Denver Power Women

Cyndi Thomas

Partner
Etkin Johnson

As a partner and executive vice president of Etkin Johnson’s Asset Management team, Cyndi Thomas oversees the management, financial performance and business strategy for the company’s extensive property portfolio. Leveraging her extensive experience in real estate acquisitions, financing, restructurings, and asset management, Cyndi helps drive a progressive approach to Etkin Johnson’s asset management that consistently results in income-producing properties with favorable appreciation. Outside of Etkin Johnson, Cyndi is an executive committee board member of the Urban Land Institute – Colorado Chapter and a member of the CU Real Estate Council Board of Directors.

Colleen Weiss-Hanen

President & CEO
EastWest Hospitality

Vail, CO. (April 20, 2018) – After more than 30 years of success in real estate and property and association management, Colorado’s East West Hospitality is undergoing a change in leadership, with Colleen Weiss-Hanen taking over as President and Chief Executive Officer. Current CEO and Founding Partner Ross Bowker will transition to the role of Chairman. Weiss-Hanen has worked at East West Hospitality for more than 24 years, most recently serving as the Chief Financial Officer and Asset Manager overseeing a diverse portfolio of companies, which range from property, hotel and spa management to retail operations and commercial leasing. “Colleen has worked her way from a pure accounting role to now overseeing all of the financial and strategic operations and she has distinguished herself at every point along the way,” said East West Co-Founder Harry Frampton. “Ross has laid a great foundation for East West and will continue to be closely involved on a strategic level.” A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Weiss-Hanen serves on the boards of numerous non-profits, including the Bright Future Foundation, Homecare and Hospice of the Valley and the Avon and Confluence Metropolitan District. She is also the Vice President of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals. “I am honored and thrilled to take on this new challenge,” said Weiss-Hanen. “We have an incredible team and I look forward to carrying on the mission that Harry & Ross started.” Several other senior East West Hospitality executives will also be taking on new roles. Executive Vice President Peter Dann, in addition to overseeing hospitality operations in the Vail Valley will also be focusing on mergers and acquisitions and Executive Vice President Kevin Graham will be leading East West Hospitality’s operations in Hawaii at Mauna Kea as well as his current portfolio at Tahoe in CA and Park City, UT. Mary Beth Ottley has been promoted to the position of Chief Financial Officer and Ryan Stecher has been promoted to the Director of Information Technology. The company currently manages 85 homeowner associations for more than 15,000 individual owners. It operates in Colorado, California, South Carolina, Utah and Hawaii with more than 1,400 employees nationwide. With more than $2 billion in assets under management, East West Hospitality prides itself on offering optimal results for owners and genuine hospitality with hotel-like services in vacation rentals. “It is definitely a major point of pride for us to know that the company will remain in good hands with people who are dedicated to seeing it succeed,” said Bowker. “Colleen has been an integral part of East West team for the past 24 years, as have Peter and Kevin.” East West Hospitality was recently awarded management of the Solaris Residences, a 22- unit luxury property, and Vail Mountain Lodge and Spa and the Lodge Tower, both located the heart of the Vail Village. The company also holds the property management contract for The Lion, a new Vail luxury residential development which opened in June 2017. East West Hospitality also owns Eye Pieces of Vail, which features six boutique locations across the Vail Valley offering the world’s finest glasses, sunglasses and goggles, the Edwards Station gas station and Resort Delivery, a convenient grocery delivery service available at six ski resorts, five private communities and over 75 lodging properties in Colorado. In 2017, East West raised its starting minimum wage to $15 per hour for all hourly employees, well in excess of Colorado’s current minimum wage of $10.20 per hour. The company recently announced a Sabbatical Leave Program open to all full-time employees who have been with the company for at least 10 years. Open to both hourly and salaried employees, the Sabbatical Program features four continuous weeks of Paid Sabbatical Leave, in additional to the employee’s current paid vacation time.

