Keynote Session: A Lesson in How Luxury Developers Give Back

Aligning capital, community, and purpose to create impact beyond the property line

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  Nick Pérez

  Nick Pérez serves as the President of Condominium Development for Related Group (Related), one of the country’s leading real estate companies. In this critical leadership role, Nick oversees all development activity within the company's world-renown condominium group, with a portfolio worth over $15 billion. Additionally, Nick collaborates closely with Related’s executive suite - including CEO and Founder Jorge M. Perez and President Jon Paul Perez - to extend the firm’s 40+ years of industry dominance. Known for his growth focus, Related’s condominium group has thrived under Nick’s leadership, forging partnerships with distinguished brands, expanding into promising new markets and driving billions of dollars in sales. The division currently has more than 20 individual condo projects under active developments, with highlights including the St. Regis Residences Miami; Baccarat Residences, Miami; NoMad Residences, Wynwood; Residences at 6 Fisher, and many more. Nick also led the development of Related’s award-winning Coconut Grove headquarters, completed in 2021. Prior to joining Related in 2018, Nick spent eight years in the New York City real estate industry, working with some of the world’s most respected real estate companies. This included a four-year period with the Related Companies in Manhattan, where he focused on a wide spectrum of properties, including 261 Hudson and 15 Hudson Yards. Nick is deeply involved with Related’s sustainability efforts, playing a critical role in forging Related’s high- profile partnership with the Aspen Institute and facilitating the firm’s title sponsorship of the “Ideas” Summit. He is also involved in the Related’s Philanthropic Foundation and the Perez Family Philanthropic Foundation, which have dispersed more than $214 million since being founded in 2015. Nick graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a B.S. in Business Administration and received his Executive MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

  Related Group

  President

  Nick Pérez

  President

  Related Group

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  Dean Trantalis

  Dean Trantalis was first elected mayor of Fort Lauderdale in 2018 and was re-elected in Novembe 2020. His 2018 election represented the largest victory in city history for a candidate running for a first term as mayor. The 2020 election was also by landslide proportions and featured the largest turnout ever in a city race. Mayor Trantalis previously served on the City Commission representing District 2 for eight years. As mayor, he represents Fort Lauderdale on the Florida League of Cities, the Broward County Tourism Development Council, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance and the Broward Workforce Development Board. He also served as a member of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Re-Open Florida Task Force in 2020. Born and raised in Norwich, Connecticut, he attended high school at Norwich Free Academy. At Boston University, he majored in political science and graduated cum laude and with distinction in 1975. He received a Juris Doctorate in 1979 from Stetson University School of Law. Mayor Trantalis was admitted to the Connecticut and Florida Bar Associations in 1980 and has practiced law in Broward County since 1982. He maintains a successful general law practice in Broward County with some emphasis in the areas of real estate, probate, estate planning, bankruptcy, and corporate matters. His long track record of public service in our community began with his involvement in the fight for civil rights. As mayor, he is committed to improvements to the city’s infrastructure, responsible growth, community involvement in development decisions, increased fiscal responsibility in city government and the maintenance of the great quality of life in our neighborhoods. Recognized for his leadership in our community, Mayor Trantalis has received multiple awards and honors. He was an inaugural honoree of the Diversity Honors awards presented by the Harvey Milk Foundation in 2015 and was presented with their lifetime achievement award in spring 2018. He also has been honored as a Community Champion by the Broward County Commission and the Broward County Human Rights Board for his work on behalf of equal rights. In October 2019, he received the Visionary Award from the Gay and Lesbian Business Exchange of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.

  Fort Lauderdale

  Mayor

  Dean Trantalis

  Mayor

  Fort Lauderdale

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  Jimmy Tate

  CEO

  Tate Capital

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  Dan McCawley

  Dan McCawley focuses his practice on real estate matters. He has broad experience in the sale, purchase and leasing of commercial and residential properties including shopping centers, office buildings, industrial warehouses, apartment complexes, restaurants, golf courses, hotel projects and undeveloped land. His practice also includes acting as lending counsel for several banks, structuring joint ventures and partnerships and the negotiation of construction contracts and land use agreements. Dan's representative experience includes loan workouts, lease workouts, distressed real estate investments, and the acquisition and disposition of distressed loan portfolios. Dan represents several "serial" entrepreneurs and technology clients and assists them with their general legal issues. He also represents several restaurant chains regarding all their leases in the United States. Dan represents several distressed asset funds acquiring distressed loan portfolios, bulk condo purchases, REO and other distressed real estate.

