Hospitality Investment, Development & Management Summit

Daniel H. Lesser brings more than 30 years of expertise in a wide range of hospitality operational, investment counseling, valuation, advisory, and transactional services. He provides services to corporate, institutional, and individual clients as well as public agencies on all facets of hospitality real estate including: litigation support and expert testimony, site evaluation, highest and best use analysis, appraisals for mortgage, acquisition, and portfolio management, workout strategies, operational analysis, property tax assessment appeal evaluations, economic impact studies, deal structuring, and fairness opinions. Mr. Lesser is a leading authority on hotel feasibility and valuation, and is highly sought after to speak at lodging and real estate events, as well as lectures at prestigious institutions of higher education, including Cornell University, Columbia University and New York University. He is widely published and quoted, and serves as a quarterly columnist for HotelNewsNow.com and GlobeSt.com. Most recently, Mr. Lesser created and served as the Senior Managing Director - Industry Leader of the Hospitality & Gaming Valuation Advisory Services Group at CB Richard Ellis Hotels (CBRE). Prior to joining CBRE, Mr. Lesser founded and led the Hospitality & Gaming Group at Cushman & Wakefield and was a founding member of the team at HVS International. Mr. Lesser has also held operational and administrative positions with Hilton Hotels Corporation and Eurotels - Switzerland. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University, and also attended the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland and Baruch College - City University of New York. Mr. Lesser holds the following professional designations: MAI (Member of the Appraisal Institute), FRICS (Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), CRE (Counselor of Real Estate), and CHA (Certified Hotel Administrator). Mr. Lesser is a member of and has served on numerous committees for the Counselors of Real Estate, the Appraisal Institute, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and the Board of Directors of the New York City Chapter of the Cornell Hotel Society. He is a former Advisory Board member and member of the Fundraising Subcommittee for the New York University Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. Mr. Lesser is a founding member of the Lodging Industry Investment Council (LIIC), the hotel industry “think tank.” Furthermore, Mr. Lesser served as an Honorary Committee Member of the annual UJA - Federation New York Hotel & Hospitality Division Dinner, and is a member of the AIPAC Real Estate Division.

Rani Gharbie is currently the Head of Acquisitions & Development for The Pod Hotels where he is responsible for identifying potential investment opportunities and working closely with capital partners and strategic investors to increase equity positions and funding for future projects for the brand. Formerly, he oversaw development and acquisitions for North America at Virgin Hotels. Prior to that, Gharbie was the Managing Director and Founder at Cedar Funds, a New York City based development and investment firm with a focus on progressive hotel and real estate assets, as well as regional Director of Development with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), where he was responsible for actively expanding IHG’s premier hotel brands including InterContinental, Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn. In this position, he oversaw and contributed to the growth of 20 hotels worth over $1.8B in real estate value. In addition, Rani is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia's Master in Real Estate Development program, where he teaches the spring course Private Equity Development, Hotel Focus. He holds a Master’s Degree from the program, an MBA from the HEC Business School in Montreal, a Bachelor degree in Hotel Management from the Glion Hotel School in Switzerland, and a Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management from Cornell University in New York. Rani is a regular guest speaker at key industry conferences and is an avid traveler, runner, cyclist, golfer and Vinyasa Yogi. He currently resides in New York City.

Mr. Dandapani is a hotel industry veteran who cofounded Apple Core Hotels, an owner-operator of boutique hotels in Manhattan in 1993 and was president of the company till December 2016. He was appointed President and Chief Executive officer of the Hotel Association in January 2017. He is an active participant in the hospitality industry and has spoken on hospitality issues at many forums sponsored by organizations such as the Lodging Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, the ALIS conference, University of California at Los Angeles, Columbia University, New York University and the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives. In 1998, he was recognized by Crain’s New York Business as one of the top 100 minority business leaders in New York City. In 2002, the Asian American Business Development Center, New York selected him as one of 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business. He has written in a number of industry publications and the mainstream media on topics affecting the hotel industry. As a Part of New York's response to the COVID crisis, Mr. Dandapani has been appointed by Mayor de Blasio to the COVID-19 Arts, Culture and Tourism Sector Advisory Council. He was also appointed by Governor Cuomo to the “New York Forward Advisory Board” tasked with guiding the state’s reopening strategy in the aftermath of the Covid 19 crisis. Mr. Dandapani has a Master’s degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and is a winner of the Aga Khan Foundation Scholar for graduate studies. He also holds the CHAE certification from HFTP.

