Building Community Buy-In Through Collaboration

How Partnership, Transparency and Local Engagement are Shaping Successful Development Across Salt Lake

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  Brandon Blaser

  Brandon is a Salt Lake City native with over 20 years of national entrepreneurial and institutional investment experience. After garnering institutional experience and relationships at top consulting and private equity investment firms in Boston, San Francisco, and Dallas, Brandon relocated back to Utah to focus on bringing new and exciting projects to the state he is proud to call home. Prior to founding Blaser Ventures (as BCG Holdings) in 2018, Brandon was a partner at Dallas-based real estate private equity fund, Thackeray Partners. He oversaw and directed investment strategy and asset management decisions across Thackeray’s ~$4.3B of multi-family, industrial, retail, and office assets under management as a member of its investment committee and partner in the firm. As primary lead on Thackeray’s industrial investment and development platform, Brandon oversaw acquisitions, development, and asset management of Thackeray’s 16 million square foot portfolio, and directly sourced over $400 million in industrial assets. Brandon is a graduate of Brigham Young University and received an M.B.A. with Honors from Harvard Business School. He actively serves in civic and community efforts; is a guest lecturer at BYU in their Finance and Real Estate program; serves on the Investment Committee for Whitman-Peterson’s industrial investment platform; and is active in the Urban Land Institute where he serves as Vice Chairman of the Urban Land Institute’s National Small Scale Development Council leadership team. Brandon and his wife, Liz, and 6 kids are glad to be “back home.”

  Blaser Ventures

  Founder & President

  Brandon Blaser

  Founder & President

  Blaser Ventures

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  Arthur Woodbury

  Arthur Woodbury joined Woodbury Corporation in April 2012. He is chief investment officer of Woodbury Corporation and managing director of the Woodbury Capital funds. Arthur oversees equity financing for new Woodbury investments as well as fund and asset management of all Woodbury sponsored funds (five funds totaling approximately $600 million of equity commitments). Arthur also co-manages the development and acquisitions team at Woodbury. Prior to joining Woodbury Corporation, Arthur spent four years working in the real estate private equity teams at the Blackstone Group (BREDS) and with Goldman Sachs (REPIA) in London where he had transaction experience in excess of $6 billion. Arthur has a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania with a minor in Urban Real Estate Development in conjunction with the Wharton School and a Masters in Finance and Strategy from l’Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).

  Woodbury Corporation

  CIO & Managing Director

  Arthur Woodbury

  CIO & Managing Director

  Woodbury Corporation

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  Shane Rensmon

  Vesta Realty Partners

  Partner

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  Eva Lopez Chavez

  Eva Lopez Chavez is the eldest daughter in a working-class Mexican immigrant family. She was raised to respect her elders, always lend a helping hand, and above all else, la familia es siempre primero: Family is always first. Elected to serve in 2024, Eva is the first Mexican-American elected to the Salt Lake City Council. Born in Salt Lake City and raised in Southern Idaho, she is a proud daughter of the Rocky Mountain West, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and serves as a local consultant to businesses and organizations. Eva attended the University of Utah and studied political science from 2015-2018. Throughout her career, Eva has been actively involved in grassroots organizing and community engagement efforts, with a focus on social justice for marginalized communities. Eva has witnessed firsthand the unique challenges and opportunities in the City, such as civil enforcement, community engagement, public process and more. In her former role, she worked as a Mayor’s Office Liaison and outreach specialist helping connect communities to the intersections where policy is created. As Council Member, her decisions revolve around these three core principles: inclusivity, sustainability, and community. She firmly believes that Salt Lake City thrives when every voice is heard, and every resident feels valued. Eva aims to ensure that diverse perspectives are represented in decision-making processes and that all community members have equal access to resources and opportunities. Eva is committed to building partnerships and fostering transparent and accountable governance, fighting for policies that prioritize the well-being of District 4, ensuring residents are heard and protecting their interests. Together, with the support of the community, Eva aims to connect communities and include every Salt Laker in the public process.

  District 4

  Salt Lake City Council Member

  Eva Lopez Chavez

  Salt Lake City Council Member

  District 4

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  Jeff Palmer

  Executive Vice President for Layton Construction overseeing all aspects of client relationship development, project awards, and preconstruction services for all construction projects in the intermountain region comprising Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada.

