Luxury Development and Absorption

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  Gil Dezer

  CEO

  Dezer Development

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  Carlos Rosso

  Carlos Rosso is the Founder of Rosso Development, a fully integrated development firm focused on high-end boutique development opportunities. Rosso is set to oversee multiple upcoming awe-inspiring projects in key markets in South Florida and Latin America—with the first ever The Standard Residences in Midtown Miami as his debut project. Rosso founded Rosso Development in 2020 after nearly 20 years with The Related Group, where he was a driving force behind the company’s condominium operations. As the president of the condominium and international development divisions, he oversaw all facets of condominium development domestically and internationally. Over the course of his career, Rosso developed well over 16,000 units, and in the process, mastered diverse development disciplines including construction, project financing, land acquisition and sales and marketing. Under his leadership, Related successfully delivered iconic projects including the 1,600 unit Paraiso District in Miami; Residences by ARMANI/CASA designed by César Pelli; Hyde Beach House; Park Grove by OMA/Rem Koolhaas; Auberge Beach Residences and Spa in Fort Lauderdale; SLS Cancun & Residences in Mexico; and V:HOUSE in Brazil. Prior to his time at Related, Rosso held a number of positions across global development firms, having served as Vice President of Real Estate Development for Investment Properties Ltd. in Boston; and ten years as Project Director for Besix International, overseeing the development and construction of over ten million square feet of multi-family, hotel and office buildings in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Rosso graduated summa cum laude from the Universidad de Buenos Aires with a master’s degree in Architecture. He also earned a master’s degree in Real Estate Development and Finance, with the highest honors, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). www.rossodev.com

  Rosso Development

  Founder

  Carlos Rosso

  Founder

  Rosso Development

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  Edgardo Defortuna

  Mr. Defortuna is President, CEO and Founder of Fortune International Group, a Miami-based full- service real estate firm recognized throughout South Florida, Latin America and Europe as a leader in high-end luxury real estate. He oversees all of the company’s activities across all of its business units. Mr. Defortuna is involved with the strategic decision making of the group, as well as the day-to-day operations of each of its divisions. He started the business in 1983, and quickly became a driving force in real estate. Through his company’s success and far reach into U.S., European and Latin American markets, Mr. Defortuna is widely recognized for having made a significant contribution to the internationalization of Miami and its reputation as a global business, trade and vacation hub. He currently serves as a member of the Mayor of Miami's International Council and also as Director of the Argentine-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in Miami. Additionally, he is a member of several charitable organizations in Miami, such as Manos del Sur, Mt. Sinai Hospital and St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. Mr. Defortuna holds a Bachelors Degree in Electrical and Chemical Engineering from the National University of Argentina and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Miami. Fully fluent English and Spanish, Mr. Defortuna is married to Ana Cristina and has five children.

  Fortune International Group

  CEO

  Edgardo Defortuna

  CEO

  Fortune International Group

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  Selim Alpmen

  Has extensive knowledge with over 18 years of public works, criminal justice, education and aviation construction project and program management experience for federal, state and local government agencies. Highly skilled in public sector construction bid and award processes, pre-construction services and managing public sector contractors. As a leader, he takes responsibility for providing effective program/project management services with the four pillars of effective management, budget, quality, safety and client continually in focus. Responsible for managing all aspects of pre-construction, construction and post construction of Okan Tower Miami, the tallest building in Miami, including budget preparation, negotiating and preparing construction contracts, coordinating with all project stakeholders and overseeing the overall project. The 1.4 million sqft project consists of a 70 story tower with 153 Residential Condominium Units, 236 Condo-Hotel Units, 294 Room Full-Service Hilton Hotel with extensive amenities and 90,000 square feet of office and meeting room space.

  Okan Group

  Director of Operations/Construction

  Selim Alpmen

  Director of Operations/Construction

  Okan Group

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  Still Hunter III

  Still Hunter III has joined CBRE Capital Markets as Executive Vice President, Multifamily. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Still focuses on expanding the firm’s multifamily investment sales platform in South Florida. Still is an accomplished real estate professional with more than 16 years of experience in multifamily investment sales. Still’s transactional expertise and in-depth market knowledge of the South Florida region, combined with his outstanding relationships, is instrumental to the continued growth of our market share in multifamily investment sales in the region. Still joins CBRE from Marcus & Millichap where he was responsible for multifamily investments in South Florida. During his tenure at Marcus & Millichap, Still transacted in excess of $7 billion in multifamily sales, totaling more than 75,000 apartment units across the region. Some of Still’s noteworthy assignments include: LSR Portfolio—1,270 units in South and Central Florida; Mizner Court at Broken Sound—450 units in Boca Raton; St. Andrews at Miramar—332 units in Miramar; and Coral Point Apartments—326 units in Miami. Still is a graduate of Rhodes College where he received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Spanish. He is an active participant in several industry organizations including the National Multifamily Housing Council and Urban Land Institute.

