Denver State of the Market

Eric Rymarz is the Director of Development at Urban Villages overseeing Mixed Use and Hotel Developments during Design and Construction. A Civil Engineer by trade with over 16 years of Industry Experience as well as a Masters in Real Estate and the Built Environment from University of Denver. He is also an Adjunct Professor at DU in the Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management. Eric has worked in multiple markets; Denver, Phoenix, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Dubai and Abu Dhabi across multiple product types including Multi-Family, Hospitality, Commercial, Retail, Infrastructure, Historic Renovations and Adaptive Re-use. He is an active Board Member of Civic Center Conservancy, the non-profit arm supporting Civic Center Park. Eric is passionate about pushing the Built Environment to become Sustainable.

TJ has practiced architecture in Denver for over 25 years as Principal at 4240 Architecture and more recently as a Vice President at CannonDesign. He is currently a Project Executive with Gresham Smith, leading their Life and Work Places market in their Denver office. TJ holds undergraduate degrees in Economics and Finance from the University of Colorado—Boulder, as well as a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Colorado—Denver. His comprehensive understanding of economic principles and business objectives significantly influences outcomes for the projects he leads. His insightful knowledge of building science and construction, combined with his unwavering commitment to budget-conscious solutions, enable him to exceed project goals while helping to minimizing the overall ecological footprint of the built environment. He strives to deliver the transformative, forward-thinking projects that are essential to creating vibrant and diverse communities. Throughout his career, TJ has had the opportunity to leading teams and from conceptualization through construction and applying his unique perspective to a diverse array of project scales and typologies. His portfolio includes many award-winning higher education, commercial mixed-use, hospitality and residential projects, including five buildings in Denver’s Riverfront Park, The Elizabeth Hotel in Fort Collins, The Lionshead Welcome Center in Vail and the University of Colorado Boulder’s Kittredge West and Central Residence Halls. He serves as the Chair of the American Institute of Architects Colorado Government Affairs Committee. He spends much of his leisure time enjoying outdoor activities in Colorado with friends and family, including hiking, skiing and golf.

Bringing 15 years of construction experience—6 years in Turner’s Atlanta office and 9 years in Denver—Jeremy serves as Business Manager for Turner’s Denver office, providing overall leadership, business strategy and planning in the Front Range market. Most recently, Jeremy served as Business Development Manager and, prior to that, led the Special Projects Division. His construction experience spans multiple market segments, including commercial, multi-family, healthcare, higher education, government, sports, pharma, aviation, manufacturing, and aerospace. Jeremy is a proven leader who is committed to identifying projects that will support and enrich the local community, deeply understanding client needs, and building project teams to bring their vision to reality.

As President and COO of CoBUILD Construction Services, Ed Wood has developed the most EQ-focused construction team serving the Bay Area and Colorado Front Range. Ed co-founded CoBUILD after more than 25 years as a general contractor and client representative for national developers. He saw that collaboration, creative problem solving, and a willingness to embrace new technologies were the keys to fulfilling CoBUILD’s mission of creating environments for people to succeed. He enjoys working with the mix of scientific innovations, diverse organizations, and natural resources Colorado has to offer to make unique construction projects come to life

Adam Finkel is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Tower Capital, a Phoenix- based Commercial Real Estate Structured Finance Firm, specializing in debt and equity placement for most commercial real estate asset classes. Since the firm’s inception in 2015, it has been involved in over $3.5 billion in successful capitalizations on behalf of investors, developers, owners, and operators throughout the country. Prior to founding Tower Capital, Adam served as Vice President at Johnson Capital, one of the country’s top real estate capital advisory firms with 20 locations nationwide. There he was involved in the successful placement of over $360 million in bridge and permanent structured financing on behalf of commercial real estate investors and property owners throughout North America. Prior to Johnson Capital, Adam was with Travers Realty Corporation, a regional commercial real estate brokerage firm headquartered in Los Angeles. At Travers, Adam was one of the founding agents of the West Los Angeles office. He subsequently took the position of Designated Broker and Managing Director for Travers’ Phoenix office where he represented organizations like Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Freeport- McMoran (ticker FCX) with strategic planning and lease negotiations. Adam began his real estate career with Levrose Real Estate and Investments, a boutique commercial brokerage firm located in Scottsdale, Arizona. At Levrose, he negotiated over 300 commercial real estate transactions which included office, industrial, and retail properties. In 2014, Adam earned the designation of Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), a title held by a small group of elite commercial real estate investment professionals. He is actively involved with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), and serves on the Jewish Federation on North America (JFNA) Leadership Cabinet, as well as the JFNA Security Task Force. Adam graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Business Administration and Communications and is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Arizona. He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and has also been featured in many industry publications and nationally recognized podcasts.