  Layton Construction

  EVP

  Jeff Palmer

  EVP

  Layton Construction

• Moderator

  Tom Harper

  Director, Commercial & Government Relations

  Cottonwood Title

CRE + The Macro Picture

How Economic, Demographic and Capital Market Shifts Are Reshaping Investment and Development Strategies

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  Ryan Simmons

  Ryan Simmons brings a diverse background in real estate development, acquisitions, and asset management to The Boyer Company. Ryan works on all aspects of development from deal sourcing, project management, leasing, partnership structuring and construction management. Prior to joining The Boyer Company, Ryan worked as a Senior vice President of Development with HP Investors, a San Diego based private equity firm. Ryan focused on long-term urban and infill real estate investment and development primarily in San Diego, Los Angeles, and the Oakland areas. Ryan began his career with PEG Development, a full-service real estate development firm, where he developed all asset classes including retail, multi-family, and hospitality.

  The Boyer Company

  Partner

  Ryan Simmons

  Partner

  The Boyer Company

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  Nick Gonzalves

  Nick serves as Managing Director – Head of Western US of Bridge Development Fund Manager, where he leads the acquisition, development, and asset management of Bridge’s Opportunity Zone portfolio throughout the Western United States. Nick has over a decade of experience in commercial real estate across all major asset types. He has completed over $7.0 billion of investment transactions totaling more than 12,000 multifamily units and 8.0 million commercial square feet. Nick is one of the original team members of Bridge’s Opportunity Zone Strategy in 2019 and has played an integral role in building the fund platform to the largest of its kind in the country. In 2021, Nick was awarded Business Insider’s 30 Under 35 Rising Stars of Real Estate national designation. Nick joined Bridge from Clarion Partners in Los Angeles where he worked on the acquisition of office, industrial, multifamily, and retail investments in the San Francisco Bay Area, Orange County, San Diego, Denver, and Phoenix regions. Prior to Clarion, Nick worked in acquisitions, asset management, and dispositions for Bridge Investment Group’s multifamily value-add and office funds. Nick received his Bachelor of Science in Facility & Property Management from Brigham Young University where he also served as the mascot of the university for four years.

  Bridge Investment Group

  Deputy CIO, Managing Director, Head of Western US

  Nick Gonzalves

  Deputy CIO, Managing Director, Head of Western US

  Bridge Investment Group

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  Jeff Grasso

  Jeff Grasso is the Founder & Managing Partner of Vesta where he is responsible for the firm’s management & strategy, investment implementation, and investor relations. Before launching Vesta, Jeff was Senior Vice President and Head of Acquisitions at Silverstein Properties, Inc., where he was responsible for sourcing, capitalizing, and executing over $10 billion of acquisition, development, and corporate investments in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Prior to joining Silverstein, Jeff worked in the portfolio management group of ING Clarion Capital, a $5 billion AUM real estate credit opportunity fund. He was responsible for the acquisition and asset management of an ABS portfolio in addition to acquiring and originating high yield whole loans. Jeff holds a B.S. in Accounting, Finance, and Real Estate from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. He resides in Salt Lake with his wife where he enjoys fly fishing, whitewater rafting, and embraces a “pay it forward” mentality with the local Utah community.

  Vesta Realty Partners

  Founder & Managing Partner

  Jeff Grasso

  Founder & Managing Partner

  Vesta Realty Partners

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  Nate Barnson

  Nate Barnson serves as managing director of production in Northmarq's Salt Lake City regional office, where he works with diverse capital sources to originate, underwrite and close construction, permanent and bridge financing. In his career, he has closed more than $5 billion of financing with various lenders including banks, insurance companies, CMBS, credit unions, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD along with private capital and equity sources. Nate has more than 20 years of commercial real estate experience. He spent two years working for a private developer remediating and developing brown-field real estate and one year as a co-founder of The Utah East Africa Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that built an AIDS relief clinic in Uganda, Africa. He joined Western Capital Realty Advisors in 2005 until they were acquired by Northmarq in 2017. Nate earned dual Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Utah in economics and Spanish and has an MBA from Westminster College. He is also a licensed real estate agent in the state of Utah. Nate enjoys outdoor activities, golf, skiing and spending time with his wife and his five children.

  Managing Director

  Northmarq

  Nate Barnson

  Northmarq

  Managing Director

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  Brad Toone

  Brad has 16 years of professional accounting experience, including time spent in public with large international firms as well as time spent in private industry. Brad specializes in working with companies in several industries, most recently working with real estate developers of multifamily and other commercial properties. He has also worked with many growth stage companies in technology and manufacturing & distribution that are private equity backed, growing with them up through IPO/exit. Brad understands growth in various industries and genuinely enjoys building lasting business relationships with owners and operators of amazing companies.