  ​CBRE​

  Executive Vice President

  Still Hunter III

  Executive Vice President

  ​CBRE​

• Moderator

  Carlos Lago

  Shareholder

  Greenberg Traurig

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  Andreas King-Geovanis

  Andreas King-Geovanis is the Founder and Managing Partner of Sextant, a Miami-based hospitality company specializing in extended stays for leisure and business travelers. Andreas founded Sextant in 2015, beginning with one property, quickly growing the company to 30 properties and $40M AUM. He oversees Sextant's operations and continues to grow the company's portfolio through strategic relationships with developers in the multi-family space. Andreas holds Bachelors Degrees in Economics and Environmental Science & Policy from University of Miami, and graduated with a President's Scholarship.

  Sextant Stays

  Founder

  Andreas King-Geovanis

  Founder

  Sextant Stays

Market Rate & Affordable Housing

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  Michael Stein

  Michael Stein is a Founding Partner of Pensam Capital. He began his real estate career in 1990 with CB Richard Ellis in Miami where he was a top producing multihousing investment sales broker. In 1999, he became a partner in Miami-based Aztec Group, which invested in diversity of commercial, multihousing, and hospitality transactions with many of the industry’s leading private and institutional investors. Michael has extensive experience in all facets of complex capital real estate transactions. In 2009, Michael formed Pensam Capital which has a grown into one of the country’s largest private real estate investors and lenders. With over 25 years of experience in the commercial real estate investment and structured finance sectors, Michael has been involved in over $6 billion of equity and debt real estate transactions. Michael is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), Mortgage Banker’s Association (MBA) and Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (CREFC). In addition to his business leadership, Michael is active in local and national community organizations and philanthropic causes. He was past chair of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation Commerce and Professions division, a member of the collector’s council at the Miami Art Museum, a Patron of the Contemporary Art Museum in Miami and a Founder of Mount Sinai Medical Center. Michael is on the Board of Directors of The Great Lakes Group, a Cleveland, Ohio based maritime company. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Skidmore College and he is an alumnus of the Owner President Management (OPM) Program at Harvard Business School.

  Pensam Capital

  Founding Partner

  Michael Stein

  Founding Partner

  Pensam Capital

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  Charlie Williams

  Mr. Williams is a Senior Vice President with KeyBank Real Estate Capital Markets in Denver, Colorado. He currently heads the multifamily loan production team for the Central (Texas/Rocky Mountain) and Southeast Regions for KeyBank. He manages a team which is responsible for all multifamily loan production in this region, with an emphasis on agency lending (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA), as well as life company placement and CMBS. Mr. Williams has 15 years of diversified real estate banking experience, with over 8 years of experience at KeyBank. Prior to his current assignment, he was responsible all permanent multifamily loan production for KeyBank’s Rocky Mountain based clients. Mr. Williams began his career with KeyBank as a balance sheet banker based at the firm’s Cleveland, Ohio headquarters. Prior to joining KeyBank, Mr. Williams was with Realty Funding Group L.L.C., a Denver based real estate acquisition and investment banking company. He was also with Studley, Inc., a commercial real estate firm in New York and Denver where he worked with the Capital Markets Group. He was responsible for the negotiation and restructuring of over a million square feet of office space. Mr. Williams began his career in the early 1990’s as an Investment Banker, first with JP Morgan Chase and then Salomon Smith Barney in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Williams studied Business Management at the University of Maryland and Real Estate Finance at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

  KeyBank

  SVP

  Charlie Williams

  SVP

  KeyBank

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  Jeff Quinlivan

  President

  Kolter Multifamily

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  Marc Suarez

  Marc Suarez is a managing director at Lument. Based in Miami, Florida, he originates loans utilizing Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, HUD/FHA, and proprietary programs for multifamily housing. Since joining predecessor firm Hunt Real Estate Capital and opening the Miami office, Marc and his team have originated more than $600 million in financing. Previous employment includes serving as an executive managing director at SL Capital, where he originated $300 million in CMBS loans. He also ran his own consulting firm working on distressed debt, was a partner at a boutique development company, and was a general manager at Gables Professional Realty where he established and ran the firm’s commercial real estate division. Marc was a professional baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds and later held a management position on the scouting and player development department. Marc is an active member and sits on committees of the Boys and Girls Club of Miami-Dade County, where he spent most of his childhood. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida International University.

