Erin has blazed a trail of action-oriented success fueled by trial and error, bold decisions and unwavering self-confidence. Her figure-it-out mentality has shaped her career journey from being a fledgling public relations intern to a high-powered marketing executive at a hyper-growth company. Erin is a multi-faceted, marketing jack-of-all-trades. Her international career has stretched from Paris and London to LA and San Diego. As an MTV advertising executive, she’s worked with the world’s biggest brands including Apple, Nike, Coke and American Express. As a celebrity stylist and fashion journalist, she’s dressed celebs for the Emmy’s, Grammy’s, Academy Awards and had her work featured in numerous international publications. As the head of marketing for the largest healthcare staffing company in the country, Erin helped lead the largest deployment of healthcare personnel in history while helping to grow the company by 9x in two years. In short, Erin has surrounded herself with some of the most motivated, ambitious, famous overachievers in the world for her entire, diverse career – people at the highest levels of success, but who often think burnout is something that happens to weak people, lazy people, those people, not high achievers like them. Yet leaders in all sectors today are suffering from severe cases of burnout as they struggle to adjust to a post-pandemic world and the pressure it puts on their personal and professional lives. Using lessons gleaned from her distinct career, interviews with dozens of high achievers from all walks of life and hundreds of surveys, Erin shares impactful and essential mindset shifts for leaders to move from exhaustion and burnout to kicking ass and thriving again. Ultimately, Erin helps businesses revitalize their workforce by providing them with tools and tactics to sustain peak performance without burning out. Leaders experience renewed excitement and engagement in their work and personal lives. Erin’s insights have been called upon by The Wall Street Journal, MSN, Vogue, Vanity Fair, The Style Network, The Orange County Register and a host of other global media outlets and organizations.

As President of the Spanier Group, Rob is a seasoned real estate professional with a unique skill set in mixed-use development and placemaking. His real estate development advisory firm is dedicated to creating innovative, next-generation destinations and places, with expertise in creating thriving communities with uniquely curated specialty retail experiences. By playing an integral role on multi- disciplinary project teams, Rob commits his extensive knowledge in large-scale mixed-use development, master planning, specialty leasing and deal making as well as programming and activation in order to create vibrant and prosperous communities. With over two decades of hands-on experience, Rob has had the privilege of helping to bring to life more than 100 legacy projects throughout North America, Europe, and the Caribbean. Previously, Rob spent 11 years at a mixed-use development advisory firm as a Partner & Principal where he opened the Toronto office and developed and advised on numerous large and small-scale mixed-use destinations. Earlier in his career, Rob spent 5 years at Intrawest Corporation, where he led an international leasing team that created iconic destination resort towns worldwide. Most notably, Rob has been involved in helping develop: the 147-acre mixed-use development on Mississauga's waterfront ("Lakeview Village"), the 370-acre mixed-use redevelopment of the Toronto Downsview airport lands and hangars ("Downsview Airport Lands"), the 12-acre Waterfront Toronto Quayside mixed-use development ("Quayside"), the 680-acre parcel of land at Woodbine Racetrack ("Woodbine Districts") in Toronto, the 2015 PanAm Games Athletes Village ("Canary District"), the development of the Florida State University's ("College Town") in Tallahassee Florida, the development of Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort ("Village of Baytowne Wharf") in Destin Florida, as well as the Presidio Trust in San Francisco, California. Rob was also actively involved city redevelopment working on the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre development (VMC), the City of Mississauga and Downtown London Ontario, working directly with the many key stakeholders help advance each project. As a passionate champion of placemaking and developing great places, Rob has been actively involved with the Urban Land Institute ('ULI') since 2007. He has served as ULI Toronto District Council Chair of the Advisory Board (2018-2020) and Governance Committee Chair (2016-2018), Chair of the Board (2014-2016), Vice Chair for Mission Advancement (2010-2014), Program Committee Co-Chair (2008-2010). Rob continues to help actively and passionately to grow ULI in Canada, solidifying its contributions as a thought leader locally as the organization evolves globally. Rob has been an active member of the ULI Placemaking Product Council since 2018. Rob was also appointed to the Ontario Business Improvement Authority Association "Return on Investment" Advisory Committee (2016-2017) to provide strategic direction and guide the development of the report alongside industry and governmental leaders from the Province of Ontario. Rob has spoken as a subject matter expert on city building, placemaking and mixed-use development in Canada and the United States. He has spoken at organizations including the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO), The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO), Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), Toronto Real Estate Forum and Land & Development conferences, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport of Ontario, and various Universities and Colleges. He is currently teaching a course on mixed-use real estate development with the REDI Canada – Canada's leader in Real Estate Development Education at the University of Calgary - Haskayne School of Business. Rob holds an Interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts Degree in Industrial Relations with a minor in Economics from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec where he graduated with honors.

Rafael Lazer has been the CEO of Almadev since 2015 and sits on its Board of Directors. Almadev is a leading multi-billion-dollar real estate development, investment and asset management company with best-in-class master-planned communities and mixed-use and commercial properties across North America. In his role, Lazer has led the successful completion of the Emerald City project, as well as the acquisition and redevelopment of Galleria on the Park, Lansing Square and 3300 Rutherford St. master-planned communities, totalling over 10,000 residential units. He also spearheaded the acquisition of Agellan REIT, which holds over 6.5 million sq. ft. of quality industrial and commercial properties in the U.S. and Canada. Prior to this, Lazer served as the company's CFO. Before joining Almadev, Lazer served as CFO for ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, a top-rated international cargo shipping company, in their Asia-Pacific, Caribbean, and Central American sectors. He also worked as a CPA at EY Israel, auditing large publicly traded and privately held companies. Lazer holds a degree in Economics and Accounting from the University of Haifa, Israel, and an MBA with a financial management specialization from the University of Tel Aviv. He is a member of the Certified Institute of Certified Public Accounts in Israel.

