Opening Remarks

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  Nick Griffin

  As the Downtown Los Angeles Alliance's Executive Director, Nicholas ‘Nick’ Griffin spearheads the organization’s efforts to attract new businesses, retailers, investors and residents to what has grown to become one of the nation’s most dynamic urban centers. Hailed the “next great American City,” by GQ Magazine, Downtown LA has experienced unprecedented growth over the past 16-years, in large part due to the efforts of the DTLA Alliance's economic development team. Prior to the DTLA Alliance, Nick spent more than 25 years in business development in the real estate, media/entertainment and technology industries. For the previous 10 years, Nick was a leading commercial leasing and sales broker in New York City, where he was responsible for more than $100M in transactions. Prior to his rise in real estate, Nick spent a decade as a marketing and sales executive in the creative media and technology industries. Nick is a graduate of UCLA and holds an MBA from Ohio State University.

  DTLA Alliance

  EVP

  Nick Griffin

  EVP

  DTLA Alliance

Remarks from the Podium

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  Benji Shin

  Benji Shin is the CEO of Zenerate offering building design AI solutions for real estate development. His focus is to integrate AI and real estate development for profit maximization. Previously, he participated in a few largest mixed-use projects in LA as an architectural designer. He’s been a speaker at AIA 2020, BILT ASIA 20, BILT NA 2019 and holds a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard.

  Zenerate

  Co-founder & CEO

  Benji Shin

  Co-founder & CEO

  Zenerate

DTLA Recovery & Asset Class Update

Taking a Pulse on Office, Retail, Hospitality and Multifamily

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  Meredith Kovach

  SVP

  Lincoln Property Company

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  Justin Weiss

  Justin is a Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) market expert, with 11 years of experience in commercial real estate leasing and sales. As former Associate Director of Economic Development for the Downtown Center Business Improvement District and Central City Association and currently as Vice President of brokerage at KWP Real Estate, Justin’s passion for a better DTLA is exemplified in his deep knowledge of the area’s history, strong relationships with local stakeholders, and track record of transactional success.CAREER HISTORYDuring his five-year tenure at the DCBID, Justin successfully recruited hundreds of retailers, developers, hotels, office tenants and residents to DTLA, while playing an active role in laying the political groundwork for DTLA’s renaissance. Notable recruits whose presence led to the explosion of growth seen in DTLA today include: City Target, Bottega Louie, Urth Caffé, and The Ace Hotel.Justin joined KWP Real Estate in 2014 to spearhead its commercial brokerage platform in Downtown Los Angeles and is currently recognized as one of the area’s leading brokers. In that time, he and his partner, Lee Shapiro, have successfully completed over 590,000 square feet of retail, mixed-use, adaptive reuse, and creative office space transactions in DTLA. Given his boots-on-the-ground market expertise, Justin has also been engaged to represent numerous notable office tenants.In 2019 and 2020, the Los Angeles Business Journal named Justin one of L.A.’s 500 Most Influential People.

  KWP Real Estate

  VP

  Justin Weiss

  VP

  KWP Real Estate

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  Jonathan Tao

  VP

  CIM Group

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  Matt Osborn

  As Vice President, Head of Sales for California and Las Vegas, Matt Osborn leads all leasing and sales for WeWork’s approximately 4.5M square feet of real estate across both markets. In his role, Matt and his team are responsible for ensuring WeWork’s locations deliver the best in flexible workspace solutions for individuals, high-growth startups, and the world’s largest global organizations. Over two decades, his diverse transaction experience includes sale-leasebacks, build-to-suit developments, lease restructures, and financial advisory services. Before joining WeWork in 2019, Matt served as Managing Director in CBRE’s Advisory and Transaction Services group, where he specialized in developing growth strategies, optimizing portfolios, and executing transactions on behalf of global private and public institutions. He is also a former member of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Corporate Capital Markets group. A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, Matt received his Bachelor’s in business administration and finance. Matt currently resides in Studio City with his wife and two boys.

  WeWork

  VP

  Matt Osborn

  VP

  WeWork

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  Daniel Gehman

  Daniel Gehman attended Cornell University in upstate New York before relocating to California. Daniel has been involved in the industry since 1986 and brings specialized expertise in architectural design to the Ware Malcomb team. As Director, Multifamily, he is responsible for the growth of the multifamily practice, focusing on business development, client service, and project execution. Daniel's background includes a variety of multifamily project types, with 25 years of specialization in Southern California and current projects in the Central Valley and Arizona. He currently teaches a class in the Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) program at the University of Southern California as an adjunct professor and is active in many industry associations.

  Ware Malcomb

  Director

  Moderator

  Daniel Gehman

  Director

  Ware Malcomb

Future of DTLA

Investment and Development Opportunity in 2022 and Beyond

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  Bill Dacunto

  As Executive Vice President of Operations, Bill Dacunto is responsible for managing all the properties in the company's portfolio. Mr. Dacunto joined Silverstein Properties, Inc. in 1987. Mr. Dacunto serves as a member of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) Management Board of Directors, and was a recipient of REBNY's Corporate Management Executive of the Year Award in 2005, the John M. Griffin Community Service Award in 2015, and the Brooker Management Executive Award in 2017. In addition, he is a board member of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations (Commercial Division), and the Downtown Center Business Improvement District. Bill is a founding board member of Donate Eight (a project of, and associated with, LiveOnNY), an organization formed to raise awareness of the immediate need to increase organ donation registration, as well as a member of the LiveOnNY Foundation Board of Directors (current Board Chair). Mr. Dacunto is also involved in many other charitable activities, including the establishment of blood drive (New York Blood Center) and food collection (City Harvest) programs throughout the Silverstein Properties portfolio. He was a recipient of the Special Award for All Around Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility from City & State Reports in 2015, as well as the Covenant House New York 2016 Lifeline Honoree (and is a board member at Covenant House New York). Mr. Dacunto holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the State University of New York at Brockport, and a Real Property Administrator designation from the Building Owners and Managers Association.

