8:00 am - REGISTRATION & NETWORKING BREAKFAST
8:50 am - CHAIRPERSON’S WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS
9:00 am - KEYNOTE INTERVIEW: Essential Round Up Of The Year’s Most Important Deals
This discussion between two leading minds in US real estate will explore the trends driving the biggest deals happening today. You will also hear about the headwinds and tailwinds in the market, what returns are being offered across different sectors and investment types, and where dealmaking is likely to pick up next.
Interviewer
Partner – Financial Markets & Real Estate
PwC
Dan Sullivan leads PwC's Financial Markets & Real Estate practice, a global team of 500+ financial products and real estate specialists who use data and technology to resolve complex problems across the financial instrument and real estate lifecycle. Dan is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Global Head of Research & Strategy, Real Estate Private Markets
Manulife Investment Management
Prior to working at Manulife, Victor served as Head of Commercial Real Estate Economics at Moody’s Analytics; prior to the acquisition by Moody’s in October 2018, he served as Chief Economist and Senior Vice President at REIS. Through all of his roles, Dr Calanog led the creation and implementation of estimation and forecasting models for real estate markets; valuation and risk platforms for portfolio analytics; and served as a key spokesperson for clients, the industry, and media through thought leadership initiatives.
Dr Calanog’s work has received awards and fellowship support throughout his career, from the Ford Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, and centers for international business research. He served as contributor and peer reviewer for several academic journals, with scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals like the Journal of Banking & Finance, the Journal of the Risk Management Association, the Journal of Property Investment & Finance, and the Journal of Portfolio Management. His assessments of market conditions have appeared in major international publications like the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Financial Times, and the Economist. His industry columns have won honors from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) and the Risk Management Association (RMA). He serves as Chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Life Company Council, Affordable Housing Committee, and Investment Committee; as Managing Editor for the CRE Finance Council; and on the Economic Advisory Board of the Counselors of Real Estate®. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and has published over 200 monographs, articles, and books on commercial real estate.
9:30 am - INTERACTIVE PANEL: Key Trends & Structural Drivers Impacting The CRE Space
How can you know what makes sense in a world where everything is changing, and the market is so hard to predict? Hear the opinions of the industry’s leading real estate professionals on the outlook for rates, inflation and policy, and their implications for real estate investments through 2024 and beyond.
Moderator
Partner
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel
Jay A. Neveloff advises a broad range of clients involved with the development, ownership and financing of real estate projects, including high-profile mixed-use, commercial, retail, and residential projects in New York City and throughout the country. A nationally recognized transactional lawyer, Jay represents institutional and private equity funds, as well as other investors, in joint ventures, in the acquisition and sale of property, including portfolios of properties, and in connection with a broad variety of developments. He also represents major international funds and financial institutions in commercial lending transactions, preferred equity investments, loan restructurings and workouts.
Chairman & CEO
Time Equities
Francis Greenburger is an American real estate developer, literary agent, author, art collector, philanthropist, and founder of Time Equities Inc., Art Omi, Inc., and the Greenburger Center for Social & Criminal Justice. Francis Greenburger is the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Time Equities Inc. Founded in 1966, Time Equities Inc. (TEI) has been in the real estate investment, development, and asset & property management business for more than 50 years. He is also the Chairman of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates (SJGA), a literary agency founded by his father in 1932. He is the Founder and Chairman of Art Omi and Art Omi Pavilions, a sculpture and architecture park, unique museum complex, and arts center founded in 1992, which also provides residencies for visual artists, writers, dancers, musicians, and architects from all over the world. Most recently, Mr. Greenburger founded the Greenburger Center for Social and Criminal Justice in 2014, which advocates for reforms to the criminal justice and mental health systems. He also serves on the board of several not for profit organizations and is an active donor to over 300 charitable organizations. Mr. Greenburger graduated from Baruch College in 1974 with a degree in Public Administration. He is an avid tennis player and traveler. He resides in Manhattan with his wife, Isabelle Autones, and is the proud father of four children: Morgan, Noah, Julia, and Claire.
Head of U.S. East Coast & Latam
Union Investment Real Estate
Tal Peri is a senior real estate investment and finance professional with over 20 years of industry experience across markets and product types. Tal has closed more than $5 billion of real estate transactions. He serves as Head of U.S. East Coast and Latin America for Union Investment Real Estate in their New York office with the primary responsibility of overseeing equity investment activities in these regions. Union Investment is the largest open-ended real estate fund in Germany with a global real estate AUM of $55 billion and a US AUM of $6 billion. Prior to this role, Tal was an Associate Director at WestLB, New York, where he was responsible for real estate acquisition and development finance transactions.
Managing Director & US CEO
Vanke US
Vanke US is a sophisticated and deeply experienced investment manager founded in 2013 focused on commercial and residential real estate investments in coastal gateway metropolitan markets. The company has built a reputation in the US for being a trusted strategic partner to national and regional developers and operators, investing “smart capital” and offering value-add services to development and repositioning projects in various equity and debt positions in the capital stack. Vanke US is the US affiliate of China Vanke Co. Ltd, one of the largest real estate development, investment and service companies in the world most recently ranked #173 on Fortune’s Global 500 List.
Elliot leads all aspects of Vanke’s US business, overseeing management of Vanke’s operations and investment program throughout the United States and leading efforts to develop and implement a strategic vision for Vanke’s expansion in the US market. Mr. Rishty brings a unique perspective and broad range of experience to the Vanke, having served in various leadership roles since first joining Vanke in 2016, initially as US General Counsel and, subsequently, as its US Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Vanke in 2016, Elliot served as Real Estate Counsel for the Hearst Corporation, where he was responsible for all legal matters relating to the corporation’s real estate portfolio and operational needs. He began his professional career an Associate in the Real Estate Department of the law firm, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, representing developers, operators, private equity firms and REITs in billions of dollar of real estate transactional activities. Elliot obtained his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University.
Founder & CEO
Astor Realty Capital
Astor Realty Capital is an institutionally backed real estate investment firm with a diversified portfolio that spans across 3.8 million SF of real estate across major US markets. Joe is a nationally recognized, inspirational entrepreneur with over 25 years of successful career predicated on profitable investments, ethics, and integrity.
Managing Director
KKR
Julia Butler (New York) joined KKR in 2017 and is a Managing Director in the firm’s Real Estate group. She serves as Chief Investment Officer of KKR Real Estate Select Trust Inc. (KREST). Ms. Butler has been actively involved in the growth of KKR’s Real Estate Credit business, including sourcing, underwriting, and structuring real estate credit investment opportunities as well as capital formation. Prior to joining KKR, Ms. Butler spent thirteen years at iStar where she was an executive vice president, responsible for sourcing, negotiating and managing debt and equity investments in the U.S. and Europe. Prior to iStar, Ms. Butler worked in the treasury department of The Walt Disney Company in Los Angeles, CA. She co-leads the Women’s Network at KKR and is actively involved with several non-profits and currently serves on the Board of Directors for WIN (Women in Need), NYC’s largest homeless organization for women and children. Ms. Butler is also a member of several real estate organizations, including the Urban Land Institute where she serves as a national multifamily council leader, the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council, and WX. Ms. Butler graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a B.A. in Government.
10:10 am - NETWORKING BREAK & ONE TO ONE MEETINGS
10:40 am - INTERACTIVE PANEL: Building A Climate- & ESG Friendly Portfolio That Meets Investor Demands & Drives Returns
Investor demand and government policies are driving the CRE community to integrate climate risk and ESG into their strategies. Hear how these issues are driving investment decisions and impacting portfolios.
Moderator
Partner
Duane Morris
Brad A. Molotsky practices in the area of real estate law. He serves as the team lead for the Duane Morris Project Development/P3 industry group and as co-head of the firm's Opportunity Zones practice group. Mr. Molotsky’s primary practice is focused in the areas of opportunity zone fund creation and fund deployment, financing, public private partnership (PPP or P-3), real estate joint ventures (including mixed-use, life sciences and multi-family development), commercial leasing (including a focus in cannabis leasing), and acquisitions and divestitures. He also has deep experience in environmental, social, governance, public company issues such as enterprise risk, internal audit, compensation, as well as energy efficiency, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Prior to joining Duane Morris and for nearly 20 years, Brad served as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Brandywine Realty Trust. At Brandywine, Mr. Molotsky was responsible for all legal operations of the company, including acquisitions and divestitures, financings, joint ventures, board matters, insurance procurement, litigation oversight, SEC filing oversight and the legal aspects of capital raising. During his tenure, the company grew from 40 buildings to approximately 300 buildings, totaling 28 million square feet. In 2020, Mr. Molotsky was named a national influencer in the Opportunity Zone space by OZ Magazine and won The Philadelphia Inquirer Influencers of Law Award for Real Estate. He was also named by The Philadelphia Inquirer as an Influencer of Real Estate for Real Estate Legal Excellence in 2019. He was also named in The Legal Intelligencer's list of Pennsylvania Trailblazers for 2019. Mr. Molotsky was named one of Philadelphia Business Journal's 2018 "Best of the Bar: Top Lawyers in Philadelphia. He was also named General Counsel of the year by the Philadelphia Business Journal in 2014 and NJBIZ in 2013 and was awarded the Martin Luther King Community Service award in 2014, the Township Sustainability Leader Award in 2016 and the Roger Davis Community Service Award in 2017.
Head of Sustainability, US Real Estate
DWS Group
I am a trained architect and water resource manager who has been advising investors, asset owners, public sector entities, and NGOs on organizational and operational sustainability for ~20 years. Having lived in seven countries and worked in over 20 in five languages, I am mindful of both the localized nuances and overarching contexts in my approach and the potential impact of various strategies on the environment, people, communities, and investments. As we inch closer to 2030, I am keen to support and partner with others to secure a sustainable and resilient future together.
Senior Investment Strategist & Global ESG Lead
CenterSquare Investment Management
Uma Moriarity is the Senior Investment Strategist and Global ESG Lead for CenterSquare Investment Management. She focuses on investment strategy and leads thought leadership across the Firm’s public and private real estate platforms. She is part of the listed real estate investment team and serves on CenterSquare’s Private Real Estate Debt Investment Committee. Uma leads the Firm’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy to incorporate ESG into the decision-making and management of listed and private real estate investments to create long-term value, reduce risk, and generate superior risk-adjusted investment returns. Prior to joining CenterSquare, she spent three years in corporate strategy and planning at ExxonMobil in Houston. Uma graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with Interdisciplinary Honors and High Distinction and holds a B.S. in Finance with a minor in International Business, B.S. in Accounting, and Master of Accountancy. She is a CFA charterholder and member of the CFA Institute, a LEED Green Associate, and a member of the ULI San Francisco Sustainability Committee. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Green Building United, the Penn State Smeal Sustainability Advisory Board, and the FTSE EPRA Nareit Americas Regional Advisory Committee.
Principal, Financial Markets & Real Estate
PwC
Randy provides advisory services with a focus on occupiers and investors of real estate as they enhance their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy. He helps PwC clients cut through the complexity to set the vision, foundation, and reporting plans for clients to achieve their environmental & decarbonization goals Randy holds a Doctorate in Engineering Management from Southern Methodist University, an MBA from Marquette University, and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas, a Certified Energy Manager, Certified Measurement & Verification Professional and a Six Sigma Master Blackbelt.
Vice President, Growth & Innovation
Retech
Andrea C Pinabell is a sustainability executive with nearly 30 years of global experience in the private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors all focused on energy & holistic sustainability with a focus on the built environment and communities.
Currently Andrea is the Vice President of Growth & Innovation for RE Tech Advisors, a Legence company, who operate at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and decarbonization/ESG programming/risk management supporting over $1.5T AUM and representing 4.45 billion SF over more than 22,000 assets.
Prior to joining RE Tech, Andrea headed an independent consulting firm where she advised businesses, academia, and private equity on implementing and integrating holistic and sustainable purpose-driven strategies, partnerships, and programs to drive organization growth, reduce risk and improve impact. She has held executive leadership roles focused on strategy, operations, and innovation with a focus on sustainability and philanthropy in hospitality, real estate, retail industries as well as within the nonprofit sector.
Andrea sits on several nonprofit boards including 2030 Districts, Center for Responsible Travel, the Strategic Energy Institute, and the Center of Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech University, where she also recently served as a Distinguished Executive Fellow within the Strategic Energy Institute. In addition, she has been honored with multiple awards including Most Notable Georgians (2020), Atlanta 500 Top Leaders, (2020 & 2021), USGBC Leadership Award (2019), and being inducted into the 2018 Energy Leader 75, recognizing some of the
nation’s top energy leaders.
Andrea earned her BS ChE in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University and has a Business Sustainable Management graduate from the University of Cambridge.
Vice President, Energy & Sustainability
The RMR Group
Mr. Forester is Vice President, Energy & Sustainability of The RMR Group (Nasdaq: RMR), responsible for management of environmental sustainability programs. A mechanical engineer by training, he has more than 20 years of experience in building engineering and energy program management. Prior to joining RMR in 2011, Mr. Forester held engineering roles with BVH Integrated Services, Inc. and the Demand Management Institute. He earned both a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Engineering and Business from the University of Maine. Mr. Forester is a Licensed Mechanical Engineer and a LEED Accredited Professional.
11:20 am - INTERACTIVE PANEL: Picking The Best Investment Strategies & Assets In Today’s Market
Hear which established strategies and asset classes are providing solid returns in the current climate, and which emerging opportunities are generating returns for early adopters.
Moderator
Partner
Phillips Lytle
Patrick T. Fitzgerald is a partner at Phillips Lytle LLP and the Co-leader of the firm’s Private Equity Team. He has decades of experience in the real estate industry, providing legal advice to investment funds, general partners, limited partners, real estate developers and other clients in complex real estate transactions and investment matters. He advises clients on the formation, structuring, and operation of investment funds, and he has a deep understanding of the underlying documents, including partnership agreements, operating agreements and subscription agreements. He is well versed in regulatory compliance issues affecting real estate investment funds and regularly provides guidance on ongoing operational matters, such as investor communications and fund governance.
Patrick has extensive experience working on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including sales and acquisitions, financing, leasing, land use and zoning, easements and covenants, conditions and restrictions. He assists his clients with their matters from start to finish.
Global Head of Healthcare, Office, Retail & Mixed-Use
Nuveen Real Estate
Chad is responsible for leading dedicated teams of sector specialists in local offices around the world that focus on workplace, healthcare, retail and mixed-use investments. He oversees the overall strategy, performance and day-to-day activities of Nuveen Real Estate’s investments across these sectors, which represent approximately $50 billion of value. Chad also advises on a company board, is a member of the Global Executive Leadership Team and Americas Investment Committee and has over 20 years of experience. Prior to joining the firm, Chad was a portfolio manager and managing director at Guggenheim Real Estate, where he oversaw all facets of their U.S. open-end funds, including one that was a member of the NCREIF NFI-ODCE Index. During his 15-year career at Guggenheim, Chad was a member of the Investment Committee and participated in the acquisition of over 90 direct property assets. He started his career as an associate at Banc of America Securities in the Real Estate Investment Banking and Debt Capital Markets groups. Chad graduated with a B.A. from Davidson College and a Master’s in Real Estate from Georgetown University.
Managing Director, Portfolio Manager
CBRE Investment Management
Mary Lang is Head of Americas Direct Logistics Strategies and serves as a Portfolio Manager for a fund sponsored by the firm. Mary, who began her career in the asset management industry in 2000, joined CBRE Investment Management in 2021 from Prologis, Inc. There she most recently served as the Global Head of Data Center Strategy & Solutions, as well as Senior Vice President of Americas Dispositions. Mary’s accomplishments include the formation of several merchant development joint ventures to facilitate the conversion of logistics assets to powered-shell and turnkey data center solutions; the post-merger integration of AMB Property Corp., KTR Capital Partners, DCT Industrial Trust and Liberty Property Trust; and the disposition of more than $6 billion in industrial, retail, development and land sales from balance sheet and private capital ventures during her 17-year tenure with Prologis. Mary earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Managing Partner
Brookfield Asset Management
Nailah Flake is a Managing Partner in Brookfield’s Real Estate Group responsible for the origination, underwriting and asset management of Brookfield’s real estate finance funds. Prior to joining Brookfield in 2017, Ms. Flake was a Managing Director and head of originations for the commercial real estate lending group at Morgan Stanley. Ms. Flake holds a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College.
Chief Investment Officer
BGO Strategic Capital Partners
Andrew Jacobs is the Global Chief Investment Officer at BGO Strategic Capital Partners, BGO’s multi-manager group. Mr. Jacobs’ 35 years of real estate experience includes investment management at Angelo Gordon & Co, project management at Hines and site selection at Campbell Soup’s subsidiary, Godiva Chocolatier.
Mr. Jacobs has been an Adjunct Professor of Real Estate Finance at Columbia Business School since 2009. He is also a board member at Haystacks.ai, a proptech startup. Mr. Jacobs received a B.A. in the History of Art from the University of Pennsylvania and his M.B.A. in Real Estate Finance from Columbia Business School.
Founder & Managing Partner
Northwind Group
Ran founded Northwind Group in 2008 and oversees all company investment activities across its debt and equity strategies. Throughout his career, Ran has executed over 230 real estate transactions in the U.S. totaling over $4.0 billion in value, amassing a well-diversified portfolio in NYC consisting of residential and office properties and a significant portfolio of healthcare and senior living properties across the US. In 2017 Ran spearheaded the creation of Northwind’s debt platform including the formation of Northwind’s dedicated closed-ended real estate debt funds with over $2 billion in AUM.
Under Ran’s leadership Northwind has evolved into a reputable institutional grade private equity firm, consistently improving its capabilities, expanding its operations, know-how and industry recognition, while adhering to strict core values of honesty and transparency.
Ran is a retired Captain of the Israeli Navy, where he served active combat duty as Commander of a naval warship. Ran currently sits on the Board of AFN, a non-profit, apolitical organization providing vital assistance to army veterans and civilians suffering from PTSD and on the board of American Friend of Unistream which supports entrepreneurship programs in the periphery of Israel. He is passionate about real estate, surfing and most importantly serving as a good role model to his three children.
12:00 pm - KEYNOTE INTERVIEW: Exclusive Outlook For Opportunistic Real Estate Investing
Hear Lowell Baron - CIO at $267 billion real estate manager Brookfield - sharing his outlook for the opportunistic CRE space. This in-depth chat will leverage Lowell’s experience of overseeing the firm’s multifamily and hospitality operating platforms, and its growth into alternative real estate sectors.
Interviewer
Co-Head of Real Estate
Weil
Philip Rosen is Co-Head of the Firm’s Real Estate practice and the Firm’s Infrastructure practice. Philip is a leading authority in the mergers and acquisitions of real estate companies, both public and private and both as part of restructurings and not. He is also one of the top real estate finance lawyers and has long been considered one of the leading lawyers in the debt restructuring space. He is one of the top private equity lawyers in the property arena, representing numerous private equity and hedge funds and institutions in their larger and more complicated transactions. Philip also has a top reputation in a broad spectrum of other transaction areas, including real estate investment trusts, joint ventures and property and debt portfolio acquisitions. He also heads the Firm’s renowned hospitality and gaming practices. Finally, he is one of the country’s leading authorities on doing business in the Middle East.
Philip is recognized as a leading lawyer for Real Estate: Corporate in New York by Chambers USA, where he is described as “unbelievably experienced…a smart, sophisticated lawyer” and “a master negotiator with great relationships.” He has also been recognized as “a great adviser and a highly respected figure” and described as a “world class lawyer” with “an understanding of the markets and a good grasp of the business repercussions in addition to the legal ramifications” in Chambers USA. Philip is recognized as a “Notable Practitioner” for Real Estate Acquisitions and Real Estate Finance in the U.S. by IFLR1000. He is also recommended for Real Estate and REITs by Legal 500 US and has been designated a “Best Lawyer” for Real Estate Law in New York by Best Lawyers in America and a New York Super Lawyer since 2006. Philip was named a 2017 Real Estate “MVP” by Law360 noting his successes in major real estate transactions. Additionally, he has been recognized as a leading lawyer based abroad for Corporate/M&A in Israel by Chambers Global.
Philip serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University, where he is teaching a course entitled “Titans of Real Estate.” He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Yeshiva University in New York, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yeshiva College in New York and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Birthright Israel Foundation. In 2018, he received an honorary doctorate from Yeshiva University.
President and Chief Investment Officer, Real Estate
Brookfield
Lowell Baron is President and Chief Investment Officer of Brookfield’s Real Estate Group, responsible for Brookfield’s global real estate investment and asset management activities. Since joining Brookfield in 2005, he has held several senior roles across the organization, including overseeing the establishment of Brookfield’s multifamily and hospitality operating platforms, and its growth into alternative real estate sectors.
Prior to 2005, Mr. Baron worked at Deutsche Bank where he focused on real estate private equity and investment banking.
Mr. Baron holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Yeshiva University.
12:30 pm - NETWORKING LUNCH
12:40pm - 1:40pm LUNCHEON WORKSHOP: State of the Sector: How New York's Political Landscape Impacts Your Business
Join top New York lobbying firm Kasirer for an engaging and informative conversation with experts in politics on how you can navigate New York's ever changing political landscape to make the best investments and be a leader within your industry. During this workshop we will cover:
Opening Remarks
Partner
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel
Jay A. Neveloff advises a broad range of clients involved with the development, ownership and financing of real estate projects, including high-profile mixed-use, commercial, retail, and residential projects in New York City and throughout the country. A nationally recognized transactional lawyer, Jay represents institutional and private equity funds, as well as other investors, in joint ventures, in the acquisition and sale of property, including portfolios of properties, and in connection with a broad variety of developments. He also represents major international funds and financial institutions in commercial lending transactions, preferred equity investments, loan restructurings and workouts.
President
Kasirer LLC
Suri Kasirer is a born New Yorker and advocate. She founded Kasirer in 1997 out of a studio apartment on the Upper West Side—bringing a lifelong commitment to championing people, progress, and policy in the City.
Suri grew her business into the #1 lobbying firm in New York City, assembling and leading a team with decades of experience and an unrivaled fluency in government on local and state levels, in languages (including Spanish and Hebrew), and in the inner workings of New York.
She and her team have established an unparalleled record of success in the City on behalf of clients who are leaders in a wide range of industries, corporate and nonprofit, from education, culture, real estate, technology, hospitality, media and health care to social service and many more.
Year after year, Suri is recognized by Crain’s New York Business and City & State as one of the most influential leaders in New York City. In 2023 Suri was an honoree on the City & State “New York City Power 100”, the “Albany Power 100”, and the “Real Estate Power 100.” In 2022, she was featured in City & State’s “Power of Diversity: Women 100” for the third year in a row. Suri was also recognized as one of Schneps Media’s 2022 Power Women of Manhattan honorees and was honored with the Landmark Award at 92NY’s 2022 Extraordinary Women Awards. Among the most meaningful awards bestowed upon her, Citizens Union honored Suri as a 2018 Gotham Great, and she was a recipient of the National Organization for Women (NOW) Women of Power & Influence Award.
Suri is the Vice President of Citymeals on Wheels and serves on the board of directors of the New York League of Conservation Voters, the Women’s Leadership Forum and the New York Building Foundation. She is a member of the steering committee for the Association for a Better New York and a member of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, WX New York Women Executives in Real Estate, and the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association.
After graduating from Yeshiva University, Suri worked as an educator—before working on a national presidential race. Inspired by politics, she joined the executive staff of then-governor of New York Mario Cuomo as his special assistant.
1:40 pm - EXECUTIVE EXCHANGES
Join your peers for a series of lively and interactive discussions on the most pressing topics you are facing today. The small group format will enable you to make meaningful connections and come up with practical solutions to shared challenges.
Partner
AKD
Jevgeniy (Jev) is a partner in the Luxembourg office of AKD and co-heads the Investment Management practice. He has extensive experience in alternative fund formation and investment management, including advising on fund establishment and through the full lifecycle of an investment fund with a particular focus on private equity, venture capital, real estate, infrastructure, renewables, and debt funds strategies. Jev’s clients are, in particular, large US, UK, German and Swiss fund sponsors (GPs) setting up or managing traditional and alternative fund structures together with respective carried interest vehicles as well as institutional and professional investors (LPs) seeking to expand their investment portfolios through Luxembourg funds.
Among other matters, Jev assists clients in diverse fund-related transactions, providing regulatory, legal, and strategic advice on aspects relating to Luxembourg fund structures including regulated and unregulated structures. Jev has a strong focus on English and German speaking jurisdictions.
Senior Director – Business Development
JTC
Dewi is based in JTC’s New York office and brings a wealth of experience in diverse transaction management, fund (re)structuring and fundraising in the EU / US markets
His expertise encompasses real estate funds, private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, and multinational corporations.
Dewi possesses a comprehensive understanding of the advantages related to establishing corporate, orphan, and fund structures. He also assumes responsibility for driving business development initiatives for the Netherlands office, and overall support for US fund managers and multinational corporations are looking to establish EMEA fund and corporate vehicles, and vice versa. Moreover, Dewi has led the establishment of service lines, including JTC’s SPAC and Escrow services.
Dewi’s professional foundation as a trained corporate lawyer is further enriched by his successful completion of a post-graduate M&A course at a leading Dutch university.
CRO
OnsiteIQ
Mike Pettinella (“Pett”) is a construction & real estate technology crusader who has spent nearly 20 years optimizing processes and mitigating risk on development projects. Pett currently serves as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) for OnsiteIQ where he has served as an advisor and investor since 2019. OnsiteIQ is a Real Estate Development Intelligence Platform helping developers and investors document, monitor and verify progress of their assets.
Prior to joining OnsiteIQ full-time in early-2022, Pett was Director of Sales for Autodesk based in London leading sales of the Autodesk Construction Solutions platform in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) where he scaled a go-to-market team across 11 countries and grew ARR (annual recurring revenue) 2.5x in 2 years. Prior to Autodesk, Pett was based in NYC as VP of Sales North America for BuildingConnected, where he joined in September 2015 when the company was still pre-revenue ($0) and helped scale the business to $20M+ ARR and an acquisition by Autodesk for $275M.
Prior to entering the CRE Tech space, Pett spent nearly 10 years in consulting for the construction & real estate industry at Navigant focused mainly on investigating disputes on troubled construction projects globally. It was his consulting clients’ interest in technology that sparked his passion to enter the CRE Tech space.
Pett also started a like-minded CRE Tech meetup group called the New York Society for Construction Solutions in 2016 to raise awareness for early-stage disruptive technologies. He stepped away after moving to London, but the group still meets regularly to this day.
Currently, Pett lives in Westchester, NY with his wife and daughter. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys traveling to new places, finding fun stuff to do with his daughter, skiing, tennis, and poker.
Founder & Managing Partner
Jacobs PC
Leo Jacobs is a commercial litigation and bankruptcy attorney and the founder of Jacobs, P.C., a boutique law firm known for finding creative, direct, and expedient solutions to complex and high-profile issues.
Leo tirelessly and zealously works to build trust and long-standing relationships with his clients, who rely on his counsel, representation, negotiation, and advocacy to forge speedy, practical paths to move forward. From the courtroom to the board room, Leo has a demonstrated talent for devising, positioning, and advancing sophisticated yet straightforward arguments to mitigate risk and reach successful outcomes.
Leveraging his vast and deep knowledge of debt and equity structures, Leo employs all legal tools available to quickly and efficiently achieve the best result for his clients. As such, his law practice seamlessly bridges commercial litigation, corporate transactions, and various forms of financial rehabilitation across federal, state, and bankruptcy courts as well as administrative tribunals and other forums. Examples include Chapter 11, UCC 9, UCC 8, pledges, mezzanine financing, subprime commercial lending, real estate, asset management, special situations, and restructurings. He also counsels clients on tough questions related to business disputes, regulatory compliance, employment law, and fiduciary and agency interests, including those related to allegations of white-collar and other corporate crimes.
Previously, Leo served as General Counsel at New York Equity Management, LLC, a privately held company that focused on the full lifecycle of real estate litigation finance investments (acquisition, construction, development, management, leasing, and sale) and held a portfolio of distressed and other commercial and residential properties. His role at NYEM straddled legal and business issues, from advising management on commercial matters, litigation, real estate, and compliance to spearheading efforts that increased the value of the firm’s properties upon sale.
Earlier in his legal career, Leo also served as an associate attorney at the prominent administrative and environmental law firm, Cohen Hochman & Allen. At Cohen Hochman, Leo defended and advanced the interests of high-profile management before federal, state, and New York City government agencies and the courts. He represented clients across a range of industries and under various regulatory regimes, including health, transportation, sanitation, air, water, hospitality, and waste removal. During his tenure at the firm, he appeared daily in court and was recognized for his ability to address novel compliance issues, reduce violations, and negotiate settlements with governmental and civil litigants.
Among other non-profit and community service, Leo has also devoted hours of pro bono representation to the Bukharian Jewish People and acts as its Chief Counsel, serving at the request of President Leon Nektalov and the Board of the Bukharian Jewish Community Center.
CEO
CREED
Alex is an 18-year veteran of the commercial real estate (CRE) lending and investment banking industry, during which time he has held various securitization, underwriting, and origination roles, while helping to launch and grow several platforms within a number of banks and REITs.
CREED is a FinTech venture founded with the primary purpose of increasing liquidity within the CRE industry. Having experienced firsthand the ebbs and flows of CRE capital during various market cycles, CREED's mission is rooted in its leadership team’s experience prior to, during, and following the Great Financial Crisis.
Founder & CEO
Boardwalk Storage
Mr. Sheth has developed a strong and significant track record as a disciplined investor over the past thirty (30) years. During his 17 years in Self Storage, Raj’s average realized return on projects has been a 39% IRR. Average Equity Multiple has been 3.0x. Mr. Sheth’s company is among the Top 50 self storage owner/operators in the country with more than $500M under development.
Previously, Mr. Sheth was a Founder and Managing Director for Insight Capital Management, LLC, a hedge fund. During Raj’s tenure the fund achieved returns of 107% in just four years. The Fund was focused on investing in stocks of publicly held companies whose businesses are durable, financially secure and selling at deep discounts to their intrinsic values.
Prior to his current activities, Mr. Sheth worked at InCore (the Institute for Communications Research & Education), a strategy consulting and mergers and acquisitions advisory firm. Through InCore, Mr. Sheth worked for numerous companies including AT&T, Sprint, Con Edison, Motorola, Southern California Edison, Telecom Italia, Wipro and others.
Mr. Sheth earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Illinois, and his MBA (concentration in Marketing and Finance) with Honors from the University of Southern California. He serves as a Board Member of the Sheth Education Foundation. He is a member of REIAC: Real Estate Investment Advisory Council in Atlanta and is also a Charter Member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE-Atlanta) where he served as Treasurer in 2007. He formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Self Storage Association for two years. He resides with his wife and three children in Duluth, GA.
Mr. Sheth is an avid traveler and has visited 60 countries throughout his lifetime.
3:10 pm - INTERACTIVE PANEL: Where Institutional Investors Will Allocate Capital In 2024 & Beyond
Leading LPs will share how the current market challenges are impacting their allocations and which strategies and assets they are prioritizing.
