Art of Placemaking in Austin

Planning for Connectivity, Retail Engagement, And Urban Growth in Mixed-Use Developments

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  Margaret Shaw

  Over three decades, Margaret has held a variety of leadership positions overseeing housing & real estate policy and development that bring significant social and economic value to communities. In her current role as senior project manager at the City of Austin, Texas, Margaret manages complex public-private real estate partnerships. In the private sector from 2002-06, she helped to develop more than 600 affordable multifamily units for rent or purchase in Austin and along the Texas-Mexico border, securing awards from National Trust for Historic Preservation (Hamilton Hotel, Laredo) and U.S. Department of Justice (The Boulevard, Austin). She is active member of Urban Land Institute Austin, and one of the 2022 nominees for the Influencer Award that recognizes a member's positive influence over many years

  City of Austin

  Economic Redevelopment Program Manager

  Second Street District Redevelopment

  Margaret Shaw

  Economic Redevelopment Program Manager

  City of Austin

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  Caitlyn Ryan

  Caitlyn oversees the acquisition and development of all investments in Texas for Turnbridge. Prior to joining Turnbridge, Caitlyn was Senior Vice President of Investments for Stream Realty Partners, one of the fastest growing, full service real estate firms in the nation. At Stream, Caitlyn executed development, acquisitions, entitlements, design and financing for various projects across the country. Caitlyn earned her Master’s in Business Administration from The Johns Hopkins University and her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Texas Tech University. Caitlyn is a member of ULI and a board member of NAIOP of Austin and The Downtown Austin Alliance. Caitlyn is a former board member of the Rawls College of Business and the Trail Conservancy of Austin.

  Turnbridge Equities

  Senior Director of Development

  Music Lane on South Congress

  Caitlyn Ryan

  Senior Director of Development

  Turnbridge Equities

• Second Street District Redevelopment

  Jason Ricks

  VP, Retail Asset Management

  AMLI Residential

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  John Heffington

  John Heffington joined SHOP Companies to lead the Austin office with a particular focus on urban infill and selected properties across the Austin market. John specializes in innovative and growing restaurant, entertainment, and service clients including Flower Child, North Italia, Frontburner Concepts, Modern Animal, Velvet Taco, Hattie B’s, Five Iron Golf, Gymshark, and many others. On the agency side, John’s clients include AMLI, Beacon Properties, Pennybacker Capital, Stream Realty, and Danly Properties. Before SHOP, John was a First Vice President at CBRE where he focused on the growing downtown and close in urban neighborhoods of Austin. John originally started his real estate career with Trammell Crow Company in Austin working on multiple developments including the Green Water Treatment Plant Redevelopment, which became Northshore, 500 West 2 nd , and the Proper Hotel. John holds a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M and The University of Texas at Austin, respectively. He practiced as a consulting structural engineer prior to returning to school for a MBA from the University of Michigan. Respective Clients: North Italia – Austin Flower Child – Austin Front Burner (Sixty Vines, Mexican Sugar, Whiskey Cake) – Austin Eureka! – Austin La Popular – Austin Electric Pickle – Austin Modern Animal – Austin Patika – Austin Bluestone Lane – Austin Hattie B’s Mountain Mike’s Gymshark

  SHOP Companies

  Partner

  Flower Child, North Italia, Hattie B.'s And More

  John Heffington

  Partner

  SHOP Companies

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  Sergio Negrete

  Sergio Negrete is an energetic leader focused on transforming ideas into thriving communities. As Principal & Senior Vice President of Development at Arterra, he pursues new business opportunities, while overseeing project planning and execution. Before joining Arterra, Sergio served as Vice President of Development at Catellus Development Corporation, where he built strategic partnerships, managed commercial brokers, and led major development initiatives. Prior to Catellus, his real estate journey took him to CBRE, Inc., where he oversaw a diverse, two-million-square-foot portfolio of retail, redevelopment, and mixed-use projects across Central Texas. His dedication extends beyond his projects—he currently serves as a board member of the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA) and serves on the finance committee for Leadership Austin and the Advisory Committee for the Housing Accelerator Fund for Austin Community Foundation. A licensed Texas Real Estate Broker, Sergio earned his BBA in Real Estate Finance and Development, with a minor in Finance, from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Whether leading complex negotiations or working alongside communities, Sergio is committed to creating spaces that inspire, connect, and thrive.

