New York Power Women 2018

MaryAnne Gilmartin

Founder and CEO
MAG Partners

MaryAnne Gilmartin is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MAG Partners, a New York-based real estate development company she founded in 2020. Most recently, MaryAnne also served as interim Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Directors of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation. Prior to founding MAG Partners, MaryAnne was CEO of L&L MAG. After a successful two-year partnership with L&L, MaryAnne spun out of L&L MAG to launch her own firm, MAG Partners. The company is currently developing a 480-unit residential building in Chelsea, designed by acclaimed architect COOKFOX. MaryAnne previously served as President and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies, where she oversaw a period of game-changing ground-up development and managed its multimillion square foot residential, commercial and retail portfolio. In her tenure at Forest City Ratner Companies, MaryAnne spearheaded the development of some of the most high-profile real estate projects in New York City. She led the efforts to build Barclays Center, the state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue and the centerpiece of the $4.9 billion, 22-acre mixed-use Pacific Park Brooklyn development. She also oversaw the development of The New York Times Building, designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano; New York by Gehry, designed by award-winning architect Frank Gehry; and the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech, a new office building that is a first-of-its-kind space for tech innovation, designed by Weiss/Manfredi on Roosevelt Island. MaryAnne is a civic leader in the New York metropolitan area, serving as Chair Emeritus of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, member of the Executive Committee of The Brooklyn Academy of Music, member of the New York Public Radio Board of Trustees, member of the Executive Committee and Board of Governors of The Real Estate Board of New York, and part of the Industry Advisory Board of the MS Real Estate Development Program at Columbia University. In addition to her civic and industry board service, MaryAnne was appointed a member of the board of directors of the global investment banking firm Jefferies Group LLC in 2014.

Greta Guggenheim

CEO
TPG Real Estate Finance Trust

Greta Guggenheim is Chief Executive Officer and President of TPG Real Estate Finance Trust (“TRT”) and a Firm Partner of TPG. TRT is a NYSE listed commercial mortgage REIT (ticker TRTX) that originates commercial real estate mortgage loans in major markets throughout the U.S. Previously, Ms. Guggenheim was Co‐Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Ladder Capital. Ms. Guggenheim’s prior experience includes positions at Dillon Read Capital Management, UBS, Bear Stearns and Credit Suisse. Ms. Guggenheim serves on the ULI Board of Trustees, Board of Governors of CREFC as well as several charitable foundations. Ms. Guggenheim has a MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from Swarthmore College.

Mary Ann Tighe

CEO - NY Tri-State Region
CBRE

The Wall Street Journal has written, “(There is) an exceedingly small club of women who have managed to move to the top of the brokerage business. That club’s most prominent member is Mary Ann Tighe.” Crain’s New York Business has named Mary Ann the most powerful woman—across both the public and private sectors—in New York. Placing her at the top of its ranking of the City’s most powerful women, Crain’s observed, “Ms. Tighe has a history of…transforming the face of Manhattan.” Indeed she does. From the revitalization of Times Square and the rebirth of Downtown to the westward expansion of Midtown’s central business district, Mary Ann Tighe has been at the forefront of the transformation of New York’s skyline during her 31 years in the real estate industry. Mary Ann has conceived, structured and negotiated virtually every form of deal including ground leases, air rights acquisitions and dispositions, net and gross leases, government incentive packages, and a range of equity transfers from partnership and condominium interests through fee simple sales. She has been responsible for more than 101.6 million square feet of commercial transactions, and her deals have anchored more than 14.4 million square feet of new construction in the New York region—believed to be a record in commercial brokerage. Mary Ann has been CEO of CBRE’s New York Tri-State Region since 2002, a region of 2,500 employees. Under her leadership, CBRE has become New York’s preeminent firm, outdistancing all competitors in market share, revenue and margins. Mary Ann is an nine-time winner of the Real Estate Board of New York’s Deal of the Year Award for ingenious brokerage, a record number of wins since the award was created in 1944. She received the Louis Smadbeck Memorial Broker Recognition Award, REBNY’s highest award in brokerage, and REBNY’s Bernard H. Mendik Lifetime Achievement Award. Mary Ann was also honored by the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate with its Urban Leadership Award; she was the first woman to receive this award. Most significantly, Mary Ann has enjoyed unbroken, long-term relationships with a number of public and private companies and non-profit organizations, shaping and implementing their real estate strategies for large and small projects. Her ongoing accounts include the Archdiocese of New York, AMC, Crain’s, 21st Century Fox, News Corp and WPP Group. For a three-year term starting in January 2010, Mary Ann served as Chairman of the Real Estate Board of New York, the first woman to hold this position in REBNY’s then 114-year history, and the first broker in 30 years. Mary Ann began her real estate career as a broker at the Edward S. Gordon Company, ultimately rising to the position of Vice Chairman of Insignia/ESG, where she was regularly recognized among the firm’s top producers. Prior to entering the real estate field, Mary Ann served as a Vice President of the American Broadcasting Companies, where she launched the A&E cable channel. Recognized nationally for her expertise in the arts, Mary Ann was also formerly the Deputy Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Advisor to Vice President Walter Mondale, and a staff member of the Smithsonian Institution.

Andrea Olshan

CEO
Olshan Properties

Andrea Olshan serves as Chief Executive Officer of Olshan Properties and is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, its investment activity and capital partnerships. Through her membership in the Investment Committee, Ms. Olshan evaluates new investment opportunities and represents the Company in its third-party investments. Prior to the position of Chief Executive Officer of Olshan Properties, Ms. Olshan served as the Chief Operating Officer and was responsible for the day-to-day functions of the Olshan Properties operating divisions: leasing, property management, asset management, development and construction. Her strategic accomplishments included consistent double digit revenue and net asset value growth. During her tenure at Olshan Properties, the company has developed or acquired 7 million square feet of income-producing real estate including retail, residential, hotel and office assets. In addition to her real estate career, Ms. Olshan is actively involved in numerous civic and social service organizations. She serves on the Steering Committee of the Council of Conservators at the New York Public Library, as class Co-Chair for the Harvard College Fund, is President of the Graduate Board of the Hasty Pudding Club -- Institute of 1770, and serves as Trustee of the Horace Mann School. Ms. Olshan also serves as board member of the 92Y and co-chairs their Emerging Leadership Committee. Ms. Olshan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard and received her MBA from Columbia Business School.

Leslie Himmel

Managing Partner
Himmel+Meringoff

Leslie Wohlman Himmel is founder and co-managing partner of Himmel + Meringoff Properties, a leading owner/operator of New York-based commercial real estate and one of the only privately owned, first generation portfolios of Manhattan office buildings. Founded in 1985 with partner Stephen Meringoff, Himmel + Meringoff currently manages two million square feet of commercial real estate valued in excess of $2 billion. Ms. Himmel began her career as an acquisitions associate at Integrated Resources in 1979 and is today recognized as one of the foremost women leaders of the commercial real estate industry. Focused on creating value through long-term ownership, she is a creative and insightful hands-on owner responsible for the acquisition of property, strategic repositioning of assets and portfolio financing. In 2017, Ms. Himmel was named as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in New York by Crain’s. She was honored as Harvard Business School Club of New York’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ for 2016 and, in 2011, received REBNY’s Mendik Lifetime Leadership in Real Estate Award for exceptional accomplishment and dedication to leadership in New York real estate. Ms. Himmel is a Board member of the M&T Bank Directors Advisory Council, New York City Mortgage Committee and the Harvard Business School Club of New York. In 1992, she founded and continues to co-chair REBNY’s Economic Development Committee which works with New York City officials to support economic development initiatives in the city. A member of REBNY’s Board of Governors since 2001, Ms. Himmel also serves on the Board of the Executive Committee. Ms. Himmel is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable, the UDMUC Red Council of the Urban Land Institute, Young Men’s/Women’s Real Estate Association of New York and YPO/WPO. Dedicated to women entrepreneurs, Ms. Himmel established “The Women’s Student Association Fellowship Fund” in 2008, which awards scholarships to Harvard Business School students. Ms. Himmel is also an early stage investor and Board advisor to Hello Alfred, a successful online concierge service, developed by two women who are recent HBS graduates. Ms. Himmel earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa and received her MBA with high honors from Harvard Business School.

