Women Transforming SoCal CRE Panel Discussion

A Leadership Conversation on Diversity & Mentorship in the Workplace, Career Advancement, Recruitment, Retention and Empowering Professional Development within the CRE Industry

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  Rochelle Mills

  President and CEO, Rochelle Mills is responsible for IHO’s housing development, new project and program initiatives, business development relations, and oversees legislative, advocacy and policy interests as well as stakeholder relations. Ms. Mills brings a diverse background in architecture, design, construction administration, community planning, writing, and cultural tourism. She is immediate past President of the Southern California Association of NonProfit Housing (SCANPH), and serves on several public and nonprofit boards, services committees, and leader groups.

  Innovative Housing Opportunities

  President & CEO

  Rochelle Mills

  President & CEO

  Innovative Housing Opportunities

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  Laura Archuleta

  Laura Archuleta strongly believes, “a complete community includes housing choices for all families." Since 1999, Laura has focused Jamboree Housing Corporation on the relentless pursuit of quality housing that people can afford. She’s guided Jamboree from a small, Irvine, CA-based nonprofit developer of affordable and workforce housing with 750 homes into a leading statewide provider of more than 7,500 homes in more than 75 communities. While she’s proud of Jamboree’s expanding portfolio, it’s the faces behind these numbers that matter to her most. In 2001, her desire to go beyond housing and provide needed services for residents, and her vision for healthy communities, motivated Jamboree to start an in-house Resident Services Group – one of the industry’s first – that fosters learning, healthy living and community building for residents. These crucial services empower Jamboree residents to excel in school, cultivate strong friendships and develop more active lifestyles. Laura remains passionate about the award-winning quality of Jamboree housing and services in neighborhoods throughout California. A gifted visionary and an exceptional innovator, she simultaneously creates a spirit of collaboration among her staff and external partners, while relaying her inspiring sense of mission and maximizing the talents and skills of those around her. She has a dynamic directoral style that keeps Jamboree on the cutting-edge of the industry. And, people have taken notice: In 2014, Laura was named “Person of the Year” by the Southern California BIA 55+ Housing Council for her commitment to providing innovative housing for seniors. She serves on a number of industry boards. Laura’s personal commitment to affordable housing spans more than 25 years. Her own family experience drew her initially to the nonprofit housing sector. Her mother was born and lived in public housing growing up – instilling in Laura a strong sense of community and compassion. Prior to joining Jamboree, she held several public sector positions, and her advocacy has led to the production and/or preservation of more than 10,000 high quality homes for low-income families and seniors. What does she love about her job? “I believe we have a tremendous impact on so many people’s lives and the way we go about doing that continues to change.”

  Jamboree Housing

  President & CEO

  Laura Archuleta

  President & CEO

  Jamboree Housing

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  Denise Zacky-Popoch

  With more than 20 years of design experience, Denise leads a diverse range of projects, with a focus on media and technology clients. As a workplace thought leader, Denise understands that communicating a company’s unique brand and culture through its work environment is a powerful opportunity to connect employees to the mission and values of the organization. A passionate client advocate, Denise serves as the Southwest Regional Client Relationship Leader, working across the region to strengthen our client partnerships with brands including Netflix — now a global account with built projects in Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and Brazil — as well as Hulu, Riot Games, and DreamWorks. With a commitment to mentorship and ongoing education, Denise has taught at Southern California Institute of Architecture, the USC School of Architecture, and continues to serve as an active panelist for industry discussions.

  Gensler

  Principal

  Denise Zacky-Popoch

  Principal

  Gensler

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  Marika Erdely

  Marika Erdely is the founder and CEO of Green Econome, a full-service Energy Consulting and Construction Company with over 12 years of experience in the energy and water efficiency industry. Green EconoME is located in Santa Monica, CA. Green Econome strives to help its clients understand their energy and water usage and implement high value solutions that reduce operating costs and increase property values. Our services also include addressing the “E” in ESG. Prior to founding Green Econome, Marika held the role of CFO/VP at New Millennium Homes, a major home builder and land developer of The Oaks of Calabasas and had previously worked as an accounting professional for nearly thirty years. Marika acquired her Contractors License B (#1001368) in 2007 and C-10 in 2018. Marika is a LEED AP BD+C (Building Design and Construction), a Certified Energy Auditor and a Fitwel Ambassador. Marika holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BA in Business Economics from UCSB.

  Green Econome

  CEO

  Marika Erdely

  CEO

  Green Econome

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  LaKisha Gant

  LaKisha Gant is Senior Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Lending for CDC Small Business Finance (CDC), a California non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide access to capital for the growth and sustainability of small businesses in the communities it serves. CDC is certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offering the 504 commercial real estate loan, SBA Community Advantage loan and SBA Microloan in the states of California, Nevada and Arizona. CDC administers a state of California Guaranty program, a 504 secondary market product through a partnership with Morgan Stanley, is a CDFI lender and past sub-recipient of New Market Tax Credits. CDC is the nation’s most active 504 and Community Advantage lender in terms of the loans issued, dollars approved and funded. LaKisha has been active in the field of economic development since 2001. In her 20 years in the industry, she has been responsible for managing the production teams that have generated over $5 billion in small business lending. She is currently responsible for all of the approval and funding operations related to the 504 product line. LaKisha also serves as an integral member of the company’s management team.