CJ joined Prime West in 2020 and currently serves as Vice President of Development and Development Manager. CJ assumes a finance-focused role with the firm. His primary responsibilities include financial modeling and project budgeting for Prime West development projects. He also oversees the execution of the firm’s development projects working alongside Prime West’s internal team and third-party architects, engineers, and general contractors throughout the construction process. Previously, CJ served as development manager of a family-owned real estate investment company and held numerous positions at Unison Group, a Nashville based consulting company. Prior to Unison, CJ served as an Analyst in KeyBank’s Corporate & Institutional Bank where he developed business strategies through financial modeling, valuation services, and peer benchmarking. CJ currently serves on the Board of Directors for NAIOP, Colorado and is Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. He is an active member of the Downtown Denver Partnership currently serving on the City Build steering committee. CJ is also involved with the Leeds School of Business and the CU Real Estate center serving as a mentor to students of diverse backgrounds. CJ is a native Coloradoan and his hobbies include spending time with family, traveling, and scuba diving. Education: University of Colorado – Boulder, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Lauren has over 12 years of experience serving clients across the country by providing industry-specific insights that allows them to stay at the forefront of the changes within their industry. As a member of the national real estate practice, she provides audit and other advisory services, including financial statement audit services, attest engagement services and specific transaction related services to a wide range of privately held companies developing and operating assets in all sectors of real estate. Lauren specializes in working with private equity investment advisors and funds holding various equity and debt positions in domestic and international real estate. She works closely with her clients through complex accounting and operational matters surrounding acquisitions, valuations and structures, including Qualified Opportunity Zone funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and open-ended funds. Lauren was selected as a senior analyst in RSM’s cutting edge Industry Eminence Program, which positions its senior analysts to understand, forecast and communicate economic, business and technology trends shaping the industries RSM serves. These senior analysts advise clients on conditions influencing middle market leaders. Lauren’s focus is on the real estate industry. Lauren is also active in RSM’s employee network group, STAR, which advocates for women in the workplace with a focus on stewardship, teamwork, advancement and retention opportunities.

Aimee Love is a Regional President at Independent Financial, a publically traded, full service, regional banking institution holding approximately $18B in assets. Independent is headquartered in McKinney Texas and has a footprint in all of the major markets in Texas and Colorado. She began her banking career in 2009 and currently runs the Commercial Real Estate Finance Team in Denver, overseeing a $1B portfolio and a team of 8 talented professionals. In this role, she has gained deep experience in all CRE asset classes and various categories of lending; construction, value-add and stabilized. Aimee is a native of Colorado and received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Northern Colorado’s Montfort School of Business.

Harrison is a Financial Analyst at NexCore Group, where he is entrusted with financial underwriting across all three asset classes. Over the past two years, he has underwritten $2.8 billion in potential development value, supported 11 project ground breaks, and led 7 recapitalization events. He is a proud graduate of the CU Boulder MBA program and remains actively involved with the CU Real Estate Center. In addition to his financial expertise, Harrison brings a unique perspective to his role. Before entering the real estate industry, he spent 15 years with the U.S. Navy as a Rescue Swimmer and Air Crewman, accruing over 2,500 flight hours, traveling the world, and supporting a broad range of missions set. This diverse background, combined with his ongoing work at NexCore, positions him as a versatile professional with a wealth of experience.