Amy Rose

CEO
Rose Associates

Amy Rose, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rose Associates, has 25 years of real estate experience, specializing in design, construction, leasing and management of premier high-rise and mixed-use residential buildings. She directs all Rose projects and ventures with partners and clients, and focuses on the firm’s accelerated strategic growth, firm positioning and sourcing new business, capital and investments. Currently, under Amy’s leadership, the firm is developing $2 billion in new projects across New York. Amy is actively working on new development projects at 222 West 80th Street and 210 Livingston in Brooklyn (Hoyt & Horn). She recently completed 7 West 21st Street, which achieved rents of over $107/sqft. A recognized expert on residential real estate in New York City, Amy is a frequent participant in professional conferences. She served as a panelist of the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate’s First National Symposium of Women in Real Estate and at the primary event of the New York Real Estate Summit. Amy has served as a guest speaker for Columbia Business School, Family Business Program. Real Estate Forum named her one of the 2016 Women of Influence. At the top of the New York real estate sector for nearly a century, Rose Associates is known for its success in acquisitions and development throughout the tri-state area. Amy also oversees Rose’s leasing, marketing, and property management – recently ranked by The Real Deal as one of the region’s top five third-party property management firms.

Joanne Podell

Vice Chairman
Cushman & Wakefield

Jodi Pulice

CEO
JRT Realty

The firm is certified as a Minority- and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and National Minority Business Council (NMBC). Today, JRT Realty is recognized as the nation’s largest certified woman-owned commercial real estate services firm and is certified by several other distinguished entities, including the New York Department of Small Business Services, State of New York, The Port of Authority of New York and New Jersey and Empire State Development (ESD). As CEO, Ms. Pulice is responsible for directing and overseeing all organizational activities, including transaction management and implementation; strategic consulting and project planning; property management; and leasing. Currently Ms. Pulice is responsible for a leasing and management portfolio of more than 10 million square feet on behalf of TIAA, one of the largest institutional real estate investors in America. Among her accomplishments are leasing and sales transactions totaling more than $3 billion, including the sale of the Seagram Building in Manhattan as well as representing the FDIC’s national field offices at 92 locations. Ms. Pulice is a member of Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and National Minority Business Council (NMBC). She is a board member of United Nations Federal Credit Union Foundation, YMCA – Long Island City, as well as the Jeffrey Modell Foundation.

Kathleen McCarthy

Global Co-Head of Real Estate
Blackstone

Kathleen McCarthy is a Senior Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Blackstone Real Estate. Blackstone has the largest real estate platform in the world with $119 billion in investor capital under management. Blackstone Real Estate is the industry leader in opportunistic, core plus and debt investing across the U.S., Europe and Asia. Ms. McCarthy most recently served as Global Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone Real Estate where she was responsible for its day-to-day operations with a particular focus on its investors, capital raising and business development efforts across new investment products. Before joining Blackstone in 2010, Ms. McCarthy worked at Goldman Sachs, where she was a Vice President focused on investments for the Real Estate Principal Investment Area. Ms. McCarthy began her career at Goldman Sachs in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group. Ms. McCarthy received a BA with Distinction from Yale University. Ms. McCarthy serves on the Boards of City Harvest, the Real Estate Roundtable and the PREA Foundation.

Elizabeth Stribling

Chairman
Stribling Associates

Elizabeth Stribling, Chairman, founded Stribling & Associates, Ltd in 1980 with the guiding principle that every real estate transaction deserves an exceptional real estate professional. Today, the firm has grown to include four offices and over 300 agents across Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as a large network of national and international strategic referral partners. As President of Stribling Marketing Associates, Elizabeth works closely with a top-ranked team overseeing sales and marketing efforts for a vast portfolio of new development offerings. She also advises Stribling Private Brokerage, which specializes in the custom offerings of properties over five million dollars, an integral part of Stribling's brokerage expertise. In 2018, Elizabeth received the prestigious Bernard Mendik Lifetime Leadership in Real Estate Award from the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). The award recognizes exceptional service to the real estate industry and professional accomplishments over the course of distinguished careers. Ms. Stribling is a graduate of the Hewitt School, Vassar College, and went on to graduate studies in English literature at Girton College, Cambridge University, in Cambridge, England. In addition to running one of New York's premier real estate brokerages, Elizabeth is Chairman of French Heritage Society, a Franco-American charitable society that aids in the restoration of buildings in France and those of French inspiration in the United States. She serves on the Board of the Landmarks Conservancy, on the Board of the Women's Committee of Central Park, as well as the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board New York. Ms. Stribling is proud to have been awarded the Henry Forster Award from the Real Estate Board for exemplary conduct in the real estate industry. Equally, she is fortunate to have been decorated as an Officer with the Insignia of the National Order of Merit, as well as having had the additional honor of being decorated as an Officer of the Legion d'Honneur on April 10, 2012, by the French Government. On January 1, 2013, Ms. Stribling named her daughter Elizabeth Ann Stribling-Kivlan to succeed her as President of the family-owned firm.

Laurie Golub

COO
Affinius Capital

Bess Freedman

Co-President
Brown Harris Stevens

Executive Vice President, Managing Director of Sales and Business Development, Bess Freedman is a strong leader, motivator and educator. Formerly a Senior Managing Director of the Corcoran Group's East Side headquarters, Bess brings to her real estate career at Brown Harris Stevens a high level of professionalism, interpersonal skills and negotiating savvy that are respected by agents and peers alike. Bess was appointed in 2013 by Brown Harris Stevens President Hall F. Willkie to foster business development for both the agents and the firm. She enjoys being a resource for brokers and staff and finding creative solutions to every situation, particularly new ways to pitch and market listings and to coach agents through difficult negotiations. She encourages a cohesive working environment that invites mutual inspiration and sharing. Prior to her promotion to Senior Managing Director at Corcoran, as an agent Bess attained great success at their Carnegie Hill office. Bess achieved repeated membership in their Multi-Million-Dollar Club thanks to her exemplary customer service, knowledge of the market and results. Originally from upstate New York, Bess earned her undergraduate degree from Ithaca College and her law degree from The University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law, in Washington, D.C. Prior to entering real estate, Bess practiced law as an Assistant State's Attorney in Montgomery County, Maryland, and also worked at Legal Aid as an attorney. Bess is a member of the Florida, Washington, D.C. and Maryland Bar, and worked in New York pro hac vice. She speaks Spanish and has lived in various cities including Washington D.C., Miami, and Seville, Spain. Bess is the mother of two children who are attending school on the Upper East Side. In spare time she enjoys family and friends, music, reading, knitting, weekends in Woodstock, N.Y., and regular meetings with her Mahjongg group. She is an active member of the Real Estate Board of New York.

Melissa Burch

Executive General Manager
Lendlease

Daun Paris

President
Eastern Consolidated

Daun Paris, President, is the co-founder of Eastern Consolidated, which she and Chairman and CEO Peter Hauspurg launched in 1981. For over three decades, Ms. Paris has served as a company visionary, driving the firm to its position as a dominant player in New York City real estate, with up to $4 billion in annual sales. As one of the few women in command of a commercial real estate firm in the nation, Ms. Paris distinguished herself from the start, not only for being a female trailblazer, but also for specializing in the sale and acquisition of office buildings, development properties and hotels. Nationally recognized for her industry expertise, Ms. Paris is a dynamic leader who directs the day-to-day operations of Eastern Consolidated. She provides strategic direction for the company as a whole, while serving as a hands-on mentor for an experienced and diverse roster of brokers. Ms. Paris consistently makes the top influencer lists throughout the New York business and real estate communities. In 1994, Ms. Paris was tapped by Crain’s New York as one of the distinguished “40 Under 40”, an honor given to 40 business leaders under the age of 40 for outstanding achievements in New York City business. She has been honored as one of the The New York Observer's "100 Most Powerful People in Real Estate" every year since the list was first created seven years ago. Ms. Paris has been named a “Women of Influence” by Real Estate New York and one of the "Most Powerful Women in Real Estate" by The Association of Real Estate Women (AREW). She was also named a “Legend in Commercial Real Estate,” a nationwide honor given to women with outstanding long-term achievements in the real estate industry, and a “Woman of Influence” by Real Estate Forum. A frequently quoted industry thought leader and the subject of various feature profile stories, Ms. Paris appears regularly in such leading news organizations as The Wall Street Journal, The New YorkTimes, Crain’s New York Business and The Real Deal. Ms. Paris serves on REBNY’s Board of Governors. She has served as an Arbitrator for The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) as well as a director of REBNY’s Commercial Brokerage Division and General Meetings Committee. She is a member of New York Women Executives as well as a member of AREW, where she served on their board of directors for five years. She was the 2015 key note speaker for CREW’s kickoff luncheon. Ms. Paris is passionate about giving back to the New York area community. She serves as a Trustee of Northwell Health. Since 2005, she has served as a Trustee at Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) and served on NWH’s Foundation Board for 6 years where she was successful in helping raise $30 million for their new emergency room. Paris also served as a Trustee for Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA) for 7 years. In 2008, Ms. Paris and Mr. Hauspurg donated a building at the JCCA Pleasantville Campus to house a cosmetology program they cofounded for underprivileged youth. Paris served as co-chair of the JCCA gala benefit in 2012 and chaired their gala benefit in 2013. She was also the 2009 and 2014 co-chair of NWH’s Gala, all which achieved new benchmark records for fundraising. Ms. Paris is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College with a double major in Economics and Performing Arts.