  CDC Small Business Finance

  Senior Vice President

  LaKisha Gant

  Senior Vice President

  CDC Small Business Finance

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  Elizabeth Wilgenburg

  Elizabeth J. Wilgenburg is a partner in the Century City office of Allen Matkins. Her expertise primarily includes both lease transactions as well as acquisitions and dispositions. Elizabeth specializes in representing landlords in connection with large lease transactions with technology-oriented tenants. She is sought after by many institutional owners for representation on these matters, such as Kilroy Realty Corporation, Boston Properties, Hines Interests, CIM, Westbrook, LBA Realty, and Equity Office Properties. Elizabeth also represents owners in leasing sophisticated mixed-use retail, office and residential properties, and development, build-to-suit office and industrial projects. Specifically, Elizabeth has leased over 15 million square feet of space since joining the firm and represented the landlord on two of the largest leases in the history of the City of San Francisco, including the lease with Salesforce at Salesforce Tower, and represented the tenant on the largest lease in the history of the Western Region.

  Allen Matkins

  Partner

  Moderator

  Elizabeth Wilgenburg

  Partner

  Allen Matkins

Development & Investment Honorees

(Non-Speaking)

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  Jaime Lee

  Jaime Lee is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jamison group of companies, a privately-held, family-run real estate business, which controls over 18 million square feet of commercial office, retail, medical, and multifamily properties throughout Southern California.  Jamison has been one of the largest commercial landlords in Los Angeles for the past twenty-five years. Since 2014, it has quickly become one of the city’s most active multifamily developers as well, bringing to market 5,000 units with an additional 2,500 units currently under construction and 7,500 more in development. Earning both BA and JD degrees from the University of Southern California, the Los Angeles native currently sits on the USC Board of Trustees where she co-chairs the Alumni Affairs and University Development committee and sits on the Executive, Audit Compliance Risk & Privacy, Nominating & Governance, and Academic Affairs committees. She is also a member of the Board of Councilors for the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and an Executive Committee member of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate. A longtime university volunteer, Jaime previously served as President of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors and President of the USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association Board of Directors. Jaime is active with her high school alma mater, where she is a member of the Harvard-Westlake Board of Trustees and a founding member of its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. Jaime is also involved in a number of civic and non-profit organizations at the city, state, and community levels. She has served the City of Los Angeles as an appointed commissioner under three different mayoral administrations. Appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti, she was elected President of the Board of Harbor Commissioners for the Port of Los Angeles in April 2018, the largest container port by trade volume in the western hemisphere. She also serves on the Mayor’s International Advisory Council and as co- chair of the public-private partnership non-profit Global LA. She previously served for four years as President of the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System Board of Administration, which oversees the City’s $22 billion employee pension fund, and on the boards for the Industrial Development Authority and the Quality and Productivity Commission. She currently serves the State of California as Vice Chair of the California Film Commission and previously spent seven years as a commissioner on the Speech Language Pathology, Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Jaime is active in the community as a board member of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028 where she sits on the Executive, Compensation, and Conflicts committees, the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall, and the Korean American Foundation Advisory Board. Recognized for her professional and civic contributions, Jaime has been named one of the 500 most influential people in Los Angeles by the LA Business Journal every year since 2018. She was honored by Asia Society Southern California as their 2020 Urban Visionary, by the USC School of Architecture with their 2021 Distinguished Business Leadership Award, and in 2022 with the LA Parks Foundation’s Rose Award and a Los Angeles Times Woman of Influence Award. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their three children.

  Jamison Realty

  CEO

  Jaime Lee

  CEO

  Jamison Realty

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  Reon Roski

  Reon Roski serves as CEO of Majestic Realty, a position she was appointed to in May 2022. A Board Member since 1997, Reon joined the company as Senior Counsel and Managing Director in 2007. Reon is responsible for the company’s day-to-day operations and is instrumental in the continued growth of Majestic’s portfolio. Reon is the granddaughter of the company’s late founder, Edward P. Roski, Sr., and daughter of its current President and Chairman of the Board, Edward P. Roski, Jr. Prior to coming in-house, Reon served as a highly-respected real estate attorney for two Los Angeles-based law firms where she managed numerous large, complex and innovative real estate transactions, averaging more than 18 million square feet of transactions per year. A graduate of both the University of Southern California and Loyola Law School, Reon completed extensive studies abroad, including graduate school in China.  Fluent in Mandarin, Reon worked for the Chinese government on real estate matters. Reon has been named one of the “Women at the Top” by Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and one of Bisnow’s LA Power Women.  She is a member of YPO, Chief Executives Organization, The Real Estate Roundtable, and NAIOP. Reon is a Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Exposition Park and the California Science Center, and Chair for the California Science Center Committee. She is a member of the Board of Leaders for the USC Marshall School of Business, the USC President’s Leadership Council, the Board of Directors of the Lusk Center for Real Estate at USC, and the Keck Medicine of USC Board of Councilors. Reon also serves on the Board of Directors at Loyola High School and the Board of Directors for Operation Walk.

  Majestic Realty Company

  CEO

  Reon Roski

  CEO

  Majestic Realty Company

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  Nadine Watt

  Nadine Watt is CEO of Watt Capital Partners. Nadine brings over 25 years of real estate expertise and an entrepreneurial drive to her position, where she oversees day-to-day activities and strategic planning for all commercial investment activities including acquisitions, development, and asset management for the company’s 6 million- square-foot portfolio. Previously, Nadine served as President of Watt Companies. In 2011, she led a strategic reorganization of the company that moved the firm beyond traditional property management and leasing to a focus on acquisitions and real estate development, as well as joint venture opportunities. Nadine played a key role in launching Watt Companies’ acquisition division – Watt Investment Partners – that now actively invests $60 million in a variety of property types across the Western United States. Throughout her 20-year tenure at Watt Companies, Nadine has touched all facets of the company’s operations, including the development of thousands of apartment units and numerous shopping centers. Nadine was also responsible for a widely celebrated multi-million-dollar renovation program at Watt Plaza, a 920,000 square foot, Class-A office building in Century City. The building was certified Platinum LEED and was recognized by BOMA International with an award for Outstanding Building of the Year. Nadine was recently inducted as the President of the University of Southern California Board of Governors and serves as Vice-Chair of the Lusk Center for Real Estate, as well as on the USC Associates Board of Directors. She was the first woman to be named Chair of the Los Angeles Business Council, a position she held for 7 years and is now the immediate past chair. She is a Board Member of Fisker Inc. (FSR) chairing the Compensation Committee, Visionary Women, and the City of Hope Los Angeles Real Estate & Construction Industries Council. Nadine received the Century City Citizen of the Year award in 2017 and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2018. Nadine has also been the subject of a spotlight piece in the Los Angeles Times highlighting her career path and business success. She has also previously held Board Positions on two other publicly traded companies, The New Home Company (NWHM) and 1 st Century Bank. A graduate of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Nadine also holds a Master of Arts degree from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. Nadine currently resides in Beverly Hills with her husband Andrew Jameson and their two daughters, Keira and Reese Jameson.