  Silverstein Properties

  Head of Operations

  Bill Dacunto

  Head of Operations

  Silverstein Properties

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  Rick Vogel

  Richard Vogel is a global real estate executive with a proven success record in establishing vision, defining strategy, and executing large and complex projects in both developed and emerging markets. Recognized globally for his disciplined approach to real estate investment, he is a comprehensive strategist with experience managing real estate development, investment and operations in the US, Asia and the Middle East. Mr. Vogel joined Related in January, 2017 to lead the Grand Avenue Project, a 1 million square foot landmark mixed-use project located in downtown Los Angeles. Prior to joining Related, Mr. Vogel was President of Silverstein Asia, a subsidiary of Silverstein Properties out of New York City, Senior Vice President and General Manager with Ivanhoe Cambridge and Vice President with Hines. Mr. Vogel received his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business and his Bachelor of Architectural Engineering degree from the Pennsylvania State University, and completed post-graduate studies in economics and finance at the University of California, Berkeley. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) where he has chaired various ULI committees.

  Related Companies

  SVP

  Rick Vogel

  SVP

  Related Companies

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  Beatrice Hsu

  Bea Hsu is Senior Vice President at Brookfield Properties Development and oversees a pipeline of urban residential and mixed-use projects throughout California. Brookfield is a developer, owner and operator of real estate with over $190 billion in assets under management globally, including office, retail, residential, industrial and hotel properties.   Prior her career in development, Ms. Hsu served as a senior advisor to LA City Councilmember (now Mayor) Eric Garcetti. In that position she served as staff chair for the City Council’s Housing, Community and Economic Development Committee and staff to the City Council’s Budget & Finance Committee. Ms. Hsu is a member of the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, a past member of the Board of Directors for Larchmont Charter Schools, the Planning Program Advisory Board of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, and the Los Angeles Industrial Development Authority. She has been twice recognized by Bisnow as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in LA Commercial Real Estate. Ms. Hsu is a graduate of Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history, and the University of Southern California’s Ross Minority Program in Real Estate.

  Brookfield Properties

  SVP, Development

  Beatrice Hsu

  SVP, Development

  Brookfield Properties

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  Picasso Bhowmik

  As a leader in the construction industry, Picasso Bhowmik brings nearly twenty years of knowledge and expertise to the PNG Builders executive team. His career began with a love for architecture but morphed into an appreciation for the construction process. Starting off as a junior project engineer at a large construction firm, his career grew into project management where he eventually led his prior firm as Director for Strategic Markets. In 2018, Picasso joined PNG Builders as Vice President. Picasso’s well-rounded understanding of the construction process and overall knowledge of the industry has enabled him to lead complex ground-up projects to technical TI projects in sectors such as healthcare, energy and mixed-use facilities. Picasso earned a Masters in Civil Engineering, Majoring in Engineering and Project Management at the University of California Berkeley. He also received his Graduate in Construction Management at University of Huston, and has a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Madras, India. Picasso continues his professional development by maintaining membership in a number of industry organizations including the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA), the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). He also has his contractor’s license, is a DBIA certificate holder, and is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional.

  PNG Builders

  VP

  Picasso Bhowmik

  VP

  PNG Builders

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  David Kersh

  David Kersh is the Executive Director of the Carpenters/Contractors Cooperation Committee (C/CCC), a non-profit organization comprised of signatory contractors and the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. For over 19 years, Mr. Kersh has been at the forefront of regional efforts to promote the creation of good paying jobs, fair competition and high quality construction industry standards. He is actively engaged in the areas of land use entitlement, labor compliance, economic development, transportation and contracting policies, where he has focused on ensuring that construction projects are built by top-quality contractors who generate good paying middle class jobs and rewarding training opportunities. Mr. Kersh graduated with a degree in History from UC Santa Barbara and completed additional studies in Madrid, Spain. Born in Lima, Peru, he lives in Culver City with his wife Pilar and his teenage children.

  Carpenters/ Contractors Cooperation Committee

  Executive Director

  David Kersh

  Executive Director

  Carpenters/ Contractors Cooperation Committee

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  Michael Kostecka

  Mike is a real estate partner in the Los Angeles office. His practice encompasses a broad range of real estate and construction transactions, including advising landlord and tenant clients in structuring, negotiating, and drafting commercial real estate and ground leases of all types of real estate assets; purchase and sale agreements; advising commercial property owners, architects, engineers, and contractors in the negotiation and drafting of design, engineering, consulting, and construction of both commercial real estate and residential real estate projects; and managing all aspects of joint venture and preferred equity investment transactions for real estate investment firm clients.

  Allen Matkins

  Partner

  Moderator

  Michael Kostecka

  Partner

  Allen Matkins