Bisnow Chicago Cannabis Event

Wendy Berger is CEO and Founder of WBS Equities, LLC. WBS Equities is a real estate development firm which specializes in ground-up construction, renovation, development, sale lease back transactions and acquisition of industrial buildings for food and beverage manufacturers and distributors. Wendy is also an active investor across multiple real estate asset classes including retail, multi-family, senior housing and self-storage. Over the last 28 years she has been involved in the real estate business as a developer, property manager, broker and principally as an owner-investor. Wendy began her career at American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago (a subsidiary of First Chicago, now JP Morgan Chase) in Commercial Lending. Wendy spent several years as a principal with Berger Realty Group, an 80-year- old family owned Real Estate business where she focused on residential and industrial property management and development. She was responsible for managing 3,000 apartment units, 200,000 square feet of commercial space and 250,000 square feet of industrial space. Aside from her experience in the real estate field, Wendy spent 10 years working with ultra-high growth technology startups. Wendy was employee number 10 at Orbitz, the Travel web site founded in 2000 by American, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United Airlines. Wendy was Director of the Enterprise Planning at Orbitz and focused on strategic planning. Prior to Orbitz, Wendy co-founded and was COO of Neoglyphics Media Corporation, one of the country’s first web site development firms. Neoglyphics grew from a small start-up to a corporation with a staff of more than 150 employees before it was sold in March 1998 for $65 million. Wendy earned her MBA in Finance and Real Estate from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. She received a B.S., cum laude, in Finance and Marketing from Syracuse University. In her spare time Wendy is an avid triathlete and runner, having completed 31 Olympic Distance triathlons and six half-marathons. Wendy serves on the Board of directors of the Chicago Public Library Foundation (2016 – present), the Board of directors of the Jewish Federation/Jewish United Fund of Chicago (2001 – 2007, and 2009 – present). Wendy has volunteered for TimeLine Theater, The Marwen Foundation, Chicago Run and the Uptown Cafe. Wendy served until 2004 as Vice-President and Membership Chair at The Standard Club of Chicago and as a member of the Board of Directors (1994 – 2004). Wendy is also a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and served as the chair of the Real Estate Membership Committee. Wendy served two years on the Board of Directors of TEDxMidwest. Wendy co-founded Illinois Women in Cannabis in 2014. Wendy is an active mentor, a role she takes very seriously, usually mentoring 4 – 5 young women at any given time. Most recently, Wendy is proud to now call herself a TED speaker, her talk is available on the TED web site.

John Sullivan is the Executive Vice President of Public Affairs at Cresco Labs, a leading vertically integrated Multistate Operator (“MSO”) in the cannabis industry with a presence in 11 states, including New York, Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania. Mr. Sullivan has worked in the cannabis field for nearly five years, and in his current position manages Cresco’s government relations and social justice and community integration units, regularly interfacing with regulators, community leaders, and other stakeholders. Prior to joining Cresco, Mr. Sullivan served as the president of an Illinois cannabis company, overseeing all aspects of its operations, including the day-to-day operations of the company’s two Illinois dispensaries located in Rockford, Illinois and in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago. In 2014, Mr. Sullivan successfully drafted applications for those dispensary licenses, which were among the first medical dispensary licenses awarded in Illinois. In his former position, Mr. Sullivan also established standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the dispensaries that ensured regulatory compliance and brought great profitability. Prior to entering the cannabis space, Mr. Sullivan spent many years working as a lawyer in both public and private practice. Among his experience, Mr. Sullivan served as the First Assistant Commissioner at the Board of Review, the Illinois regulatory agency that adjudicates all Cook County, Illinois and Chicago property tax appeals. In addition to working as an attorney in the private sector, Mr. Sullivan spent ten years as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney, a career that included a term as a senior prosecutor in the Gang Crimes Unit. In that role he helped keep Chicago streets safe and prosecuted hundreds of bench and jury trials. This experience provided Mr. Sullivan with a first-hand look at the negative consequences of the 50-year War on Drugs and the underserved needs of the urban Chicago community, which serves him in his current role.

Kevin Schultz specializes in tenant representation and business development across North America. Kevin joined Newmark’s Chicago office in 2015 and brings an array of experience and expertise in finance, business ethics, lease negotiations and exceptional customer service. Previously, Kevin worked in Newmark’s Retail Capital Markets group, where he guided private and institutional owners in the valuation and disposition of food-anchored shopping centers, neighborhood centers, power centers, enclosed regional malls and single-tenant net leased assets throughout the country. Kevin strives to strengthen the representation of his clients across North America, working hand-in-hand with clients/licensees to develop and implement strategic growth programs, resulting in site selection/acquisition and disposition of retail, office, industrial properties, as well as sale-leaseback transactions. Kevin is experienced in zoning compliance and municipal regulations, identifying, negotiating and opening cultivation, dispensaries, manufacturing, testing facilities and office headquarters including facilitating the refinancing of debt with approved lenders. Education Kevin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics with a business cognate from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.