  Watt Capital Partners

  CEO

  Nadine Watt

  CEO

  Watt Capital Partners

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  Suny Lay Chang

  Suny Lay Chang, Chief Operating Officer of Linc Housing, has nearly 20 years of professional experience in affordable housing, community development, and strategic management. Her career has been driven by her passion for economic development and poverty alleviation, leading Suny to her work in affordable housing. Suny sees affordable housing as a powerful catalyst to build communities and neighborhoods, as well as a vehicle for economic growth for families and local economies. As COO, Suny works with the President and CEO to lead key initiatives for the organization, including strategic goals, stakeholder partnerships, and internal planning. Suny also leads Linc's housing development operations including development, project financing, and construction administration for all Linc projects. Prior to joining Linc in 2007, Suny served as Director of Development for New Economics for Women, where she oversaw the financing and construction of new projects, and negotiated joint venture development partnerships. As Management Consultant with The Boston Consulting Group, she consulted for senior managers of Fortune 100 companies across several disciplines, including strategy and operations, valuation and financial analysis, marketing, asset management, and post-merger integrations. Suny's experience in economic development also includes work in developing countries, serving at United States embassies in Uruguay and Cambodia. Suny's rigorous business background allows her to apply her technical skills to the nonprofit world and use her analytical strengths to address social and economic issues that have motivated her work since her undergraduate days. Suny obtained her MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and her bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University, where she wrote her thesis on measuring the effects of economic growth on poverty alleviation. She revisited Harvard to complete the Achieving Excellence program, a prestigious training program for community development leaders offered by NeighborWorks® America through the Kennedy School of Government. Suny's current leadership roles include serving on the Community Board for St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach and the Western Region Advisory Committee for the Low Income Investment Fund. Suny and her husband enjoy hiking and photography, and opportunities to do both when traveling with their two children.

  Linc Housing

  President and Chief Operating Officer

  Suny Lay Chang

  President and Chief Operating Officer

  Linc Housing

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  Laura Vandeweghe

  As Chief Operating Officer for Decro Corporation, Ms. Vandeweghe is responsible for the expansion of Decro’s affordable portfolio and the daily operation of Decro’s pipeline developments, including the coordination of the financing, construction and operation of all new developments, including an affordable, mixed-use, mixed-income development with 50,000 square feet of commercial space and approximately 200 units proposed to be built in Los Angeles. Ms. Vandeweghe comes to Decro Corporation with more than 15 years of experience in complex, mixed-use development transactions. She has entitled more than 4,700 housing units in California and developed more than 1,500 multi-family units in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, including 90 affordable units. Ms. Vandeweghe is a veteran in structuring complex real estate transactions comprised of multi-layered financing using New Market Tax Credits (NMTCs) and Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs), and successfully bringing difficult projects to fruition, including Del Mar Station in Pasadena, California and the Wilshire Vermont Station in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Decro, Ms. Vandeweghe was a managing member of a real estate development and asset management firm that handled the entitlements for the 1,100 acre master planned community in unincorporated Imperial County, California, Rancho Los Lagos, comprised of 3,800 housing units, a 100 acre business park, 10 acres of commercial, a 40-acre community park, two schools and an active adult golf community. She was vice president at CityScape Capital Group, LLC, where she managed new market, historic, and energy tax credit portfolios worth more than $100 million, and director of marketing and asset management at Urban Partners, LLC where she oversaw a portfolio of over $1 billion in development in Los Angeles and Seattle. Ms. Vandeweghe holds a Master in Business Administration with an emphasis in real estate from the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management, a Master in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University. She is a member of the American Planning Association and Urban Land Institute.

  The Decro Group

  COO

  Laura Vandeweghe

  COO

  The Decro Group

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  Aliza Karney Guren

  Aliza Karney Guren is the Chief Executive Officer and co-owner of Karney Properties. She assumed her position in 2003 and sets the overall strategy for the company. She is also directly involved in all key areas of the company’s activities, including development, finance, acquisitions and dispositions and asset management.She has spent more than 20 years in the real estate industry, including related experience in law and mediation. Prior to joining the company in 1991, she was a practicing attorney and mediator, and founded and directed an independent nonprofit arts organization. Aliza Guren, a California-licensed general contractor, is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks. She is also a board member of the Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s largest and most active theater companies. In 2014, she was named one of Bisnow’s top 60 women in Los Angeles commercial real estate. She is a member of ULI, RPO, POWRE, and Land Ladies. Aliza Guren earned a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Harvard University, where she also earned a law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School. She is a member of the State Bar of California.