Jenny Robinson

Chief Investment Officer
Continuum Partners

Jenny is the Chief Investment Officer, leading all debt and equity transactions and directing asset management activities. Jenny originally joined Continuum’s finance department in 2005 where she has worked on sourcing debt and equity for a number of Continuum’s development projects to date as well as underwriting new project opportunities. In her current capacity, Jenny has overseen the debt and equity raises for Continuum’s $120M Block A project, Continuum’s $200M Market Station project and the $48M public finance component of Continuum’s 9th + Colorado project. Following a move to California and Nevada, Jenny returned to Continuum in 2014 in the role of Development Manager on the 9+CO and A Block teams where part of her role included working with the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise/Small Business Enterprise programs to encourage involvement in Continuum’s projects. In the spring of 2015, Jenny was appointed to Director of Capital Markets and Asset Management and again promoted in 2018 to her current role. Jenny currently sits on the board of a $130 million asset community bank and takes an active role with several real estate industry organizations. She is heavily involved with the University of Colorado Real Estate Center, ULI, the Downtown Denver Partnership Leadership program, and CREW, being twice nominated for the Woman of Influence award in 2015 and 2017. Mentoring young women entering the professional workforce is a passion of hers and she currently has two mentees through the Denver Urban Scholars program and the CU real estate center. Jenny began her career in real estate with Principal Financial Group, as a commercial mortgage underwriter. She graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in finance and accounting, and went on to complete a master’s degree in finance and real estate from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Tasha Jones

Senior Director of Marketing + Community Relations
Brookfield Properties Development

Tasha Jones, Senior Director of Marketing and Community Relations for Brookfield Properties Development, oversees the strategic brand marketing efforts for the redevelopment of the former Stapleton International Airport. Ms. Jones oversees internal and external responsibilities including: strategic direction for corporate marketing efforts, promoting new neighborhood launches, agency management, commercial marketing brand development, and community/governmental relations. Never resting on her laurels, Jones was strategic in positioning the Stapleton redevelopment for another decade of growth. She led multiple agency teams and colleagues to refresh the Stapleton brand, launch 12 neighborhoods, and craft new community messaging. One of Tasha Jones’ most notable marketing successes involved the 2011 HGTV Green Home promotion she managed to highlight the debut of Central Park West, Stapleton’s 8 th urban neighborhood. Ms. Jones is a public speaker at university events and national homebuilding conferences. She is also passionately invested in civic leadership through her involvement in a variety of community organizations and projects that include the Challenge Foundation Mentor Program, Leadership Denver Class of 2012, Denver Metro Leadership Foundation Board of Directors, the Catapult Leadership Board, as well as the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado Associate Board. Prior to joining Brookfield Properties Development, Ms. Jones worked in marketing and public relations for the University of Denver, and Global Marketing for the Vance Kirkland Museum and Prologis. A native of Fort Collins, Colorado, she received a degree in journalism and mass communications from Drake University.

Tami Door

CEO
Q Factor

Tami Door is the CEO of Q Factor, and the former CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. She joined the Partnership in 2005 after serving as executive vice president of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest regional chamber, and as vice president of a five state division of NBD-First Chicago. She is the co-founder of Denver Startup Week and The Commons on Champa. Tami is a recognized leader for her innovative approach to convening, collaborating and innovating to build a strong City. She is the incoming Chairman of the International Downtown Association.

Tracy Winchester

Executive Director
Five Points Business District

Michelle Liebling

Studio Director, Principal
Gensler

As a Design Principal and Studio Director in Gensler’s Denver office, Michelle brings more than 20 years of experience in designing thoughtful and innovative workspaces in a wide range of industries, including professional services, tech, creative office, financial services, hospitality and product design. Michelle is recognized for her ability to create inspired design strategies that are tailored to support each client’s vision and business objectives. She helps them to rethink how their workplace can be a catalyst to enhance their business goals and improve the employee experience. Michelle’s award-winning work has been featured in Interior Design, Architectural Record, Hospitality Design, Denver Business Journal, Fast Company and other notable publications. She is an active member of CoreNet and IIDA, and is a frequent speaker on topics of placemaking, the workplace of the future and well-being in the workplace.