Tara Stacom

Executive Vice Chairman
Cushman & Wakefield

ince joining Cushman & Wakefield in 1981, Ms. Stacom has distinguished herself as one of the leading brokerage professionals in the real estate industry. She consistently ranks among the firm’s top producing brokers including top 3 in the New York Region and top 5 worldwide over the last 10 years, and she was Cushman & Wakefield’s number one broker worldwide in 2004. Ms. Stacom was honored with the Real Estate Board of New York’s highest achievement….the 2011 Most Ingenious Deal of the Year (First Place Henry Hart Rice Award) for the leasing of One World Trade Center. Ms. Stacom has also been ranked top landlord broker in Manhattan based on total square footage leased and has been responsible for representing tenants in the top 10 largest office leases the last several years. AWARDS & ASSOCIATIONS A compelling testament to her dedication to the real estate industry and the communities in which she lives and works is the great number of awards Ms. Stacom has received. She is the recipient of Crain’s New York Business 100 Most Influential Women in New York City Business, Realty Foundation of New York honoree, “Woman of the Year” of the New York Executives in Real Estate (WX), and Real Estate New York and Real Estate Forum’s Women of Influence. She received Northwood University's Distinguished Women's Award for recognition of the enormous contribution she has made to communities, businesses, volunteer agencies, and public and private sector services worldwide. Ms. Stacom serves the real estate industry as a Director of the Realty Foundation of New York; and a Member of the Real Estate Board of New York serving on the Ethics Committee. She is regularly called upon as an industry spokesperson by a wide range of media outlets. A believer in “giving back”, Ms. Stacom is a Director’s Circle Member and rotational Board Member of Girls, Inc., a national not-for-profit that draws upon prominent women in U.S. industry to support girls in their quest to become strong and independent women. Ms. Stacom has a passion and commitment for learning and development. She is a founder of ire@l, a real estate program in the business college at Lehigh University. She personally chaired the program which has enrolled more than 1,000 students since its inception in 2009. In recognition of her commitment and many years of service to Lehigh University, as well as, Greenwich Academy, Ms Stacom has received prestigious Alumni Awards from both organizations. Ms. Stacom serves on the Board of Trustees at Lehigh University where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. ASSIGNMENTS Ms. Stacom serves Cushman & Wakefield as an Executive Vice Chairman. During her 32-year career, Ms. Stacom has been responsible for executing in excess of 40 million square feet and some of the largest and most complex leasing, sales and corporate finance transactions. Most recently, as exclusive leasing agent for One World Trade Center, one of the world’s most iconic office buildings, she secured media giant Conde Nast as the anchor tenant for its 1, 200,000 sf headquarters. Ms. Stacom has managed and leased Class A office space for some of the most prominent owners and investors of real estate in New York. Among them are SL Green, Morgan Stanley, RXR Realty, Paramount Group, Sheldon Solow, The Prudential Insurance Co., Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, , Glorious Sun, Simone Development Companies, Landis/Normandy, L&L Holding Company and RREEF. Ms. Stacom is best known by her clients for her creativity, exceptional service and ability to structure unique transactions. She has represented a cadre of high-profile tenants both nationally and globally including Lazard Freres & Co. LLC on its 448,572 square foot corporate headquarters lease at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Bank of America, The Bank of New York (BNY Mellon), Colgate-Palmolive Company, J. & W. Seligman & Company, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNS), Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Remy Cointreau, USA, and Expedia, Inc.

Darcy Stacom

Chairman - NYC Capital Markets
CBRE

Crowned the “Queen of the Skyscrapers” by the Wall Street Journal in 1997, Darcy Stacom has sold both the largest residential and office transaction in history. Ms. Stacom’s prolific resume is a diverse to deal type and size, from $35 million trust and estates dispositions to the $5.4 billion sale of Peter Cooper Stuyvesant Town for Metropolitan Life. She has completed more than $84 billion in sales, financing, joint venture, leasehold and development transactions. Ms. Stacom is a Chairman and Head of the NYC Capital Markets Group. As the gateway to the global marketplace, the role is dynamic and ever-changing. In the last four years, Ms. Stacom has twice been the #1 Professional at CBRE globally, and twice the #1 Investment Professional globally. With more than 30 years of real estate experience, Ms. Stacom’s expertise is evidenced by her speaking engagements for industry and educational organizations including ULI, Harvard, NYU, Columbia, Wharton, AFIRE, PLI and many others.

Wendy Silverstein

Chief Investment Officer, Real Estate Investments
The We Company

Wendy Silverstein currently serves as Chief Investment Officer for The We Company’s global private equity platform known as ARK. Prior to joining The We Company in August 2018, Ms Silverstein served as President and CEO of New York Reit (NYSE:NYRT). Ms. Silverstein took over the troubled REIT in early 2017 and by mid 2018 she had successfully completed the wind down and liquidation of the company pursuant to the shareholder approved plan of liquidation. Previous to New York Reit, Ms. Silverstein was Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Acquisitions and Capital Markets for Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO), one of the largest owners of commercial real estate in the United States, from 1998 to 2015. Ms. Silverstein was a member of the Investment Committee for Vornado's private equity fund, Vornado Capital Partners, L.P. On behalf of Vornado, she has served on the Board of Directors of Toys R Us, Inc., and the Board of LNR Property, LLC, the nation’s largest loan special servicer. Prior to joining Vornado in 1998, Ms. Silverstein spent 12 years at Citicorp. From 1990 to 1998, she was with Citicorp Real Estate in the Corporate Debt Restructuring Group, which she headed from 1994 to 1998. During this time she led the negotiation and restructuring of many complex debt and equity transactions of companies in the airline, hospitality, retail, office and residential real estate industries. She served on the Board of Directors of Shuttle, Inc. (d/b/a US Air Shuttle) from 1992 to 1997 and Alexander’s, Inc. (NYSE:ALX) from 1992 to 1995. From 1986 to 1990 she was with the Leveraged Capital Group at Citibank, N.A. providing sponsor financing for leveraged buyouts. Ms. Silverstein currently serves on the Board of Alexander’s, Inc., and TPG Real Estate Finance Trust. Ms. Silverstein is proud to serve on the Board and Chair the Finance Committee for Beit Ruth, an educational and therapeutic village for at risk teenage girls in Israel. Ms. Silverstein earned her Bachelor of Science in Economics, Magna Cum Laude, and a Master of Business Administration with Distinction from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Diane Ramirez

Chairman & CEO
Halstead Real Estate

A greatly respected and passionate leader, Diane M. Ramirez is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Halstead Real Estate. Under her thoughtful and careful leadership, Mrs. Ramirez has strategically grown the firm from its original goal of three storefront offices in the most important communities in Manhattan to its current size of nearly three dozen strategically located offices with 1,300 agents throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Riverdale, the Hamptons, Hudson Valley, New Jersey and Fairfield County, Connecticut. Licensed in New York, Connecticut and Florida, Mrs. Ramirez has been an active real estate executive and broker for more than three decades. She started her career in Palm Beach, Florida where she worked as an agent for a number of years before returning to her hometown - New York City - where she quickly became a top real estate broker. She and Clark Halstead together founded Halstead in the Fall of 1984. Their vision for the company was a high-end firm that utilized advanced technology combined with old fashioned elegance that covered all segments of the market and was located in the communities that they serviced. Due to their vision, Halstead became the first big firm to utilize storefront offices in Manhattan as well as the first to be on the West Side and in Downtown. They worked closely together growing the firm organically and were purchased by Terra Holdings in 2001, who helped grow the firm to the size it is today. Mrs. Ramirez was appointed by the Governor to the Department of State Real Estate Board in 2010 and is still an active member. She is also a member of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), where she currently serves on the Board of Governors, their Executive Advisory Board and as Co-Chairman of their Board of Directors of the Residential Division. Diane was an early supporter of REBNY and has played an integral role on many of the committees including Ethics, Education and Admissions. In addition, she is an accredited continuing education teacher for the State. An active member of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) for more than 20 years, Mrs. Ramirez serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors along with other top real estate executives from all over the world. LeadingRE is a selective global community of over 550 independent real estate firms and 128,000 associates producing over one million transactions valued at $351 billion annually. Over the course of her career, Mrs. Ramirez has been consistently recognized for her dedication, guidance, passion, commitment and enthusiasm to real estate. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® presented Mrs. Ramirez with their prestigious Leadership Award, which honors a member broker for outstanding leadership achievements. Mrs. Ramirez was also the honored recipient of the Henry Forster award, an annual REBNY award presented to a real estate professional with an outstanding record of achievement and conduct both within the industry and the community. Additionally, she was named the '2016 Real Estate Person of the Year' by the Institute of Real Estate Management, an award recognizing outstanding achievements within the real estate industry. Mrs. Ramirez is routinely ranked by the New York Observer as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in New York Real Estate. Mrs. Ramirez is involved in philanthropy both in and out of the real estate community. REBNY recognized her community service by presenting her with the Kenneth R. Gerrety Humanitarian Award, an award that honors REBNY members' outstanding service to the community. In addition, she has been presented with the New York Moves 'Power Women' honor, the City & State 'CSR Responsible 100' and the OTTY 'Eastsider of the Year' Award, each of which acknowledge outstanding involvement in the community. Mrs. Ramirez was also honored by the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter with the Celine Marcus Community Service Award. She and her husband, Sam Ramirez, are long-standing supporters of the Valerie Fund in New Jersey (an organization which helps children with cancer), and were honored at their annual Thanksgiving Gala for their outstanding involvement and dedication to the charity. Mrs. Ramirez resides in Manhattan with her husband, Sam Ramirez, who is the founder and CEO of the investment banking firm, Samuel A. Ramirez & Co., Inc. Their son, his wife and their three children also dwell in Manhattan; and, their daughter resides in Connecticut with her husband and two children.