  Karney Properties

  CEO

  Aliza Karney Guren

  CEO

  Karney Properties

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  Kacy Keys

  Kacy Keys launched Praxis Development Group (www.praxisdevgroup.com) in 2019 with the express intent of “Building with Purpose.” She comes to the endeavor with 25 years of experience in large and complex development projects, with a track record of success. Kacy has overseen the development of more than $1B in real estate assets (exclusive of land value) with experience in residential, retail, office and mixed-use product types. Praxis partners with institutional and legacy land owners, to help realize vision and value, and is currently building out the Family Life Center for West Angeles Church, as well as partnering with a local family on Crenshaw Blvd. to build multi-family apartments. Specializing in urban infill, Kacy has a passion for projects that result in a positive impact, with an eye towards simultaneous value creation and neighborhood enhancement. With her multi-disciplinary background as a land use/real estate attorney and developer, she looks at opportunity as “what can be” versus “what is.” Understanding the regulatory and entitlement framework, and seeing opportunity in creative solutions, she brings her business savvy and creativity to everything she does. Prior to forming Praxis Development Group, Keys was Senior Vice President for Seritage Growth Properties, overseeing all development for the company in the Western United States. Prior her role at Seritage, Keys was Head of Development and General Counsel for JH Snyder for over a decade. Also having practiced law for several years and worked for the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, Keys brings depth and varied experience to her work.

  Praxis Development Group

  Founder & CEO

  Kacy Keys

  Founder & CEO

  Praxis Development Group

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  Susan Wallace

  Susan has over 25 years of direct experience in corporate and commercial real estate management, accounting, and lease administration. She was a project leader for national and off-shore teams maximizing value for corporate tenants and equity investors with office, retail, industrial, and mixed-use real estate holdings. She has significant experience working with complex lease audits, lease disputes, transactional due diligence and accounting engagements. Susan spent 12 years as a Senior Manager at Deloitte and an additional 3 years as the Manager of CRE Portfolio Management for Accenture.

  Vivo Investment Group

  CFO

  Susan Wallace

  CFO

  Vivo Investment Group

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  Jennifer McElyea

  Jennifer is a Senior Managing Partner and co-head of Watt Investment Partners, and is responsible for sourcing and executing real estate investment opportunities. Jennifer has nearly 20 years of experience in real estate investing with a emphasis on development, land use and the entitlement process. As such, she has spent considerable time at the intersection of finance, public policy, community engagement and law. More recently, Jennifer has focused on public-private-partnership opportunities and the use of innovative financial structures to address the affordable housing crisis. Prior to joining Watt, Jennifer was a Vice President at OneWest Bank where she managed a portfolio of distressed commercial real estate debt. From 2006 through 2009, Jennifer was a Vice President at Apollo Real Estate Advisors where she was responsible for West Coast acquisitions and completed the entitlement of a 1.0mm square foot development in Hollywood. Previously, Jennifer held positions at Arch Street Capital Advisors, an international real estate investment advisory firm, and at Deutsche Bank Securities in the Real Estate Investment Banking Group. Jennifer holds a Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and German Literature from the University of Virginia. Jennifer has been recognized as a “California Woman of Influence” by Real Estate Forum and “40 under 40” by Southern California Real Estate. She is a member of the Urban Land Institute, a guest lecturer at Loyola Law School and the University of Southern California, and sits on the Boards of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and USC Price Real Estate Affiliates. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

  Ethos Real Estate

  Managing Partner

  Jennifer McElyea

  Managing Partner

  Ethos Real Estate

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  Dani Evanson

  Dani Evanson is a Principal of Align Finance Partners and Managing Director of RMA, Inc. Ms. Evanson has over 20 years of experience in real estate. Align Finance Partners, LLC is a private commercial real estate finance company that provides secondary bond financing in connection with the acquisition, renovation and development of affordable housing communities in the Western U.S. Dani and her partners at Align have extensive experience in financing with tax-exempt bonds (both senior and subordinate bonds), Section 42 Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and managing and leasing affordable housing. Dani manages the loan origination desk at Align.

  RMA

  Managing Director

  Dani Evanson

  Managing Director

  RMA

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  Rebecca Louie

  Rebecca Louie is a longtime leader in the affordable housing sector, with more than two decades of experience planning, building and operating affordable and supportive housing communities throughout Southern California. Since starting at Wakeland in 2005, she has overseen the development and operation of 44 affordable housing communities, creating over 2,400 homes for families, seniors, veterans, transition-age youth and people experiencing homelessness. A Native Alaskan and a member of the Tlingit-Haida tribe, Ms. Louie is widely known as a strong advocate for affordable housing, social and environmental justice, and homelessness due to work at Wakeland and past employers, including the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the Center on Policy Initiatives, and United Indian Nations Community Development Corporation. She has a broad network of strong relationships with stakeholders working to build a more just and equitable world through housing, including government agencies, labor organizations, advocacy groups and decisionmakers at the state, county and city levels. Her expertise has made her a sought-after speaker at industry conferences and garnered recognition across several platforms, including an Innovations Award from the San Diego Housing Federation for her development of the Supportive Housing Learning Network, a cutting-edge training program for staff at supportive housing communities. Ms. Louie was also named one of San Diego’s Most Influential Women by the San Diego Daily Transcript for her leadership efforts to improve communities with high-quality affordable housing. She currently serves as the Board Chair for the San Diego Housing Federation; sits on the Boards of San Diego's Regional Task Force on Homelessness, the Downtown San Diego partnership and the statewide housing advocacy group Housing California; and contributes her time and expertise to the California Housing Consortium. Before taking the leadership role as President and CEO, Ms. Louie was Wakeland’s Vice President and COO. Prior to working at Wakeland, she held positions at SANDAG, where she spent six years working on housing and social equity issues; at the Center on Policy Initiatives, where she served as fundraising and development manager; and at the United Indian Nations, where she coordinated the development of housing and cultural resources for Native Americans living in the urban Bay Area. Ms. Louie holds a B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley.

