Future of Wynwood, Design District, and Midtown

Amro Zakarni is a Vice President of Development for the Related Group, a role which sees him leading numerous condominium and luxury rental development efforts across South Florida and Latin America. In this role, Amro oversees all facets of development, including site selection, predevelopment feasibility analysis, pro forma and financial modeling, entitlements, design and construction, sales and marketing, among other responsibilities. Amro’s current focus is the development of five upscale residential communities in Miami’s popular Wynwood neighborhood. These projects include, but are not limited to, Wynwood 29, located at 2828 NW 1st Avenue, and a soon-to-be-named development located at 2150 North Miami Avenue. Amro shares Related’s vision for preserving a culturally rich and socially diverse Wynwood and drives all developments through that lens. Amro has notably played a prominent role in Related’s international development efforts, leading highly successful projects in Argentina and Brazil such as the $650 million Parque Global - a five-tower, mixed-use condominium property redefining Sao Paolo, Brazil. Prior to joining Related, Amro worked in a top 100 U.S construction firm with a development arm. There, he was responsible for over $1 billion of development, preconstruction, and pricing of luxury hotel and residential projects such as Four Seasons Resorts & Residences, Ritz Reserves, and Rosewood Hotels. He managed the development of these assets and timelines for family offices and several other large REIT’s. Amro is a committed community member, and is involved in multiple community organizations, including being a Board Member at the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID). He also formerly served as a Co-Chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Young Leaders Group in Miami from 2014 to 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, a Certificate in Hotel & Real Estate Investments from Cornell University, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Amro is fluent in English, Spanish, and Arabic, and is spoken in Portuguese and Catalan.

Carlos Rosso is the Founder of Rosso Development, a fully integrated development firm focused on high-end boutique development opportunities. Rosso is set to oversee multiple upcoming awe-inspiring projects in key markets in South Florida and Latin America—with the first ever The Standard Residences in Midtown Miami as his debut project. Rosso founded Rosso Development in 2020 after nearly 20 years with The Related Group, where he was a driving force behind the company’s condominium operations. As the president of the condominium and international development divisions, he oversaw all facets of condominium development domestically and internationally. Over the course of his career, Rosso developed well over 16,000 units, and in the process, mastered diverse development disciplines including construction, project financing, land acquisition and sales and marketing. Under his leadership, Related successfully delivered iconic projects including the 1,600 unit Paraiso District in Miami; Residences by ARMANI/CASA designed by César Pelli; Hyde Beach House; Park Grove by OMA/Rem Koolhaas; Auberge Beach Residences and Spa in Fort Lauderdale; SLS Cancun & Residences in Mexico; and V:HOUSE in Brazil. Prior to his time at Related, Rosso held a number of positions across global development firms, having served as Vice President of Real Estate Development for Investment Properties Ltd. in Boston; and ten years as Project Director for Besix International, overseeing the development and construction of over ten million square feet of multi-family, hotel and office buildings in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Rosso graduated summa cum laude from the Universidad de Buenos Aires with a master’s degree in Architecture. He also earned a master’s degree in Real Estate Development and Finance, with the highest honors, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). www.rossodev.com

Greg Newman is Senior Managing Director for the Southeast Region of Bank OZK’s Real Estate Specialties Group. Bank OZK consistently ranks as one of the best performing financial institutions in the country given its high level of profitability, strong capital and liquidity, disciplined credit culture and outstanding team. Its Real Estate Specialties Group (RESG) is widely recognized as the preeminent commercial real estate construction lender in major markets throughout the United States. With a focus on senior secured financing, RESG has originated over $41 billion in new loans over the past five years. The bank lends on most major property types, including mixed use, multifamily, condos, office, life sciences, hospitality and industrial. Newman’s expertise in real estate investments, capital structuring and debt underwriting spans 37 years. He has repeatedly been recognized by industry-leading sources as one of the most important figures of U.S. commercial real estate finance. Since joining Bank OZK in 2014, Newman has structured financing for some of its largest and most complex commercial real estate transactions and has closed over 188 deals totaling over $15 billion. Prior to joining Bank OZK, he worked at Cohen Financial, iStar Financial, Fremont Investment Savings & Loan and Heller Financial.