Veronica Maggisano is a Vice President on the Canadian Development team with Oxford Properties. In her current role she leads development activities across select assets in Oxford's Canadian retail, mixed-use and life science portfolios including the Square One District, Union Park West and Metrocentre. In the past 15 years with the development team, Veronica successfully executed on over $1.0B of development projects across Canada's major markets. Veronica also dedicates her time in service of the broader community, championing collaborative and inclusive environments. She is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Downtown West BIA and is currently the Chair of the Governance and Planning and Development Committees. She is also a member of the real estate committee for Crescent School in Toronto, a board coach for the FORA Network's Rise on Boards program, and a cabinet member for the Schulich Leadership Fund for Black and Indigenous Communities. Veronica studied Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University and she holds a MBA from the Schulich School of Business. She also holds her Professional Engineering designation.

Experienced real estate executive with over 20 years of leading large retail, office and residential mixed-use development projects. Highly skilled in master planning, municipal approvals, architectural design, office/retail leasing, underwriting, financing and commercial lending, joint venture partnerships, residential sales and marketing, construction and asset management.

Toby Wu joined QuadReal in February 2017. As Executive Vice President, Development, he oversees QuadReal’s development activities across Canada. Toby focuses on driving the development program’s performance through the successful execution of QuadReal’s growing Canadian pipeline. Toby was formerly Senior Vice President of Investment Management at Bentall Kennedy, where he was responsible for the asset management and development activities for a number of office, industrial, multi-residential, and seniors’ properties in the GTA. Throughout Toby’s career in real estate, he has held positions across organizations of increasing responsibility and diversity while based in Vancouver, Beijing, Calgary, and now Toronto. Toby holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Finance from the University of British Columbia, and is a CFA charterholder.

Scott oversees the firm's real estate investment assets within Canada and the United States across office, industrial, multifamily, and retail properties – a portfolio totaling approximately 60 million square feet. He is responsible for enhancing portfolio performance through accretive asset management, as well as helping to lead due diligence of new markets as the firm continues to broaden its real estate platform across North America. Previously, he was head of Canadian real estate asset management. Prior to joining the firm, Scott was the executive director of Canadian investments at Starlight Investments, responsible for the execution of all acquisitions, dispositions, and financing of multifamily assets within Canada. Scott spent the first 10-years of his career at Brookfield Asset Management. Based in New York for 5 years before moving to Toronto, Scott focused on investments and asset management of real estate across the risk spectrum throughout North America. Education: Cornell University, Masters of Professional Studies (Real Estate); McGill University, Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Entrepreneurship

As the Head of Flex & Experience Management by JLL, we partner with asset owners on value creation and merchandising strategies to monetize and reimagine commercial restate assets. Creating new revenue streams for investor clients (asset owners). Using my 23+ years of experience and expertise in CRE in establishing world-class office products and workplace experience services. We deliver placemaking and Space-as-a-Service for owners and companies of all sizes, including start-ups to Fortune 500 enterprises and their people. The future is about human connection, through purposeful placemaking that drives resilience, agility, experience and belonging. I am an investor in and builder of workplace innovation, technology and PropTech and advise investors, asset owners, landlords, corporate executives and commercial real estate experts on navigating the future of commercial real estate. I have had the privilege to directly lead portfolios consisting of 5 to 20+ million square feet for Nike, Cigna, Unity, and CBRE. I served as the lead for these Fortune 500 multinational companies, providing executive direction on global real estate operations, location strategies, design, construction, and workplace experience initiatives. Throughout my career, I have directly led billions of dollars of real estate transactions for owners, occupiers and operators of real estate. Overseeing the opening and operating of 1,000's of locations throughout the US, and in more than 70 countries globally. I have directly led fund raising of seed to Series D funds for multiple companies, raising hundreds of millions in tech and real estate.

Alice Storm Jones, ASLA, PLA, LEED AP, CPSI is a principal at Floura Teeter Landscape Architects, Inc. headquarted in Baltimore, Maryland. She has over 20 years experience as a landscape architect on a wide variety of projects including parks and playgrounds, retail development, campus planning, and international master planning. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture from Pennsylvania State University with strong leadership and design capabilities. Alice has worked on notable projects such as the award-winning Calvin and Tina Tyler Hall project at Morgan State University as well as multiple urban streetscapes, public plazas, play spaces focused on outdoor education and dynamic amenity terraces for multi-family living. Alice focuses a team approach to design that succeeds through collaboration and meaningful public engagement. Ms. Jones recently participated on a panel of experts at the 2022 ASLA convention on the importance of healing spaces for the bereaved at the nation's first black-led grief support center.

Irena Savakova is a Global Design Principal for the Internationally renowned architecture, engineering, planning, and interiors firm LEO A DALY, leading world-class design teams in completing complex architectural solutions by shaping inviting, vibrant, wellness promoting environments for a variety of clients both locally and internationally. Current projects include a signature tower in Hong Kong, the renovation of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design for George Washington University, the new School of Public Policy for UMD, College Park and 20 Mass Ave, a key adaptive reuse of existing structure into a vibrant mixed-use development. Irena Savakova has practiced in the greater Metropolitan area of Washington DC, across the nation and internationally for over 30 years and has extensive experience in developing architectural and interiors projects for federal, commercial and educational environments. LEO A DALY is recognized for its 50-year history of design excellence, including important projects such as the National World War II Memorial, the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, and the North Terminal of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Francois’ practical focus is on large-scale planning, detailed site design, and construction-related services for a range of clients and programs internationally. His design credits include world-class resorts, golf communities, park facilities, and urban waterfronts in the United States, Latin America, North Africa, and the UAE. Francois is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts where he earned a Master of Regional Planning and a Master of Landscape Architecture in 2008.

FlouraTeeter co-founder, Joan Floura, has nearly 30 years of experience as a landscape architect on a wide variety of projects including mixed use/retail development, campus planning and design, urban and streetscape design, and park masterplanning and design, frequently serving as principal in charge of design. Her experience includes the redesign of Lexington Market in Baltimore City, 250 W. Pratt Plaza and the masterplan for Canton Park. Joan holds a Bachelors of landscape Architecture from North Dakota State University and is the current chair of the NDSU Architecture/Landscape Architecture Alumni Board and is a graduate of Leadership Maryland, 2014.