  Greenberg Traurig

  Shareholder

  Moderator

  Dan McCawley

  Shareholder

  Greenberg Traurig

Building Broward: The Deals, The Challenges & Best Opportunities to Invest

Where capital is flowing, how projects are getting done, and the opportunities shaping Broward’s next wave of growth

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  Mark Levy

  Mark Levy is a seasoned real estate executive with extensive experience in logistics and industrial development. Following the October 2025 sale of Altman Logistics Properties, a company he founded and led as President, to FRP Holdings, Mark now serves as Chief Investment Officer at FRP. In this role, he oversees FRP Development Corp’s investment strategy, capital deployment, and portfolio performance across its logistics platform. He guides growth initiatives, optimizes returns, and ensures disciplined underwriting and execution throughout the investment lifecycle. Over his extensive real estate career spanning over 25 years in logistics development, Mr. Levy has deployed over $12 billion of capital including large scale, multi-phase logistics development projects across South Florida, New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Mid Atlantic. He is considered one of the most experienced and knowledgeable real estate developers in the logistics sector and has been recognized by numerous trade associations and publications. Before his tenure at FRP and Altman, he served as Chief Investment Officer at HRP Group, where he was instrumental in directing large-scale redevelopment projects nationwide and played a crucial role in establishing HRP's logistics platform, successfully overseeing the acquisition, development, and management of 20 million square feet of logistics space. Mr. Levy’s extensive experience encompasses senior leadership and capital deployment positions, including Head of Capital Deployment for the Eastern United States at Prologis, Vice Chairman at JLL, Senior Vice President for Florida at both Duke Realty and Opus, and Senior Investment Officer at Sumitomo Corporation of America. A native of Philadelphia, PA, Mr. Levy earned his degrees in Economics and English from Syracuse University. Among his many professional associations, he is a member of the Zell Lurie Real Estate Center at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a Governor of the NAIOP Research Foundation, and a leader of ULI’s Florida Industrial Development Council. Additionally, he is an advisor of the United States Chamber of Commerce, a member of the United States Capital Historical Association, an adjunct instructor of Georgetown University’s Master’s in Real Estate Capstone Program, and serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County.

  Florida Rock Holdings, Inc

  CIO

  Mark Levy

  CIO

  Florida Rock Holdings, Inc

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  Isaac Toledano

  CEO

  BH Group

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  Chris Gandolfo

  Chris Gandolfo is the senior vice president of development for Tavistock Development Company. In his role, Gandolfo leads and oversees the development and construction of the revitalization of the iconic Pier Sixty-Six property in Fort Lauderdale.

  Tavistock

  SVP

  Chris Gandolfo

  SVP

  Tavistock

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  Arman Shahbazyan

  Co-Founder

  Starlife Group

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  Austin Fox

  Austin Fox is the Founder and Principal of Austin Fox Architecture, a South Florida–based firm specializing in multifamily, mixed-use, and high-end residential design. His work spans boutique developments to large-scale housing projects, with a focus on practical, buildable design that balances creativity with financial feasibility. Austin is known for guiding developers through zoning, entitlement, and permitting processes with a strategic, solution-oriented approach. Through both his practice and industry education efforts, he advocates for smarter development and streamlined collaboration between architects, municipalities, and builders.

  Austin Fox Architecture

  Founder & Principal

  Austin Fox

  Founder & Principal

  Austin Fox Architecture

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  Jennifer Leong

  Managing Director of Developments

  ONE Sotheby's International Realty

• Moderator

  Shawn Oden

  Managing Director

  BMO Commercial Bank

Behind the Execution of One of Broward's Most Ambitious Mixed-Use Projects

Inside the strategy, capital stack, and coordination behind delivering large-scale mixed-use in Broward

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  Alan Kennedy

  Alan Kennedy is a Managing Director at Hines and is responsible for securing and managing various real estate projects in the Southeast Region of the United States. Since joining Hines in 2005, he has been involved in the development, management and leasing of over 4.5 million SF of office, retail and multifamily projects and has led the master planning of over 7.5 million SF of mixed-use projects. Most recently in North Fulton, Mr. Kennedy is the development manager for 8000 Avalon (a 230,000 SF office building that delivered in 2017) and 10000 Avalon (a 250,000 SF office building that is currently under construction). Mr. Kennedy has a mechanical engineering degree from Georgia Tech and a MBA from Emory University.