Toby Moskovits

CEO
Heritage Equity Partners

Brittany Bragg

COO
Crown Acquisitions

Madelyne Kirch

President
Sun & Moon Marketing Communications

Madelyne F. Kirch, President of Sun & Moon Marketing Communications, is among the country’s foremost real estate marketing professionals. She has devoted the better part of her professional career to helping her clients define their marketing messages and objectives. Her wealth of experience includes dozens of commercial and residential properties as well as corporate strategy and neighborhood development. Several of her clients have been aligned with her and SMMC for more than a decade - a source of personal pride and accomplishment in a notoriously fickle industry. Ms. Kirch brings an array of strengths to her work. Chief among them is her ability to synthesize real estate and marketing to discern the essence of a message, develop strategies and translate them into creative, appropriate, effective marketing tools. Her deep understanding of all facets of the real estate business coupled with her strategic approach defines her ability to “think like an owner”. Her keen interest in cities and their continuing vitality and revitalization feeds her passion for real estate. Prior to founding SMMC in 1994, she was the senior vice president of a New York real estate advertising agency. During her tenure she was directly responsible for corporate, commercial, residential, retail and service accounts, including consulting and brokerage firms, developers, owners and institutions. Early in her career she was recruited for the management training program of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey where she instituted the first retail marketing program for the Port Authority Bus Terminal. This was followed by a stint in the corporate communications department of Rockefeller Center where she created and implemented its 50th anniversary program, and orchestrated operations and press relations for its annual tree lighting ceremonies. She holds an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and a dual degree in journalism and political science from its Newhouse School and College of Arts & Sciences. Post graduate, she earned a certificate in real estate studies from NYU. Ms. Kirch is the national co-chair of ULI’s Urban Redevelopment Council and previously served as a vice chair of on the leadership committee of ULI's national Public Private Partnership Council. She is the former Communications Chair and member of the Management Committee of ULI's New York District Council. She is a founding member of the Women's Development Collaborative, a former Communications Chair of the Association of Real Estate Women (AREW, now CREW), a past chair of the AREW Charitable Fund and the founding and sole chair of its Merle Gross-Ginsburg Scholarship Committee. For a decade she was a mentor and “Big” for Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York. Globe Street named her a national Woman of Influence in Marketing and Communications and a CRE Marketing Influencer. Madelyne is also the recipient of two Bisnow Power Women Awards, the AREW Founders Award, and was among those selected as a Top Woman in Real Estate by Sokol Media. In addition to her professional activities, her knowledge is informed by LP participation in investment real estate with four distinct sponsors spanning several thousand units of multifamily housing, a suburban mixed use center, a Manhattan hotel, Brooklyn apartments, an investment fund and two ground-up developments. She enjoys traveling, cycling, (with trips to the Loire Valley, Tuscany, Southeast Asia and Holland & Belgium and four 5-Boro Bike Tours under her belt) pickleball, and spending time with her two Millennial children, both of whom are happily “off the payroll.” In 2021 she added her favorite title – Grandma.

Whitney Arcaro

Chief Revenue Officer, Residential
RXR

Janet Delpozzo

Director of Marketing
SL Green

Joy Habian

Vice President of Marketing
The Durst Organization

oy Habian is the Vice President of Marketing for The Durst Organization where she oversees marketing, branding and related design activities for the company’s commercial and residential portfolio. Prior to joining The Durst Organization, Joy served in numerous marketing roles including Director of Marketing and Communications at Jonathan Rose Companies and Director of Communications at Costas Kondylis and Partners. In addition to being a former Chairperson of the AIA NYC Chapter’s Marketing and Public Relations Committee, Joy has written extensively on marketing and branding for architects and real estate professionals. Joy holds a Masters in Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Environmental Design from Parsons School of Design.

Roxanne Donovan

President
Great Ink

Cara Marino Gentile

SVP
Marino PR

A skilled communications strategist with a proven record of success, Cara Gentile has managed and implemented high-impact strategic communications programs for clients across a wide spectrum of industries, including well-known real estate and energy sector companies. Cara has managed a public relations program in support of The Real Estate Board of New York — the city’s leading real estate trade organization which has more than 17,000 members. She also manages the communications program for Con Edison Solutions, one of the country’s leading energy services companies. In addition to real estate and energy, Cara has been involved in successful communications efforts for JFK Airport’s Terminal 4, the only non-airline, privately-operated terminal, serving 30 airlines with an annual passenger volume of 17 million travelers. Cara’s work also includes public relations efforts for Silvercup Studios, New York City’s leading film and television production facility, Eastern Consolidated, one of the city’s most prominent real estate investment services firms, as well as TF Cornerstone, one of the city’s most active luxury residential housing developers. Cara began her career at Ogilvy PR before joining Marino in 2001. She graduated from Boston College and lives in Westchester with her three children.

Christa Segalini

EVP
Beckerman PR

Luise Barrack

Managing Member
Rosenberg & Estis

Luise A. Barrack is the Managing Member of Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. She heads the firm's Litigation department, imparting her trial and appellate experience to the firm. She is a staunch advocate for her clients, many of whom she has represented for almost 30 years. Her no-nonsense approach has helped make Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. the tough and highly respected law firm it is today. Ms. Barrack's practice focuses on complex commercial litigation at the trial and appellate levels. She has substantial expertise in all facets of real estate litigation, and is an experienced practitioner in all of New York State’s courts, including at the appellate level. Her real estate practice concentrates on representing developers, commercial owners, hoteliers, not for profit corporations and educational institutions. Ms. Barrack is also one of New York City's leading Loft Law experts, handling legalization, valuation of loft fixtures, and the costs of code compliance. Matters handled by Ms. Barrack include: defeating a claim that a developer was required to conduct an environmental study prior to filing an administrative proceeding for permission not to renew rent stabilized tenants' leases in order to demolish a Central Park South building; reaching a multimillion dollar deal and property exchange with Columbia University; representing New York Law School in recovering a site essential to building its new urban campus; and defeating a party claiming an option to purchase an interest in a High Line building containing a chic and extremely high profile nightclub. Ms. Barrack also represents owners and developers in construction litigation, developments, demolitions and assemblages, and disputes including succession rights, non-primary residence, and owner occupancy. In addition, she is seasoned in cooperative, condominium, and shareholder disputes. In one such matter, Ms. Barrack obtained a judgment for maintenance withheld by a real estate attorney shareholder for his Park Avenue co-op and an order requiring him to pay the bulk of the attorneys' fees he caused his co-op to incur.

Laurie Grasso

Global, Co-Chair of Real Estate
Hunton Andrews Kurth

Laurie, an accomplished deal maker, is partner and co-chair of the firm’s global real estate practice. She takes a client-focused approach to her real estate practice, often acting as in-house counsel for her clients and becoming a trusted member of their businesses. She has a long list of clients who have been with her since the beginning of her practice and appreciate her ability to adeptly and efficiently handle any type of real estate deal. She is recognized as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA 2021, noting that she is “a strong negotiator” and “she has a great business sense combined with legal knowledge.” Most recently, for the second year in a row, Commercial Observer included her in their elite “Power 100” list, which recognizes the most powerful players in real estate. Laurie represents real estate private equity funds, companies, institutional REITs, investors and other property owners in structuring and closing real estate transactions such as acquisitions and dispositions, developments, financings, portfolio transactions, preferred equity investments, leasing and real estate joint ventures. Her work touches all asset classes, including office, multifamily, affordable housing, workforce housing, mixed-use, life sciences, hospitality, retail and condominium. She also maintains an active capital markets and fund practice, representing investors in joint venture transactions and sophisticated fund and tax structures. Laurie is also well-versed in the Opportunity Zone program and helps clients through the process of structuring and investing in qualified properties and vehicles. Laurie is involved in a number of non-profit and charitable organizations focusing on increasing diversity in real estate. She serves on the Advisory Board and spearheads the firm’s legal partnership with Project Destined, an organization dedicated to transforming minority youth into owners in the communities in which they live, work and play. She also serves as co-chair for Rebuilding New York’s “She Builds” program, where she organizes an annual renovation day, rehabilitating a New York City community center in need.