Since 2018, Christopher Ptomey has served as executive director of the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing. Prior to joining the Center, Ptomey helped launch and lead Habitat for Humanity International's US government relations and advocacy team for more than a decade and previously served as federal liaison for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and as senior legislative aide to Rep. Michael "Mac" Collins (GA). Since joining ULI in 2018, Ptomey has led the design and launch ULI's annual Home Attainability Index publication and provided strategic oversight of research on family renter housing, low-density rental development, tenant and property stability, and homeownership attainability and equity in master-planned communities. Ptomey appears frequently as a speaker and panelist in local, regional, national, and global housing convenings and is a regularly cited expert and opinion leader in publications including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and a variety of local, regional, and national development industry outlets. Ptomey resides in Roanoke, VA, and holds degrees from Haverford College (BA, Philosophy) and George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School (JD) and is a member of the bar in his native Tennessee.

I own Sharp Development Company, and have 35 years of experience in commercial real estate finance and development. Over the past 10-12 years I have concentrated on retrofitting older generation buildings to carbon neutrality and a net zero energy bill, while having a strong emphasis on the health and wellness of the interior environment for the occupants. The driver for me is to demonstrate that this way of repurposing existing building stock can be done in a manner that is more profitable for the ownership than the less expensive way of building to meet minimum code. I have completed 6 ZNE projects, am fairly active as a public speaker in trying to spread our knowledge on how to build sustainably as much as possible and am a member of the Green Building Advisory Committee (GBAC) which advises the GSA on it's RE sustainability initiatives.

Peter Merrigan is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Taurus Investment Holdings LLC, a global real estate private equity firm with a focus on strategic investments into value-add, core-plus, and development opportunities. Mr. Merrigan has overseen the acquisition and development of more than 70 million square feet of commercial space to date with a value in excess of $10.4 billion. As CEO and a member of the firm's Investment Committee, Peter defines and guides Taurus in developing and executing investment strategies in multifamily, industrial, office, mixed-use and renewable energy across the US and internationally. Mr. Merrigan received a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross and an M.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Merrigan has been a member of ULI since 2001. Over the past decade, Mr. Merrigan started to see that climate change was going to be one of the biggest challenges and opportunities in commercial real estate. Since then, Peter has focused on building the in-house expertise to provide decarbonization solutions for real estate assets that create meaningful and measurable value through the development of two business ventures: RENU Communities - focused on decarbonizing retrofits of the built environment and EcoSmart Solution - focused on zero carbon new development.

Michael is Senior Vice President-Environmental Strategy responsible for leading Hines' efforts to assess and mitigate its carbon emissions to achieve the firm's science-based targets. This includes all owned, third-party properties, Hines' business and embodied carbon across all of our geographies. In this role, Michael engages regularly with the firm's global teams to provide strategic leadership, ensure continuity, and the successful progression on the firm's strategy and commitments to help lead the industry's decarbonization response. He has significant technical, project and change management experience in this area as a degreed engineer, large global network of carbon mitigation specialists in Northern Europe and a track record in New York of leading transformative decarbonization within the real estate sector. From his decarbonization work within the New York market on both new development and existing building repositioning, he was promoted to this role in 2021.

Sam Sharp is a managing director in the Special District Group with Piper Sandler. He works with special districts and urban renewal authorities across the nation to raise capital for public infrastructure. In his 21 years of experience underwriting and placing special district debt, he has managed hundreds of transactions for billions of dollars in principal amount. Sharp served on the Colorado Municipal Bond Dealers Association Board of Directors for three years, including one year terms as Treasurer and as President. He also served as President of the Colorado Municipal Bond Supervision Advisory Board for some time. Sharp attended Columbia University in New York City, earning a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a concentration in Public Finance. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Occidental College in Los Angeles.

Ms. Noble is a managing director in the public finance investment banking group, specializing in special district and tax increment financings. She works with clients at all stages of the development cycle to structure financings that meet their goals, ranging from early stage non-rated transactions to fully built investment grade rated financings and refinancings. Prior to joining Piper Sandler, Ms. Noble was an associate vice president at D.A. Davidson & Co. with a similar focus on special district financings. Before that, she served as vice president of capital markets for Forum Real Estate Group, a private real estate developer in Denver, CO. She also served as senior director of investor relations for UDR, Inc., an S&P 500 REIT and as a REIT securities analyst for Invesco in Dallas, TX. Ms. Noble serves as a board member for Invest In Kids, a Colorado non-profit, the Aurora Economic Development Council ("AEDC") and the Castle Rock Economic Development Council. Ms. Noble earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Texas A&M University.

Chad Ellington is the owner and principal of Peak Development Group. He received his undergraduate degree in Construction Management from Colorado State University and his MBA with a specialization in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver. Chad went to work for a Colorado based commercial general contractor following his undergraduate work and was the lead on several high-profile projects around the state including a 13-story condo building in Downtown Denver, the Green Valley Ranch Shared-Use K-8 School and Rec Center Facility, and a large mixed-use development in the mountain resort town of Breckenridge. That project, Main Street Station, won the 2002 ACE Award for "Project of the Year Over $40M." Chad was then Vice President of Oakwood Homes from 2004-2014 and headed up their land acquisition and development group focused on high profile residential and commercial master plan developments in Colorado, Nebraska and Salt Lake City. During this time Chad was also the lead as the "turnkey developer" on a $60M state of the art school project known as the Evie Garrett Dennis Campus for Denver Public Schools in NE Denver. Since leaving Oakwood in May of 2015, Chad formed Peak Development Group and has been partnering with other like-minded developers on a variety of developments and projects in Colorado including: X @ Sloans - Ground up 104-unit apartment complex at Sloan's Lake www.XatSloans.com Catbird Hotel - 165 unit boutique hotel project in RiNo www.CatbirdHotel.com Uplands–235ac Mixed-Use Master Plan community www.UplandsColorado.com Canyon Pines – 90 lot luxury development www.CanyonPines.com Geos – Arvada – 250 lot community Westend Ridge – SW JeffCo – 105 lot community

Leslie Woo is a respected leader with over 25 years of experience building sustainable communities and shaping urban development in Canadas fastest-growing urban region, greater Toronto. Leslie assumed the role of CEO at CivicAction in September 2020. CivicAction is a premier civic engagement organization that convenes established and rising leaders from all sectors, backgrounds and experiences, CivicAction catalyzes actions and impactful solutions to address pressing challenges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and beyond. Before joining CivicAction, Leslie was at Metrolinx for over a decade including her time as Metrolinx Chief Planning and Development Officer. Leslie is a tri-sector athlete with experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors as well as her experience as a planner, architect and community activator. An accomplished leader, Leslie was named One of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2017 by WXN, Spacing Torontos Transit Changemaker in 2016 and Canadas Womens Infrastructure Networks 2015 Outstanding Leader. Founder of shebuildscities.org, Leslie uses her voice and platform to amplify and celebrate other women city builders. A dedicated community leader she holds is currently a Board Drector at Womens College Hospital, Waterfront Toronto, and the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care.