Tracy Lopez

Vice President
JLL

Stephanie Brock

Senior Vice President ​
McWHINNEY

Megan Waldschmidt

CFO
Sebastian Partners

Mary Beth Jenkins

President & Founder
The Laramie Company

Mary Beth began her commercial real estate career in Houston, Texas in 1980, working for The Woodlands Corporation at the inception of The Woodlands Development, a 23,000 acre master-planned community, in North Houston. She then joined Cadillac Fairview Development Corporation on their 33-block development in Downtown Houston, Houston Center. Mary Beth founded The Laramie Company in 1992, a Denver based commercial real estate brokerage and consulting firm. The Laramie Company is known for bringing a unique skillset of strategic consulting and deal-making to their clients and projects. As the lead real estate consultant and broker for the Downtown Westminster project, Mary Beth assisted the City of Westminster in the land assemblage and purchase of the 108 acre former Westminster Mall site.  Working with City staff, she is now responsible for curating a mix of developments, developers, and key retail tenants on a block-by- block basis, with over 1.7 million square feet of new developments either open or under construction. Projects include affordable housing and market rate multi-family residential, for sale townhome and condominiums, a boutique hotel, office, and key retail tenants; Alamo Drafthouse, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Marczyk Fine Foods.  Most recent projects include the completion of retail consulting and leasing for McGregor Square in Downtown Denver resulting in 100% lease-up during COVID including relocating the Tattered Cover Bookstore along attracting with other top local and national retailers and restaurateurs.  Mary Beth has consulted with numerous cities and developers on new and existing retail and mixed-use projects. City clients have included: Lone Tree, Westminster, Aurora, Parker, and Glendale. Development clients include Brookfield Properties, General Growth Partners, Forest City, Boston Properties Group, Western Development Group, and Portman Properties. Her resort retail experience includes Vail, Snowmass Village and Silverthorne. Additionally, Jenkins spearheaded the movement of outdoor regional retail and lifestyle projects in the Denver Metro area that include, The Orchard Town Center, The Shops at North Creek, Southlands, The Shops at Northfield, and the Westminster Promenade. Mary Beth has provided tenant representation to retailers, including AMC Theaters, Alamo Drafthouse, and the Tattered Cover Bookstore.

Celeste Tanner

CDO
Confluent Development

Celeste Tanner is the co-founder and chief development officer of Confluent Development. Bringing nearly 20 years of industry experience, she established the full-service real estate investment and development firm to bring a new vision of development within the industry to life. In her role, she steers the firm’s execution across all phases of real estate development, successfully delivering custom and complex projects that create significant value in their respective communities. Since the company’s inception in 2014, Celeste has overseen more than $1.5 billion in development projects across the organization’s diverse portfolio, consisting of more than 100 industrial, office, retail, mixed-use and senior housing development projects. Under Celeste’s guidance, Confluent has delivered award-winning projects and works with some of the country’s most sophisticated clients including Target, FedEx, Starbucks, Mikron Corporation, Vectra Bank, and Charter Communications, among others. In her previous role as director of real estate development at Opus Development Company, Celeste led the real estate project team for its Denver office and played a key role in the ground-up development of more than 5 million square feet of commercial and multi-family space. Celeste holds a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Denver, is an alumnus of the Downtown Denver Partnership Leadership Program, and has been awarded for her outstanding achievements from organizations such as The Denver Business Journal, CREW, NAIOP Colorado and Bisnow. Giving Back in Business and Community Celeste has represented the development industry both locally and nationally through her leadership in NAIOP, where she previously served as the chapter president for Colorado. Currently an executive committee member on NAIOP’s national board, she provides a voice for Colorado’s development industry at the national table. Celeste also contributes her leadership well beyond the industry and into the community. She serves on the board of Wheat Ridge Localworks, where she contributes her industry expertise to help implement the organization’s business and home improvement loan programs, among others, focused on enhancing the city’s economic vitality and neighborhood revitalization. Celeste also represents District I as a member in Renewal Wheat Ridge (RWR), an Urban Renewal Authority committed to improving the visual aesthetics and environmental aspects of Wheat Ridge, meanwhile adhering to the wants and needs of the community.