Terri Adler

Partner
Adler & Stachenfeld

Ms. Adler is a founding member of the Firm, chair of the Firm’s Real Estate Department, and a member of the Firm’s Management Committee. Ms. Adler is one of the most talented and creative attorneys in real estate and was recently named as one of the top 100 female lawyers in New York City in Crains New York’s 2018 inaugural list which recognizes women for distinguished careers and exceptional civic and philanthropic activities. Ms. Adler is an unmatched powerhouse in corporate real estate transactions requiring complicated bespoke structuring, which plays to her strength of being innovative. Ms. Adler’s success is achieved largely by understanding the business goals of her clients and assisting them in achieving those goals while helping to build their businesses. While overseeing one of the largest real estate practice groups in New York City, Ms. Adler has developed a wide range of expertise in all areas of national and international real estate practice with a particular focus on complex joint ventures and corporate real estate transactions. Ms. Adler has been at the forefront of many industry trends, whether involving the creation of new real estate platforms, to strategic investments in existing real estate platforms to preferred equity investments and multi-tiered joint ventures. As a result of more than 20-years of experience, Ms. Adler is able to address not only the real estate aspects and corporate of a particular transaction, but also the unique needs of clients in their national and international transactions and relationships. Ms. Adler is the founder of the Firm’s women’s initiative and is actively involved in mentoring and assisting women both at the Firm and outside of the Firm in achieving their own definition of success. Ms. Adler regularly speaks on women’s issues in both the legal industry and the real estate industry and is passionate on issues concerning gender inclusion and parity. Ms. Adler’s most recent contribution was speaking on the panel titled “Life in the Boardroom: Viewpoints from Female Power Players” at the 2018 Real Estate Women’s Forum. In addition, to being named as one of the top 100 female lawyers in New York City in Crains New York’s 2018 inaugural list, Ms. Adler is consistently named as one of New York's Super Lawyers in real estate and as one of the Top 50 Women Attorneys in New York. Additionally, Ms. Adler was elected to The Commercial Observer’s Power 100 Reader’s Poll (along with her partner, Bruce Stachenfeld). The list marked the first (and only) time that The Commercial Observer allowed the public to vote for the most powerful people in New York real estate.

Priscilla Almodovar

Managing Director & Co-Head of Real Estate Banking
JP Morgan Chase

Belinda Schwartz

Partner; Chair, Real Estate Department
Herrick, Feinstein LLP

Belinda Schwartz has chaired Herrick’s Real Estate Department since 2014, is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee since 2017 and is a 30+ year veteran of New York City’s commercial real estate market. She is a leader and mentor for 50+ attorneys and urban planners (23 of which are women) and one of the only women in the country to chair a major commercial real estate practice. One of the industry’s most creative real estate dealmakers, Belinda’s clients value her ability to find common ground in negotiations and achieve a desirable outcome as swiftly as possible. Her clients include prominent developers, owners, funds, investors and family-owned real estate businesses, whom she advises in complex debt and equity transactions including real estate restructurings and workouts; fund formation; property acquisitions and sales; joint ventures; development deals; construction matters; ground leases and commercial leases. Belinda frequently advises clients in single asset and portfolio transactions involving residential, hospitality, office and retail properties across the U.S. She has also advised on several of New York City’s largest development projects, including Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Empire Stores complex, Downtown Brooklyn’s 1.8 million square-foot City Point project, and one of the largest land swaps in Manhattan history, a deal which won REBNY’s coveted Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award. Recently, Belinda has been leading her clients through the impact of COVID-19 on their real estate transactions, development projects, workouts and restructurings, loans and leases as a critical addition to her clients' business team. Belinda has consistently been ranked one of New York City’s leading real estate lawyers by Chambers USA, Super Lawyers, City & State and Real Estate Forum, which has twice named her a “woman of influence.” Belinda was named one of National Law Journal's Trailblazers in Real Estate/Construction Law in 2020. In 2019, Belinda was named one of Real Estate Weekly's, Real Estate Dealmakers, and in 2018, one of Real Estate Weekly’s Leading Ladies of Real Estate. In 2017, Belinda was named one of Crain’s New York Business’ top 100 women lawyers and for the past number of years she has been named one of Bisnow’s New York power women.

Lisa Knee

Partner
EisnerAmper

Lisa Knee is a Tax Partner with over 20 years of experience. Her expertise covers a range of real estate transactions and situations, including acquisitions, refinancing, like-kind exchanges, joint venture agreements, and structuring tax rehabilitation credits for a variety of clients, such as leading real estate owners, operators, investors, family offices, and developers, as well as hospitality companies, world-renowned restaurant groups, and financial service firms. She has also consulted with large boutique hotel groups on their acquisitions, dispositions, partner buy-outs, property renovations and rebuilds. As an advisor, Lisa assists high net worth individuals and family/owner-managed business clients with preserving and enhancing business and family net worth. She also provides business succession planning services for multigenerational families, including analyzing and updating estate plans, reviewing wills and trusts, and developing liquidity strategies. Lisa has worked on a variety of highly complex transactions for clients, including domestic and international tax structuring for portfolio companies, management companies, and individual owners. Her legal background has also made her adept in mitigating tax issues and providing expert litigation services involving partnership disputes. Lisa graduated from Boston University with a B.S. degree, with a concentration in Accounting. She received a J.D. cum laude from Brooklyn Law School where she was a research editor for the International Journal of Law; and a Master of Law degree in Taxation from New York University Law School. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) as well as the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), Nassau County Bar Association (NCBA), Commercial Real Estate Women New York (CREW New York) and Long Island Real Estate Group (LIREG). In addition, Lisa is frequently featured and quoted in various business publications, providing insight on tax and tax planning topics. She has also co-authored various articles for the Nassau Lawyer and moderated various real estate industry events. - See more at: http://www.eisneramper.com/professional-directory-Lisa-knee.aspx#sthash.l3zGABVG.dpuf