Patrick Brown was re-elected Mayor of Brampton in October 2022 on a platform of focusing on public safety, investing in our infrastructure, expanding recreation opportunities, and attracting new businesses to our city.  

 

Patrick was born in Toronto in 1978 of Irish and Italian descent. He graduated from St. Michael’s College, then studied political science at the University of Toronto and graduated with a law degree from the University of Windsor. He has also studied French in Trois-Rivières, Quebec 

 

Patrick has had a long involvement in serving in government. He was first elected in 2000 as a Councillor in the City of Barrie. He served two terms on City Council before getting elected as the Member of Parliament for Barrie in 2006. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2011 by the largest margin in City history.  In Ottawa, he chaired the GTA Government Caucus and worked on expanding Canada's trade to India as Chair of the Canada India Parliamentary Association.  In 2013, he was awarded the human rights champion award from CHRV for his role in exposing the Tamil genocide. 

 

In May 2015, Patrick was elected Leader of the Ontario PC Party by the largest margin in Ontario PC Party history. He became the Member of Provincial Parliament in September 2015 for the riding of Simcoe North and Leader of the Official Opposition.  He championed autism services, additional mental health supports and linking education to employment in the provincial legislature.  He won by elections in Sault Ste Marie, Scarborough Rouge River, and Niagara West.  

 

In October 2018, Patrick was elected Mayor of Brampton on a campaign to get Brampton back on track. Mayor Brown delivered four consecutive tax freezes, record contributions to the City reserves and financial assistance to the new Peel Memorial Hospital and the TMU Medical School, which will open in 2025.  

 

Patrick and his wife Genevieve live in Downtown Brampton with their son Theodore and daughter Savannah.

Donald Davidoff, CEO of Real Estate Business Analytics, is known as a thought leader in the multi-family housing industry, particularly in places where technology and people meet. Perhaps best known for leading the development and implementation of Lease Rent OptionsTM (LRO), the industry's first automated demand forecasting and price optimization system, he is focused on the next challenge in rental housing data—business intelligence and predictive analytics. Donald also leads D2 Demand Solutions, an industry consulting company focused on revenue strategies and technology implementation. A former Senior Vice President with 10 years at Archstone, and a former Executive Vice President with Holiday Retirement, Donald works with clients to improve the speed an quality of their decision-making. Donald has an MS in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and an undergraduate degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Jen co-founded CRExchange, the creator of CREx Software. CREx makes it easy to get data out of Yardi, Salesforce, and more. Use CREx to identify trends that make you stand out from competitors. Besides commercial real estate data and analytics, Jen is passionate about promoting women and minority entrepreneurs, mentorship, Pokémon card trading, and attempting to teach her morkie, Teddy, new tricks. Anytime Jen gets to share her love for real estate data analytics, she does it. This led to Jen speaking at conferences, tech offsites, etc. and curating content for groups from 50-1,500. Want Jen to speak at your next conference? Check out jennifertindle.com to learn more. Jen also volunteers as Vice Chair of Membership for the national ULI Technology and Real Estate Council - Gold Flight. Learn more at americas.uli.org/technology-real-estate-council-trec. Jen's background is in accounting, and she still maintains her CPA. Test-taking always came easy to her. In 2012, Jen was one of 39 - out of more than 92,000 CPA candidates - to receive the prestigious Elijah Watts Sells Award. Let's connect. Find Jen at crexchange.io and crexsoftware.com.

David Thomas is a seasoned real estate professional with over 15 years of experience in the industry. David is currently the Director of Innovations for Veritas Investments, a technology forward multifamily investment specialist. In this role, David evaluates new technology for internal deployment while also investing in and advising various PropTech companies. In addition to his work in the real estate technology space, David is an active member of ULI, previously participating in the YLG program and has been a guest on the Technology Council. He is passionate about leveraging technology to transform the real estate industry, and his insights and expertise have been featured in numerous publications and podcasts. With a deep understanding of both the real estate and technology sectors, David is uniquely positioned to provide valuable insights into the intersection of these two industries.

Jennifer Keesmaat is an urban planner named one of the "most powerful people in Canada" by Macleans, one of the "most influential" by Toronto Life, and one of the top Women of Influence in Canada. She spent half a decade as Toronto's Chief City Planner, where she was celebrated for her forward thinking and collaborative approach to city-building. Keesmaat is a founding partner of Markee Developments. With veteran developer Jason Marks, she is now developing new communities across the GTA as sustainable, liveable places that prioritize access to high quality, affordable rental housing. A Distinguished Visitor in Residence Emeritus at the University of Toronto, Keesmaat continues to share her vision for cities of the future, through a variety of publications including The Guardian, Foreign Affairs, Macleans, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and on her podcast, Invisible City. Keesmaat is the Chief Architect of the 2020 Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities, which is a blueprint for adapting cities post Covid19. Keesmaat is on the Advisory Board of the Urban Land Institute, Toronto, and is appointed to the International Panel of Experts, Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority. Jennifer is on the Board of Directors for May Mobility, and is on the President's Planning and Growth Advisory Board for Ohio State University.