Kittie Hook

Managing Director
Newmark Knight Frank

Kittie Hook is an executive managing director and corporate services specialist in Newmark Knight Frank's Denver office. A 32-year veteran of Colorado commercial real estate, Ms. Hook has dedicated her career to providing value-added representation services to users of commercial real estate, including site selection services for companies looking to locate in Colorado as well as expansion, consolidation and real estate analysis requirements for companies currently located in the state. In addition to providing comprehensive brokerage services, including sales, leasing, negotiations, project analysis and coordination, Ms. Hook is one of the few market experts who can integrate economic development advisory services for every stage of the planning and entitlement process with traditional brokerage services. Throughout her career, Ms. Hook has closed transactions valued at more than $300 million. Ms. Hook's specialized expertise includes government relations, site selection, incentive negotiation, portfolio analysis, strategic planning, land development and entitlements. Prior to joining Newmark Knight Frank in 2014, Ms. Hook was a senior vice president at Cassidy Turley Colorado, where she focused on a select cadre of corporate services clients. She was also the broker/owner of KLH Commercial, providing complete real estate services to users and corporate clients locally and regionally. Additional experience includes brokerage roles at Prime Commercial and Moore Commercial; economic development positions at the Jefferson Economic Council and the Greater Denver Corporation (now the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation); and marketing positions at financial institutions, including Interstate Lending Corporation and the First Interstate Banks of Golden and Fort Collins. Ms. Hook's community involvement is extensive, with a focus on promoting regional economic development initiatives and increasing commercial real estate's influence on the Denver community. Her current and past involvement includes serving as executive board member and chair of site selection for the Denver Metro Economic Development Corporation; executive board member for the Economic Development Council of Colorado; co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Real Estate Expo; member of the Downtown Denver Partnership; former president of the Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors; and former president of the Denver Metro Realtor Foundation. She is also a member of the Castle Rock Economic Development Council, Jefferson Economic Council, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and CoreNet Global.

Amber Strang

Executive Managing Director
Transwestern

Lynn Myers

Senior Vice President
Denver South Economic Development Partnership

Cindy Harvey

Principal
Stantec

Elizabeth Morgan

Senior Advisor
Pinnacle Real Estate

Heather Grubbs

Chief Marketing Officer
Black Creek Group

Audrey Koehn

Global Interiors Leader & Principal
DLR Group

Laura Kucharczyk

Managing Director of Project Management
CBRE

Laura Kucharczyk is the Managing Director of Project Management for CBRE in Colorado. In this role she manages all facets of project management business for CBRE’s five offices in Colorado, from business development to executive oversight on projects and team growth and development. She is responsible for leading a team of talented, dedicated professionals to promote their upward mobility and ensure consistent delivery of exceptional client outcomes. Their work spans all commercial property types, including office, industrial, retail and medical, with projects ranging from tenant improvement to build-to-suit and commercial interior design. Laura brings 22 years of experience in design, construction and real estate. In her previous role as a Senior Director with CBRE, she led project management services for a Fortune 100 healthcare services company, which consisted of 7.5 million sq. ft. across over 275 leases. Before joining CBRE, she was a Senior Vice President with JLL’s project management group. A licensed architect, Laura began her commercial real estate career with BURKETTDESIGN, Inc. (now EAU), first as a project architect and then as a director and project manager. Throughout her career Laura has excelled in delivering full-scope project management services that save her clients time and money. Her collaborative approach brings out the best in her team members and leads to outstanding client service and successful project outcomes.

Kristine Reinhardt

Director of Operations
Cushman & Wakefield

Kiana Akina

Operations Manager
Avison Young

As the Operations Manager of Avison Young’s Denver office, Kiana brings over fifteen years of real estate experience to Avison Young. She is responsible for managing the general office operations including Accounting, Revenue, Information Technology, Administration, Brokerage Services and Human Resources. Prior to joining Avison Young, Kiana was a Transaction Services Specialist at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (formerly The Frederick Ross Company) for a highly respected real estate advisory team of eight (8) brokers. Specializing in office leasing, Kiana assisted in the marketing of over 4 million square feet of office space located in the Denver Metro area, as well as providing on-going management of real estate transaction activities for clients. Ms. Akina was also a listing coordinator with RE/MAX Masters, where she administered support to twenty top-producing real estate agents. As a liaison, she arranged home showings and previews for clients, and developed and designed superior quality brochures, advertisements and direct mailings. Kiana also provided market research and managed and maintained agents MLS listings. Kiana received her degree in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and is a licensed broker in the state of Colorado. She is an active volunteer and supporter for the non-profits There With Care, and The Global Down Syndrome Foundation.

