Alliance of Museums, an alliance of 35,000 museums and museum professionals. From 2018 to 2021, she served as a commissioner of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission.

Elizabeth Cooper has over 30 years of real estate experience as a top sales producer for over 20 years at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), and prior to that, as a real estate attorney for 10 years at Covington & Burling in Washington, DC. In addition to her real estate practice at Covington, she was one of the lawyers tapped to handle all real estate related matters for the firm. As Vice Chairman of JLL, she has negotiated more than 50 million square feet of office space around the globe, generating approximately $100,000,000 in revenue.

She has dedicated her free time to mentoring the next generation of leaders in the industry; in particular, women. At JLL, she is the co-executive sponsor for the Women’s Business Network and sits on the Diversity and Inclusion Council. Since 2017, Elizabeth has co-chaired JLL’s Mentor Protégé program. This national program fosters cross industry and cross market collaboration to develop the next generation of leaders in the firm.

Additionally, Elizabeth is the immediate past president of Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association (CREBA) and continues as a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. She is on the Board of the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy and is a member of the Economic Club of Washington, DC.

Vicki Davis is responsible for managing the acquisition, planning, design, and

implementation of all Urban Atlantic projects, and asset management of properties that

the company owns and its Mid-City Community CDE investment portfolio. With over 28

years of experience in real estate development, she formerly served as Deputy Director

of the Maryland Housing Fund and Maryland DHCD -Division of Credit Assurance. Her

experience also includes portfolio management for MNC Financial-South Charles Realty

and multifamily development for Trammell Crow Residential.

As President of Urban Atlantic Development, Ms. Davis has managed development of

over $2 billion in real estate projects and asset managed over $4 billion in real estate

investments. She has developed over 6,000 multifamily residential units and 600,000

commercial square feet for Urban Atlantic, including eight HOPE VI mixed-finance public

housing redevelopment projects, as well as transit-oriented mixed-use projects.

Ms. Davis holds a MBA in Finance from American University, an MS in Engineering &

Construction Management from University of Texas, and a BS in Civil Engineering from

the University of Maryland. She taught for 12 years in the Johns Hopkins Real Estate

MBA program and is a LEED AP.

Nick DeMarinis is an experienced revenue executive focusing on technology in the Real Estate, Human Resources and Media industries. He is currently the Vice President of Sales at WeWork, a certified executive coach, and startup advisor.

At WeWork, Nick drives revenue growth and leads the company’s leasing business in some of its largest and highest priority markets, including New York City.

Prior to his current role, Nick was a sales executive at Yahoo and later joined LinkedIn as one of their first employees in New York City. In 2013, he moved to Hong Kong to open LinkedIn’s office and help scale the business across Asia Pacific.

Nick earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Saint Leo University in Tampa, Florida, and a Master's Degree in International Business from St. John's University in Rome, Italy.

Outside of work, you'll find him spending time with his wife and twin boys, trying to figure out how to bring dinosaurs back to life, or training to become Point Guard for the New York Knicks.

Gerren G. Price brings to the DowntownDC BID more than 15 years of experience directing and

supporting large-scale youth, workforce, and education programs and initiatives in the

government and nonprofit sectors. He joined the BID as Director of Public Space Operations in

2018. Previously, he served as Senior Associate for National Community Strategies at the Annie

E. Casey Foundation. Gerren began his career managing a national youth mentoring program

before serving in several capacities in the District of Columbia Government, starting in the

Office of the Chancellor for D.C. Public Schools, then later serving as Director of Programs at the

Department of Parks and Recreation and as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of the Deputy

Mayor for Education. At the D.C. Department of Employment Services, he rose to hold the

positions of Associate Director of the DOES Office of Youth Programs and Deputy Director of

Youth Workforce Development, and also served as Deputy Director of Business Engagement

and Intergovernmental Affairs and as the agency’s Interim Director.