Heela is Vice President, Social Impact at The Daniels Corporation, one of Canada's largest and pre-eminent builder/developers. Heela is responsible for corporate mandates and strategic initiatives that look beyond the bricks and mortar to ensure that the social, cultural and economic infrastructures of communities built by Daniels are as strong as the new buildings. Since 2009, Heela has been working on Phases 1, 2 and 3 of the revitalization of Regent Park in Toronto's Downtown East. The revitalization of the 69-acre social housing neighbourhood to a mixed-income and mixed-use community is looked to around the world as a model for creating healthy, inclusive and resilient communities. Heela strongly believes in the potential of real estate development industry to positively shape how communities and cities come together to foster inclusion and resilience. Heela's passion for social change and community impact comes from her lived experience as an immigrant to Canada at a young age and growing up in a vibrant social housing community in Toronto's inner suburbs. She seeks out opportunities to engage with local communities and is a Fundholder at the Toronto Foundation as well as a Board Member of Start2Finish, a national charitable organization committed to promoting the health and wellness of children in Canada through literacy and fitness education. Heela has an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree, specializing in History and Political Science from the University of Toronto.

Sheryl is the Manager Investment and Marketing, for the City of Calgary’s Downtown Strategy team. She is responsible for the development and execution of the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program that provides grant funding to building owners to encourage conversion of vacant office space to residential, post secondary and other uses. She is also plays a significant role in ensuring the strategic implementation of the Greater Downtown Plan will be founded on a commitment of thorough financial analysis, sound reporting and good governance. Prior to joining the Downtown Strategy team, she worked with The City of Calgary on the Green Line, the City Secretariat for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games Bid and in the CFO’s office on the tax shift, Financial Task Force and Event Centre files. Sheryl has also held a variety of other roles in both the private and public sectors in which she provided strategic financial advice and guidance on a variety of community development initiatives including playing a major role in the establishment and leadership of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation.

Steven Paynter, OAA, ARB Principal, Gensler Toronto Embodying the philosophy that diversity fosters innovation, Steven is widely recognized as an industry leader and an invaluable resource for market expertise to developers, landlords, and tenants alike. His ability to combine technical execution with elegant design and his commitment to each project makes him sought-after by clients across all industries. Steven is frequently called on to provide thought leadership and regularly speaks on topics such as unlocking the value of Class B & C buildings by converting them to residential, shaping the future of cities, the urbanization of suburbia, and design of post-pandemic office buildings. Engaged in original research, he has led the development of a tool for rapid assessment of existing office building stock for ESG performance. Steven was nominated by Business Insider as one of their Top 100 People Transforming Business in 2022, and his work and leadership have been featured in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Calgary Herald, CBC, BBC, South China Morning Post, RTE and Architectural Record. Engaged in professional outreach, he is an active member of the OAA, ULI, and CoreNet Global.

Kishore Varanasi is an urban designer, strategist, and educator who specializes in developing authentic design solutions for cities at all scales that address human connection, climate resilience, and social equity. Kishore has worked to shape cities and communities globally through sustainable and holistic solutions in both the public and private sectors. As CBT Director of Urban Design, his recent work includes 585 Kendall, Cambridge Crossing, Suffolk Downs Master Plan, the Blueway at the New England Aquarium, Boston University Master Plan, Masdar City Master plan, Abu Dhabi Climate Interventions, and The Riverline in Buffalo, NY.

Salvatore Zinno is the Senior Vice President of Development for the East Coast and U.K. markets at BioMed Realty, where he provides real estate solutions to the life sciences and technology industries and has direct oversight over the 3.8 million square foot development pipeline in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and the U.K. He has worked for more than 15 years with the cities of Boston and Cambridge on a variety of projects to develop new infrastructure to support the life science industry. His work touches on all aspects of commercial real estate development, including ground up construction, zoning analysis, entitlements, tenant improvements, and underwriting. In particular, Sal is an advocate for unique and creative methods of amenitizing commercial projects to attract tenants and engage with neighboring communities. This model of development can be seen in his latest project, located at 585 Third Street in the Kendall Square area of Cambridge, MA, which involves the development of a groundbreaking new office/lab complex combined with a performing arts center and ground-floor public space. The project has been recently been fully leased to Takeda. Sal received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Master of Business Administration Degree from Bentley University.

David Miller is the Managing Director of the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy, and is a wifey recognized leader in the field of urban sustainability. He was the Mayor of Toronto from 2003-2010, and has held a wide variety of public and private appointments. He is a graduate from Harvard University (economics); the University of Toronto (Law), is professionally a lawyer and has honorary PhD's from the University of Waterloo (Environmental Studies) and York University (Law)

Naama Blonder has a bold vision: to change what good housing can and should look like in a growing city like Toronto; with that in mind, she co-founded Smart Density. Her professional practice combines the disciplines of architecture, urban planning, and urban design to bring a deeper, more realistic understanding of how cities can address housing affordability and champion inclusive neighbourhoods with more equitable access to housing. Her work has received numerous awards including the prestigious Ontario Association of Architects' Best Emerging Practice Award for 2022. To fight stigma around housing, Blonder's work seeks to inform both residents and industry colleagues about the mutually beneficial outcomes of reimagining what our big cities can look like: greater access to established public transport, shortened commutes, improved housing costs and vacancy rates, greater diversity in housing, and strengthened local economies and communities. As a volunteer, Blonder is a subject-matter expert for the City of Toronto "Expanding Housing Options in our Neighborhoods" committee, a board member of affordable housing provider Kehilla, has co-authored the Housing Affordability Report of the Ontario Association of Architects, and served at the Design Review Panel of the City of Burlington where she provided Urban Design advice for development applications. She practices what she preaches, living with her husband and two children in a multi-family building in a transit-accessible area of Toronto, where the park is their backyard.

