Hill Country Growth and Evolution

Exploring Key Projects and Investment Opportunities

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  Britt Benton

  Britt graduated from the prestigious St. Johns High School in Houston, Texas before obtaining a liberal arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1991. Britt has been active in commercial real estate and development since 1994, starting with Transwestern Commercial Services in Houston. At Transwestern he was a key member of an investment sales team that sold over $100 million of income properties in one year. From 1999 to 2006 Britt was Vice President of Crosswell Torian Commercial Services. As a top producer, Britt provided brokerage services for a variety of individual investors, landowners, and companies. In 2006 Britt founded Oryx Commercial properties, a commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in land and based in Austin, Texas. In 2007 Britt co-founded Oryx Development with Blake Rue. Oryx Development initially focused on developing affordable multifamily housing projects utilizing federal, state and private funds administered through Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Tax Credit program. Oryx has entitled and sold land for the development of over 1800 affordable and market rate multi-family units and a large single-family subdivision. In late 2016, Oryx Development acquired the 166-acre Headwaters commercial tract in Dripping Springs, Texas. As markets changed, Oryx has evolved into a self-developer of retail, office and mixed-use commercial projects. In 2020, Oryx added the 78-acre Cannon Ranch mixed use project, also in Dripping Springs. For the foreseeable future, Britt and Oryx plan to focus on the entitlement and development of projects like Headwaters and Cannon Ranch in central Texas.

  Oryx Development

  Managing Partner

  The Station at Headwaters, mixed-use retail, dining, and hospitality

  Britt Benton

  Managing Partner

  Oryx Development

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  Lisa Pope Westerman

  After a seasoned career with vast experiences, she identified a need to serve clients on a platform that would afford them the best design talents and skill sets around the world. Analyzing what was available in the industry, she questioned why something like this did not exist. As a result, a community-concept was conceived where every participant, from agencies to individuals, could benefit from collaborating with one another. This vision was derived from having worked at many organizational levels: from owning her own firm, to being a partner at a small firm, to most recently acting in a principal role at one of the largest design firms in the world. Throughout the years, she havs been fortunate enough to cross paths with so much talent. It is these talents, along with newer firms and individuals she has encountered more recently, who now form her LUCID gang- a community driven to achieve the highest levels of client and participant success

  LUCID

  Founder & CEO

  The Farm at Wellville, 75-acre retreat with spa-like casitas and event barns

  Lisa Pope Westerman

  Founder & CEO

  LUCID

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  Jared Kuhn

  As Vice President of Real Estate & Sales, Jared spearheads ICON’s go-to-market strategy by forging partnerships and developing projects centered on the large-scale deployment of 3D-printed construction. His focus is on advancing major residential and commercial projects to broaden the reach of ICON’s innovative building techniques, ultimately expanding housing options to include both mainstream and affordable residences for the community. Jared began his career as a real estate developer at Hines, where he managed mixed-use projects throughout the Southeast U.S. He later served as Executive Vice President at Ryan Companies, where he launched and led the Multifamily division, overseeing the development of over $1.1 billion in Class-A multifamily projects across the country. A proud alumnus of both Michigan State and Columbia University, Jared resides in Austin, Texas with his wife and two children. Outside of his work in 3D-printed construction, he has a passion for music, sports, and all things Sci-Fi.

  ICON

  VP of Real Estate Development

  El Cosmico Sunday Homes, 3D-printed homes in Wimberley Springs & More

  Jared Kuhn

  VP of Real Estate Development

  ICON

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  Pawel Hardej

  Pawel (Paul) Hardej (Principal), is an architect, developer, entitlement expert and community steward. He combines the vision and passion of a long-time entrepreneur with the steady hand and structured approach of a corporate professional, allowing him to interface naturally with a wide range of clients and partners. He has been directly responsible for the acquisition, design, development or redevelopment of almost $2 billion of mixed-use, condominium, multi-family communities totaling over 2,000 units, as well as multiple retail and entertainment properties. Pawel has also negotiated millions of dollars in incentives, tax credit deals and complex entitlements and is considered a zoning and urban planning expert. Prior to founding Metropolitan, he was an Executive Vice President at Lincoln Ventures and also served as Vice President of Development at Intracorp, one of North America’s largest residential developers, where he managed the development of multiple projects, including the 49-story 44 East condominium high-rise project in downtown Austin, TX. Pawel started his career in Chicago, IL, his first adopted hometown in the United States as the founder and CEO of Metropolitan Development Enterprises where he developed numerous award winning mid-rise and town home projects over a ten year stretch. A native of Warsaw, Poland and now residing in Austin, TX, Pawel studied Architecture at both Warsaw Politechnic University and at the University of Detroit Mercy and also at the International Academy of Merchandising & Design in Chicago.