Shawn Seaman joined Hoffman & Associates in 2001 and currently leads the acquisitions and development activities for the company. Since 2006, Seaman has acted as Project Director for The Wharf, where he has managed the development team and all aspects of the project development, including design, entitlements, financing, and implementation. Seaman is a LEED®-AP certified professional and leads the company’s sustainable design initiative. Seaman has more than 20 years of project experience in real estate development, urban design, town planning, architecture, and retail strategy, with projects throughout the United States.

Seaman holds a degree in Architecture from the University of Miami, and a master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a real estate design and development certificate in conjunction with the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Seaman is a registered architect in the state of Florida and the District of Columbia.

As Executive Vice President and Head of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Region, Bobby is responsible for Brookfield Properties’ regional office portfolio.

Bobby joined Brookfield in 2006 and has held various investment roles across the United States. Most recently, he led office investment on the East Coast. Prior to joining Brookfield, Bobby held positions at Beacon Capital Partners and Cassidy Pinkard.

Bobby is a member of various organizations including the Developer Roundtable and the National Office Investment Forum of NAIOP. He also serves as a Board Member/Treasurer of Special Olympics in Washington, DC. Bobby received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Public Policy and an MBA, with honors, from Duke University.

Aakash Thakkar joined EYA in 2004 as a Development Executive and now is a Executive Vice President for Acquisition and Development with EYA. His responsibilities include overall project stewardship, new deal sourcing and acquisition, site selection, and project development through the design and governmental and community approval process. Mr. Thakkar is a member of and guest speaker for the Urban Land Institute and the District of Columbia Building Industry Association. He is a member of the Smart Growth Recognition Award Jury, the Riverdale Park Mixed-Use Town Center Committee, and of the Hyattsville CDC Board. He was a member of the Obama for American Mid-Atlantic Finance Committee and a co-founder (along with his wife) of the Thakkar/Giallourakis Scholarship Fund for St. John's College High School. Mr. Thakkar has a BS in Accounting and Political Science from LaSalle University and holds both an MBA and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University. Mr. Thakkar is a native Washingtonian.

Tom Skinner is a founding member of Redbrick LMD and is one of the firm’s three Managing Partners. He has invested in and developed close to $2 billion in real estate assets and established a pipeline of over $4 billion in future development projects.

Prior to founding Redbrick, Tom invested in or founded numerous operating businesses primarily in the real estate, technology and financial services industries. Tom began his professional career at McKinsey & Co. where he worked with financial institutions on strategy issues. Tom earned his Ph.D. in economics from MIT and his BA in economics from Oxford University.

Andrew is Senior Managing Director and City Head of the Hines Washington D.C. office. He is

responsible for new business procurement, development, acquisitions, asset and property management

activities in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Andrew has an extensive background in land development, office and multifamily, and has brought strong

relationships with investors, landowners, brokers, and other real estate professionals—cultivated through

years working in the sector—to the firm, since joining Hines in 2020.

Prior to joining Hines, Andrew was Vice President, Development at Fairfield Residential, responsible for

managing and directing all development, construction, and property management functions for the Mid-

Atlantic Region. He spent his early career at Toll Brothers and Monday Properties. He is also a veteran,

having spent the first five years of his career as an officer in the U.S. Navy.

Andrew is a member of the Urban Land Institute, a LEED Accredited Professional, and former NAIOP VA

chapter board member. He earned a Bachelor of Science, Economics, from the United States Naval

Academy, Master of Science, Organizational Dynamics from University of Pennsylvania, and MBA at

Sloan School of Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Mark Witschorik is a Director of Asset Management, Digital Asset Strategy at Jamestown. Mr. Witschorik leads the teams responsible for the Mid-Atlantic region, its strategic direction, and performance. Previously, he led the regional portfolio efforts and joint venture activities for Columbia Property Trust in several East Coast markets including Washington, D.C. and Boston. Mr. Witschorik began his career at the J Street Companies and later Akridge, holding a number of acquisition, development, and related roles. Mr. Witschorik is an active member of DCBIA, NAIOP, and ULI. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

Mark is vice president for CDUS in the Washington metro area. His responsibilities include the pursuit, acquisition and execution of development projects. He oversees project development teams and supports the executive vice president/area manager in growing Skanska’s development business throughout the region.

Mark has more than 20 years of industry experience and has worked with site acquisition, site planning, design, development, construction management and the disposition of income-producing properties. He previously served as regional director of development for JPI, a national development firm. Mark’s development experience includes land, office, retail, multifamily and hotel development projects, primarily in the Washington and Baltimore markets.

Mark holds a Masters of Architecture degree from The Catholic University of America and a Masters of Engineering Management degree from The University of California at Berkeley.

Stuart Tauber has been practicing for over 30 years in the fields of life insurance, employee benefits, and risk management. Mr. Tauber has a depth of experience in counseling professionals and business owners on the proper structure of insurance products for succession planning, business buy/sell funding, wealth replacement strategies for estate planning purposes, as well as the full spectrum of executive and welfare benefit programs. Mr. Tauber’s business client base includes a good number of real estate and development firms, as he advises those organizations on their business insurance and employee benefits offerings.

Mr. Tauber is a 1991 graduate of the University of Maryland, having earned a BA in Political Science. He has also successfully matriculated in a fellowship program offered by the Life Underwriters Training Counsel and taught its Estate and Business Planning class.

Mr. Tauber is a qualifying and lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table, the top association for financial professionals. He has been awarded The Max Wallach Leadership Award from the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and the Jerome Dick Leadership Award from The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, where he serves on its Board and Executive Committee. Locally, Mr. Tauber has been recognized by Washingtonian Magazine as a “Top Insurance Advisor” on seven separate occasions, while in 2023, he was named to the publication’s Top Wealth Advisers Hall of Fame.

David M. Rubenstein is a Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of The Carlyle Group, one of

the world’s largest and most successful private investment firms. Mr. Rubenstein co-founded the firm in

1987. Since then, Carlyle has grown into a firm managing $230 billion from 30 offices around the world.

Mr. Rubenstein is Chairman of the Boards of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the

Performing Arts and the Council on Foreign Relations; a Fellow of the Harvard Corporation; a Regent of

the Smithsonian Institution; a Trustee of the National Gallery of Art, the University of Chicago, Memorial

Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Institute for Advanced Study, the National

Constitution Center, the Brookings Institution, and the World Economic Forum; a Director of the Lincoln

Center for the Performing Arts and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and President of the

Economic Club of Washington.

Mr. Rubenstein is a member of the American Philosophical Society, Business Council, Harvard

Global Advisory Council (Chairman), Madison Council of the Library of Congress (Chairman), Board of

Dean’s Advisors of the Business School at Harvard, Advisory Board of the School of Economics and

Management at Tsinghua University (former Chairman), and Board of the World Economic Forum

Global Shapers Community.

Mr. Rubenstein has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Duke University and the

Smithsonian Institution, and Co-Chairman of the Board of the Brookings Institution.

Mr. Rubenstein is an original signer of The Giving Pledge, a significant donor to all of the above-

mentioned non-profit organizations, and a recipient of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, and the

MoMA’s David Rockefeller Award, among other philanthropic awards.

Mr. Rubenstein has been a leader in the area of Patriotic Philanthropy, having made

transformative gifts for the restoration or repair of the Washington Monument, Monticello, Montpelier,

Mount Vernon, Arlington House, Iwo Jima Memorial, the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, the National

Archives, the National Zoo, the Library of Congress, and the National Museum of African American

History and Culture. Mr. Rubenstein has also provided to the U.S. government long-term loans of his rare

copies of the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the

Emancipation Proclamation, the 13 th Amendment, the first map of the U.S. (Abel Buell map), and the first

book printed in the U.S. (Bay Psalm Book).