Lea Ann Fowler

Partner
Hogan Lovells

Lea Ann Fowler operates at the intersection of commercial real estate and finance, helping her clients effectively navigate and redefine today's complex real estate market. Clients turn to Lea Ann for practical, responsive, and strategic advice related to single and multi-tiered debt and equity financing structures, workouts and restructures of distressed assets, as well as the acquisition, construction, leasing, and sale of a wide range of real estate property types, including office, retail, industrial, mixed use condominium, multifamily, and hospitality. Combining her industry knowledge with a passion for complex commercial real estate finance transactions, Lea Ann proactively works with financial institutions, institutional investors, and borrowers on the full scope of their real estate issues. From prominent commercial lending institutions to real estate developers and private equity firms, Lea Ann's dexterity and hands-on approach benefit clients in the structuring and negotiation of a broad spectrum of mortgage loan and asset based transactions, involving senior, construction, permanent, and interim loans, multi-property financings, mezzanine financings, and preferred equity investments. With particular experience serving clients with hotel and resort, retail centers, medical offices, and mixed-use real estate assets, Lea Ann has the balanced local and global perspective to help you across the entire property lifecycle.

Nicole Ament

Shareholder
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Nicole has been working in real estate law for more than 20 years, and has experience managing transactions with as many as 276 properties in a single portfolio, as well as has expertise with handling $1.5 billion deals. These are just some of the many credentials that Nicole Ament brings to her role as Brownstein’s Real Estate Department chair—and to her clients’ projects, every day. Focusing on land use, development, financing and disposition, she spearheads transactions featuring complex portfolios and large single assets. Nicole draws on diverse experience navigating complicated development and land use issues, to ensure her clients across the nation—from hotels and healthcare facilities to ski resorts and fitness clubs—maximize opportunities. Previously, she served as the chair of the firm’s Hospitality, Resort & Recreation industry group and, in 2018, was named one of Bisnow’s Denver Power Women for having a significant impact on the business and commercial real estate industries, and helping propel cities and communities forward.

Amy Kiefer Hansen

Shareholder
Polsinelli

Amy Hansen is a real estate attorney and the chair of Polsinelli’s national Real Estate practice. Amy assumed this leadership role in 2017, and in that role, she is responsible for leading the Real Estate practice within the firm, which both originates a significant amount of work and provides services to other practices in the firm. In this role, she leads all strategic planning, staffing, recruiting, marketing, and associate development for the Real Estate Practice Group. Amy was recently selected to chair the Environmental and Construction practices within the firm, in addition to the Real Estate practice, where she will provide the same leadership to those groups. Since 2017, Amy has shepherded significant Real Estate practice growth, adding 23 attorneys which has effectively expanded the group by more than 20 percent. In 2018 alone, Amy oversaw the recruitment and hiring of 11 new attorneys, six of whom are women. Working with the firm’s CEO Chase Simmons, Amy has set a goal to make Polsinelli the best place for any female real estate lawyer to practice. As part of that goal, Amy has actively sought to refine the reduced schedule policy and the origination policy and has been a constant advocate for inclusion of women, especially junior shareholders, in strategic discussions for the practice group. She prides herself on empowering women to be the best attorneys they can be, while creating a culture and an environment that female attorneys find extremely rewarding and flexible enough to meet the needs of women at various points in their careers and family lives. Under her leadership, Polsinelli's Real Estate practice has been recognized nationally by Chambers USA, 2019; received National Tier One ranking in Real Estate Law by U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 "Best Law Firms"; was ranked as Tier 4 in Real Estate by Legal 500, 2019; and was named to Top 10 Real Estate Practice Groups by Real Estate Law360 in 2014. Amy’s efforts have helped Law360 rank Polsinelli among its 100 best U.S. law firms for women. In addition to her leadership and management responsibilities, Amy has a robust practice focused on representation of real estate developers and investors. Amy is well known as a smart, practical, deal-oriented lawyer who knows how to get things across the finish line. Amy is a go-to lawyer on residential and mixed-use condominium and transit-oriented development projects, and led the multi-year effort to reform construction defect litigation in residential condominium projects. This work has included both legislative and appellate work, including preparing the amicus briefs in the seminal Vallagio at Inverness vs. Metropolitan Homes case at the Colorado Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court. Amy’s daily work also includes representing REITs, private equity firms and other investors buy and sell operating office, industrial and rail assets across North America. Amy is active with the Downtown Denver Partnership, serving as a board member of both Denver Civic Ventures and the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Management Group. Amy also chair’s the DDP’s Housing Council. Additionally, Amy serves as a board member of The Fax Partnership, a non-profit dedicated to the thoughtful redevelopment of East Colfax Avenue corridor in a manner that promotes affordable housing and existing communities, while making room for new businesses, housing, arts, culture and nightlife. Amy was appointed by Mayor Michael B. Hancock to Denver’s Next Stage advisory group, which has provided strategic guidance on the redevelopment of the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Amy is active with the Urban Land Institute’s Colorado chapter and is a past president of CREW Denver. Amy is ranked by Chambers & Partners