  Hines

  Managing Director

  Alan Kennedy

  Managing Director

  Hines

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  Jenni Morejon

  In 2016, Jenni Morejon was named President & CEO of the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority (DDA), the first woman to lead the agency in its 54-year history. The DDA was created in 1965 by the Florida State Legislature to promote and sustain investment in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, now a growing urban center in the Southeast Florida metropolis of 6 million people. Jenni oversees the implementation of projects and programs that require close collaboration with federal, state and local governments and a diverse group of Downtown stakeholders. The agency’s broad scope of work spans from major capital projects to community enhancement programs. She is currently facilitating the development of a new federal courthouse and a new joint city/county government campus, while implementing streetscape beautification projects and public art installations that enhance mobility and improve the urban public realm. Prior to joining the DDA, Jenni served as director of the department of sustainable development for the City of Fort Lauderdale from 2014 to 2016. She led a 185-person team with a total budget of $30 million and was responsible for city planning, economic development, housing programs, code compliance and building permits. At the start of her tenure as Deputy Director in 2012 and then Director in 2014, Jenni managed the consolidation of five separate operating departments into one as part of a citywide reorganization. During this time, her Department processed a record number of site plan applications and building permits (26,000 permits in 2015 with a total job value of $1.7 Billion) while adopting major updates to the Florida Building Code and City Zoning Code. Jenni serves on the National Public-Private Partnerships Product Council for the Urban Land Institute (ULI), was chair of the Women’s Leadership Initiative committee for the ULI’s Southeast Florida/Caribbean District Council from 2017-2019 and sits on the ULI’s Management Committee. She’s served a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce since 2015 and is currently the Chair of the Chamber’s Downtown Council. Jenni is a proud graduate of the Chamber’s Leadership Fort Lauderdale program in 2014 and Leadership Broward’s Women Leading Broward class three in 2016. Jenni grew up in South Florida before moving with her family to western Colorado as a teenager. She graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Environmental Design and moved back to South Florida in 1999, starting her professional career with the City of Fort Lauderdale as an entry-level urban planner. She and her husband, Jose, live in Pompano Beach with their two sons, and spend most weekends on the ball fields, in their backyard with friends and neighbors, or cheering on their beloved and beleaguered local sports teams.

  Fort Lauderdale DDA

  CEO & President

  Jenni Morejon

  CEO & President

  Fort Lauderdale DDA

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  Alan Hooper

  Alan Hooper founded and operates Hooper Construction, Hooper Realty, and Hooper Management. He also co- founded Urban Street Development, and is a co-founder in The Restaurant People, Inc. Over 25 years his companies have designed, developed, constructed, managed, leased and sold over 1,500,000 square feet of neighborhood revitalization projects. Working with his partners and team, at a time when urban areas nationwide have seen incredible change, a niche “re-development” business has taken shape that focuses on areas within a downtown market that possess a high potential for growth and renewed lifestyle. Alan and his partners continue to be a driving force in the redevelopment of Downtown Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods developing boutique housing, office retail and trend- setting food and beverage businesses. Most recently, the College Town project in Tallahassee has been the catalyst for a complete makeover of the area along Gaines Street just east of Doak Campbell Stadium. Working with the Seminole Boosters, he and his partners have forever changed the FSU game day experience for students, alumni, faculty and visitors alike by inserting 645 beds of student housing, and over 50,000 sq ft of retail, restaurants & bars facing at the foot of the stadium. A boutique hotel and loft project are next on the books in College Town. Wife: Kristen Children: Brooke, Colton Education: BS – Florida State University Community Involvement:  Downtown Development Authority  Downtown Transportation Management Association – Chairman  Broward Center for the Performing Arts – Board of Directors  Jack & Jill Board of Directors  Broward Workshop  Broward Urban Core Committee  Flagler Village Improvement Association – Founding Member  Himmarshee Village Merchants Association- Founding Member  Seminole Booster Golden Chief  Florida State University Real Estate Foundation  Florida State University Alumni Assoc.  Florida State University Real Estate Society  St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Fort Lauderdale Community Awards  2014 Excalibur Award for Small Business Leader of the Year – Broward County  Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce “Downtowner of the Year 2008”  City of Fort Lauderdale “Citizen of the Year” 2006  Florida Redevelopment Association; Roy Kenzie Award for Outstanding New CRA Project 2004

  Urban Street Development

  Founder

  Alan Hooper

  Founder

  Urban Street Development

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  Christina Jolley

  Christina Stine Jolley is a Vice President with Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Inc., the leading independently owned commercial real estate services firm in Florida. She has nearly 10 years of experience in the industry. On behalf of Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Ms. Jolley leverages her extensive local roots and network to support the firm’s ongoing expansion to meet a growing demand for its services in Broward. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Jolley most recently served as a Senior Associate at Cushman & Wakefield, where she spearheaded business development and marketing for what grew to become Broward’s most active office tenant advisory team. Prior to this, Ms. Jolley worked as a law clerk for the Fort Lauderdale land use and zoning firm, Lochrie & Chakas. In addition to drafting legal documents, her work included building relationships with Broward government officials and real estate developers, and providing clients with strategic counsel across all aspects of the county’s development entitlement processes. The Boca Raton, Fla., native received a bachelor’s degree in public relations, with honors, from the University of Florida and a law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law.