Liam Krahe is a partner with Cohen Property Law Group based in Miami. He has extensive experience representing clients in complex commercial real estate transactions including leasing, financing, acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, syndications, and operations. Liam regularly advises developers and property owners in the purchase, sale, and development of commercial real estate, including retail shopping centers, office buildings, multifamily and mixed-use projects, and hotel and hospitality transactions. He represents commercial landlords and tenants in the preparation, negotiation, and workout of office and retail leases. In addition, Liam’s practice includes representing clients on the formation and structuring of joint ventures and syndications, including advising on choice of entity and jurisdiction, developing offering terms, and preparing disclosure and investment documents.

Jonah Belkin is a Partner and Managing Director of Peakhill Equity Partners, Peakhill’s equity investment platform. Jonah leads sourcing, structuring, and execution of all of Peakhill’s equity investments, with a focus on ground-up and value-add development projects. Prior to founding Peakhill Equity Partners, Jonah was at Tricon Residential, where he led origination, underwriting, and asset management for Tricon Residential’s development business in the U.S., as well as other investment initiatives. Prior to this, Jonah was a Senior Vice President at AECOM Capital in New York City focused on Co-GP real estate investments, and also worked in real estate at Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan. Jonah holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University. He is a member of the ULI Urban Revitalization Council and the Cornell Real Estate Council.

Diego Bonet Diego´s responsibilities include analyzing and structuring Lineaire Group´s investments and overseeing all asset management activities for Lineaire´s portfolio. Diego oversees strategic/financial planning and marketing while leading all development and investment projects for Lineaire Designs’ sister company, Lineaire Group. Before joining Lineaire, Diego worked at The Carlyle Group in the U.S. Real Estate Fund, where he was involved in over $2B of development and investment projects, including the development of 700+ high-end residential units in the New York City area. Prior to that, Diego worked as an Associate on the Real Estate Finance team at Goldman Sachs & Co., where he was involved in the repositioning of the $500M Conrad Hotel in NYC and the development and investment analysis for several of Goldman Sachs’ real estate assets. Diego received his M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania as a Wharton Fellowship Scholar, with a triple major in Real Estate, Finance, and Management, and a Certificate in Law from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management and Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cornell University. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional and has consulted with the Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA) on resilience and climate change.

As Regional Vice President with Bozzuto Management Company, Adanise Cross brings over 20 years of property management experience to her role. Adanise’s management expertise spans from boutique-style buildings with 150 units, to large mixed-use assets with over 800 units and nearly 100,000 square feet of retail. Over the past 10 years, Adanise has played an integral role in growing Bozzuto’s Washington, D.C. portfolio. Over 4 years ago she relocated to Florida to help fuel Bozzuto’s expansion in the market. With her extensive lease-up expertise, Adanise has implemented creative strategies and beneficial partnerships with local vendors and businesses promoting strong absorption paces while earning top-of-market rental rates. Her dedication to strengthening Bozzuto’s presence has earned her several accolades including the Bozzuto Management Award for Lease-up of the Year and the Bozzuto Management Award Residents Choice Award. In addition to her role as Regional Vice President, Adanise supports Bozzuto’s strong company culture serving as the Executive Sponsor for VIDA, Bozzuto’s Latino/Hispanic employee resource group, Community Lead Champion for Bozzuto VETS and a mentor and trainer for new regional team members. She is also an active member of her community serving on the Board of Directors for SEFAA, while engaging in several volunteering efforts in her neighborhood. Prior to joining Bozzuto, Adanise was a Senior Property Manager with Kettler Management and held positions with Archstone Smith and Marriott. Adanise earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a major in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Florida State University.