Nicole Nathan

Partner
Johnson Nathan Strohe

Nicole Nathan is a creative visionary with more than 20 years of experience as a design architect creating some of the most dynamic spaces in Denver and across the country. As a Partner at JOHNSON NATHAN STROHE, Nicole leads the firm’s architectural and interior design studios, focusing on hospitality, urban mixed-use and housing projects. Nicole believes in creating architecture that is of its place and time – a contextual framework for experience. Blending practicality and beauty, she achieves spaces that are at once memorable and timeless. Her projects look as though they belong in their neighborhood, with the exterior architecture fully integrated and coordinated with the interior design, as well as with the surrounding built environment. Nicole’s leadership throughout her 15 years with the firm has helped grow JOHNSON NATHAN STROHE into a top architecture and interior design firm in the region. Her projects bring value to both her clients and society, creating measurable financial return as well as addressing the long-term impact on the environment and community. Some of Nicole’s most notable projects include The Maven Hotel (Denver’s Dairy Block), Oceanside Springhill Suites (Oceanside, CA), Moxy Denver Cherry Creek, Metro State Hotel and Learning Center (Denver), Hedgerow Townhomes (Lafayette, CO), Maverick & Runway 35 Pool Houses (Stapleton-Denver), and the Aspen St. Regis Resort (Aspen, CO). Current projects include 1999 Chestnut Place (Denver – in progress), 18th and Market (Denver – in progress), and The Mercantile Hotel (Missoula, MT – in progress). Nicole received her Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She credits her appreciation for design to her mother, an interior designer, and her aunts, an artist and a flight attendant, who collectively taught her to appreciate that design is everywhere. A fourth-generation Colorado native, Nicole spends her free time enjoying the sunshine and snow in the Rocky Mountains with her family and friends.

Sarah Cullen

President
SideCar PR

An inspired combination of drive, intelligence and fun, Sarah Cullen leads those around her with grit and grace. Following the Great Recession – when many businesses were shuttering their doors – Sarah charged full force into a new endeavor that has turned into one of the most successful boutique PR firms in Denver. In 2011, Sarah founded SideCar PR, a full-service PR and communications firm specializing in commercial real estate, development and placemaking. From the start, Sarah was determined to operate SideCar differently, standing on three key business tenets: specialization, service consolidation and streamlined methodology. At the time, Denver’s CRE industry was hurting. There was no money to continue developing projects, much less to spend on PR. But Sarah knew this would eventually change, and seized the opportunity to lay a solid foundation in an industry whose many verticals could yield a wide breadth of clients – from investment and development to brokerage, architecture, design and construction. The key to Sarah’s success is that she understands what it means to be a business owner – the highs and lows, the worries that keep founders up at night. She uses that shared experience to build rapport with other business owners, creating a trusted network of entrepreneurs who support one another. Under Sarah’s leadership, SideCar has developed strong partnerships with some of the most influential commercial real estate firms in Denver and close working relationships with the media that cover them. A passionate advocate for empowering the next generation of leaders, Sarah is an active sponsor of the Downtown Denver Partnership’s CityBuild program, as well as a member of the Public Relations Society of American Colorado Chapter. Sarah has served on multiple committees and boards, including Commons on Champa’s Women on the Rise program, Denver Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Colorado State University’s Green and Gold Foundation, Mothers Advocating Affordable Housing, Think360 Arts and Urban Peak’s Urban Nights. Prior to founding SideCar PR, Sarah spent seven years with JohnstonWells Public Relations, working on accounts in the real estate, nonprofit, telecommunications, retail and healthcare industries. She gained valuable experience serving clients in all capacities and developing effective public relations strategies for a variety of audiences. Sarah graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and a concentration in media relations. When she’s not taking care of her clients or family, you can find her riding the trails on her horse or creating a new dish for friends and family to enjoy!