  Wakeland Housing

  President & CEO

  Rebecca Louie

  President & CEO

  Wakeland Housing

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  Sierra Atilano

  Sierra Atilano joined BRIDGE Housing as Executive Vice President – Head of Development and Southern California in October 2022. In this new role, Ms. Atilano is responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of BRIDGE’s real estate development activities across all regions, and provides day-to-day leadership in Southern California. During her career of 25+ years, Ms. Atilano has developed more than 3,130 apartment homes in 17 cities across three states, and one million square feet of commercial retail. Prior to BRIDGE, she was Chief Executive Officer of Skid Row Housing Trust, a respected developer, manager and operator of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals in the Los Angeles area. Ms. Atilano began her career at one of the largest Real Estate Investment Trusts, Lincoln Property Company, where she gained a firm foundation in leadership and portfolio oversight, then joined a construction company specializing in multifamily new construction and rehab projects. She subsequently worked for several family-owned developers such as Cal-American, Korda Construction and Miller Family Companies, where her unique experience in project and portfolio management earned her a reputation as a problem solver and an asset to the finance and development teams. Later, at Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation and Watt Residential, she applied her expertise in finance and portfolio management to affordable housing. Over the last 12 years, Ms. Atilano honed her asset management and development expertise working for developers AMCAL Residential and Skid Row Housing Trust.

  BRIDGE Housing

  EVP, Head of Development & SoCal

  Sierra Atilano

  EVP, Head of Development & SoCal

  BRIDGE Housing

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  Amanda Freedman

  Beacon Capital Partners

  Managing Director

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  Jessica Levin

  Managing Director & Associate CIO

  Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation

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  Aruna Doddapaneni

  SVP Development

  BRIDGE Housing

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  Megan Moloughney

  Megan Moloughney is Vice President of Development for the Los Angeles region of Skanska USA Commercial Development, which delivers customer-focused, highly sustainable office, mixed-use and multi-family properties across the United States. With more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate management and development, Megan is responsible for guiding her project teams through the execution of Skanska Commercial Development’s regional strategy. This is not limited to conceptual design, permitting, pre-construction and construction activities, leasing, operations and recapitalization.  Most recently, Megan worked as the Senior Development Manager for The Ratkovich Company overseeing recapitalization of assets, redevelopment, leasing, as well as entitlements for a 790-unit residential project. Megan is a member of the Urban Land Institute, ICSC, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She currently serves an executive board member of the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce as well as the Sister Stella Foundation. In 2018 Megan was recognized BisNow’s SoCal Power Women. Moloughney graduated with a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Washington.

  Skanska USA Commercial Development

  VP- Development

  Megan Moloughney

  VP- Development

  Skanska USA Commercial Development

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  Ekta Naik

  As a real estate development leader, Ekta brings over 20 years of experience in investing and developing multifamily residential and mixed-use projects across the nation. At SoLa Impact, she heads the development department forging a new path for high quality affordable housing and workforce housing in California’s historically overlooked Black and brown communities. She is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee responsible for providing oversight for the real estate investments of the firm. Prior to SoLa Impact, Ekta spent the majority of her career in Southern California with Alliance Residential, leading ground-up new construction and value-add investments with Prudential and AIG as capital partners. Ekta has executed over $2.5 billion RE transactions with over 7,000 units in Southern California. Prior to that, she worked in the New York and Chicago regions on multi-phase, mixed-use, mixed income public-private partnerships. Ekta was honored as a leading woman in Commercial Real Estate by Bisnow, Globe Street, Los Angeles Business Journal. She is a US Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional, Housing Committee member of HomeAid Orange County, serves on Cornell Alumni Admissions Committee, was appointed to the City of Santa Ana General Plan Advisory Group, and is a member of Bisnow DEI board. She is a graduate of Cornell University and holds an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.

  SoLa Impact

  SVP, Head of Real Estate

  Ekta Naik

  SVP, Head of Real Estate

  SoLa Impact

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  Rachael Zanetos

  Director

  Brookfield Properties

BROKERAGE, CLIENT SERVICES, ADVISORY, CONSULTING, LAW HONOREES

(Non-Speaking)

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  Karen Norris

  Karen Norris is a Real Estate Executive and Entrepreneur. She has worked in the real estate industry for over 18 years providing property management and brokerage services to investors and family offices in California with a focus on commercial office, medical, retail and multifamily portfolios. After working at a boutique real estate investment and brokerage firm in Beverly Hills for 7 years where she managed and provided brokerage services for investors, celebrities and family office portfolios, in 2019, she launched her own firm, NextLevel Luxury Group and currently manages a $500 million portfolio consisting of medical buildings, commercial office and retail properties located in Los Angeles, California. Her passion for real estate and technology led her to create a program that streamlines ongoing management systems for commercial properties that saves investors and owners thousands of dollars each month in management fees. Karen began her career working as a part time Assistant PropertyManager at the Highland Park Village shopping center while in Business School at The University of Texas at Dallas. She continued her education through the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program and then acquired her California Real Estate License along with several certifications in Construction Management. Non-profit work has also been an important part of Karen's career. She received an Outstanding Recognition Award from The White House for her work with The Assistance League of Southern California which supports senior citizens and underprivileged children.

  NextLevel Luxury Group LLC

  CEO

  Karen Norris

  CEO

  NextLevel Luxury Group LLC

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  Rosemarie Smith

  CEO

  Systems Source

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  Kitty Wallace

  Kitty joined Colliers International as Executive Vice President in January 2010. She was named “Los Angeles County's Number One Multifamily Agent” by Pierce-Eislen. For 15 years, Kitty has delivered impactful solutions for her clients, servicing every facet of their multifamily real estate needs – from the sale of apartment buildings and residential land developments to condominium conversions, student housing, affordable housing and special assets. Her transactions have spanned throughout Southern California and the West Coast, with a heavy focus on West Los Angeles. Upon entering the commercial real estate field in 1997, Kitty quickly became an expert in her market and has since consistently set and exceeded performance goals within her organizations and the industry as a whole. During her tenure with Sperry Van Ness, she ranked as the company’s #2 agent in the nation for seven years in a row. Kitty now serves as Executive Vice President for Colliers International, where she has ranked #1 in the Greater Los Angeles region since joining the company 2010.