Anthony Zeoli is a Partner in the Corporate Practice Group and the Leader of the Emerging Industries Team. He concentrates his practice in the areas of banking and commercial finance, securities, real estate, and general corporate law. Anthony’s commercial finance practice includes the representation of borrowers and lenders in: secured and unsecured lending transactions; corporate reorganizations and restructuring; syndicated commercial financing transactions; and loan workouts. Anthony also has a vibrant securities and general corporate practice including initial and subsequent private debt and equity offerings; mergers and acquisitions; company formation and governance; and general contract drafting and negotiation. He has particular skill in the negotiation and documentation of transactions involving the acquisition, sale, construction, development, leasing, and/or financing of real estate and has represented parties on both sides of such transactions. Anthony is also an industry leader in the areas of crowdfunding, blockchain, securities based cryptocurrency/token offerings, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, and Regulation A+ offerings. He also personally drafted the Illinois intrastate crowdfunding exemption, which was unanimously passed into law by the Illinois House of Representatives. Anthony was recently named to the National Law Journal's inaugural list of Cryptocurrency, Blockchain and FinTech Trailblazers.

Jeff Dowd has more than 24 years of experience providing audit, accounting, tax, and management advisory services to the real estate industry, both privately-held and publicly-traded, and to not-for-profit organizations. His clients include developers, real estate funds, mortgage companies, management companies, investors, and government agencies. These clients are involved in operating and developing hotels, multi-family rentals, office and retail buildings, and nursing homes. Jeff has extensive technical and practical knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS), Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), and OMB Circular A-133. He assists affordable housing developers in structuring tax-advantaged real estate developments using the federal historic rehabilitation credit, low-Income housing tax credit (LIHTC), energy credits, and other federal and state subsidies for multifamily housing. Jeff’s experience includes the development of internal control systems for a wide range of clients including real estate developers, investors, and operators of multifamily, commercial, and retail properties. He has developed compliance manuals for not-for-profit entities receiving large financial assistance from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and has participated in the initial public offering of what is now the largest residential real estate investment trust in the United States. Jeff is a regularly featured speaker for the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Information Management Network, and CohnReznick-sponsored conferences.

Richard serves as Chief Executive Officer of Subversive Real Estate Acquisition REIT LP (NEO: SVX) and Inception REIT Inc., both cannabis focused real estate investment vehicles. Previously, Richard served as the Chief Financial Officer of SBE (SLS Hotels), a global hospitality company where he, among other responsibilities, focused on corporate and asset level transactions. Prior to joining SBE in 2014, Richard was a Director at Colony Capital, a global real estate private equity firm, where he focused on executing and managing over $9 billion of private equity investments primarily in the gaming, hospitality, and media industries. Prior to Colony, Richard worked in Wells Fargo’s Real Estate Merchant Banking division. Richard holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.

Mr. Pilarski brings over 35 years of experience in the asset management, capital markets and management consulting industries across both public and private capital markets. Prior to joining Revolution, he served as Senior Managing Director for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) management consulting advisory services serving some of the largest global financial services industry market leaders. He has assisted clients plan and manage complex business transformation projects and improve business processes. Partnered with global financial organizations developing strategies for regulatory change, increasing profitability/market share, overcoming payment/settlement system challenges and managing complex financial/operational processes. Kevin has served as Partner, Chief Operating Officer and Portfolio Manager for Kilkenny Capital Management, a long/short biomedical alternative asset management firm. He was the Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Global Derivatives/Alternative Investments for Dow Jones & Co., and Vice President of Sales for Cantor Fitzgerald’s eSpeed division, the first electronic bond trading platform. Kevin has run extensive global derivative portfolios for Cooper Neff and Associates and John Stafford and Co. He began his career at Fidelity Investments and Merrill Lynch. He has held FINRA Series 3, 4, 7, 24 and 63 securities licenses. Kevin holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science from Miami University’s Farmer School of Business