Ryan Shear manages the development of a growing real estate portfolio with over $10B in assets, including all acquisitions, financing, construction, design, marketing, sales and operations. Ryan primarily focuses on new construction condo and multifamily high rises in urban cores, including Miami, New York, Orlando, Denver, Atlanta and more. Recent condo projects he’s spearheaded include Echo Aventura, Echo Brickell, Muse Sunny Isles, Sage Longboat Key Residences, E11EVEN Hotel & Residences and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences Miami. Recent multifamily projects include X Miami, Society Las Olas, Society Biscayne, Society Orlando and Society Wynwood. Ryan graduated with a BA in Business Administration from the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University in Atlanta.

As executive managing director and director of design at MKDA, a Miami architecture and interior design studio, Amanda Hertzler, NCIDQ, leads an innovative design studio that produces spaces unmatched in creativity yet rooted in the business of real estate. Since establishing the studio in 2013, Amanda has been a trusted advisor on investment and development opportunities to major real estate owners and their agents, including East End Capital, Brickman, Goldman Properties, RedSky, The Safra Family, The Gindi Family and Metro1, among others. She helps owners define opportunities and possibilities in areas under transformation—such as the Design District, Downtown Miami and Wynwood Arts District, where she was invited to sit on the Board of the Wynwood Design & Review Committee. She also assists owners and their agents with marketing, leasing, design and build-out. This work includes: Wynwood Park, the adaptive-reuse of a full city block in Wynwood into 50,000-SF of retail space and 20,000-SF of green rooftop space on behalf of the Gindi Family 2407 NW 2nd Avenue, the adaptive-reuse of a Wynwood art gallery into two floors of retail and outdoor space on behalf of owner Redsky. 2509 N. Miami Avenue, the adaptive-reuse of a former Wynwood printing warehouse into a three-story office and retail building on behalf of co-developers Link Real Estate and Jameson Equities. 100 Biscayne, the repositioning of 100 Biscayne Blvd., formally New World Tower, in Downtown Miami on behalf of East End Capital. The MKDA upgrades include an amenity space, conference and fitness center, common corridors, bathrooms and prebuilt spaces. 80 NE 40th Street, the adaptive reuse of a dated Design District retail showroom into a 6,000-SF premier retail destination on behalf of Century Realty. Under Amanda’s leadership, the studio has also completed work on Douglas Entrance, La Puerta del Sol, Brickell City Tower, Courthouse Tower and 200 Southeast First. She is additionally leading the design of a Wynwood hotel, and has undertaken hospitality assignments in Miami and the Caribbean, where the firm is nearing completion on Spanish Court Hotel Resort, a $12.5 million, 120,000-SF redevelopment. Amanda is committed to being on the leading edge of design trends and the use of advanced technology, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and 3D virtual reality, but it is her design vision—designing for the desired behavior of a space as well as functionality—that serves her clients well. In addition, she utilizes her marketing background to hone in on her clients’ strategic marketing positions to create branded environments alongside logos and signage to provide a cohesive image. This integrated approach has aided Amanda in the design of many successful workplaces for brands that include Creative Artists Agency, SproutLoud, DLD Lawyers, Ink Global, Retail Outsource, Bayview Loan Services, Burr and Forman, VUMI, Liberty Power, Fanatics, Banyan Street Capital, and Offizina, a 16-story, ground-up office condo in Coral Gables. Amanda has been named a 2019 South Florida Business Journal Most Influential Woman, 2018 Bisnow South Florida Power Woman and 2017 South Florida Business Journal 40 Under 40 Honoree. She has also secured a place for MKDA as one of South Florida Business Journal’s 2017 Best Places to Work. She earned a Masters in Interior Design at New York’s prestigious Pratt Institute School of Art and Design after studying design and architecture in Paris, France at the Université de Sorbonne. Prior to joining MKDA, she worked for large, world-renowned architecture firms and was an owner of her own successful design studio. Lastly, Amanda spent many years as an adjunct professor at Miami International University of Art & Design, teaching coursework that includes a variety of creative design studio and technology classes. She was also a former Committee Chair of UCREW, a subcommittee of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), a group that holds University programs to foster interest in commercial real estate and related fields as career choices.