  Blanca Commercial Real Estate

  VP and Director of Business Development

  Christina Jolley

  VP and Director of Business Development

  Blanca Commercial Real Estate

• Moderator

  Andrew Schein

  Of Counsel

  Bilzin Sumberg

Main Street Broward: The Evolution of Urban Cores Across the County

How Fort Lauderdale and Broward cities are shaping identity, density, and walkable, mixed-use downtowns

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  Russell Galbut

  Founder & Chairman | GFO

  Co‑Founder & Managing Principal | Crescent Heights

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  Asi Cymbal

  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.

  Cymbal DLT

  Chairman

  Asi Cymbal

  Chairman

  Cymbal DLT

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  Nicole Shiman

  Nicole Shiman is a Managing Director and the Regional Head of EDENS Florida Business. Nicole is responsible for overseeing the EDENS Florida portfolio and team and leading all new acquisition and development activity in the state. Nicole joined EDENS in 2016 and has been focused on Florida based real estate for over 10 years. Prior to EDENS Nicole served as Vice President at Miami-based 13th Floor Investments, and worked at The Boston Consulting Group in their Toronto, New York and Miami offices. Nicole is an active member of the South Florida real estate community and sits as an advisory board member for ULI Southeast Florida/ Caribbean and is a Board Member for The University of Miami School of Law LLM program. Nicole received her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School.and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from The Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. Nicole is natively Canadian and grew up in Toronto. She is married with three children, a 6- year old daughter a 4-year old son, and a 2-year old daughter and resides with her family in Boca Raton.

  EDENS

  Managing Director

  Nicole Shiman

  Managing Director

  EDENS

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  Erick Collazo

  Erick has more than 30 years of experience in the real estate development industry, with expertise in development entitlements, bond financing, planning, architecture, engineering, leasing, joint venture structuring and project management. He has successfully developed more than $3 billion in commercial real estate over the course of his career. Prior to joining Metropica, Erick led the first U.S. REIT development company to acquire, develop and open a Pan European project, Madrid Xanadu, which became Europe’s largest entertainment and shopping complex. His domestic development track record includes Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida, Grapevine Mills in Dallas and Discover Mills in Atlanta, all developed during his tenure as Vice President of Development at the Mills Corp. Erick earned a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from the University of Florida and has served as a board member of Brain Injury Florida and former Advisory Council Member to the State of Florida’s Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program.

  Metropica Development Company

  Vice President - Development

  Erick Collazo

  Vice President - Development

  Metropica Development Company

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  Jeff Hardin

  Jeff Hardin is the Founder and CEO of Straticon, a premier construction firm that has dedicated over 30 years to reshaping the South Florida skyline. He oversees a specialized team with a focus on urban core development in Broward County. With the help of his team, Jeff bridges the gap between visionary design and structural excellence, working with owners, architects, cities, and the county to improve urban environments and create unique projects with lasting impact. Jeff and his team build an atmosphere that ensures every project, whether luxury multifamily, mixed-use, or commercial, achieves a balance of speed to market and high-level quality. Under Hardin's leadership, Straticon has completed landmark contributions to the region's growth, including Tamarac Village in Broward County, a luxury development featuring 401 rental units and significant green space. The firm is also currently contributing to Mayla Cypress Creek, a seven-story multifamily development with 312 residential units spanning 580,194 square feet, including an attached parking garage with 586 spaces in the Cypress Creek business corridor, as well as Avery Cypress Creek, an eight-story multifamily development with 200 luxury one- and two-bedroom apartments. Residential amenities include a high-end fitness center and lounge, along with a wraparound communal courtyard with access to greenspace and community amenities. His portfolio also includes high-profile collaborations with elite developers such as The Related Group, Blackstone, and The Trump Organization. Jeff Hardin is known for his "handshake deal" philosophy. By leading with integrity and empowering his team, he has built a company with a forward-thinking mindset that continues to set new standards for the urban built environment across Broward County and Florida, where people live, work, and thrive.

  Straticon Construction

  Founder/CEO

  Jeff Hardin

  Founder/CEO

  Straticon Construction

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  Ryan Loftus

  With more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Ryan Loftus serves as the Executive Vice President of Business Development at Hotwire Communications. His primary area of expertise lies in multi-family tenant environments. Ryan is known for his passion, success, and performance-driven approach, and boasts a proven track record of establishing enduring strategic partnerships with Fortune 100 and 500 companies. Throughout his career, Ryan has played a pivotal role in the launch and implementation of various cutting-edge technologies, including high-speed internet, digital and high-definition video, IPTV, DVR, extensive fiber deployments, small cell, and home security.

  Hotwire Communications

  EVP, Business Development – Multi-Tenant Environments

  Moderator

  Ryan Loftus

  EVP, Business Development – Multi-Tenant Environments

  Hotwire Communications