  Colliers International

  Executive Vice President

  Kitty Wallace

  Executive Vice President

  Colliers International

• 

  Leia Jensen

  Leia is currently a leader and drive of all property management operations in the Southwest, consisting of over 13M SF and 65 team members. Her role is geared towards ensuring our teams and properties provide an unparalleled level of service for our clients and their real estate portfolios. Leia has over 20 years of experience in asset and property management. Her most current role with JLL as Regional Operations Manager, SVP - Southwest, she is the leader and driver of all property management operations in the Southwest Region. Prior to JLL, she was Senior General Manager of the US Bank Tower with Hines and provided leadership in all financial and operational aspects of a two million square foot high rise, class A office building. Prior to overseeing the US Bank Tower, she managed Citigroup Center, a one million square foot class A high rise also with Hines. Her dedication to sustainability earned both high rises LEED Gold status, as well as two BOMA International Building of the Year awards for operational excellence (TOBY).

  JLL

  EVP

  Leia Jensen

  EVP

  JLL

• 

  MaryBeth Heydt

  Partner

  DTO Law

• 

  Alexandra Glickman

  Senior Managing Director

  Gallagher Insurance

• 

  Kimberly Brown

  For more than three decades, Kimberly Brown has utilized her broad skill set to facilitate delivery of platform services for institutions, private equity investors and global occupiers, including business development of commercial brokerage, investment sales and asset services. Her portfolio experience spans all sectors of commercial real estate, including office, industrial, retail and multifamily. One of her most recent notable transactions includes representing UCLA in the acquisition of the former MCU campus and residential community. This landmark transaction allows UCLA to educate more constituents in the state focusing on under represented students thus continuing the mission of both institutions. She also brings 20 years of extensive experience in the Supplier Diversity space with a unique perspective on inclusive sourcing and access to a robust pipeline of MBEs, BIPOC developers, emerging managers, capital raisers and investment partners. Her leadership skills, industry experience and extensive involvement in historically overlooked communities make her an exceptional relationship builder and partner. Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Kimberly held a variety of roles with JRT Realty Group, a certified WBE, helping the firm expand its investor and global occupier platforms. JRT has had a longstanding strategic alliance with Cushman & Wakefield. As a catalyst and servant-leader, Kimberly's commitment to ESG initiatives is reflected in her mission- driven work with local and national industry trade associations and social impact organizations. Kimberly Brown is also President of the African American Real Estate Professionals Los Angeles (AAREPLA).

  & President, AAREPLA

  Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield

  Kimberly Brown

  Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield

  & President, AAREPLA

• 

  Colleen Carey

  Colleen Carey is a Founding Principal of Lee & Associates-Pasadena, Inc. Colleen has, for the past twenty five years, assisted both businesses and individuals with the acquisition, disposition and leasing of commercial properties in the Pasadena Area and beyond. Colleen has negotiated commercial transactions of up to 50,000 square feet in building size and land developments up to 40 acres. Colleen had a successful career in Reinsurance as Branch Manager of the General Reinsurance office in Los Angeles prior to pivoting to real estate in 1998 in order to be keep her feet on the ground in LA and be more available to her children. She began her real estate career at Ramsey Shilling Commercial (now Avison Young) in 1999. Before founding Lee- Pasadena, Ms. Carey spent 11 years at Coldwell Banker Commercial where she was consistently recognized as a top producer.

  Lee & Associates-Pasadena, Inc.

  Founding Principal

  Colleen Carey

  Founding Principal

  Lee & Associates-Pasadena, Inc.

• 

  Lisa Kolieb

  Lisa Kolieb focuses her practice on land real estate development matters, governmental and administrative law, as well as other matters involving local and state administration and legislative decision-making. Lisa's experience includes advising clients on regulatory, environmental, political, and technical issues involved in real estate development in California. She has represented retailers, commercial, residential, and industrial property developers and owners, outdoor advertising and billboard clients, and academic institutions in securing land use approvals as well as environmental and regulatory permits. She also has experience obtaining local discretionary approvals associated with alcohol licensing. She regularly appears before planning commissions, city councils, and other governmental agencies. Lisa has extensive experience performing land- use due diligence evaluations for property owners, developers, media companies, and institutional lenders. Her experience includes substantial work with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Lisa has also represented clients in connection with government contracts and bid protests. She is well versed in providing political and public relations assistance to both private sector and public sector clients. Additionally, she has assisted clients with land use litigation, defending development projects against CEQA and other land-use related claims. Previously, Lisa worked in the not-for-profit sector and as Deputy Press Assistant to Special Counsel to the President of the United States and also has campaign experience at the local and national levels.