  Metropolitan Development Company

  Principal

  The Gabriel, 146-unit mixed-use development blending convenience and sustainability

  Pawel Hardej

  Principal

  Metropolitan Development Company

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  Nick Skuteris

  Nick Skuteris oversees day-to-day activities in the full-cycle development process including upfront due diligence, project planning, construction and design coordination, and leads the transition process with building maintenance and operations. He keeps the lender up to date on the project budgets, coordinates with future tenants, and provides information to the building management, operations, and engineering teams. Previously, Mr. Skuteris worked with a Commercial General Contractor as Assistant Project Manager for two separate projects. After joining DC Partners, Mr. Skuteris was Project Manager for The Arts Residences at Thompson San Antonio Hotel and still serves as liaison with that project. Currently, he is the Development Manager for the 4411 San Felipe mixed-use office/retail development. Education  Masters of Business Administration, Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business  Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Minor in Construction Management, Louisiana State University

  DC Partners

  Development Manager

  Nick Skuteris

  Development Manager

  DC Partners

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  Christina Kelley

  Christina Kelley is a credentialed Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) and holds the Association Management Specialist (AMS) designation, both awarded by the Community Associations Institute (CAI), an internationally recognized organization dedicated to upholding industry best practices. With nine years of experience in community management, Christina has a robust background in master-planned community management. Throughout her career, she has managed a diverse range of community types, including new developments, established residential neighborhoods, commercial associations, and mixed-use projects. She has led a team of managers responsible for various association structures, providing expertise in problem-solving and effective management. Recently moving into a business development role, Christina utilizes her extensive experience to support developers and board members by aligning with their vision, preparing budgets, reviewing documents set up, and addressing deficit funding. She works closely with developers as a consultant, to enhance community projects, applying her deep expertise in community management to offer tailored solutions and drive sustainable growth.

  Inframark

  Business Developer | Association Consultant

  Christina Kelley

  Business Developer | Association Consultant

  Inframark

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  Daniel Wheeler

  Mr. Wheeler joined J Street Property Services in 2021 shortly after the launch their Development Company in Dallas Texas. Mr. Wheeler oversees all active development projects for J Street, working closely with all members of the project development team. Prior to J Street, Mr. Wheeler worked as a Development and Construction Management professional and entrepreneur, with full cycle experience including developing and managing a project vision and scope, translating vision to design, managing the design process, and overseeing the construction phase to closeout. To date Mr. Wheeler has developed projects totaling over $1 Billion in total capitalization.

  J Street Property Services

  Vice President of Development

  Moderator

  Daniel Wheeler

  Vice President of Development

  J Street Property Services

Hospitality Insights and Opportunity

A Deep Dive into the Tourism and Culinary Boom Shaping Hill Country

• Boutique hotel acquisitions, Juniper Ridge, Canyon Lake Cabins, Hacienda del Rio & More

  Dylan Petrich

  Managing Partner

  Outpost Capital

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  Felipe Castillo

  Mr. Castillo has over 22-years of experience in commercial real estate and development with another 9-years in architecture. He is also an Architect and a U.S. Army Veteran, plus, holds both a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Architecture degrees from Texas Tech University. Throughout Mr. Castillo’s real estate development career, he has led real estate development efforts for multiple build-to-rent, multifamily, and high-rise mixed-use development projects, moreover, he has personally managed over 29+ zoning cases for multiple development projects across the United States. Before coming to PlaceMKR, Mr. Castillo was the Managing Director for Urban Moment, a Build-to-rent/Single-family-to-rent Texas based development firm with over a $1BN in equity allocated toward BTR/SFR developments. He led the company’s corporate development, partnership, and acquisition strategy. During and prior to his period with Urban Moment, he has been working on BTR/SFR and multifamily development efforts for several years, with numerous communities developed and/or breaking ground. He has an extensive understanding of the BTR/SFR development process and has a versatile background which understands real estate development from multiple points-of-view. Prior to Urban Moment, Mr. Castillo was the Chief Operating Officer for De La Vega Capital and led the company’s strategy and growth with an emphasis on De La Vega’s national real estate development efforts. Prior to De La Vega, Mr. Castillo was the Senior Vice President for HALL Group and lead the development efforts for HALL; he oversaw real estate endeavors, entitlements, design, and financial oversight for all new ground-up development projects for Dallas, Frisco, and Napa.

  PlaceMKR

  Partner

  The Backyard, 3,700-seat amphitheater with 60K retail, hotel, and multifamily

  Felipe Castillo

  Partner

  PlaceMKR

• The Village: Fredericksburg’s Premier Tiny Home Resort

  Chris De La Mora

  President

  WellStar Properties

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  Ashley Heeren

  Ashley Heeren is a Principal of Low Design Office, an integrated architecture and design studio that focuses on realizing more with less. Ashley’s professional expertise is rooted in public-spirted projects, with work ranging in scale across diverse typologies and ecosystems, always tied back to community wellness. With experience delivering complex high-performance projects in hospitality and other commercial sectors, Ashley works to broaden conversations around justice and health – for both people and planet. She also ardently promotes education and mentorship, and her exceptional strengths have been recognized most recently with an AIA Austin Honor Award and as an Austin Under 40 Finalist.

  Low Design Office

  Principal

  Ashley Heeren

  Principal

  Low Design Office

• Moderator

  Corryn Williams

  Director of Marketing, Associate Principal

  Method Architecture