Andy Poticha is Founder and Chief Executive Office of Mosaic Construction and its affiliated brands Design Construction Concepts (DCC) and Cannabis Facility Construction (CFC) a design-build firm based in Northbrook, Illinois. Since 2014, Andy has helped CFC become a national, industry leader in the design and construction of cannabis facilities helping multistate operators (MSOs), independent operators and start-up entrepreneurs to determine their design and construction needs. Currently, CFC has completed or is in-process of working on over eighty (80) cultivation facilities, processing centers, infusion labs and dispensary projects in twelve (13) states. With 30+ years of design, sales and construction management experience, Andy understands the unique challenges facing cannabis business owners and investors. In addition to meeting compliance, regulatory, and operational requirements, CFC designs cultivation and processing centers that provide optimal conditions for indoor growing as well as productive working environments. CFC recognizes that dispensaries must create best-in-class, retail experiences that focus on the client experience while working within operational requirements, budgetary constraints and completion schedules. Andy also devotes significant personal time and effort to multiple charitable organizations. His community leadership, industry designations and professional affiliations include Chair of the Building Committee and Member of the Executive Committee of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center and a Board Member of JMFC Facilities Corporation. Andy is also a member of several cannabis and construction industry groups including the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) and the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois (CBAI). Andy earned his Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois.

John Gaines, a Director in Newmark’s Chicago office, specializes in the tenant representation, landlord representation and business development of new clients in the Greater Chicagoland and Midwest region. John works with clients in a wide variety of industries, utilizing strategic planning to optimally meet their needs. He is responsible for performing market research, financial and demographic analyses and for executing activities that support a variety of transaction requirements, including relocations, renewals/renegotiations and dispositions. John, who joined Newmark in 2007, is experienced in working with various MSO’s (both public and private), throughout North America. He focuses on tenant representation, site selection/acquisition, demographic analysis/ geographic information systems, zoning compliance, and lease negotiations. John has been successful in assisting licensees with identifying, negotiating and opening cultivation, dispensaries, manufacturing, testing facilities and office headquarters including facilitating refinancing of debt with approved lenders. Education John earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Southern Methodist University.

Mica Manaois is the director of interiors for Epstein, a global full-service design, engineering and construction firm that solves real-estate challenges for clients in the commercial, industrial and public sectors. At Epstein, Mica develops and manages business relationships, and leads an interiors team that provides programming, planning and design services for clients in the retail, commercial interiors, and hospitality markets. Mica has more than 20 years of design experience and, prior to joining Epstein, worked as a senior manager at AECOM, where she gained experience in leading a team and national accounts in Corporate Workplace.

Stanley S. Jutkowitz, senior counsel in Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s Washington, D.C. office, concentrates his practice on domestic and international business transactions and tax planning, counseling on corporate and business matters, and real estate transactions. He is also the founding editor of the firm’s marijuana law blog, The Blunt Truth (blunttruthlaw.com) and heads the firm’s cannabis practice. Mr. Jutkowitz has taught a number of continuing legal education courses on various aspects of cannabis law. His cannabis law experience includes counseling businesses on the legal risks of selling into the cannabis industry both in the US and internationally, representing lenders and property owners in real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, counseling investors on cannabis investments, tax planning and banking. His real estate experience includes the acquisition, development, sale and leasing of commercial, retail and residential property on behalf of domestic and foreign investors, and the representation of specialty users of real estate, such as companies with security clearance, technology companies and biotech companies. His transactional experience includes representation of emerging and other privately and publicly held companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing, venture capital transactions and public offerings of stock and tax planning and structuring entities for both inbound and outbound cross border mergers and acquisitions.

Dan Tausk is a 25 year retail specialist for Mid-America Real Estate Corporation and leads its Urban Tenant Representation Group. Promoted to Partner in 2011, Mr. Tausk is involved with both product and tenant representation concentrating primarily on Urban Chicago and the near surround Suburbs. He also serves as the Urban Leader to Mid-America's Medical Retail Division started in 2014. Mr. Tausk brings a depth of real estate research, specialty marketing and site selection experience as a foundation to helping assist clients in making well-informed real estate decisions. Mr. Tausk's command of data and market trends concerning Chicago's unique neighborhoods, retail and residential markets have enabled him to be interviewed and cited by such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business, Metro Chicago Real Estate Journal, Grocery Store News and has appeared on WLS-TV and WBBM Radio locally. Since 2009, Mr. Tausk also authors Mid-America's bi-annual Urban Grocery Study which analyzes supply and demand characteristics in this important segment of "daily needs" retail in Chicago. More recently, he has appeared on various industry panels regarding Illinois growing Cannabis industry.

Josh has 25 years of real estate experience and is a Principal and Director of Real Estate for Grassroots Cannabis. He is a Founder of Frontline Real Estate Partners, a full-service commercial real estate firm, sourcing acquisition and advisory opportunities and managing Frontline’s team of professionals. Josh has closed over $1.5 billion of transactions in over 40 states. He has led many of the US’ largest bankruptcy cases and served as court-appointed Receiver and Assignee For the Benefit of Creditors for the majority of banks and Special Servicers.