  Akerman LLC

  Partner Real Estate Land Use & Development

  Lisa Kolieb

  Partner Real Estate Land Use & Development

  Akerman LLC

• 

  Lisa Atty

  Partner

  McGuireWoods LLP

• 

  Allison Higgins

  SVP

  George Smith Partners

• 

  Cindy Hill

  EVP Multifamily Investments

  Equity Union

• 

  Sally Zesut

  Sally Zesut is a commercial real estate specialist with more than 20 years of experience. Her expertise includes representing corporate tenants for all of their site selection needs and investment sales on behalf of both buyers and sellers. She assists clients with their local, national, and international leases, sales, financing and construction projects. Sally strives to truly understand each of her clients’ organizational values, operations, goals and objectives in order to align their real estate strategy with the broader business plan. Sally is known for her commitment to being responsive and thorough in everything she does. Her approach has made her her clients’ “go-to” resource for all things real estate. From a leasing perspective, Sally represents a diverse set of occupiers who range from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. She handles all stages of the process from initial analysis, portfolio strategy, workplace strategy, lease negotiations, construction and move-in. Sally’s clients also benefit from her depth of understanding of asset ownership and tenants’ leasing needs. She advised one of Los Angeles’ premier entertainment office properties, Wilshire Courtyard, a 1 million SF project located in Miracle Mile. The property boasted significant tenants such as E! Entertainment, Fox Entertainment and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

  Avison Young

  VP

  Sally Zesut

  VP

  Avison Young

• 

  Christine Deschaine

  Christine Deschaine is a Senior Vice President at Kennedy Wilson Brokerage, specializing in the leasing and sale of retail properties. She has more than 30 years of experience in tenant and landlord representation and has worked extensively in urban redevelopment with some of the industry’s most prominent investors and developers. Christine is currently the exclusive agent for more than 210,000 square feet of commercial space. Since 2022, she has completed more than 193,000 square feet of commercial real estate transactions valued at $42 million. Christine has been an integral part of the real estate groups responsible for the resurgence of neighborhoods including Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, Montana Avenue, downtown Burbank, Hollywood Boulevard, Marina del Rey and Culver City. Her expertise and familiarity with city planning officials and processes in the region have allowed her to shepherd projects through these municipalities then identify and secure a successful tenant mix. Recent notable transactions include lease deals with Poppy Bank and Noma Sushi in Santa Monica, AJA Vineyards and BodyROK Pilates in Downtown Santa Monica, Surnright Tea Room in Beverly Hills and Crumbl Cookies at West Hollywood Gateway. In March of 2023, Deschaine completed 100% of the retail leasing (41,000 SF) at The Culver Steps in Culver City. Deals included Erewhon Market, Sephora, CorePower Yoga, Mendocino Farms, Salt & Straw, Philz Coffee, Pop’s Bagels, Afuri Ramen + Dumpling, Yunomi Handroll and Formula Fig. Prior to joining Kennedy Wilson Brokerage, Christine served as a Senior Vice President and partner at Lee & Associates for 20 years.

  Kennedy Wilson Brokerage

  SVP

  Christine Deschaine

  SVP

  Kennedy Wilson Brokerage

ASSET MANAGEMENT, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONS HONOREES

(Non-Speaking)

• 

  Tonja Boykin

  Tonja Boykin joined the Weingart Center in 2016 to serve as its Chief Operating Officer. Tonja has 28 years working as a high-performing nonprofit management executive with national and regional expertise in building/optimizing organizational processes, measurement systems, and infrastructure to maximize business results in philanthropy, resident programs and permanent and affordable housing development industries. She is a skilled strategist who transforms strategic plans into workable solutions and benchmarks performance against key operational targets/goals. Tonja is recognized as a national leader in community organizing, program development and strategic initiatives focused on the hardest to serve populations including families, youth, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their housing. Prior to joining the Weingart Center, Tonja served as the Chief Operating Officer for Skid Row Housing Trust and the Regional Director of Philanthropy for Mercy Housing California. Tonja’s career with Mercy Housing began in 2001 and she served in various regional and national capacities throughout her fourteen year career there. Her early working life began as a program liaison in Mayor Richard Riordan’s office for L.A.’s Best After-School Enrichment program. She was also a Program Director at the Weingart Urban Center YMCA and a Senior Development Associate at Netzel Associates prior to joining Mercy Housing. Tonja studied at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, Pacific Oaks in Pasadena California, and the Fashion Institute Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California.

  Weingart Center

  COO

  Tonja Boykin

  COO

  Weingart Center

• 

  Lea Sandoval

  SVP Asset Management

  Kilroy Realty

• 

  Laila Gordy

  VP, Asset Management

  Carmel Partners

• 

  Nancy Shultz

  Ms. Shultz comes to Duke Realty from Dermody Properties where she was Senior Vice President of Capital Deployment for the Southwest Region. Her responsibilities included acquisitions and management of industrial assets and development sites in Southern California. Prior to joining Dermody Properties, she served as Vice President of Capital Deployment at Prologis and AMB Property Corporation. Ms. Shultz holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Mississippi State University and is a former CPA. She is active in the Southern California NAIOP chapter and is an organizing committee member for the annual UCLA versus USC Real Estate Challenge.

  Duke Realty

  President - West Region

  Nancy Shultz

  President - West Region

  Duke Realty

• 

  Kesha Fisher

  Kesha Fisher is a Director in Greystar’s Newport Beach office who oversees the firm’s Southern California fund of owned and JV development assets that span from Ventura to Downtown San Diego. Her current lease-up portfolio is valued in excess of $1 billion, and the development pipeline on which she is responsible for guiding Greystar’s development team is valued nearly $5 billion. Kesha operates a diverse team across all walks of life, and her leadership and vision during the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed the assets under her control to keep pace performance-wise. She is also one of a handful of leaders at Greystar that is working on a committee to address racial equality within the company, and the industry as a whole.

  Greystar

  Senior Director, Real Estate Operations

  Kesha Fisher

  Senior Director, Real Estate Operations

  Greystar

• 

  Alicia Bramble

  VP, Asset Management

  Douglass Park

• 

  Ellisa Glover

  Vice President, Property Management

  CoreTrust Management, LP

ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING HONOREES

(Non-Speaking)

• 

  Amanda Kaleps

  Amanda Kaleps, Managing Principal, brings a wealth of unique experience to Wolcott Architecture. Amanda has developed keen leadership skills to complement her design and project management talents and ensures the day-to-day success of the firm. Amanda’s focused involvement in all phases of the design process has been key to the successful completion of a diverse and challenging portfolio of commercial projects and allows her to mentor and develop the Wolcott staff. Amanda is LEED accredited and actively involved in multiple industry-related organizations as well as the Organization of Women Executives (OWE). She is an Ohio native and holds a BA in Interior Design from the Kent State F.I.D.E.R program where she also played as a Center on the NCAA Div. 1 Women’s Basketball team.