Adelaide Polsinelli

Vice Chair | Licensed Associate RE Broker
Compass

In her 30+ years of extensive experience as one of New York City’s most active and high profile real estate brokers, Adelaide Polsinelli has an impeccable and prolific track record of consistently selling and shaping trends in commercial real estate. An innovative problem solver and a tenacious, yet diplomatic negotiator, Ms. Polsinelli has proven her talents as a commercial brokerage All-Star. She has personally sold over 1,300 properties, valued at over $20 billion in every asset class from multifamily, retail and office to SRO’s, IMD’s, co-ops and condo sales, unsold shares, retail condos, partnership interests, loans, note sales, hotels, air rights, inclusionary rights, assemblages, developments, garages, co-ops, and condos interest. Ms. Polsinelli began her illustrious career as an advocate for families who had no real estate experience and needed dedicated representation to protect them from the pitfalls that abound while maximizing the value of their property. In addition to selling and advising on all real estate asset classes, Ms. Polsinelli also heads the Retail Sales Division at Eastern Consolidated, where she leads the firm’s sales brokerage, advisory, research financial structuring and marketing services for the sale of all retail driven deals from retail condominiums, office buildings, taxpayers, shopping centers, mixed use residential buildings, and hotels, to high street retail properties. Through her leadership, she was instrumental in classifying retail condos as the new real estate asset class, the urban equivalent to triple-net-leased single-tenant properties. Ms. Polsinelli’s mission of treating each deal not as a commodity but as a creation, allowed her to achieve record breaking prices for notable deals such as: The $107,000,000 Lee Portfolio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, The Hotel Verite at 893 Broadway, The Sutton Place 280,000 square foot development, SoHo’s “The King of Greene” building at 72-76 Greene Street; 530 Lincoln Road and the “Diesel/ Dash” Retail Center in the heart of South Beach; The Hit Factory at 421 West 54th Street; 711 Madison Avenue “The Roberto Cavalli Building; The “Children’s Wear” office building in Midtown; The Marriott Courtyard Hotel site by the New Freedom Tower, The “Stefano Ricci” retail flagship on Park Avenue; The famed “Knitting Factory” building in TriBeCa; The Promenade a 350 unit Mitchell Lama Building; The “Le Figaro Café” building on Bleecker Street; The “Interior Design Building” in Midtown East; The “Dylan Hotel” on 41st Street; a nine-building package in Chelsea; four prominent Upper West Side hotels; and the “Eastbridge Landing” development site at First Avenue. Ms. Polsinelli was responsible for the development of a Times Square $200 million hotel development which is now a Marriott Hotel. She is also well established as the go-to broker for lenders, she has sold portfolios of notes, loans and REO’s. She is regularly called upon as a well-regarded co-op and condo expert, known for uncovering value for co-op and condos by methodically structuring the various components of their real estate to generate optimum value. She has created assemblages using inclusionary air rights and buying air rights from co-ops and condos, as well as unfolding entire co-ops and reorganizing the retail leases resulting in unexpected windfalls. Furthering her dedication as an owner’s advocate, she has produced a series of neighborhood tours, along with historian Kevin Draper of NY Historical Tours. The tours identify real estate trends and blend the past, present and future of neighborhoods with sales and leasing information to educate owners and investors to new emerging trends. Not only is Ms. Polsinelli is a celebrated expert in the industry for her ability to identify and forecast trends, but she can formulate opportunities to create additional value in her assignments. With her expertise and value-added approach to traditional investment scenarios, Ms. Polsinelli has mastered the art of building lucrative portfolios for her clients while also creatively resolving complex situations involving partnership disputes, financing challenges and various other obstacles. She is a co-op and condo liaison, sought after columnist, and speaker whose articles have appeared widely in the press. She is a contributing writer for several industry publications such as The Commercial Observer, Shopping Center Business, Real Estate Weekly, The Mann Report, National Real Estate Investor, The Retail Report, Real Estate Forum among others. She is an expert speaker and industry thought leader for a variety of functions and panels. Ms. Polsinelli is well known for her mentoring program where she offers college students opportunities to learn the business under her guidance. She has been named a “Woman of Influence” for over a decade by ALM’s GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum and one of Commercial Observer’s “People to Watch”. Ms. Polsinelli has also been the recipient of the prestigious Investment Sales Broker of The Year Award, and companywide Broker of the Year Award at Eastern Consolidated in 2013 and 2015. She is also featured on Globe St.com as one of New York City’s Signature Brokers. Ms. Polsinelli has been a guest lecturer at New York University’s real estate school. She has also been a regular source and thought leader for the Wall Street Journal, Crains, New York Public Radio, New York Times, New York Post, and Globest.com. She has also been a guest speaker at New York Appraisers Institute, Bloomberg News, Commercial Observer, and REBNY. Prior to joining Eastern Consolidated, Ms. Polsinelli was Vice President at a publicly traded national investment sales firm. She has served on the Board of Directors of both the Kidney & Urology Foundation of America and the St. George Foundation. Ms. Polsinelli was also the President of the Parent’s Association at St. George Elementary School and organizes an annual toy drive for local children’s charities. Most notably she had served as President of 2 Fifth Avenue for over a decade, a 350-unit co-op building where she successfully bought the land under the ground lease for the co-op. She founded the Central Village Co-op/Condo Association (CVCA). She is a member of REBNY, ICSC, The National Realty Club, RSA, SPONY, SBO, CHIP and CIASF. Ms. Polsinelli holds a Degree in Finance and Real Estate from New York University and also attended the Fashion Institute of Technology. By viewing each deal not as a statistic but as a trophy, Ms. Polsinelli proudly represents many of her clients for decades. “We have always viewed Adelaide as our Advisor. Adelaide has a level of sophistication that allows her to stand out from the rest of the brokerage community…Her most important attribute of all is her integrity.” –Domenic Lanni, L3 Capital LLC

Helen Hwang

Executive Managing Director
Meridian Investment Sales

Helen Hwang is Senior Executive Managing Director at Meridian Investment Sales, LLC and is head of the Institutional Investment Sales Group. Ms. Hwang has executed over 85 institutional sales and recapitalization transactions exceeding $26 billion in value. Prior to joining Meridian, Ms. Hwang spent 16 years at Cushman & Wakefield as an Executive Vice President, as the head of NYC Investment Sales. Ms. Hwang has worked on numerous prestigious sales assignments throughout her career, including 1865 Broadway, 220 East 72nd Street, 22 River Terrace, 101 Murray Street, 400 Madison Avenue, One Court Square, 60 East 12th Street, 510 Madison Avenue, 511 Fifth Avenue, Glenn Gardens, the MetLife Building at 200 Park Avenue, 666 Fifth Avenue, the portfolio sale of Park Avenue and 850 Third Avenue, and the ground leases under 625 Madison Avenue, 2 Herald Square and 75 Rockefeller Center. For the sale of 88 Leonard Street, Ms. Hwang was honored with the Real Estate Board of New York’s highest achievement, the 2012 Most Ingenious Sales Deal of the Year (Robert T. Lawrence Memorial Award). Ms. Hwang has marketed significant New York assets for clients such as Africa Israel Investments, Ashkenazy Acquisitions, Capmark Financial, Daishin Securities, Dermot Company, Epic UK, Five Mile Capital, Istithmar, J.E. Robert Companies, Paramount Group, Park Tower Group, Rockrose Development Corp, SL Green, Spitzer Enterprises, Vornado Realty Trust, and Macklowe Properties. She has been a trusted strategic advisor to numerous domestic and international family offices, institutions and not-for-profits, including American Bible Society, Archdiocese of New York, Children’s Aid Society, MTA, New York University, St. John’s University, and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, and Fortune 50 Corporations such as Bank of America and Verizon. Ms. Hwang has been presented with numerous awards over her career for both her professional achievements and charitable contributions, including the Top Broker of the Year by Real Estate Forum Magazine, a leading trade publication, CoStar’s prestigious Power Broker of the Year award, Bisnow’s New York Power Women award, Rebuilding Together NYC ‘s Patty Johnson Outstanding Leadership Award, and Friendship Circle’s Humanitarian Award. She was also named one of the 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business by the Asian American Business Development Center. Ms. Hwang serves as Chair of the Membership Committee and member of the Executive and Advisory Committees for the Urban Land Institute’s New York City Chapter and as an industry expert guest speaker for numerous conferences and some of the top REIT equity research teams in the nation, including Bank of America Merrill Lynch, ISI Group, FBR Capital Markets & Co, JMP Securities, and UBS. Ms. Hwang received her Bachelor of Science degree from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration (Real Estate Finance), where she graduated “With Distinction.” She also holds a Master’s degree in Real Estate Investment and Development from New York University. Ms. Hwang is a New York State Certified Real Estate Appraiser and is a New York and New Jersey Licensed Salesperson.

Sonia Kaur Bain

Partner
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

There's nothing like the real estate industry in New York. And for Sonia Bain, conquering its unique and exciting challenges every day is what gets her out of bed in the morning. Sonia is a transactional commercial real estate lawyer who represents developers, retail companies, hotel groups, landlords and tenants, and family offices with acquisitions, dispositions, development, ground and space leases, financing and leasing of numerous types of commercial real estate assets including mixed-use, residential, retail, hotel and industrial properties in New York City and also across the country. Clients engage Sonia for her killer legal prowess, but they value her for her thoughtful guidance, counsel and partnership. Often coming to her to think through strategies and help them make decisions that are best for their business, Sonia is there for her clients for more than just their real estate legal needs. In addition to her legal and business advice, Sonia is also frequently sought-after as a speaker, moderator and panelist on topics relating to the real estate industry. Sonia also serves as a mentor to other women in the real estate industry. As co-chair of the WX Mentoring Committee which promotes and supports women in commercial real estate, Sonia is a passionate supporter of fostering the success of talented women entering careers in real estate. Sonia is a natural team builder. She enjoys making introductions and connecting people in social as well as business settings. She excels at bringing together individuals from different focus areas with different skill sets and motivating them to feel vested not just in their specific roles but also in the client's end goal. The bottom line - Sonia is there for her clients from the ground up.

Audrey Sokoloff

Partner - Real Estate
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Audrey Sokoloff serves as a global head of the firm’s transactions practices and represents clients worldwide in matters relating to real estate, real estate finance and private equity, including acquisitions and sales, partnerships and joint ventures, construction and development projects, hospitality and gaming, public and private offerings of real estate-related securities and workouts, recapitalizations, and restructurings.

Lindsay Ornstein

Partner
Transwestern

Lindsay is a co-founder and leader of the Transwestern New York office. She also co-leads its Nonprofit Advisory Group and directs branding services within Transwestern Consulting Group. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Lindsay’s experience exceeds 15 years and includes over five million square feet of transactions. She specializes in a broad range of industries including finance, technology, and nonprofit, successfully representing clients such as Robin Hood, JPMorgan Chase, Children’s Aid, Mitsubishi, and Goodwill. Her extensive Landlord advisory work includes buildings such as 2 Wall Street, 830 Third Avenue, 570 Lexington Avenue and 16 East 34 th Street.   Lindsay began her career in real estate at The Staubach Company in 2003 initially as a director of marketing and subsequently as a broker. Before joining Transwestern in 2011, Lindsay served as Principal of Centric Real Estate Advisors. Before joining the real estate industry, she worked in marketing and public relations for Nike Communications, Camdens.com and Ads on Tags. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/RECOGNITION Lindsay is a member of the Transwestern Board of Directors and co-founder of the Women's Leadership Council. She's also a member of YMREA, previously serving as Chairman and on the Board of Governors. She is a mentor for Trailblazers, and serves on the NY Advisory Council of Dream Foundation. She has received the Bisnow Power Women destinction, the Young Real Estate Professional of the Year Award from the Real Estate Board of New York, Women of Influence by Real Estate Forum, Women in Real Estate Spotlight by New York Real Estate Journal, Female Leader of the Year by Commercial Property Executive, NextGen: Women to Watch by Real Estate Forum, and was a Woman Who Dared honoree by the NCJW. Lindsay also helped lead the company to earn the No. 1 spot on the 2017 and 2016 “Best Places to Work in New York City” list by Crain’s New York Business. EDUCATION Lindsay graduated Summa Cum Laude and top in her class as a communications major from the University of Pennsylvania where she founded the Penn Women’s Varsity Golf Team.