  Lument

  Managing Director

  Marc Suarez

  Managing Director

  Lument

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  Zach Murphy

  Zach is the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Pender Capital. Zach co-founded Pender in 2015 and brings over 16 years of experience in both commercial real estate finance and capital markets expertise. Zach oversees the firm’s Investment and Research program which includes deal sourcing, research, and structuring and is a member of the Investment and Research Committee and the Management Committee. Prior to Pender, Zach served as Managing Director/ Senior Vice President for Liberty SBF, a commercial finance company based in Philadelphia, where he was responsible for establishing Liberty’s Western Regional HQ in Los Angeles and directed West Coast originations and operations. Zach personally originated over $60 million of commercial loans during the first year of operations on the West Coast. In 2008, Zach joined Silver Point Capital, LP in New York, a Goldman Sachs partner fund, where he was responsible for commercial real estate loan originations and insurance-linked securities trading. During his tenure at Silver Point, Zach traded more than $500 million in distressed commercial real estate debt, insurance-linked securities, and assets in the capital markets. From 2004 to 2008, Zach served as Senior Vice President/Division Director of Velocity Commercial Capital where he was the company’s highest grossing originator in e

  Pender Capital

  Co-Founder

  Zach Murphy

  Co-Founder

  Pender Capital

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  Lisa Neumayer

  Since 2015, Lisa Neumayer has emerged as a risk management consultant leader within the Gallagher Real Estate and Construction practice. Working closely with specialty team members throughout Gallagher’s global network, she delivers niche expertise, products and services to real estate developers, contractors and property owners/managers. Her specialty provides experience for large Owner and Contractor Controlled Insurance Programs (OCIP/CCIP) Wrap Ups and Builder’s Risk for construction projects and permanent placement risk management programs involving multiple asset classes ranging in values from $50 million to upwards of $500 million+. In less than 4 years, she has provided the risk financing and security for major real estate developments totaling over $1 billion in values, placing nearly $5 million of premium into the global insurance marketplace. Quickly building a reputation in the market as a creative thinker and problem solver, she has worked with a number of clients to tackle their supply chain trade credit risk domestically and abroad and provided alternative risk solutions for unique exposures worldwide.

  Arthur J. Gallagher & Co

  Area Vice President

  Moderator

  Lisa Neumayer

  Area Vice President

  Arthur J. Gallagher & Co

Residence of the Future - Design & Amenities

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  Rishi Kapoor

  Rishi has spent the last 10 years focused on residential real estate, primarily in the luxury sector, with a strong background in sales and marketing, prior to focusing on sponsoring development. Upon founding Location Ventures, he set out to create meaningful living experiences in premium locations centered around nature and technology. To date, Rishi is responsible for leading the development of a $400 million portfolio including: high-end, custom single-family homes; rehabilitation of multi-family properties; and the development of boutique condominiums. He is also the Managing Partner of URBIN, a company dedicated to co-living, co-working and wellness, and FORUM, an elevated coworking experience with high-touch business services. Rishi, first and foremost, takes great pride in fostering close relationships with the company’s partners and team. His day-to-day role centers around identifying unique opportunities, capital formation and setting the product vision for our projects, while working closely with the development team on proper execution. He received business degrees in Finance, Marketing and Management from the University of Miami, and is also a non-practicing attorney, having graduated from University of Miami School of Law. Rishi comes from a real estate family that has developed and invested in hotels, single-family homes and offices throughout the Southeast United States and New Delhi, India over the last 40 years.