  Wolcott Architecture

  Principal

  Amanda Kaleps

  Principal

  Wolcott Architecture

• 

  Anne Algaze

  Principal

  SAA Interiors & Architecture

• 

  Bree Wong

  Business Manager

  PCL Construction

• 

  Kristi Paulson

  Partner

  Behnisch Architekten

• 

  Jillian Lang

  Senior Project Executive

  GCX

• 

  Leila Farkhondeh

  Leila followed in her late father’s footsteps of pursuing a career in architecture. She attended University of Southern California and is an active member of their Architectural Guild. After a period working for the United Nations, she ventured into the world of construction by joining Taslimi Construction in Santa Monica. Starting in the estimating department at Taslimi allowed her to learn construction from the point of view of someone with an architectural background and perspective. Leila excelled in estimating and, after only four years, had a leadership role in the department. Soon after, she challenged herself to take on the role of project manager. In this transition, she used architectural training combined with her estimating knowledge to polish her management skills. She has since completed several notable projects including Oracle’s campus in Santa Monica, recording studios for Sony Music, and offices for an independent production company, Imagine Entertainment. Currently, Leila has a senior role at Taslimi in both preconstruction and construction and is in the midst of managing a 230,000 sq. ft. project in Santa Monica for a high profile client. There are no limits to Leila’s potential and growth and, as such, deserves to be recognized for her dedication, focus, ambition, integrity and willingness to work cooperatively with others. Leila is an active member of the USC Architectural Guild and a frequent participant in student charrettes and other guild events. She is also a member of the Keep Children in School (KCIS) foundation which provides financial support for educational needs of underprivileged children throughout several impoverished regions of Iran.

  Taslimi Construction

  Senior Project Manager

  Leila Farkhondeh

  Senior Project Manager

  Taslimi Construction

• 

  Jenny Durbin

  Jenny Durbin, FMP leads the Global Facilities Planning & Innovative Workplace at Illumina, Inc., (NASDAQ: ILMN), the global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies headquartered in San Diego, California. In her role, Jenny directs and has oversight of the facilities planning and occupancy strategies for office and all technical space across the Illumina portfolio of 2.1M SF, globally. Jenny is responsible for providing leadership and direction in establishment and management of site master plans, design standards, campus programming, workplace policy and strategy, in order to create an efficient and flexible real estate portfolio. With nearly a decade at this fast-growing, innovative company, Jenny continuously relies upon her positive outlook to help her nimbly develop, implement, and manage workplace strategies that transform work, optimize space, and enhance the employee experience as she leads the workplace strategy development at Illumina. Jenny has been a vital asset to Illumina as she has helped navigate the organization through significant scaling and growth – the company has quadrupled in revenues and the number of global employees since Jenny joined the team in 2009. In 2017, Illumina was recognized by MIT Technology Review's 50 Smartest Companies (for the 5th straight year), Forbes’ 2017 America’s Best Mid-Size Employers, BioSpace's 2017 Life Sciences Ideal Employers, and Computerworld’s Best Places to Work in IT. Jenny is a Member of San Diego Chapter of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), past member of IFMA (International Facilities Management Association) and is a frequent speaker on workplace innovation at forums such as Biocom where she participated on a panel discussion on “Workplace Strategy and Trends in the Industry”’ and ArchibusNexus Global Conference keynote speaker “Illumina’s Workplace Strategy: Shifting the Workplace Paradigm.” Jenny received her degree from Point Loma Nazarene in Industrial Organizational Psychology. Jenny is a Southern California native, a mom, a francophile, and world-traveler who believes and strives to live by the simple leadership philosophy: “collaboration and trust enables my team do their best work.

  Fate Therapeutics

  Associate Director of Facilities

  Jenny Durbin

  Associate Director of Facilities

  Fate Therapeutics

• 

  Karri Novak

  VP

  Suffolk Construction

FINANCE HONOREES

(Non-Speaking)

• 

  Sue O'Bannon

  Sue has been involved in real estate finance for over 20 years in a variety of roles. With TCR since 2004, Sue oversees debt and equity financing for TCR’s new developments in the Western United States. In addition, she oversees asset management and dispositions for TCR’s remaining West Coast operating properties and land holdings. Prior to joining TCR, Sue was a Vice President and Manager of the National Accounts group at Bank of the West, where she originated and managed loans for for-sale residential, apartment, retail, office, industrial and land/land development projects. Earlier, Sue served as a Vice President at Citicorp, in the Commercial Real Estate Group, and was involved in loan work-outs, asset disposition (OREO and loans) and investment banking. Sue graduated from Claremont McKenna College and earned her MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA.

  Trammell Crow Residential

  CFO, West

  Sue O'Bannon

  CFO, West

  Trammell Crow Residential

• 

  Danielle Duenas

  Principal

  Ares Management

• 

  Nadia Litovskaya

  CFO

  Skid Row Housing

• 

  Marchell Hilliard

  SVP Market Executive

  Bank of America

• 

  Alisa Freundlich

  Senior Director, Capital Advisor

  Tauro Capital Advisors

• 

  Marne Kaufman

  VP of Finance

  KBS Realty Advisors

Tenants

(Non-Speaking)

• 

  Nasim Yalpani

  Director of Real Estate & Workplace Services

  Waymo

• 

  Debbie Tauberg

  Real Estate Director

  SONY Corporation of America