  Arterra Development

  Principal & SVP

  Mueller & Colony Park Sustainable Village

  Sergio Negrete

  Principal & SVP

  Arterra Development

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  Brett Pitt

  Brett Pitt is President of Merriman / Pitt Anderson (MPA), an architecture and interior design firm specializing in Industrial/Manufacturing, Hospitality (Hilton & Marriott brands), Multi-Family, Commercial/Office, and Mixed-Use projects. With over 25 years of experience in the Austin architecture industry, Brett has led MPA's business development, client management, and project oversight since its inception in 2012. His diverse portfolio includes Corporate Office, Medical Office, Tenant-Improvement, Mixed-Use, Hospitality, Multi-Family, Schools, Retail, Financial, Civic, Religious, Energy, Transportation/Aviation, and Industrial/Manufacturing projects. Brett's broad experience ensures optimal design value and construction feasibility for his clients' investments.

  MPA Architects (Merriman Pitt/Anderson)

  President

  Brett Pitt

  President

  MPA Architects (Merriman Pitt/Anderson)

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  Preston Patten

  Preston Patten is an Shareholder at Winstead PC. His current practice is focused on real estate development with an emphasis on structuring residential, mixed-use and office condominiums, and residential and mixed-use communities. Preston also represents developers in their creation and administration of property owner associations.

  Winstead

  Shareholder

  Moderator

  Preston Patten

  Shareholder

  Winstead

Next-Gen Office And Mixed-Use Developments

Location Strategy, Scalability, Tenant Preferences And the Amenity Edge In and Around Austin

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  Ryan Kasten

  Ryan Kasten is a Partner and Managing Director for our Austin and San Antonio offices. Ryan brings a wealth of experience in leadership, strategic planning, and high-profile transactions, significantly strengthening our operations in Central Texas. Ryan previously served as the Managing Principal for Cushman & Wakefield’s Austin and San Antonio offices, where he excelled in building culture, driving revenue, and increasing the company’s market share across all service lines. Over the past 15 years, Ryan has managed over 5 million square feet of transactions for clients locally & worldwide, including securing some of the largest leases in Austin’s CBD/Domain markets and executing significant transactions in NYC and Palo Alto, CA. Ryan graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communications. His leadership style is marked by his ability to drive strategic growth and his dedication to mentoring and developing high-performing teams.

  Partners Real Estate

  Partner & Managing Director

  Ryan Kasten

  Partner & Managing Director

  Partners Real Estate

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  David Knoll

  With nearly two decades of industry experience, David is instrumental in the strategic growth of Ryan’s South Central Region. As Senior Director of Real Estate Development for the Austin office, he is responsible for site selection and land acquisition, due diligence, municipal approvals, design and construction coordination, marketing and leasing, and sale negotiation. Known for his strong analytical and problem solving skills, David has the ability to successfully manage even the most complex projects, making him a crucial ally to his customers. He is well respected for the creativity he brings to project management and for his ability to pull together different groups of people, skillfully handling details without losing sight of the broader context.

  Ryan Companies

  Sr. Director, Development

  ATX Tower

  David Knoll

  Sr. Director, Development

  Ryan Companies

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  Peter Narvarte

  I primarily manage the execution of the design and construction process for the commercial development team for Hines in central Texas. I also provide support for the Region’s development teams across platforms for entitlements, budgets, permits, and schedules in the Central Texas region. I have managed more than $2 Billion of projects in my career ranging from heavy industrial, heavy highway, adaptive reuse, historic preservation, and commercial office from west coast to the east coast and everywhere in between. Those projects have ranged in value from less than $1 Million to more than $300 Million. I have executed projects for Hines as the Design Manager, Development Manager, and Construction Manager roles for a range of Projects. My years in the General Contracting role for more than 20 years has provided valuable experience, specifically suited to manage this range of projects for Hines. The most recent project I completed for Hines was the award-winning T3 mass timber mixed use project on the east side of Austin in the Plaza Saltillo area. I have credentials with the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) and LEED Legacy. In the 2000’s I spent much of my time executing under Design-Build Contracts and in 2010, I spent approximately 3 years as the DBIA President for the Austin Region. In my spare time I spend my available hours supporting my family’s various pursuits in sports, art, and travel. Some of that time (less than we would like) is spent donating time to Austin Capitol Food Bank and Meals on Wheels. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996 as a Structural Engineer. While at UT I also played soccer for the men’s program which won one of their 3 national championships in 1995-96 during my senior year. After graduation I chose to go directly into Construction Management instead of practice engineering and stayed at the UT men’s soccer program as an assistant coach. I also played semi-pro soccer for a brief time while working and tried to play professionally (when the MLS first started) only to realize quickly that I needed to work for a living!