Jonathan Falik is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of JF Capital Advisors. Mr. Falik leads the firm’s hospitality business, which includes equity and debt placement, asset acquisitions and dispositions, portfolio transactions, joint venture structuring, asset management, management company and brand evaluation, and strategic and capital markets advisory services. Mr. Falik was a Senior Managing Director and the Head of Hospitality Capital Markets at BGC Real Estate Capital Markets. Simultaneously, Mr. Falik was the Head of Hotel Investment Sales for Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. Previously, Mr. Falik was a Managing Director and Head of the Lodging and Leisure Investment Banking group at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. Prior to joining Cantor Fitzgerald, Mr. Falik was the founder and CEO of JF Capital Advisors, a lodging advisory and principal investment firm. While at JF Capital, Mr. Falik led the acquisition or development of 25 hotels with over 5,500 keys and an aggregate cost of approximately $1 billion. Additionally, Mr. Falik was the CEO of Eagle Hospitality Trust, a 13 hotel-property private REIT. Mr. Falik has led the sales of single assets and portfolios of 100 hotels for over $2 billion of value. Before founding JF Capital in 2004, Mr. Falik was an investment banker at Bear Stearns in the Gaming, Lodging and Leisure Group. Mr. Falik began his career as a CPA at Price Waterhouse. Mr. Falik has over 25 years of experience in the real estate and lodging sector. He has worked on numerous M&A and financing transactions involving well over 2,000 hotels and over $30 billion of transaction value. He has been actively involved with mergers and acquisitions of public and private companies, portfolio sales and single asset sales, equity financings, high yield financings and mortgage financings. Mr. Falik has extensive hospitality experience as an agent, advisor, principal, owner, borrower, guarantor, franchisee, lender and asset manager. Mr. Falik received a BA in economics with high honors from Rutgers College and an MBA from Columbia Business School with a concentration in Real Estate Finance. Mr. Falik has been an adjunct professor at NYU’s Real Estate Institute and is an active lecturer and panelist at industry events.

Mr. Wolfe is the Managing Partner in the Property Tax Department at Skoloff & Wolfe, PC, where he focuses his practice on representing taxpayers in significant real estate tax appeals and property tax related matters. He has extensive experience in all types of property tax appeals, including hotel, multi-family, retail, office, and industrial properties. Mr. Wolfe frequently counsels clients on the property tax implications of the development, acquisition, and disposition of significant assets. He also counsels clients with respect to property tax exemptions and PILOT agreements. Mr. Wolfe serves on the Board of the National Association of Property Tax Attorneys (NAPTA) and as the Co-Chair of the Real Property Tax Practice Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Mr. Wolfe has been featured or quoted in a wide variety of local and national publications, including Forbes.com, GlobeSt.com, Marketwatch.com, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Law.com, Law360.com, The New York Law Journal, and Commerce Magazine. Mr. Wolfe has a track record of obtaining significant assessment reductions on behalf of his clients. Examples of those assessment reductions include: • Reduced hotel assessment from $188 million to $131million; • Reduced multi-family assessment from $116 million to $67 million; • Reduced office assessment from $115.5 million to $90million; • Reduced supermarket anchored center from $66.9 million to $46 million; • Reduced nursing home assessment from $36 million to $10.1million; • Reduced big box retail assessment from $21.3 million to $13.4 million; • Reduced office assessment from $27.8 million to $6.5million. Mr. Wolfe began his career as an associate at the law firm of Davis Polk and Wardwell in New York. While at Davis Polk, he focused his practice on regulatory investigations, securities litigation and banking disputes. Mr. Wolfe is a member of the American Bar Association House of Delegates and is the Co-Chair of the ABA’s Diversity & Inclusion 360 Presidential Commission. As a young lawyer, Mr. Wolfe served as the Chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division, the ABA’s largest entity with more than 130,000 members. Mr. Wolfe received his J.D. from New York University School of Law, and graduated from Cornell University with distinction in all subjects.

Jack Pulvirenti, an Audit Partner, member of the Executive Committee, and the Hospitality Practice Leader at Berdon LLP, has been with the firm since 1988. A specialist in the hospitality and real estate industries, with a focus on closely held businesses, he also advises clients in retail, distribution, and professional services.