Building teams of experts across HDR’s architecture and engineering disciplines, Kaia develops solutions facing land-based projects in the 21st Century. With an engineering degree from Stanford University and a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Colorado, she brings passion for problem solving, healthy place-making and community development. Currently as Vice President for the global architecture and engineering firm HDR, Kaia leads the national urban design, planning and landscape architecture practice, driving geographic and strategic growth through centers of design excellence. She also works collaboratively with inter-disciplinary teams to create solutions for land-based projects at a variety of scales. Her projects have won awards and recognition ranging from Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, the Conference of Mayors Best Practices, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Design and Research Awards as well as ACEC Engineering Excellence. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kaia’s experience ranges from award-winning placemaking and park design for the Central Park (formerly known as Stapleton) community, one of the largest in-fill developments in the United States, to working with transportation agencies to help them prepare for new mobility technology while retaining livable community qualities. Kaia frequently bridges disciplines, integrating multiple design perspectives into strategic thinking and site solutions for clients in both the public and private sectors. Kaia is committed to the Urban Land Institute both nationally and locally. She currently serves on ULI’s National Urban Revitalization Product Council and attends and speaks at Spring and Fall meetings regularly. She has served on ULI Colorado’s Executive Committee as co-chair for the Business Development committee and as co-chair for WLI. She led the submission of ULICO’s first winning WLI Hines Innovation Grant which helped launched WLI Colorado’s first Women’s Mentorship Program, “Breaking the Glass Ceiling”.

Anya Domlesky is an urban designer and landscape architect currently the Director of Research at SWA Group. She runs XL Lab, the firm's innovation lab undertaking practice-based research. The lab explores near future conditions in the built environment, performs analyses of design performance, experiments with new technologies to create tools for the field, and does topical investigations that address emerging complexities and unprecedented challenges. Her research has been shown at both the Shenzhen and Venice Biennales and in books such as Studio Ecologies for Unpredictable Futures. As a designer, she has worked largely on issues around urbanization, coasts, and water. She has previously worked at the New York City Department of City Planning Waterfront and Open Space Division and Hood Design, lectured internationally, and taught at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design and Boston Architectural College. She holds an MLA from Harvard and an M.Arch II from McGill University. She is a member of ULI's Public Development and Infrastructure Council (PDIC).

Tanya Stern, AICP is Acting Planning Director for Montgomery County, MD, its largest county with over 1 million diverse residents. She leads planning and development review for the county's urbanized, suburban, and rural communities; the development of countywide housing, multi-modal transportation, and growth management policies; innovative studies on real estate and the economy; historic preservation; promotion of design excellence in architecture and the public realm; and Montgomery Planning's department-wide Equity Agenda for Planning and equitable community engagement. Prior to this role, she served as Deputy Planning Director overseeing countywide housing policy, zoning, growth management, multimodal transportation planning and historic preservation; real estate, economic and demographic analysis; IT/GIS; and agency management services including budgeting, HR, and communications. She served as an advisor for Thrive Montgomery 2050, the county's new General Plan adopted in 2022. Previously, Ms. Stern served for 14 years in the Government of the District of Columbia, including eight years at the DC Office of Planning as Deputy Director overseeing neighborhood planning and urban design and as Chief of Staff; in the Executive Office of the Mayor; and in other agencies. Additionally, she has 11 years of non-profit sector experience. Ms. Stern holds a master's in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania and is certified through the American Institute of Certified Planners and as a Certified Public Manager. Tanya Stern is a member of the American Planning Association, Lambda Alpha International and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Ms. Stern serves on ULI Washington's Governance Committee and is a member of ULI's Transit-Oriented Development Product Council. She was the co-founder and co-chair of ULI Washington's Placemaking Initiative Council; a past co-chair of ULI Washington's Initiative Council Steering Committee; and a past member of ULI Washington's Management Committee, Innovation and Technology Local Product Council, Prince George's County Initiative Council, and Membership Committee.

Socially engaged artist and curator Mēlani N. Douglass is the founder of the award-winning Family Arts Museum - a migratory institution focused on the celebration of family as fine art, home as curated space, and community as gallery. Inspired by the birth of her daughter, Mēlani started her own museum, reimagined her studio practice, and refined her innovative approach to community engagement, audience development, and exhibition design. Mēlani's art and life practice is rooted in rituals of healing informed by ancestral and communal connections. Mēlani was recently named East of the River Artist in Residence serving ward 8 with a focus on Anacostia. Her work has been highlighted by the New York Times, Atlas Obscura, Shondaland, Bmore Art, American Museum Alliance Magazine, Baltimore Magazine, and Artnet. Melani currently serves as the director of public programs at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Rob Hain is the Global Chief Executive Officer of Sound Diplomacy, the world's leading strategic consultancy providing its clients with the tools to measure, assess and unlock the economic value of music, leisure and hospitality, cultural infrastructure, placemaking and the night-time economy. Rob was a non-executive Director of Sound Diplomacy for most of its history before becoming CEO in 2021. Previously, Rob had been responsible for significant acquisitions, integrations and innovations throughout his business career, most of which was spent in the financial services industry in Canada, Europe and the United Kingdom. Rob serves on the boards of several companies in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom in the financial services, consumer products, advisory services and leisure industries. He graduated from the University of Toronto in Canada and Oxford University in England, now lives in Nova Scotia and is married with two daughters who live in San Carlos CA and London UK.

Juanita Hardy is Founder and Managing Principal of Tiger Management Consulting Group, a consulting firm specializing in executive coaching for business professionals and creative placemaking in the real estate industry. Hardy has over 45 years of business experience, including 31 years with IBM, and nearly 40 years in the arts as a nonprofit leader, trustee, collector, and patron of the arts. As former Senior Visiting Fellow for Creative Placemaking (CPM) for Urban Land Institute (ULI), Hardy has spoken extensively on CPM to audiences across the US and in Europe. Her articles and essays have appeared in magazines and journals in the US and abroad. Her recent writing includes a pentalogy of articles on creative placemaking in Urban Land magazine. She is one of the authors of ULI's 2020 Publication "Creative Placemaking – Sparking Development with Art and Culture" and author of ULI's 2022 publication "Recommendations from and Impact of Six Advisory Services Panels." Hardy currently serves as a senior advisor to ULI on creative placemaking

Jennifer S. Vey is a senior fellow with Brookings Metro and the director of the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking. Vey's work primarily focuses on how place-based policies and practices can generate widespread economic, social, and environmental benefits. She is the author or co-author of dozens of Brookings publications examining the changing place needs of people and businesses; the implications of these shifts on how we live and work; and how transformative placemaking investments can support the development of more vibrant, connected, and inclusive communities. She also co-edited Retooling for Growth: Building a 21st Century Economy in America's Older Industrial Areas (2008) and Hyper-local: Place Governance in a Fragmented World (2022). Prior to joining Brookings in 2001, Vey was a community planning and development specialist at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She earned a Master of Planning degree from the University of Virginia and holds a B.A. in Geography from Bucknell University. She lives with her family in Baltimore.