  CLA

  Principal

  Moderator

  Brad Toone

  Principal

  CLA

Destination Evolution

How Hospitality, Lifestyle and Experiential Entertainment are Shaping Utah’s Next Chapter

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  Bryan Hill

  Bryan Hill is the general manager of The Gateway, a premier lifestyle destination in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. He first gained experience in the shopping center management industry in 2002 in his role as Marketing assistant for The Factory Stores at Park City where he promoted the center leading up to and during the 2002 Winter Olympics. In 2007, Bryan became the assistant general manager of The Gateway. In conjunction with this position, he also focused on specialty leasing. In August 2012, he was promoted to general manager of The Gateway. Bryan has extensive knowledge of shopping center operations, management, marketing, and specialty leasing. Since 2016, Bryan has been working with Vestar, the Phoenix-based owner of The Gateway, on the destination’s $100-million-dollar redevelopment which included comprehensive upgrades coupled with reimagining and rebranding efforts. Under his leadership, The Gateway has become a thriving district for retail, dining, entertainment, business, arts, and culture with a full calendar of community- driven events. It has also evolved into a vibrant campus for some of Utah’s most innovative life sciences companies. Bryan received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Utah State University. During the past two years, Bryan has served as Chair of the Downtown Salt Lake Community Council. He is also a board member of Salt Lake Area Restaurant Association and a member of the Downtown Development Committee and Visit Salt Lake.

  Vestar

  GM & PM at The Gateway

  Bryan Hill

  GM & PM at The Gateway

  Vestar

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  Katie Van Riper

  Director

  Asher Adams, Autograph Collection

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  Lucas Goodrich

  Lucas Goodrich is the Director of The Gallivan Center, a division of the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency. A firm believer in the power of arts & culture as both an economic driver and a cornerstone of quality of life, he’s dedicated to championing the spaces, places, and people that bring vibrancy to Salt Lake City, helping it remain a great place to live, work, and play. Before taking the helm at Gallivan, Lucas worked with the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance, first in operations and accounting and later as Program Director for The Blocks Arts District, the brand identity of the Cultural Core—a joint City and County initiative to elevate arts and culture downtown. Lucas began his career in the performing arts as a singer, director, and educator, appearing across the United States, Europe, and South America and teaching at Southern Utah University, the University of Utah, and the University of Colorado Boulder. Alongside his artistic work, he pursued his love of food—initially enrolling in culinary school and later managing kitchens, running large-scale catering operations, and providing private culinary services throughout the Mountain West. Whether on stage, in the kitchen, or downtown, Lucas is driven by a single passion: creating opportunities for people to connect through shared experiences.

  Gallivan Center

  Director

  Lucas Goodrich

  Director

  Gallivan Center

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  Britney Helmers

  Britney Helmers is a creative placemaker and arts advocate dedicated to transforming spaces into vibrant community experiences. With a background in interior design and development, she brings a keen eye for how environments shape the way people feel and connect. As Director of The Blocks Arts District in Downtown Salt Lake City, Britney curates engaging programs, builds partnerships, and amplifies artists’ voices across the city. She has played a key role in bringing imaginative, interactive art into public spaces, ensuring that local voices are celebrated and that the city’s cultural core thrives. A passionate supporter of all things creative, Britney champions projects that bridge communities, enliven streetscapes, and remind residents and visitors alike that the arts belong to everyone.

  Downtown Alliance SLC

  Director, The Blocks Arts District

  Britney Helmers

  Director, The Blocks Arts District

  Downtown Alliance SLC

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  Preston Dean

  Preston brings vast experience in Living Environment design to FFKR. He enjoys the collaborative nature at FFKR and the focused studio disciplines that allow opportunities to present, receive feedback, and grow together to become better designers. Preston works with his clients to take their visions and translate them into something tangible and beautiful. He enjoys being outside, playing basketball, riding his bike, and fishing with his wife and two teenagers in his free time. Preston sold two graphic art pieces to be used for a Comedy Central TV Show set and has attended four tapings of the Ellen Degeneres show, including a "12 Days of Giveaways" when his family won a trip to Jamaica.

  FFKR

  Principal

  Preston Dean

  Principal

  FFKR

• Moderator

  Taylor Larsen

  Writer & Editor

  UC&D Magazine