Scott Gerber is the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of hospitality industry leader, Gerber Group. Setting out to provide an innovative nightlife experience, Gerber Group opened their first property, The Whiskey at the Paramount Hotel, in 1991. Soon after, Scott took the lead in forging a partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to develop the W Hotel brand. The partnership is widely credited for changing the landscape of the nightlife industry by creating unique, innovative venues that have re-defined the ‘hotel bar.’ Today, Gerber Group owns and operates bars and restaurants under such brands as Whiskey Blue, Irvington, Kingside, The Roof, Mr. Purple and The Campbell. Gerber Group continues to re-define the hospitality industry with innovative dining concepts and bars featuring renowned beverage programs accompanied by exceptional culinary talents. Scott is widely viewed as a leading entrepreneur in the hospitality industry, appearing on shows such as CNBC’s “Squawk On The Street,” Fox Business Network’s “America’s Nightly Scoreboard,” MSNBC’s “Your Business,” Food Network’s “Food Fortunes”, and most recently CBS’ “Undercover Boss”. Scott has also been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, Market Watch, Crain’s New York Business, Bloomberg Businessweek, Hotel Business, Nightclub & Bar, and Bar Business Magazine, among others. Scott – who holds a B.S. in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Arizona – was previously a Principal at a commercial real-estate firm and represented notable clients such as Giorgio Armani, Hermes, and Dolce & Gabbana.

Allie is responsible for setting and implementing Virgin Hotels’ global growth strategy. Allie’s primary responsibilities include identifying properties in key markets, and structuring transactions that work for Virgin Hotels and our Owner/Developer partners. Prior to joining Virgin, Allie worked on acquisitions, dispositions and asset management at Sunstone Hotel Investors where she was on a team that completed over $1 billion of hotel transactions. Allie was previously a partner at HMR Analytics, a hospitality asset management firm based in California, and a consultant with PKF Consulting, one of the top advisory services firms in the hospitality industry. Other experiences include hotel operations with Interstate Hotels and Resorts and spa development at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Allie is a graduate of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration where she received the Dean’s Baccalaureate Service Award, is a guest lecturer at Cornell Hotel School Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship, Columbia University and NYU, was named Southern California Real Estate “Woman of Influence” in 2007, and is the co-chair of the Dean’s Young Advisory Board for Cornell Hotel School.

Alex Witkoff is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Witkoff’s development activities. He is currently overseeing the West Hollywood EDITION project, which is comprised of a 190-key hotel and 20 branded residences in Los Angeles, California, as well as Drew Las Vegas, a 4,000-room integrated resort adjacent to the expanded Las Vegas Convention Center. Mr. Witkoff has garnered a track record of consistently executing creative strategies across diverse asset classes. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Witkoff honed his expertise in real estate and private equity as a real estate investing analyst at Morgan Stanley. He also gained experience in the industry working with Eastdil Secured, Highgate Hotels, and The Trump Organization. Mr. Witkoff graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, where he received a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance and Real Estate.

Ken Colao is a recognized leader and entrepreneur in the construction industry with more than 37 years of experience as a principal of several major firms, working on domestic and international high-profile projects. As Founder, President and CEO of CNY, Ken leads an innovative solutions oriented Manhattan based company that is credited with leading change in the industry including “open shop” construction that disrupted an otherwise all union labor marketplace for large-scale development. As a thought leader and early adopter of ESG initiatives at CNY he brings a discipline and an approach to problem solving that fulfills objectives of clients and designers. Ken enthusiastically challenges the norm, unlocking value and leading CNY’s management in the delivery of its proven best practices and expertise, including its Social Conscience, Technical Prowess and Sustainability Practices CNY provides CMAR and design assist services with a collaborative, open forum management style. The company differentiates itself with expertise involving complex reconstruction and repurposing of buildings, and buildouts of sustainable and uniquely designed spaces. The firm was named ENR Contractor of the Year, among other notable recognition from BD+C with three of its projects, Times Square Edition, Woolworth Tower and Tammany Hall receiving Best Project Awards. An engineer with a B.S.C.E. degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology, Ken serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Overseers for NJIT and Chairs the Board of Advisors for the Hillier School of Architecture and Design. Ken has received the University’s Alumni Achievement Award and is amongst its Top 30 Influencers. He also serves as Vice Chairman on the Board of Governors for the New York Building Congress and has held positions at several charitable organizations. Ken has been an active member of YPO for over 28 years serving on boards of YPO Metro, Metro Gold and Big Apple Gold and Construction Industry Global Network where he is Vice Chair. He has spoken on several industry panels and was speaker at YPO CIN RT in 2014 on Life Lessons: Story about Construction and Perseverance Following 911. Ken was named EY Entrepreneur of The Year® in 2017 for the New York Region, in the category of Real Estate, Construction and Hospitality. EY’s global program recognizes individuals who excel in innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. He also Championed YPO CIN Digital Roundtable Event 2021 on ESG—An Emerging Influence in our Society, Industry, and Businesses—a topic Ken is passionate about. For more information, visit www.cnygroup.com