Colleen Wenke

President & COO
Taconic Partners

Colleen is President and Chief Operating Officer at Taconic. She also leads Taconic’s Development and Construction practice. As President and COO, Colleen oversees corporate matters across the firm. As Head of Development and Construction she manages all aspects of development including strategic planning, zoning and entitlements, predevelopment, project budgeting, design management, construction oversight, procurement, risk management and insurance, community relations, branding, and marketing through sale or lease-up. Since joining Taconic in 2000, Colleen has planned and overseen both ground-up and restoration projects in the commercial, residential and mixed-use sectors, totaling over 7 million square feet of commercial space and 1,500 units of housing. In addition, Colleen leads Taconic’s development advisory business, which focuses on key partnerships for client-led development and construction projects. Colleen received a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in psychology from Boston College, and earned a Master of Science degree in real estate development and finance from NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. Colleen is an active member of ULI’s Program Steering Committee, NYPEN, Professional Women in Construction, and sits on the Fordham Real Estate Executive Advisory Council.

Lesley Lisser

Senior Director, Asset Management
Invesco Real Estate

Alicia Goldstein

President of Sales & Marketing
HFZ Capital

Alicia Goldstein was named Senior Managing Director and President of Sales & Marketing at HFZ Capital Group in January, 2016. Ms. Goldstein is recognized throughout the industry for her expertise in development planning and design, marketing and sales. She has led record breaking sell-outs through boom and bust cycles bringing significant properties to market and redefining neighborhoods globally. At HFZ, Ms. Goldstein’s responsibilities include overseeing the pre-development and on-going sales and marketing programs for all of HFZ’s assets, including historic renovations and ground up developments. Her relationships with world renown architects and designers, the owners of top brokerages, hospitality and financial partners across the industry will complement the HFZ executive team. Utilizing her significant mixed-use experience, she will oversee HFZ’s execution of the full block site intersected by the High Line at 76 Eleventh Avenue for which Bjarke Ingels has designed two extraordinary towers with luxury residences, a hotel and retail, as well as The Bryant, the first luxury condominiums and hotel by David Chipperfield and the Fasano Residences and Hotel Miami Beach, the Brazilian brand’s first US location. Ms. Goldstein most recently served as Executive Vice President of Alan Faena and Len Blavatnik’s Faena Group, playing a key role in the company’s U.S. expansion. Working with starchitects Foster + Partners and OMA, in three short years the team turned a neglected stretch of Miami beachfront property into Faena District Miami Beach, one of the most successful real estate projects in the United States. Ms. Goldstein’s development of Faena House is renowned for attracting titans of industry and breaking sales records in South Florida. For ten years prior to that, Ms. Goldstein served as a Senior Vice President at Related Companies where she led condominium marketing nationwide for over $4 billion in sales. She helped create new residential sales benchmarks and redefine neighborhoods throughout New York City from Columbus Circle with the residences at Time Warner Center to The Caledonia, the first residential property on the Highline. She grew the Related Sales programs and Related Brand across the country with mixed use development in Los Angeles, Boston and Aspen. Goldstein collaborated with some of the industry’s most sought-after architects and designers including Robert A.M. Stern and David Rockwell while creating integrated partnerships with charitable organizations and consumer brands. Ms. Goldstein spent the early part of her career marketing blockbusters before buildings, at Miramax Films and Walden Media/Anschutz Entertainment Group working on Academy Award-winning titles such as The English Patient and Good Will Hunting and as a publicist representing top-tier clients such as The New York Post, Ben Affleck and The David Letterman Show during her tenure at BWR/Ogilvy + Mather and Rubenstein Associates. A native New Yorker, Ms. Goldstein resides in Manhattan with her husband and son. She holds a BA from Columbia University and is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York, Association of Real Estate Women, WX and Barnard Business and Professional Women. She also sits on various boards and is active in charitable organizations.

Regina Myer

President
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership

Jessica Lappin

President
Alliance for Downtown New York

Jessica Lappin is the President of the Alliance for Downtown New York. The organization manages New York City’s largest Business Improvement District (BID) and provides service, advocacy, research and information to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of a 21st century Central Business District for businesses, residents and visitors. Lappin also serves as the President of its sister organization, the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association. A lifelong New Yorker, and recent Crain’s “40 Under 40” honoree, Ms. Lappin has a distinguished record in civic life and public service. Since taking the helm of the Alliance in February 2014, Lappin has emerged as the voice of the downtown business community and ensured that the BID remains at the forefront of efforts to shape the neighborhood. Under her leadership, the Alliance has advocated successfully for incentives to improve the business climate, significantly expanded its free public WiFi network, received notable awards for both its marketing videos and redesigned website, instituted a district-wide solar-powered recycling program and helped secure nearly $100 million in resiliency funding for Lower Manhattan. Lappin has also led the organization’s economic development efforts to create a first-of-its kind innovation hub, work space and collaboration center called Lower Manhattan HQ. Prior to her tenure at the Alliance, Lappin was elected to serve two terms in the New York City Council, representing the Upper East Side, East Midtown, and Roosevelt Island, and was praised by the New York Times for her “steely resolve, dedication, and energy.” She played a key role in bringing the CornellTechnion Applied Science and Engineering Campus to Roosevelt Island, oversaw the approval of over 20,000 new public school seats citywide and 5 new schools on the East Side, helped keep 100 senior centers from closing, expanded the city’s recycling efforts and spearheaded the successful development of four new waterfront parks. And, as Co-Chair of the Women’s Caucus, she authored a nationally recognized, landmark bill to protect women’s health and reproductive rights. The Aspen Institute, a renowned international think tank, selected her as a Rodel Fellow in 2011. The Rodel program is focused on transcending political partisanship and addressing overarching questions of leadership and effective governance. She also serves on the Steering Committee of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY) and the boards of the FDR Memorial and Four Freedoms Park, Battery Conservancy, American Skin Association, and as an Ex Officio member of New York City Center and NYC & Company. Lappin lives in Manhattan with her husband and two sons. She graduated from Georgetown University, Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude, and from Stuyvesant High School, where she was in the first class to graduate from its Lower Manhattan location.

Raizy Haas

SVP
Extell Development

Julia Butler

MD, Real Estate, KKR & CIO of KKR Real Estate Trust
KKR

Julia Butler (New York) joined KKR in 2017 and is a member of the Real Estate team. Prior to joining KKR, Ms. Butler was an executive vice president at iStar, a publicly-traded REIT, where she was responsible for sourcing and executing new investment opportunities as well as managing a portfolio of assets. Prior to iStar, Ms. Butler worked in the treasury department of The Walt Disney Company in Los Angeles, CA. Ms. Butler earned her B.A. in government, cum laude, from Harvard College.

Lauren Hochfelder

Co-CEO & Head of Americas, Real Estate
Morgan Stanley

Lauren Hochfelder is a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing (“MSREI”) and Head of MSREI Americas. Lauren joined Morgan Stanley in 2000 and has focused on investing in the Americas since then. She has sourced, structured and executed principal investments across all real estate asset classes, transaction structures and return parameters. Lauren serves as a board member of The 92nd Street. Lauren graduated magna cum laude and with distinction from Yale University with a BA in Ethics, Politics & Economics.

Purnima Kapur

Executive Director
NYC Department of City Planning

Mariel Ebrahimi

CEO
DisruptCRE

Samantha Rudin Earls

Senior Vice President
Rudin Management Co.

Samantha Rudin Earls started working at Rudin Management Company in July of 2007. She sits on the executive committee of Rudin Management Company. She focuses on development, redevelopment, design and marketing for the Rudin portfolio. She was involved in the development of 130 W. 12th Street and The Greenwich Lane Condominium Developments in the West Village, in addition to the Rudin’s latest project, Dock 72, a 670,000 SF office building focusing on the Technology sector at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. In March of 2011, she joined the board of the Incarnation Children’s Center—the only skilled nursing facility serving children living with HIV/AIDS in New York City. In 2016, Samantha helped launch an Association for Better New York's Working Women's.