Mr. Rubenstein is the host of The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations on

Bloomberg TV and PBS, and Leadership Live with David Rubenstein by Bloomberg Media; and the

author of The American Story: Conversations with Master Historians, a book published by Simon &

Schuster in October 2019, and How to Lead: Wisdom from the World's Greatest CEOs, Founders, and

Game Changers, a book published by Simon & Schuster in September 2020.

Mr. Rubenstein, a native of Baltimore, is a 1970 magna cum laude graduate of Duke University,

where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa. Following Duke, Mr. Rubenstein graduated in 1973 from the

University of Chicago Law School, where he was an editor of the Law Review.

From 1973-1975, Mr. Rubenstein practiced law in New York with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton

& Garrison. From 1975-1976, he served as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s

Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments. From 1977-1981, during the Carter Administration, Mr.

Rubenstein was Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. After his White House service and before co-founding Carlyle, Mr. Rubenstein practiced law in Washington with Shaw, Pittman, Potts &

Trowbridge (now Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman).

Since 2005, Darian LeBlanc has managed Cushman & Wakefield’s Government Services Group, which specializes in

representing building owners pursuing federal interests. Darian brings more than 20 years of experience to the team,

during which he has overseen federal real estate transactions nationwide valued at over $6.5 billion.

Darian is annually recognized by several organizations, including the Commercial Real Estate Brokerage

Association of Greater Washington, DC (CREBA), the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties

(NAIOP), and the Washington Business Journal (WBJ) as a Top Broker in the National Capital Region. He is a

multi-year winner of CREBA’s Best Lease Transactions in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia, as well as a multiyear winner of WBJ’s award for Best Lease Transaction in both the Urban Office and Suburban Office categories.

Darian has been a Top 10 CREBA Leasing Broker every year since 2008 and was the Top (#1) Federal Broker in the

Washington, DC Region in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2017. In 2018, Darian was the recipient of the James L.

Eichberg Broker of the Year Award. Darian has received numerous NAIOP awards for Best Real Estate Transaction

and was named one of the top 40 business leaders in Washington, DC under the age of 40 (“Top 40 Under 40”

Award) by the Washington Business Journal.

Curtis Dubay, chief economist in the Economic Policy Division at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, tracks the condition of the economy, analyzes the impact of public policy on economic growth, and runs the Chamber’s Chief Economists Committee. The committee consists of chief economists from member businesses. It helps the Chamber formulate economic policies and provides analysis to policymakers in Washington, D.C.

Previously, Dubay was senior economist at the American Bankers Association where he worked on tax issues and followed the economic trends affecting the banking industry. Prior to ABA, he was a research fellow in tax and economic policy at The Heritage Foundation. There he researched and published on tax and economic policy issues.

Earlier in his career, Dubay worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in the firm’s transfer pricing division structuring international transactions, and before that at the Tax Foundation where he authored three widely recognized and cited reports: Tax Freedom Day, State-Local Tax Burdens, and The State Business Tax Climate Index.

Dubay has researched and published frequently on a wide range of tax and economic issues. He is regularly quoted by the press and has appeared often in the media, including on CNBC, Fox Business, Fox News, and C-SPAN. He has testified before Congress several times and been cited in newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Politico.

Dubay received his master’s degree in economics from the University of Connecticut and his bachelor’s degree in economics and leadership studies from the University of Richmond. He resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife and three sons.

Terence Callahan is President of United’s DC Market, where he leads the team serving the Bank’s largest territory

and supports many of its most significant commercial customers throughout the nation’s capital. He joined United in

2013 and has held key positions across the Bank, including Portfolio Manager, Commercial Banking Officer and VP,

Commercial Banking.

Throughout his career, Terence has executed several major deals at United and been recognized as a top

performer. He was notably one of 30 employees selected for United’s coveted Leadership Development Program,

an in-depth career development program designed for high-performing employees across United Bank's footprint.

Terence currently serves as a Director of Poor Roberts Mission; Member of the Catholic Charities Development and

Communication Committee and Catholic Charities Corporate Advisory Council; and Career Leadership Council

Member at the Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business. He earned