Carlos Cardoso is a Partner at Beyer Blinder Belle and Director of Construction Administration. Carlos coordinates all of Beyer Blinder Belle’s construction activities, supported by a team of field architects with diverse experience in construction management, technical construction expertise, and hands-on field experience on the construction site. Carlos is a technical expert in the world of architecture, with over 20 years of experience leading a team of architects in construction phase services and management. Carlos provides construction administration and project management on many notable projects, from renovation and adaptive reuse to new construction. Carlos also leads BBB's Design Build initiative. Carlos’ diverse clients include major developers as well as hospitality groups such as Brookfield Properties, JBG Companies, Naftali Group, The Brodsky Organization, RFR Holding LLC, Ian Schraeger Company, and The Witkoff Group.

Christina, as Founder and Creative Director, leads StudioH to sculpt bespoke, dynamic interior spaces from the inside out. From a wealth of experience as Partner at BBGM then acquired by HOK, Christina has honed a niche designing signature restaurants, premier spas, and upscale luxury suites as part, or in total, of a five-star hotel immersion spanning over 10,000 guest rooms. She has commanded the renovation of historic properties including Hotel du Parc, Switzerland, select areas of The Waldorf, and The Blossom Room at The Hollywood Roosevelt, site of the first Academy Awards. Notable work around the globe is highlighted by Rosewood Abu Dhabi, awarded a Gold Key Award for and Best Luxury Hotel, and The Four Seasons Macau just recently opened, while significant work continues here in New York City for Mandarin Oriental, awarded the Das Design Award for Suite 5000, and Best of Year Finalist The Intercontinental New York Barclay. Christina holds a B.S. in Design & Environmental Analysis from Cornell University.

Kimpton’s Chief Development Officer is responsible for overseeing real estate development and management contracts across the brand. This is accomplished through leading a team of dedicated and knowledgeable development executives to sign new management agreements. Allison Reid is a tenured hotelier, with a history of success in development, real estate investment, finance, brand management and operations. Prior to Kimpton, Allison worked for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Most recently, Allison served as the senior vice president of North America Development overseeing development and acquisition efforts for all 11 Starwood brands in North America, the Caribbean and French Polynesia. During her tenure, Allison was instrumental in the launch of three new brands at Starwood, signing 600+ new hotel deals. Over the course of her career, Allison has been involved in strategic asset management responsible for the repositioning and/or sale of a $3.5 billion-dollar global joint venture and leasehold portfolio. Allison also stepped into the role of chief financial officer for W Hotels, driving strategic operating and brand growth initiatives. She has a deep bench of experience across owner relations, investor relations, and creative financing for new brand launches to established lifestyle brands. Prior to Starwood, Allison worked at Interstate Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in various regional and property level finance and operating roles. Allison is a graduate of Bryant University where she majored in Accounting/Finance and Hospitality Management. She and her husband Gene live in New Canaan, CT. They can be found at the beach in the summer and skiing in the winter.

Mark J. Gordon has over 30 years of experience in the hospitality and real estate industry and is widely regarded as an ndustry expert. During his career, he has been actively in development, operations, asset management, acquisitions, renovations, design, construction management, capital raising, financing, sales and advisory. In 2021, Mark co-founded a travel technology platform known as Pinktada. The company has developed game changing technology that uses NFTs and the blockchain to fundamentally enhance the way hotels are marketed and reservations are procured for leisure hotel and resort travel. Mark was most recently Managing Partner of Intrinsic Hotel Capital and Tribeca Associates where he focused on over $1.5 billion of acquisitions and development in Manhattan. Notable projects include the conceptualization, development and ultimate sale of the super luxury Baccarat Hotel & Residences. In addition, he oversaw the adaptive reuse of an office building conversion into the Marriott Residence Inn World Trade Center with destination retail, the development of the 298-key Moxy Hotel Downtown, a mixed-use 30-story hotel and retail tower and the complete renovation and repositioning of two officer towers, 130 West 42 nd Street and 30 Broad Street. Prior to his focus on development and acquisitions, Mark was one of the leading advisors to the hotel industry. He was Managing Partner and Head of the Hospitality Group at Sonnenblick-Goldman, a national real estate investment banking firm. As partner, Mr. Gordon was responsible for overseeing management, sales growth and the ultimate sale of the firm to Cushman & Wakefield. Upon the sale of the company, Mr. Gordon was appointed to head Cushman & Wakefield‘s National Hospitality Practice, a position he held until 2010 when he decided to take his own advice and become a hotel developer and investor. During his advisory career, Mark oversaw many of the hotel industries’ most complex projects including the adaptive reuse and conversion of the Hotel Delmonico to the Trump Park Avenue, creating a joint venture between Loews Hotels and Universal Studios to develop five hotels at Universal Studios Resort in Orlando, recapitalizing Ian Schrager Company, restructuring Denihan Hospitality Group, and the complex sales and financings of hundreds of landmark hotels and resorts located throughout the U.S. Mark has won numerous awards for his accomplishments in the real estate industry including Crain’s “40 under 40”, Americas Lodging Investment Summits “Deal of the Year” and Commercial Property News “Stars to Watch” and is a frequent speaker at hotel and real estate industry events. Mr. Gordon holds a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Finance from New York University and a B.S. in Finance from Ithaca College.