Jeanhy Shim is a strategic and creative city building entrepreneur, changemaker and advisor. For the past 30 years, she has been working in the real estate development industry in the Greater Toronto Region, providing a wide range of strategic development advisory services, including land acquisition, market research, project feasibility, master-planning, product design development, marketing strategy and sales launch services. Currently, Jeanhy is Founder & CEO of Crosswalk Communities – a not-for-profit affordable housing development company with an innovative new business model to build affordable rental apartments for lower income Canadians. Jeanhy is also co-founder of Divercities – a not-for-profit, social purpose commercial real estate advisory firm, and she also continues her real estate consulting work through her firm, Housing Lab Toronto. In her community, Jeanhy serves on the Board of Directors of Waterfront Toronto - a tri-governmental agency that is stewarding the transformation of 800 hectares of waterfront lands in downtown Toronto, as well as the Advisory Board of the Infrastructure Institute at the University of Toronto School of Cities. Previously, she served as co-founder and chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and co-chair of the Communications Committee at the Urban Land Institute Toronto chapter. On a personal note, Jeanhy grew up in north Toronto's Rexdale neighbourhood, but left home to earn an undergraduate degree from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and a Master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, England.

Dermot, Architect and President/Founder of Sweeny&Co Architects Inc. is an industry innovator. He brings together building design, urban design, urban economics, real estate development, and often architectural heritage and adaptive re-use to maximize the value of each of the firm’s projects for the benefit of Occupants and Owner’s alike.
Dermot has brought global and national corporations such as Microsoft, Loblaw, TELUS, RBC Financial Group, RBC Dexia, and BMW to the forefront of sustainability. His commissions include commercial office towers, head offices, mixed-use, transit oriented and residential developments, academic institutions, hospitality, and retail interiors. This broad base of clientele and project typologies is further served with real-estate development, financial proforma analysis, development consulting and project management. His passion for sustainability has evolved to include health and wellness in the design of facilities that dramatically reduce carbon footprint, reinforce brand and increase profit, while exceeding standards in occupant comfort, performance and flexibility. Many of his Class AAA commercial office buildings are LEED Platinum, WELL Building and Wired Score Certified. In addition, with more than 3000 residential units completed and another 12,000 in design, Dermot and the firm are also focused on bringing award winning, mixed use residential developments to market and designing residential buildings, whether market or luxury, that lead the market in sales and contribute to the community. Focus on Smart Density and City Building has allowed Dermot and the firm to build and maintain trusted investor, tenant and institutional client relationships with aligned goals to create exceptional buildings.

I'm responsible for the overall Hines Canada platform. I currently serve as the senior officer on a number of projects including CIBC Square – a three million-square-foot twin-tower office development across from Union Station in Toronto, including a one-acre elevated park above the rail corridor; Bayside, a two million-square-foot, seven-building master-planned mixed-use development on the Toronto waterfront, including the tallest mass timber office building in North America; Park Central, a two-tower, 1000-unit high-rise multifamily development in the Calgary Beltline; and Eighth Avenue Place, a two million-square-foot twin tower office complex in Calgary. I joined Hines in 1998. After spending the first 10 years of my Hines career in Chicago, I moved with my family to Toronto to help build a Canadian platform for Hines. I'm passionate about assembling a high-performing team, that now numbers 121, and developing a strong culture. I have focused my development efforts on projects that have elevated the quality standard and service level existing in the current marketplace, created a sense of place, and improved the communities we live and work in. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles, a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Structural Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. I also hold a Professional Engineering license in California.

