Hot Hospitality

5 Stars ONLY: The Latest on PHX's Trendiest Hotels & Hospitality Developments

• Element Hotel Chandler

  Chris Stanley

  Sr Director Development

  Starwood Hotels & Resorts

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  Kristopher Harman

  Kristopher Harman joined Woodbine’s Phoenix office as a project manager in 2008 and was promoted to vice president in 2014. In his current role, Kristopher leads Woodbine’s entitlement and contract negotiation efforts, focusing on project acquisition and aggregating the information that drives the decision-making process for internal and external investment committees, as well as negotiating and coordinating sales and leasing transaction activities. His attention to detail and expertise have played a key role in the success of acquisition, disposition and development of various Woodbine projects across the United States, including: The Sentinel Hotel in Portland, Oregon; The Old No. 77 Hotel in New Orleans; AC Hotel Irvine in Irvine, California; The Plaza Lofts at Kierland Commons in Phoenix/Scottsdale; AC Hotel Tempe in Tempe, Arizona; and Mountain Shadows Resort in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Before joining Woodbine, Kristopher worked as a real estate attorney at Fennemore Craig and as an officer for an Arizona-based master-planned community developer. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute Recreational Development Council and is also involved with Valley Partnership, the State Bar of Arizona and the Maricopa County Volunteer Lawyers Program. A native Arizonan whose family owned a citrus farm, Kristopher earned his bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University and his MBA and law degrees from The University of Arizona. Outside of the office, he enjoys the great outdoors, travel, photography and spending time with his three children.

  Woodbine Development

  VP

  AC Hotel

  Kristopher Harman

  VP

  Woodbine Development

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  John Grossman

  John drives investment and development across the GCP and Classic hospitality portfolio of properties. As CEO and Creative Director, he leads all aspects of project conception, design, branding, programming, and positioning for long-term stewardship of each asset. His 20 years of experience in real estate development combine expertise in design-forward and environmentally conscious hospitality, office, aged care, affordable housing, and high-quality housing developments in markets ranging from San Francisco, CA to Sydney, Australia. John is an active member of Young Presidents’ Organization and serves as a Trustee of Idaho Rivers United and Climate Ride.

  Grossman Company Properties

  President

  $62M FireSky

  John Grossman

  President

  Grossman Company Properties

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  Mark Philp

  Mark A. Philp, AIA, is a Founding Partner of Allen + Philp Architects / Interiors. His responsibilities for the firm include defining design philosophy and direction and continual historical and contemporary research ensuring building typology familiarity, materials, and systems. More than 40 projects have received awards for design excellence under his direction. His “project specific” responsibilities include listening, interpreting, setting design and program direction through the design charrette process, program integration into the overall project composition through working with design team members, leading the project design effort to craft the exterior and interior architecture and sequencing of spaces. He has given personal attention to the creation of special destinations and their design personality. Mr. Philp attended the College of Architecture at Arizona State University, is licensed as an Architect and holds certification from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and is a member of the American Institute of Architects.

  Allen + Philp Architects/Interiors

  Director

  Desert Luxury Design

  Mark Philp

  Director

  Allen + Philp Architects/Interiors

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  Anissa Mendil

  After a six-month internship at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in Scottsdale, Arizona, Anissa went on to receive a diploma in Interior Architecture from the University of Applied Sciences in Rosenheim, Germany, her native country. Thereafter, Anissa gained work experience in the United States and Germany before relocating to the UK in 2007, where she co-founded Seven am Design with Ben Meyer in London. During this time, Anissa also began her training in classical Feng Shui. Anissa's passion for the Southwest couldn't keep her away for long so she returned to Arizona in 2013, where she is now the creative force behind the interiors division of 3rd story. Anissa has a proven track record in hospitality, commercial and workplace design, where she blends form and function to create inspiring interiors. Current/Recent Projects: Hotel Valley Ho, Scottsdale - 191 Guest Room Remodel (2015); Hilton Phoenix East, Mesa - 260 Guest Rooms and Public Area Refurbishment; Fat OX Restaurant, Scottsdale - High end Italian restaurant for Chef Matt Carter; Mission North Restaurant, Kierland - Latin inspired restaurant for Chef Matt Carter;