Ashley Stiles

Founder & CEO
Tribe Development

Tribe was founded out of a desire to be and do better. Not being limited to real estate development, but as thought leaders, stewards of the built environment and as fellow tribe members. My native American roots have shown me that being part of a team, a Tribe, generates stronger results, better ideas and problem solving, and it is far more fun than trying to work alone. The foundation of my career was built in the design world as a landscape architect, focused on luxury resort projects. It is here that I learned from the best, about the importance of delivering positive and memorable customer experiences to stand out from the competition and drive loyalty. For over a decade now, I have been focused on exceeding customers’ expectations in commercial development, what we now refer to as experiential development. Though these projects were rewarding, both personally and financially, I was very aware of an underserved, yet powerful, stakeholder --- the employee-- the very people who can make a brand come alive for your customers. I started asking- How do we create exceptional experiences for not only customers or visitors, but also the employees, perhaps the most critical constituency? I believe that the brand of a company or project is not separate from the culture, and that brand should drive every decision from design and development to recruiting and onboarding. Employee engagement, recruiting and retention are issues for every business regardless of industry. Creating brand loyalty starts from within. If you have passionate, engaged and loyal Tribe members the likelihood of success on any real estate development project is exponentially greater. The mission for Tribe is to create compelling spaces not just for visitors, but for everyone the space touches. The goal is that everyone becomes a brand ambassador, or better yet, a member of the Tribe!

Alexandra Riggs

VP
Essex Financial Group

Jessica Werner

SVP of Growth & Business Development
Sage Restaurant Group

Michelle Brokaw

CEO
Fleisher Smyth Brokaw

Michelle Brokaw is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Fleisher Smyth Brokaw LLC. She is responsible for the firm's strategic direction, investment strategy, investor relations, and capital sourcing. Ms. Brokaw's real estate career spans more than twenty years and includes experience in commercial real estate acquisition, development, finance, leasing, and asset management. Michelle began working for Fleisher Smyth Company in 1992 and purchased the company from Donald Fleisher and Clark Smyth in 2004 after 15 years with the firm. Early in her career, Michelle worked at the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC), focusing on troubled real estate assets left behind by the 1980's Savings and Loan debacle and disposing of some of the most difficult real estate assets in the RTC portfolio. During her career at FSB, Michelle was directly involved or responsible for the acquisition or development of over 40 properties totaling more than 2,000,000 square feet of medical office, office, mixed-use, industrial, retail, and multi-family projects. Moreover, she has collaborated in raising more than $50 million in equity and obtaining more than $150 million in debt, assembling a portfolio valued at more than $200 million. She was a founding member of CREW Denver, Commercial Real Estate Women and elected Chairperson of the organization at age 27. In 2001 she was selected by the Denver Business Journal as a recipient of its prestigious 40 under 40 award. Also in 2001, she served as chair of Brokers Benefiting Kids which has now raised over $2,000,000 to benefit Colorado's children at-risk. She is a member of National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Ms. Brokaw has been a licensed real estate broker in the State of Colorado since 1989. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado, Boulder where she majored in real estate and minored in finance and she holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration with a finance emphasis from the University of Denver.

Amy Cara

Managing Partner
East West Partners

Amy is the Managing Partner of East West Partners in Denver. East West Partners is devoted to creating terrific places. Since 1986, the firm has developed and sold over $7 billion of residential and commercial real estate. Amy is always looking for ways to connect people with the places they live and work. Amy is responsible for bringing the new Cherry Creek West development to life. Her team recently completed one of the Denver Union Station transit hub redevelopment and much of the adjacent residential and office including The Coloradan and 16 Chestnut. She also oversaw the revitalization of The Landmark, a distressed mixed-use community that needed new eyes and perspective. Prior to this, Amy helped to create the Riverfront Park community in Denver. More than a collection of buildings, the Riverfront Park neighborhood of Denver, Denver’s Union Station Neighborhood and the Landmark development represent something important to Amy - creating a sense of place. Amy is deeply committed to the community. She a founding member of the Center City Collaborative, which is a coalition of civic-minded, business and community leaders working to find creative and inclusive solutions to the current challenges facing downtown. She is also on the boards of Habitat for Humanity, the Denver Metro Chamber’s EDC, Downtown Denver Partnership’s Civic Ventures Board, the University of Colorado Real Estate Center’s International Advisory Board, and a member of Colorado Concern and the Urban Land Institute’s national Mixed-Use Council, Also deeply committed to the arts, Amy is a founding board member for the Riverfront Park Community Foundation, which fosters organizations particularly in the areas of arts and education in Denver, and as a founding board member of Union Hall, a new model to support local and emerging artists in downtown Denver.