Chad Cooley is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of AWH Partners, a New York City based real estate investment firm founded in 2010 with a hospitality-focused portfolio currently valued in excess of $1.2B. Mr. Cooley is responsible for overseeing all executive aspects of the firm, including setting the strategic direction and oversight of the company’s investment, development, and management divisions. Prior to founding AWH Partners, Mr. Cooley served as Vice President at The Related Companies from 2002-2009, where he managed numerous investments through all stages of the acquisition and development process, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. With over 16 years of industry experience, Mr. Cooley remains actively involved in AWH’s pursuit of ground up, value-add and distressed hospitality investment opportunities. Mr. Cooley received his BA in Political Science from Colgate University and currently serves as an executive member of the University’s Alumni Council.

Jay Morrow leads HWE’s New York Hospitality Investment Advisory practice. He specializes in institutional-grade hotel and resort property transactions throughout North America, including investment advisory and capital placement with both domestic and international buyers. Mr. Morrow is a frequent speaker at industry events, including the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference and other publications and conferences. He joined the firm in 2008 after earning of a B.B.A. in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, GA, where he was a four-year letterman and two-year captain of the Men’s Baseball team.

Dilip Petigara serves as chief executive officer. He has more than 23 years of experience in both the hospitality and finance industries. Petigara joined Access Point Financial from a real estate and capital advisory service firm which focused on hospitality. Prior to his advisory role, he served as senior vice president of Specialty Finance Group (SFG). His responsibilities included management of loan operations, internal credit approval, closing/funding and asset management with specific focus on support to participations, syndications and reporting to warehouse lenders. Prior to SFG, Petigara served as assistant vice president and senior underwriter at GMAC Commercial Mortgage – Asset Backed Lending Division. Petigara has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from Temple University, a Juris Doctor degree from Widener University School of Law and a Master of Laws degree in Taxation from the University of Miami – School of Law.

Evan Weiss serves as Chief Operating Officer, Principal of LW Hospitality Advisors®. He was previously an associate at CBRE Hotels – Hospitality & Gaming Valuation Advisory Services Group, where he was awarded Silver and Gold production awards during each year of his tenure. He also received the Valuation Services Professional of the Year Award for the Tri-State region in 2007. Prior to joining CBRE, Mr. Weiss held the executive position of Director of Operations for CARINO Hotels & Resorts in New York, a sales and marketing firm representing 75 luxury hotels throughout the globe. Mr. Weiss was the first official hire for this firm and grew the entity by recruiting twenty professionals around the world. Mr. Weiss’s operational experience includes serving as General Manager at City Food Bar Inc., where he led corporate management and operational efforts at the restaurant ownership and management firm as well as worked with the Founder and President to build and expand the business. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Tourism Management from New York University Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. Following successful terms as Board Member, Vice President, and President of the NYU Tisch Center Alumni Society, Evan also served as a member of the Tisch Center’s Advisory Board. While attending NYU’s Tisch Center, Mr. Weiss was twice honored with the President’s Service Award for Leadership and Community Service. He also recently served on the search committee for the Divisional Dean of the Tisch Center, and is privileged to hold the position of adjunct faculty member at the Tisch Center. Mr. Weiss currently serves as a member of the REX Next committee of the UJA – Federation of New York, as a member of the AIPAC Washington Club and Real Estate Committee, as well as a board member of RESA. Evan is also intimately involved with Our Soldiers Speak, a 501(c)(3) based in Midtown Manhattan, NY.