  Location Ventures

  CEO

  Rishi Kapoor

  CEO

  Location Ventures

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  Tal Grunberg

  SVP Business Development

  ITALKRAFT

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  Santiago Vanegas

  Santiago Vanegas is the Founder, CEO and President of Habitat Group, a leading Miami-based real estate asset management firm. An economist from Universidad del Rosario, Colombia, Santiago arrived to Miami in 2000, beginning his career in the real estate industry as Financial Manager for Fortune International Group. He founded Habitat Group in 2005, eventually expanding the firm’s portfolio to include four branches offering specialized services, including: Habitat Development, an expert in the construction and remodeling of properties; Habitat Realty, which focuses on analyzing the real estate market in search of the best properties and investment opportunities; Habitat Management, which focuses on the management of company assets; and Habitat Hotel, the hotel operations system. Throughout his time in the industry, Santiago has worked on a number of notable projects, including: Habitat Residence 1 & 2 located in Brickell, Historic Miami River Hotel, Brickell Ten, the Jefferson Hotel, and Le Parc in Colombia. Santiago has worked to generate better urbanism by evolving parks and mixed-use outdoor spaces through land acquisition and assemblage. His greatest career milestones thus far include the completion of Smart Brickell and the Jefferson Hotel.

  Habitat Group

  CEO

  Santiago Vanegas

  CEO

  Habitat Group

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  Jimmy Sinis

  Jimmy Sinis is a multi-faceted architectural designer, planner, and graphic artist with a wide range of skills using the most advanced technology for architectural design, production, and graphic representations. He performs a vital role working with design team on select projects from the earliest phase of the project’s ideation to the final phases of design and presentations. Jimmy’s project experience includes master planning high density lifestyle mixed-use multi-family residential and retail developments, high luxury mid-rise urban residential towers, and specialty design assignments both locally and regionally. His talent and rigor in design is paramount to establishing excellence within the firm.

  Stantec

  Senior Associate, Senior Design Manager

  Jimmy Sinis

  Senior Associate, Senior Design Manager

  Stantec

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  John Zalkin

  John Zalkin is Sr. Vice President of Client Services for RKW Residential, responsible for building key relationships and measuring the success of customer satisfaction at the executive level. He has two decades of South Florida real estate experience, working closely with major multifamily developers and operators to identify project sites, evaluate complex transactions, secure financing, assist with building design and oversee construction. Earlier in his career, John directed all property management functions for a vast portfolio of multifamily and commercial properties in Miami Beach, Fla. His significant real estate industry involvement includes serving as Chair of AIPAC Florida's Real Estate Division and as a member of the National Multi Housing (NMHC) and Urban Land Institute (ULI).

  RKW Residential

  Vice President

  John Zalkin

  Vice President

  RKW Residential

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  Joseph Hernandez

  Joe Hernandez is a sought-after transactional real estate and business lawyer with a unique perspective: he is able to draw from his prior work experience as a banker and general counsel for a private equity firm to inform his representation of a variety of clients seeking to engage in complex commercial real estate and business transactions. Joe’s clients include real estate developers, financial institutions, private equity firms, high net worth individuals, and public entities in all phases of complex commercial real estate and business transactions in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. He handles acquisitions, development, financing, leasing, joint ventures, and advises clients on raising capital for real estate projects. Joe has also developed a particular niche representing condominium associations and cooperative corporations being pursued by developers for acquisition of the units and termination of the condominium or cooperative. Joe coordinates a multi-disciplinary approach in order to counsel clients in navigating the myriad of legal issues faced by associations and unit owners in these situations. Joe also represents condominium associations, community associations, developers of condominium projects, and groups of unit owners in a variety of condominium law and community association matters, including turnovers, dispute resolution, casualties and construction defects issues. Joe is an agent for several national title insurance companies and has handled the resolution of complex title insurance issues involving real property in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining the firm, Joe served as general counsel for an asset management firm owned by Cerberus Capital. Prior to that, Joe was the head of the real estate practice group at the Miami office of an AmLaw 100 firm and a real estate shareholder at one of the largest law firms in the country. Prior to law school, Joe was a banker at a large money center bank in New York and also worked for the predecessor of Bank of America for five years as a corporate and real estate banker. Joe was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) in 2017. Active in the community, Joe is on the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Greater Miami. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law and teaches courses in real estate finance for the Real Property Development L.L.M Program.

  Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman

  Partner, Chair of Real Estate Practice Group

  Moderator

  Joseph Hernandez

  Partner, Chair of Real Estate Practice Group

  Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman