Future of Downtown Austin

Michael is the CEO of Kairoi Residential providing strategic direction and leadership across the entire corporate platform. He is a co-founder of the acquisitions and development partnerships in 2003 and 2006 respectively, as well as a founding partner of Kairoi. Michael has been deeply involved in the multifamily business as an owner and operator since 1995. His 23 years of experience make him an expert in the fields of multifamily management, investment, and development. Michael has invested in, developed, and disposed of more than $4.3 billion of real estate over the past 15 years. He has a valuable network of relationships with institutional joint venture partners, lenders and property owners which he has developed over his career. Michael graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Finance. He is the Chairman of the Board for Alamo Regional Mobility Authority as appointed by the Governor. In connection with his role as Chairman, Michael serves on the Alamo Area MPO Transportation Policy Board and in the San Antonio Mobility Coalition. He also serves on the Advisory Board for The Bank of San Antonio and The Bank of Austin. Michael plays a large role in the San Antonio business community as well having previously held the position of Vice Chairman and currently serving on the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. When Michael isn’t busy at the office or in the San Antonio community, he enjoys being on the lake, skiing, traveling, and listening to live music.'

As Vice President of Development for Aspen Heights, Ryan Fetgatter oversees and manages all aspects of student housing and multifamily development, including market research and selection, site acquisition, entitlement, design, and preconstruction.  Since joining Aspen Heights in 2010, Ryan has led the development of 29 different projects which include 16,000+ student housing beds and 900+ multi-family units totaling over $1.5 billion in cost. Notable projects include RISE, The Independent, and Aspen West Campus, all high-rise residential towers in Austin, Texas. Prior to joining Aspen Heights, Ryan was with The Opus Group in Washington, DC, working on over 750,000 square feet of urban and suburban office development.  Ryan graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2006.

Carter (C.J.) Sackman Jr. serves as Managing Director for Sackman Enterprises' holdings in Austin, TX. Within the Austin market C.J. has overseen Sackman’s acquisitions, project planning, design and permitting. In addition to his project development responsibilities C.J. also manages Sackman’s Austin development office. C.J. holds a bachelor’s degree in international business from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. He is actively involved in several local professional organizations including, the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA), the Urban Land Institute Austin, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce.

“Daniel Brooks is an architect and Page’s Corporate/Commercial Market Sector Leader with over 30 years of professional practice experience. Daniel has helped guide and deliver many of Page’s most prestigious projects. His career has encompassed commercial, multifamily, civic, academic, government, and sports-related projects ranging from private residences to multi-block mixed use urban developments. Daniel is an expert in the unique demands of high-rise design and construction, and currently serves as the project director for several prominent skyscrapers and mixed-use projects in downtown Austin. These include the Texas Facilities Commission Texas Capitol Complex Phase 1, Indeed Tower, 70 Rainey Street Residential Tower, 321 West 6th Street, Travis County’s District Attorney’s Office Building and 44 East Ave Residential Tower.”

Mike Celkis is a partner with the Firm’s tax practice. Based in the Austin office, Mike is responsible for providing domestic tax, financial accounting, and tax consulting services to individuals, corporations, and partnerships in many different industries. He is also responsible for planning and tax compliance reviews for partnerships and corporations with a focus on low-income housing tax credit projects and real estate developers. Mike has broad knowledge of, and experience in, international tax, energy tax credit services, multifamily and commercial real estate, and carryover allocations and is the firm expert on the Texas Franchise Tax and Section 199 (domestic manufacturing deduction). His clients include not-for-profit housing organizations and experienced developers across the United States. His duties include the planning, supervision and review of tax compliance matters for a substantial number of the Austin office's individual, partnership and corporate tax clients.

What drives you? I strive to be the best, and I want the same for the company we’re building. I want Cielo to deliver the highest level of customer service, the most well planned spaces a tenant could imagine, and the highest risk adjusted returns to our investors. If we do that — and I can also be the best husband and dad I can possibly be — then I can go to sleep at night knowing I didn’t leave anything on the table. How do you envision Austin in the next 25 years? I expect that Austin will continue to be one of the most sought after places in the country for people to live and work 25 year from now. This means our population could triple in that time, creating many challenges and opportunities. I believe that our urban core must continue to increase in density with more high-rise and mid-rise developments, just as we’ve seen over the last five years. The alternative is much more traffic and sprawl to the detriment of our environment and quality of life. How did you start the company? Bobby and I share Texas roots and were introduced by a mutual friend. I liked his vision and creative energy immediately. Two months later, we formed our company and bootstrapped it from there. Why Austin? Austin is one of the best cities in the world without a doubt. It appeals to people of all ages and just has so much going for it. We are the Capital of Texas, home of the University of Texas, soon to be home to a new medical school, the tech capital of the south, and the Live Music Capital of the World. Austin offers a beautiful natural environment and countless ways to enjoy it. It’s a business friendly city with a thriving restaurant scene. If you’ve spent a few days here eating barbecue, listening to live music, or water skiing on Lake Travis, you know why so many people want to be — and are becoming — Austinites.