Justin Croft is a real estate professional with over ten years of experience in commercial real estate development, public policy, community development, special district formation, marketing, urban planning and urban design. In 2022, he co- founded Natural Object, a CRE firm specializing in brand-forward mixed-use and adaptive reuse projects. He was a partner at Zeppelin Development from 2012 to 2021. Under his leadership, Zeppelin built some of the most notable retail and hospitality projects in the region including The Source Hotel and Market Hall in Denver’s River North Art District and A-Frame Club in Winter Park, Colorado. He utilized his background in urban planning and community development to lead the 2015 formation of the 400-acre River North Business Improvement District, an innovative special taxing entity that funds arts, culture and placemaking initiatives within the RiNo Art District, eventually serving as chair from 2015 to 2020. He was named a Denver Business Journal ‘40 Under 40’ Recipient in 2020.

Denver native Stacie Staub is the co-founder and CEO of West + Main Homes, which serves residential agents and their clients in Colorado, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Minnesota and Oregon, and was recently recognized as one of the 500 Fastest-Growing Companies in America by Inc. Magazine. With an MBA and a Master's in Marketing, Stacie is equally passionate about compliance + brand, and enjoys pushing the Real Estate industry forward through committee + board work. Stacie is also a regular contributor to industry publications and, along with her business partner Madeline Linder is involved with several other start-ups, including locally-owned and operated West Way Lending, Spring House Pilates + Blue Nest Coffee.

Peter M. Koliopoulos AIA is a major design talent with significant projects in America and the Middle East. Peter’s thoughts and ideas are deeply rooted in the spirit and ethos of place. Peter’s professional architectural training at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, Illinois, USA, founded by modern master Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, has an important reverence to Peter to this day. The training at IIT developed a process of transformative thinking which strives for authenticity, unique one of a kind places; architecture which is less apologetic and more bold in its modernity. Circle West’s work consistently recognizes the values and culture of the client, providing a strong identity now and for the future. Over the last 20 years, Peter has been joined by a passionate group of design and technical architects that enthusiastically provide client- focused professional services. Peter is a leader and educator involved with local and national professional affiliations, which include the Urban Land Institute, Downtown Denver Partnership, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Paul Andersen is the director of Independent Architecture, a Denver-based office that experiments with new ways for buildings to look and work. Current projects include a round house, two Mexican restaurants, three offices inside an office, a book about bricks, quick housing for refugees of natural disasters, and a 23-townhome development in north Boulder. Independent’s work has won numerous design competitions and been recognized with a Progressive Architecture (P/A) Award, an American Architecture Prize, and several AIA Awards. Outside the office, Paul teaches at Harvard and the University of Illinois Chicago. He represented the U.S. at the 2021 Venice Biennale and has curated and exhibited work at MoMA, the Chicago Architecture Biennial, the Palm Springs Art Museum, and the MCA Denver. He was appointed a Fulbright Specialist in Architecture and writes and edits essays and books on architecture, including American Framing: The Same Something for Everyone (Park Books, 2023).