  Hines

  VP, Construction

  T3 Eastside

  Peter Narvarte

  VP, Construction

  Hines

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  Ash Shah

  Ash Shah is the President & CEO of IMPEX Capital Group, a Houston-based commercial real estate investment firm. The firm owns and manages over $1.8 Billion in various properties across the US, including ~$800 Million in Houston and Texas, in general. To date, IMPEX has acquired over 10,000 multifamily units, 1500 units of new Multifamily Development & Built-to-Rent Projects, 600,000 sf of Industrial & Commercial office, and 400,000 square feet of Retail & Mixed Use. Mr. Shah’s schedule of real estate ownership also includes Hotels, Assisted Living with Memory Care, Storage Facility and Land parcel for housing development. Mr. Shah currently serves as a Co-Sponsor, Key Principal or Equity Owner in over 50 properties. Prior to entering the commercial real estate sector, Ash was the founder and CEO of Impex Global, a Plastic Films, Paper and Packaging products company. After expanding the business into locations all over North America and operations in several international markets, Mr. Shah successfully sold the business to a private equity firm in 2012. Ash holds an MBA from Thunderbird Business School of International Management, and his company has been ranked in the “Top 100” and “Fastest Growing Company” by Houston Business Journal and Inc. 5000 magazine. Mr. Shah is also a former “International Entrepreneur of the Year” award recipient from the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and member of Forbes Financial Council.

  IMPEX Capital Group

  President & CEO

  $31 Million Mixed-Use Development in Leander

  Ash Shah

  President & CEO

  IMPEX Capital Group

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  Mark DePiero

  Executive leader with a diverse domestic and international background in hotel operations, sales, corporate meetings, co-working, community building, workplace management, and Class A commercial real estate amenities. As a founding member of Dolce Hotels & Resorts, played a key executive role in expanding the brand from a single property in Texas to 26 properties across seven countries in North America and Europe. A core team member at Convene, instrumental in establishing the company’s organizational foundation and fiscal controls for its next phase of growth. Led the transition from a centralized corporate model to a balanced structure of field operations and accountability, supported by corporate resources. Developed a reporting framework that optimized productivity metrics, service delivery, guest satisfaction, and property performance.

  Arch Amenities Group

  SVP Real Estate

  Mark DePiero

  SVP Real Estate

  Arch Amenities Group

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  Matt Isbell

  Matt Isbell is the President and Founder of EnvelopiQ, bringing over 20 years of experience in the construction and technology industry. Throughout his career, Matt has been instrumental in designing and implementing technology for some of the largest and most complex projects. For the past decade, he has focused on adopting a user and experience-driven approach to planning and integrating technology within the built environment. His expertise and dedication have positioned him as a leader in the field. Matt and EnvelopiQ are currently involved in planning and connecting technology in iconic projects across the country. These include the $4.3 billion IU Health Downtown Hospital, OCVIBE in Anaheim, CA, COTA Turn 11 car condos, the $650 million+ Indiana School for the Deaf and Blind, Elanco Animal Health’s new global headquarters, and the Bottleworks District in Indianapolis. A native of Indianapolis, where EnvelopiQ is headquartered, Matt also oversees an office in Austin, TX. His innovative mindset continues to drive EnvelopiQ’s success and influence in the industry.

  EnvelopiQ

  President

  Matt Isbell

  President

  EnvelopiQ

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  George Blume

  George is a Design Principal at HOK with nearly 20 years of experience and a passion for the spirit of exploration and appreciation for art embodied by his work. He has spent the majority of his career designing mixed-use, corporate and commercial projects with an eye for placemaking and capitalizing on the natural environment in which his buildings call home. As an Texas native, George endeavors to create architecture that becomes a place to escape the city.

  HOK

  Principal, Design

  Moderator

  George Blume

  Principal, Design

  HOK