Jaime Schultz

Executive Managing Director
Lee & Associates

Jaime Schultz joined Lee & Associates NYC (“Lee NYC”) in January 2014 as a director in its retail leasing division, where she will focus on the Brooklyn market. Prior to joining Lee NYC, Ms. Schultz was a leasing broker with GFI, where she was instrumental in building its retail group. While at GFI, she completed the leasing of 20,000 square feet in the Finger Building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, including placing Juice Press, Antica Pesa, DNA Footwear, Crossroads Trading, 16 Handles, and Beth Israel, for a total of nine retail tenants, in the building. Ms. Schultz has worked for other notable landlords in Brooklyn, including Forrest City Ratner, where she leased the entire 5000 retail square feet of its DKLB project on Dekalb Street near Flatbush Avenue, including putting Smashburger, Salon 718, Sunny Bagels, Celebrtea, and O’Crepes into the development. Ms. Schultz began her real estate career at Prudential Douglas Elliman, primarily involved in development site sales, before she gravitated to commercial real estate sales and leasing. Before launching her real estate career, she worked for many years in the art museum world as a consultant for exhibitions, where she served as an installation coordinator. Since beginning her real estate career in 2007, she has closed over 25 real estate transactions in Brooklyn, for a lease value total of over $30 million. Ms. Schultz holds the Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pacific Northwest College in Portland, Oregon. She is licensed to practice real estate in New York. She lives in Brooklyn.

Patricia Simone

President
Simone Management Group

While attending Emory University, Patricia Simone did summer real estate internships; first at Cushman & Wakefield, where she gained in-depth and high volume exposure to Class A office and high-end retail leasing; and then at Simone Development, where she gained exposure to a full range of property types and the development process. She joined Simone as a leasing associate after earning her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Emory, and a few years later combined her growing job responsibilities with attending the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate, earning a Master’s degree Cum Laude. Patricia has been with the company for over 10 years and is an active member on the Board of Directors for the Business Council of Westchester and the Fordham University Real Estate Institute.

Christina Lyndon Winstead

Director
Angelo Gordon

Abbe Franchot Borok

Managing Director, Head of US Debt
BGO

Megumi Brod

SVP & Regional Development Officer, Northeast
Rockefeller Group

Anna Zarro

Principal
ANNAZARRO&

Kate Bicknell

Managing Director
Tishman Speyer

Ms. Bicknell joined Tishman Speyer in 2021 to lead the development of the Enterprise Research Campus across from the Harvard Business School in Boston. Prior to joining Tishman Speyer, Ms. Bicknell was Vice President and Head of New York Development for Oxford Properties Group where she was responsible for the development of St. John’s Terminal, the anchor of Google’s new Hudson Square campus in NYC. Ms. Bicknell also spent 13 years at Forest City New York where she led the development of Cornell Tech, and played a leading role in the development of Pacific Park Brooklyn and Barclays Center where she was responsible for the negotiations with the City, State & MTA. She also worked as a Legislative Aide for the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and was the Federal Policy Director for Smart Growth America. Ms. Bicknell was a 2017 Rockefeller Fellow and is a member of WX and ULI, including the University Development & Innovation Council. She holds her BS in Urban Studies from Cornell University, where she is the Vice Chair of the Cornell Alumni Trustee Nominating Committee and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council. Ms. Bicknell holds her MBA from the Wharton School.

Faith Hope Consolo

Chairman
Douglas Elliman Real Estate

An expert in trend-spotting, neighborhood transformations, sales and leasing and all things fashion, Faith Hope Consolo is far more than the Chairman of the Retail Leasing and Sales Division at Douglas Elliman in New York. She’s also a powerful voice in the global community. It’s no wonder smart investors, entrepreneurs, developers and top-tier fashion icons – such as Cartier, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, Giorgio Armani, Versace, and Saint Laurent – rely on Consolo’s comprehensive expertise for their strategic business positioning, retail planning and prime visibility for the highest reward. With a far-reaching proficiency as an author, advisor, roundtable leader and speaker, mentor and dealmaker, the Queen of Retail, as Consolo is known, has a keen insight on fashion’s retail landscape, from regional trends and influences, to global shifts and the revitalization of retail corridors domestically and abroad. A trusted mentor, Consolo is a board member of the national Commercial Real Estate Women’s Network (CREW), for whose New York chapter (CREW New York) she serves as chairman emeritus. Her guiding voice has been embraced by real estate, specialty, economic and service-based organizations, and myriad causes have benefitted from the Faith Hope Consolo Foundation. Consolo also has shared her insights as a guest instructor at colleges, lecturer for professional organizations and keynote speaker at far-ranging conferences, as well as through her self-authored quarterly compendium on New York City’s real estate industry, The Faith Report, and her popular blog, The Faithful Shopper. Her columns regularly appear in a multitude of publications, and she’s often quoted by, and on-air with, media news front-runners near and far. Crain’s New York Business rates Consolo as one of New York's 100 Most Influential Women in Business and she’s been profiled by Real Estate Forum as a Woman of Influence annually since 2008. Like no other, Consolo is the go-to source for industry notables and neophytes. Who needs Faith? We all do.

Melanie Meyers

Partner
Fried Frank

Melanie Meyers is a member of the Real Estate Department, resident in Fried Frank's New York office. She joined the Firm in 2003 as a partner. Ms. Meyers' practice focuses on real estate development, with an emphasis on land use, zoning and structuring complex projects, environmental review, public approvals, and private/public partnerships. She has worked on some of New York City's most transformative projects, including Hudson Yards, Pacific Park, Greenpoint Landing, and Cornell Technion University on Roosevelt Island. Clients rely on Ms. Meyers to move economically viable developments forward while also achieving public policy goals. Prior to joining Fried Frank, Ms. Meyers served as general counsel to the New York City Department of City Planning. She regularly advocates before city agencies and officials with land use jurisdiction. Her long-standing relationships with industry professionals and governmental agencies enables her to guide her clients from the initial acquisition phase through to obtaining permits and managing construction matters. Ms. Meyers began her career as an architect. From 1994 to 1997, she was an adjunct professor in the Real Estate Development Program at Columbia University. From 1993 to 1994, Ms. Meyers was an associate professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and an assistant professor from 1990 to 1993. Honors & Awards: Ms. Meyers is consistently recognized by Chambers USA as a leading individual in Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use, where she is described as “an excellent resource in complex land use and planning matters” who “understands the legal nuances in the area and is adept at condensing complicated code provisions in a practical manner.” She is consistently recognized by Legal 500 in Real Estate and in Real Estate: Land Use and Zoning. Ms. Meyers was included in the 2016 New York Commercial Real Estate “Power Women of New York City” by Bisnow, and was included in Real Estate Forum’s 2017 Women of Influence Hall of Fame as well as Crain’s New York Business’ 2017 list of Leading Women Lawyers. In addition, Ms. Meyers was named a "Women of Influence" by both Real Estate New York and Real Estate Forum in 2008 and 2010. She was also featured in NYinc's "Profiles in Innovation - 15 People You Should Know" in real estate. Professional Associations: Member, WX New York Women Executives in Real Estate; Member, New York City Bar Association; Board of Governors, Real Estate Board of New York; Advisory Board, Real Estate Law Reporter. Bar Admissions/Licensed Jurisdictions: New York.

Jillian Mariutti

Director
Mission Capital Advisors

Marion Jones

Managing Director
Ackman-Ziff

Rebecca Fishman Lipsey

CEO
Radical Partners

Rebecca is the Founder and CEO of Radical Partners, a social-impact accelerator that has helped launch and scale dozens of social impact ventures in South Florida. She is the youngest person in history to be appointed to the Florida Board of Education, where she served a 4-year term. Prior to launching Radical Partners, Rebecca was Executive Director at Teach For America in Miami. She serves on a variety of nonprofit and for profit boards and is deeply passionate about strengthening Miami.

Sarah Emmons

Managing Director
Radical Partners

Sarah Emmons is a social impact professional with a focus on launching impactful initiatives that increase equity for all people. She serves as the Managing Director at Radical Partners, a social impact accelerator in Miami that invests in solutions to our region’s most pressing challenges - such as housing affordability, public transit, and inclusivity - through leadership development and community engagement. In this role, Sarah designs and oversees implementation of massive community engagements (such as 100 Great Ideas and 10 Days of Connection) and leadership development initiatives (such as Leadership Lab and Social Entrepreneurship Bootcamp). Sarah is also the Chair of the Board of Directors for P.S. 305, an education advocacy non-profit that works with parents and teachers to improve Miami’s schools. Sarah began her career as a high school mathematics teacher and Teach for America corps member in Tulsa, Oklahoma and has since worked as a Mayoral Fellow in the Chicago Mayor’s Office and as a Research Manager at the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab. Sarah earned a B.A. in Economics from Middlebury College and a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.