Kevin Kelley, a partner with Husch Blackwell, LLP, advises clients on all aspects of commercial real estate. Kevin specializes in helping clients navigate complex mixed-use and transformational re-use development projects, exemplified by his representation of RTD in the redevelopment of Union Station and his guidance of Intrawests’ development of resort communities across the continent. Beyond traditional real estate law, Kevin regularly advises clients on NBA, MLB and NFL sports facility deals, including development of the Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum, Golden 1 Arena for the Sacramento Kings and potential waterfront ballpark for the Oakland A’s. Kevin’s deep roots in Denver include having worked with Paul Jacobs to bring the Rockies to Colorado in the 1990s. Kevin serves on the MSU Denver Foundation Board of Directors, as well as the board of the Downtown Denver Partnership and is the immediate past chair of the Junior Achievement, Rocky Mountain board of directors. Kevin has also served as a director and on the Executive Committee of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Jeffrey S. LaPour is founder and President of LaPour Partners, a commercial real estate and hospitality development firm, active in the western US. Over the past 20 years, he has led development ventures as a principal on over 4M SF of office, industrial, and hospitality space. The firm has a specific focus, and successful history on complicated transactions. LaPour began his career at Hilton Hotels, followed by a tenure in commercial brokerage before launching the development firm. Mr. LaPour studied Liberal Arts at the University of Nebraska, serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and is a member of Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Cadie is a Development Director leading Confluent Development’s Industrial development platform. Previously, Cadie was a vice president in Bow River Capital’s Real Estate Group. In this role, she was responsible for originating, structuring and managing real estate investments within the firm’s portfolios. Cadie has more than 10 years of institutional asset management experience. Prior to joining Bow River Capital, she worked for EverWest Real Estate Investors as Director of Asset Management for the Mountain Region managing office and industrial product throughout Colorado, Utah, Texas and Missouri. Prior to that, she was an Assistant Vice President at AEW Capital Management in Boston where her portfolio consisted of office, industrial and retail buildings located in several major markets including Boston, New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Atlanta and Dallas. Cadie holds a M.S. in Real Estate Construction Management and a BSBA from the University of Denver where she played all four years on the Division I Women’s Soccer team. She is a member of the University of Denver Alumni Engagement Committee, DMCAR, and ULI Colorado: Office Workplace & Industrial Council.

Courtney is responsible for the industrial development and acquisitions for Hines in Colorado and Arizona. In these two markets she is charged with the sourcing, development, financing, leasing and disposition of developments and acquisitions of industrial and logistics projects. Since joining Hines in 2019, Courtney has grown the industrial presence in Colorado from zero to 1.5M square feet of industrial space across 8 buildings with future phases of land totaling more than 170 acres either owned or under exclusivity. Courtney is also responsible for signing the firms largest single-building industrial development in Arizona totaling more than 1.25M square feet. Prior to joining Hines, Courtney was a Development Manager at United Properties in their Denver office. Courtney facilitated projects of all product types in her time at United Properties – industrial, office, retail, and senior housing – concluding with ground up development of more than 2.5M sq. ft. of office and industrial product, acquisitions and dispositions exceeding $150M, and assisting the financing team in closing on loans totaling nearly $220M. Courtney is an active member of NAIOP Colorado, currently serving on its Board of Directors. She graduated from the University of Colorado with a BS in Business Administration; Marketing Emphasis and Real Estate Certificate.

Stephanie Henley is a Corporate Economic Development Manager with Xcel Energy, a Fortune 200 investor-owned utility. In her role, Stephanie supports key customer expansions and helps attract new customers to Xcel’s service territory in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. She also helps manage Xcel’s economic development offerings and promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy programs to businesses from target industry clusters. Prior to joining Xcel, Stephanie worked for the Colorado Governor’s Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT). While at OEDIT, she marketed Colorado to foreign direct investors, helped Colorado companies export to international markets and supported State-led economic development initiatives. Stephanie has a Master’s Degree in International Development from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Oregon. She is an outdoor enthusiast, marathoner and mother.

Carmon Hicks is a member of Denver’s Logistics & Industrial Services team specializing in owner-user sales, leasing, investment dispositions and acquisitions of industrial land and buildings. With more than 15 years of experience, Carmon’s depth of experience and expertise in warehouse distribution, logistics and supply chain management uniquely positions him to deliver best-in-class results for his clients. Carmon has built strong relationships with institutional, regional, local and national corporate clients. He has represented numerous institutional own­­ers as well as regional and national corporate users in the acquisition and disposition of approximately 25 million square feet of industrial space, valued at over $750 million. Carmon is currently involved in numerous organizations including JLL’s Supply Chain and Logistics Practice group, DMCAR, NAIOP and serves as a board member for Denver Public Schools and American Cancer Society.