Moderator
Principal, Financial Markets & Real Estate
PwC
As a Partner at PwC, I serve a global client base in the Real Estate & Hospitality sectors, leveraging my 16+ years of experience in investments, operations, finance, and strategy. I lead cross-functional and global teams to help clients navigate opportunities and challenges related to deals, growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and valuation. My mission is to deliver value-added solutions that enhance the performance and profitability of my clients' businesses and assets. I also contribute extensively to industry thought leadership through industry presentations and contributions to various publications, including Emerging Trends in Real Estate. I am a Certified Real Estate Counselor (CRE) and a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
Mayoral Appointee
NYC Public Schools Board, Executive Committee
NYC BERS, PEP Chair Designee, NYC TRS
Mayor Eric Adams appointed Anthony “Tony” Giordano to the New York City Public School Board in January 2023. The School Board appointment includes board membership on the $8 Billion NYC Board of Education Retirement System (BERS), protecting school employee retirement benefits. Leveraging his 25 years of financial services experience, Giordano’s colleagues elected him to the BERS Executive Committee. Following suit, the Board Chair designated Giordano her proxy to the NYC Teachers Retirement System ($103 Billion). Giordano is proud to serve the Mayor, the Chair, all the faculty and staff, but most of all the 1 million students who attend the 1,800 public schools of New York City. Professionally, Giordano is Founder of Legacy Partners USA, LLC, launched in August of 2014. Legacy Partners is a full-service business development consultancy, advising "best of breed" investment managers, broker dealers, and litigation firms. Prior to launching Legacy Partners, Mr. Giordano had a distinguished twenty-year career on Wall Street, serving as Director of Sales and Marketing at hedge fund of funds, Larch Lane Advisors; Director of Pension Strategies at Credit Suisse USA; was a senior vice president at Bank of New York affiliate, ConvergEx where, for nearly thirteen years, he marketed the firm's transition management and commission recapture services. Prior to Wall Street, Giordano was a City Hall lobbyist with Montalbano Initiatives, representing the interests of several labor unions, corporations, healthcare institutions, and quasi-governmental agencies. College prepared Giordano well for his current role as an education policy maker and fiduciary. After winning the prestigious Belle Zellar Scholarship, Giordano attended Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY), earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. While at Brooklyn, Giordano was elected to 2 consecutive terms as chairperson of the CUNY University Student Senate (USS), also serving as voting ex-oficio member of the CUNY Board of Trustees, the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation and the CUNY Research Foundation. Under his leadership, Giordano won back funding and restored USS credibility, still thriving 30 years later. Giordano has remained politically active and socially aware, currently serving as a board member on Bertha Lewis’ action tank, The Black Institute. Giordano directed the Stand & Deliver mentorship program, while serving the board of the tenant advocacy group, Palante Harlem. Giordano is a non-denominational Christian and supporter of the Kentucky-based Sparrow Missions, leading missionary teams comprised of Wall Street professionals to Honduras in 2013 and 2014. Tony Giordano is most importantly a proud father and husband. His two beautiful daughters, Kira and Devin, ages 21 and 19, respectively, attend Penn State and Johns Hopkins universities. Mr. Giordano is overwhelmingly and happily married to New York City immigration attorney and social media influencer, Aizhan “Aya Baltabek” Yerezhepova.
Managing Director, Mission Investments
Trinity Church Wall Street
Cynthia Maasry is a Managing Director at Trinity Church Wall Street. She joined Trinity’s investment team in 2017 as part of the first internal investment office to oversee Trinity’s endowment. Cynthia leads the Mission Investing platform. She also sits on the board overseeing Trinity’s direct real estate holdings and is responsible for the investment manager research process for real estate funds. Prior to joining Trinity Church Wall Street, Cynthia worked for Goldman Sachs in real estate investment in London and in equities sales and trading in New York. She is part of a ULI IOPC product council and serves on the Real Estate Board of New York’s Diversity Committee. Cynthia holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Stanford University.
CPA, CGMA - Accountant / Treasury Manager
City of Stamford
Eric is responsible for treasury, investment management, and pension fund accounting. He serves as a Trustee on the Classified Employees Retirement Fund Board, Other Post- Employment Benefit (OPEB) Board, Defined Contribution Retirement Plan Board and City’s Investment Advisory Committee. Eric is a Trustee on the Town of Fairfield Employee Retirement Board and Joint Retirement Investment Board. Prior to entering government finance, Eric held finance positions at Royal Bank of Scotland, IBM Global Financing, Arnhold and S. Bleichroeder, Price Waterhouse and Soros Fund Management. Eric received his B.B.A. in Accounting from Adelphi University; Certificate in Investment Banking from New York University, M.B.A. in Finance from Sacred Heart University and is pursuing a Corporate Finance Certificate at Harvard University. He is a Certified Public
Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).
President, Managing Partner
JD Paramount, MFO
Derek Li is a managing partner at JD Paramount, a family office that integrates fund investments, direct investments, secondaries, and co-investments across real estate private equity, and PE & VC across sectors and regions. As an allocator, Derek is focused on combing growth-focused, long- term strategic clarity with discipline-oriented, short-term tactical flexibility to help preserve capital, establish steady cash flows, and generate predictable potential opportunities for future capital appreciation with built-in downside protection mechanism.
With over 20 years of deep-rooted experience in investment management, asset management, private equity, real estate, and venture growth. Derek identifies, executes and delivers dynamic, bespoke investment solutions on commercial and residential real estate developments, debt structuring, funding, finance, joint ventures, real estate management and acquisitions across the United States.
3:50 pm - INTERACTIVE PANEL: Finding The Best Capital Sources To Fund Your Deals
Hear how the financing landscape is evolving, and what different types of capital providers are providing across the risk spectrum.
Moderator
Founder & Managing Member
H Equities
H Equities is a commercial real estate debt and equity investment platform with offices in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Allenhurst, N.J. H Equities has made investments across the United States with a focus on the northeast and southeast regions, in a variety of asset classes although primarily in the multi-family and medical office space.
Elliot’s experience in the real estate industry spans from beginning as a broker, both on the commercial mortgage and investment sales side, to now a commercial real estate lender and an owner/investor.
During his career he has closed on commercial real estate acquisitions and loans with sophisticated real estate investors and partners, with an aggregate value of over $1,000,000,000.
Elliot has experience sourcing investment opportunities, investing significant equity in numerous transactions, and conducting and overseeing the financial analysis, due diligence, underwriting, and deal structuring of potential debt and equity investments.
In his spare time, Elliot is active in a variety of charitable organizations and enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.