For 25 years, Molly Alexander has enjoyed a successful career focused on downtown revitalization and economic development, including enterprises in both the public and private sectors. As the Downtown Austin Alliance’s Executive Vice President of Economic Development, Molly leads the organization's Economic Development Corporation, as well as oversees the research, mobility, and downtown transportation management programs for the organization. She orchestrates a full range of services that help vitalize the Austin business sector and create a sense of place. Molly received her bachelor’s degree in urban studies and history from Trinity University. Along with founding her own start-up company, her past positions have included Director of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, Director of the Georgetown Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Economic and Community Development Director for the City of Elgin. Molly’s favorite place downtown is her “second office” at Royal Blue Grocery on Congress Avenue.

Bret Hall is the Division Manager for Swinerton in Austin, where he leads Swinerton’s efforts involving commercial real estate service firms, developers, and corporate end users on their tenant finish needs. Bret has provided professional construction services for more than 20 years, interacting with the design teams, clients, owner’s representatives, subcontractors, suppliers, consultants and real estate professionals. He demonstrates his outstanding and thoughtful managerial skills on a variety of projects from the management of the design process through project completion. Bret is driven to meet the different challenges on any project, and to come away with lasting relationships with the client and project team. He maintains executive-level relationships with subcontractors and suppliers to ensure that Swinerton receives the “A” team and service from the marketplace. Leveraging these relationships benefits our clients’ projects tremendously in terms of schedule, cost and quality.

Kevin Burns is the CEO of Urbanspace Real Estate + Interiors. His legacy began at the age of 22 when he founded Urbanspace Real Estate. Today, 20 years later, Kevin’s entrepreneurial drive continues to flourish with the recent opening his new 15,000 square foot office and furniture showroom downtown at the base of The Independent. Kevin’s zest for Austin and the urban lifestyle fuels his vision for his business that has evolved into four pillars including real estate, project marketing, interior design and modern furniture. His firm has served as the exclusive brokerage on numerous projects including Seaholm Residences, The Independent and 44 East Ave. Kevin is an urban community advocate and an active contributor to the Shoal Creek Conservancy, Austin Parks Foundation and Waterloo Greenway, while also giving back by mentoring young talent through RECA and ULI. Kevin remains actively involved in real estate, topping $1 billion in sales throughout his career and earning Austin Business Journal’s Top Realtor award in 2020. He is a multi-year member of Elite 25, Austin’s top luxury agent group. Kevin is also an active member/former board member of Entrepreneur’s Organization, former board member and executive committee member of The Real Estate Council of Austin and former chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Urban development council. True to his lifelong enterprising spirit, Kevin recently opened Codependent, a conceptual coffee + cocktail bar located at the base of The Independent, where high-end design meets Austin hospitality. Kevin and his wife, Paula, live, work and play downtown with their two daughters and two Doodles, Finn and Eloise. They enjoy traveling, sailing, skiing and the many perks that the urban lifestyle offers.

Jennifer is the Founder and CEO of Art + Artisans. She has helped clients create meaningful, impactful spaces for the past 22 years. Jennifer is passionate about helping her clients succeed and showing them how art can be part of the strategy to achieve their vision and attract their ideal market. She believes that art creates spaces with unique identities that people love and want to visit again and again, bringing countless positive experiences that inspire and build community. Jennifer views her primary role today as Chief Relationship Builder both with clients and within her team. Jennifer has built a culture at A+A deeply rooted in delivering excellence in both client service and quality of work delivered. Developing and nurturing trust with clients, team members, artists and vendors is what has enabled Art + Artisans’ success for 22 years. Jennifer has led many large commercial projects across the country with clients who understand the importance integrating art to tell a story, convey their brand, build community, and engage people. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and has lived in Austin for over 30 years. She has served on the Executive Board of CREW Austin and as a Guardian Angel for the Center for Child Protection. In 2018, she was a nominee for the Austin Business Journal's Profiles in Power, a finalist for the Austin Business Journal's CEO of the Year in 2019, and a Bisnow honoree for Women Leading Austin Real Estate in 2024.