  3rd story

  Director

  Moderator

  Anissa Mendil

  Director

  3rd story

Retail & Restaurant Renaissance

What's Next for Health | Wellness | Design in the Retail & Restaurant Scene

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  Heather Personne

  Heather Personne is a Principal with Point B, a national real estate development, management consulting and venture capital firm. Heather oversees Point B’s growing real estate development business, focused primarily on small-scale ground-up and adaptive mixed-use redevelopment in urban areas. Ms. Personne has over 20 years of experience in real estate acquisitions, development, management and dispositions. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded the development of more than 100 retail, office and multi-family properties throughout the western United States. Prior to joining Point B, she held roles as a Retail Partner with Phoenix-based commercial development and investment firm ViaWest Group and as a Principal with Evergreen Devco, Inc., a regional retail and multi-family developer. Ms. Personne graduated Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Arizona Honors College and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and French. She is heavily involved with the Urban Land Institute, having served as Membership Chair, founding member of the Arizona Chapter of the Women’s Leadership Initiative and Technical Advisory Panel Moderator. Ms. Personne currently serves as Chair of the ULI Arizona Trends Day Conference, the largest ULI event in the district council system, and Vice Chair and founding member of the national ULI Place Making Product Council. She is also a member of ICSC, the Arizona chapter of CREW and sits on the board for the Phoenix Center for the Arts. In addition to her professional commitments, Ms. Personne also participates on the alumnae board of the Phoenix chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta and is a founding board member of the Roadrunner League of Boys Team Charity, a civic organization focused on encouraging philanthropic commitments among young adults. Ms. Personne resides in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband Matt and three children. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, snow-skiing and traveling.

  Point B

  Principal

  High-End Scottsdale

  Heather Personne

  Principal

  Point B

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  Bob Agahi

  Bob is a founding principal of Western Vertical Holdings in Phoenix as well as a partner in several projects with Los Angeles based Triyar Companies. Bob and his partners have had the privilege of being involved in some of the most transformative retail redevelopments in Arizona, most notably the Scottsdale Entertainment District. His emphasis has been on entertainment and hospitality anchored retail projects and assemblages. Bob’s most recent project is an adaptive reuse assemblage in north central Phoenix named “the Colony”. It was a former boarded up abandoned senior housing facility as well as a 1950’s built empty furniture warehouse which is now 100% leased to 4 local restaurants, a hidden speakeasy, a cycle spin class concept, waxing studio, clothing boutique & optical shop. Bob is also the managing partner of Valley East Properties, a New York based real estate holding company with multiple NY based office properties. Bob co-founded the OneFive organization in 2007, a local non profit 501c3, which has raised several hundreds of thousands of dollars for local and national charities.

  Western Vertical Holdings

  Founder

  The Colony

  Bob Agahi

  Founder

  Western Vertical Holdings

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  Ryan Hibbert

  Ryan Hibbert is the CEO of Riot Hospitality Group, a rapidly growing and creative firm. “I am a real big believer in managing by doing. I grass-roots develop all my management. That’s the difference between me and most of my competitors. I run the restaurant business by developing talent and getting my hands dirty every day.” Hibbert has been able to create successful concepts in a highly competitive market. “In the hospitality industry you have to differentiate yourself with the environments you create, and the quality of product you serve. I’m very good at creating an environment, a culture. Riot Hospitality creates really unique environments that breed incredible cultures around our brands. The quality of the food, service and entertainment is exponentially better than what you get at other places, and that builds loyalty. We give local residents an opportunity where they feel like they belong, and they love what they are experiencing .” Hibbert, a University of Arizona graduate, has a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Setting, rather than following trends is one of the keystones of the firm’s success. “People are always blown away by our level of execution. The level of our food quality, customer service and entertainment is something everyone else in the hospitality market is trying to emulate. But when we get it down, when we get it right, everytime.”

  Riot Hospitality Group

  CEO

  Farm + Craft

  Ryan Hibbert

  CEO

  Riot Hospitality Group

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  Jeff Carpenter

  Jeff Carpenter is a Partner at SimonCRE where he specializes in single tenant build-to-suits, redevelopments projects, and shopping center acquisitions. SimonCRE currently has roughly 40 active projects totaling approximately $120 million in construction. Prior to joining SimonCRE, Jeff worked for a national shopping center developer based in Scottsdale, AZ. Jeff was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and attended Arizona State University. He is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

  SimonCRE

  Partner

  Retail On Lightrail

  Jeff Carpenter

  Partner

  SimonCRE

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  Chris Osborn

  Chris Osborn, Vice President Restaurants & Hospitality. Growing up around family-owned restaurants, Chris has an innate passion for the hospitality industry that he channels into representing WRA’s restaurant and hospitality clientele. Through-out his career, Chris honed natural interest into professional expertise. His training began at the age of 14 when he started working in and later managing Phoenix-area restaurants, lounges and clubs. At 29, Chris took ownership of his first restaurant, adding a second two years later. During his tenure as a manager and then owner, he presided over $83.0 million in gross sales at these establishments. Since 2011, Chris branched out into restaurant real estate. He gained brokerage experience at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank and GDC/RE before joining WRA. His accolades include numerous television cooking appearances, professional public speaking opportunities and the 2011 Future Award, which recognizes Arizona’s Finest Business People Under 35. Chris is a second-generation Arizona native who was raised in North Scottsdale. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University. Chris is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and supports several philanthropic causes including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Chris and his wife live in Scottsdale with their three rescue dogs.

  Western Retail Advisors

  VP

  Moderator

  Chris Osborn

  VP

  Western Retail Advisors