Chief Executive Officer, Managing Member
Aspen Tree Advisory
Thomas J. Haug is the CEO and Managing Partner of Aspen Tree Advisory, a highly specialized family office, hedge fund and private equity consulting, and advisory firm. Mr. Haug is a trusted advisor who actively serves his clients on all facets of asset allocation, co-investments and structuring of current and contemplated holdings, increasing their families’ wealth and helping their companies grow and expand. A serial entrepreneur at heart, Mr. Haug also serves as President and Member of Sag Harbor Management, a limited capacity private fund investing in private credit and factor-based advances; Member of IDI Group, an investor cooperative co-investing in private companies; joint venture Partner of Pacta Relations, a high-end business relations firm focused on the domestic and international growth of both public and private companies; Advisory Board Member of Americas Executions “AmerX,” one of the largest NYSE-based floor trading firms by volume. Given Mr. Haug’s close relationships with the ultra-high net worth community, he has ample experience in Opportunity Zone investments, impact-related opportunities, and the cannabis sector. Throughout his successful career, Mr. Haug has been responsible for over $285MM of investment advisory assets and $900MM of real estate debt financing and equity investments. His clients include ultra-high net worth individuals, family offices, endowments, foundations, as well as hedge fund, private equity, and venture capital firms.
Managing Director, Head of Originations
Canyon Partners Real Estate
Jacob Feingold serves as a Managing Director, Head of Originations for equity and debt across Canyon Partner’s Real Estate platforms within the Real Estate Investment team at Canyon. Mr. Feingold joined Canyon in 2014 and focuses on originating, structuring, and executing direct debt and equity investments, capital markets, real estate securities, and secondary opportunities in the U.S. Additionally, Mr. Feingold serves as the Co-Portfolio Manager for the Canyon Evergreen Private Credit Fund. Prior to joining Canyon, Mr. Feingold worked at iStar Financial where he focused on structured real estate investments, development, and distressed opportunities. Mr. Feingold is a
graduate of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan (B.B.A., honors)
and Columbia Business School (M.B.A., honors).
Partner
Three Line Capital
Mr. Bornstein is a Partner of Three Line Capital, LLC, investment manager to several institutional managed accounts. In addition to serving as the Portfolio Manager for the managed accounts, he is also responsible for the firm’s origination, underwriting and investment management activities. Three Line invests in credit opportunities and special situations overlooked by larger alternative investment platforms due to their size, complexity or underlying collateral/ structure. The firm has the ability to invest across the entire capital structure, acquire and make loans to – and equity or equity-like investments in – real estate, growth companies, stressed companies, fund recapitalizations, as well as reorganization/restructuring loans and exit financings. Mr. Bornstein has over 30 years of investment management and commercial finance experience, including more than two decades in asset-based lending, and more than 18 years as an investment fund portfolio manager. Prior to his fund management experience, Mr. Bornstein worked at GE Capital from 1995-2005, first as corporate counsel, then as a mergers and acquisitions executive, and finally as the head of the non-performing loan acquisition operations within GE’s Global Financial Restructuring business. Prior to his employment at GE, Mr. Bornstein practiced law in the corporate restructuring groups at Mayer Brown and at Fried Frank in Chicago and New York. Mr. Bornstein received his A.B. in Honors Economics from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, and his J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Founder & CEO
Petros PACE Finance
Mansoor Ghori is a Founder, CEO, and Board Member of Petros PACE Finance. He leads Credit, Underwriting, and Business Development, and is the Chairman of the Investment Committee. He is integral to underwriting and structuring transactions, leveraging his 30+ years of experience in structured finance.
Prior to Petros, he was the President and CEO of Accent Capital and was responsible for the investment and administrative activities of the firm. He was also a Managing Director at Transamerica Technology Finance Corporation, which was subsequently acquired by GE Capital, and a Principal at Sternhill Partners, a $100 million venture capital firm based in Houston.
Prior to joining Sternhill, he was the Founder and SVP/Regional Manager of Imperial Bank’s Southwest Region of the Emerging Growth Industries Group (acquired by Comerica Bank). He was also a VP in the National Accounts Division of Silicon Valley Bank, focusing on investments in high- technology and biotech companies in Texas.
Mansoor also currently serves on the following boards: Petros, STG Design, PACENation, C-PACE Alliance, as well as the Andy Roddick Foundation.
In addition, he is also an Executive Committee Member of Petros, PACENation and C-PACE Alliance, and a finance committee member of PACENation and the Andy Roddick Foundation.
Mansoor is a graduate of Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California and holds an MBA from Northeastern University in Boston.
Fund Manager
Jevan Capital
Silvia Lupu is a seasoned executive and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) with over 7 years of experience in the investment and financial industry. With a strong academic background in International Economic Relationships, Silvia possesses a deep understanding of global markets and a keen eye for strategic decision-making. Throughout her career, Silvia has honed her expertise by working in five countries across three continents, gaining invaluable insights into diverse financial ecosystems. Her international exposure has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of the nuances and challenges of conducting business on a global scale.
Silvia's leadership journey spans both mid and senior management positions, where she has consistently demonstrated her ability to drive results, inspire teams, and navigate complex financial landscapes. Her dynamic approach, combined with a strong focus on innovation and sustainable practices, has positioned her as a visionary leader in the industry.
With a passion for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing, Silvia has been at the forefront of integrating responsible investment practices into the financial sector. Her commitment to sustainability and ethical decision-making has earned her recognition as a thought leader in the industry, advocating for the importance of aligning financial goals with positive social and environmental impact.
4:30 pm - COCKTAIL RECEPTION
Stay up to date on the latest events, news and conference announcements.
6 East 43rd St
19th Floor
New York, NY 10017