Chuck Schilke is the Director of the Edward St. John Real Estate Program at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, at both the Washington DC and Baltimore Harbor East campuses. There, he directs the Master of Science in Real Estate and Infrastructure (MSREI) degree program—the first graduate real estate program in the United States also expressly including infrastructure--and leads related teaching, research, industry service, and public service activities. Based directly upon ULI’s multidisciplinary real estate tradition, the Hopkins Carey Real Estate Program fully integrates a multidisciplinary development-oriented real estate program into the finance-oriented comprehensive business school of one of the leading research universities in the world, providing the optimal real estate and infrastructure education that industry and students need. Previously, Chuck created and directed the Georgetown University Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate program in Washington DC, which over 4 ½ years he and his colleagues grew to 300 students, 75 practitioner faculty, and 50 commercial real estate development, real estate finance, international real estate, and construction courses. Particularly whlle at Hopkins and Ceorgetown, Chuck marketed very heavily to recruit students and generally market the programs for over 10 years; his marketing efforts recruited 900 students to the Hopkins and Georgetown programs. He also created courses in Real Estate Marketing and Business Development for Real Estate Professionals. Prior to directing the Johns Hopkins and Georgetown real estate programs, Chuck worked for over 20 years in real estate and infrastructure in Washington DC, New York City, and Boston, and he continues to consult on a wide variety of real estate and infrastructure projects. He has performed real estate work in a wide range of organizational settings, including major corporations like Exxon Mobil and Marriott; nonprofits like The American National Red Cross; and law firms like McKenna Long & Aldridge, Cadwalader, and Rackemann Sawyer & Brewster. Career highlights include (1) creating commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) at Cadwalader, the Wall Street law firm that created the most CMBS, experiencing both the peak of the CMBS boom and the CMBS crash, (2) serving as the in-house real estate lawyer and developer at The American National Red Cross during the attacks of September 11, 2001, and (3) performing all of the real estate legal due diligence on billions of dollars of real estate for the Exxon-Mobil merger, then the largest merger ever. Chuck’s exceptionally diverse real estate career gives him experience in all major real estate product types. His experience with office real estate culminated in his role as the lawyer on the development team for the creation of the $135 million American National Red Cross National Headquarters Building in Washington DC, the 11th largest Class A building in that city. His retail work includes the development of the Giant Supermarket and Shopping Center at River Hill in Columbia, Maryland, as well as the analysis of the legal documentation of dozens of regional shopping malls for CMBS issuances. His industrial real estate work includes a wide variety of facilities at Exxon Mobil corporation, including warehouses and terminals. Chuck’s multifamily background includes numerous condominium and mixed use projects. He has particular strength in hotels, and has worked on project teams to build Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Disney World, Sarasota, and Washington DC’s West End, as well as working on Marriott international hotel projects. Chuck’s career has included several of the major infrastructure product types as well, and he has particularly rich experience with energy and healthcare infrastructure. At Exxon Mobil, Chuck was involved in a number of oil and gas pipeline projects, as well as dozens of Superfund hazardous waste remediation projects. He also sold a portfolio of coal-fired electric power plants held by a Bechtel-Pacific Gas joint venture to GE Capital. He spent a year building a portion of a nationwide fiber-optic telecommunications network in Texas and Louisiana. Chuck’s experience also includes “social infrastructure” from his substantial healthcare real estate experience at the Red Cross, particularly launching the Red Cross’s billion-dollar Strategic Capital Investment Program to rebuild all of the Red Cross’s 22 blood processing facilities nationwide, and he worked on project teams to build such facilities in Pomona, California; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; and Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to his real estate finance work on the Exxon-Mobil merger, Chuck’s major real estate finance projects include the financial restructuring of the Red Cross’s $2 billion nationwide real estate portfolio and issuances of billions of dollars of CMBS on Wall Street. He also has substantial construction law background. Beyond his teaching at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown, Chuck has taught at Harvard University and George Washington University. At the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, he teaches Legal Issues in Real Estate, Real Estate Development, and Infrastructure Finance. On the research side, Chuck is currently completing his doctorate at Harvard University, entitled “Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities: An Analysis of Their Development,” with faculty from the Harvard Business School, Economics Department, and History Department. Chuck holds a JD from Cornell Law School, where he concentrated in Business and Regulation Law as well as in International Legal Studies; an AM in History and International Relations from Harvard University emphasizing 20th Century American History and Russian Studies; and an AB from the University of Chicago, where he focused on economics, history, and American-East Asian Relations. He is a member of the Supreme Court, District of Columbia, Maryland, and Massachusetts Bars. Beyond directing the Real Estate Program at Hopkins, Chuck is active in a wide range of civic activities, many with a real estate, financial, business, international, and education focus. Chuck was recently elected to both the Counselors of Real Estate and Lambda Alpha. Active in ULI Washington, Chuck has served as a Mentor in the ULI Washington Young Leaders mentoring program for 5 years. He serves on the board of the Washington DC chapter of Habitat for Humanity. He is actively involved in such other real estate organizations as the District of Columbia Building Industries Association (DCBIA), NAIOP Maryland/DC, NAIOP Northern Virginia, the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA), the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE), and FIABCI. He is also a member of the American Real Estate Society (ARES), the professional organization for real estate educators. Chuck has served as president of both the Cornell Club of Washington and the University of Chicago Club of Washington, as well as on the board of the Harvard Club of Washington, and has served on the national alumni boards of all three schools. Chuck was recently elected as both a board member and secretary of the Harvard Student Agencies Graduate Council, a new entrepreneurship alumni organization; has served on the Alumni Advisory Board of the Harvard Real Estate Academic Initiative for 10 years; and is a member of the Harvard Real Estate Alumni Organization. He is the General Counsel of the Cornell Club of Washington, and a member of the Cornell Real Estate Council. He is co-chairing the DC chapter of the University of Chicago Alumni Law Society. In 2011, the University of Chicago awarded Chuck the Alumni Service Medal, the highest honor that Chicago bestows upon its alumni. Chuck may be contacted at [email protected]

Fernando is responsible for accelerating environment and climate action in Toronto through partnerships and innovation. He leads a multi-disciplinary team focused on creating, developing, and operating best-in-class programs, policies, and projects for net-zero development, electric vehicles, and renewable energy. He successfully leverages municipal hard and soft assets for climate action, including innovative business models and partnerships, such as: o SolarTO - Toronto's solar map and calculator o Renewable and low carbon District Energy systems, o Wastewater Energy program to decarbonize buildings by displacing natural gas use. Fernando holds an engineering degree from the University of Toronto, has sustainability training from the Harvard University Extension School, and completed courses in Advanced Local Government from Western University.

Amy Jacobs is the Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and is responsible for the commercial execution of complex large-scale projects with several stakeholders including utilities, municipalities, and provinces across Canada. She also oversees negotiations for all new and existing customer agreements with some of the country's largest developers, property managers, and real estate investors. Since joining Enwave in 2014, she has progressed through several increasingly senior cross-functional positions within the company and has been a key team member on driving value through multiple large financings and integration of acquisitions. Amy now has direct oversight for the company's organic revenue growth, partnership development, stakeholder relations, and marketing functions. Amy is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a major in Accounting from the University of Windsor.

Yichao Chen is a professional engineer with over a decade of experience in building energy performance, decarbonization, and sustainable infrastructure policy frameworks. She is the Director of Climate &Energy at Cadillac Fairview - a globally focused owner, operator, investor, and developer of best-in-class real estate. Yichao is responsible for energy and emission management, as well as decarbonization and climate resilience strategies for CF's commercial real estate portfolio in Canada and beyond. Yichao has a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and a Master's in Building Engineering, and recently completed a Graduate Diploma of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability from the University of Toronto. She served on the US Green Building Council Technical Committee between 2019-2022 and currently serves on the Canada Green Building Council Energy&Engineering Technical Advisory Group (TAG).

Donald Monti, President and CEO of Renaissance Downtowns USA, is one of the nation's foremost developers of transformative, mixed-use and Transit-Oriented projects. A strong proponent of the Triple Bottom Line, Renaissance utilizes a comprehensive and holistic master developer approach that overcomes the hurdles often associated with the development of socially vibrant, economically resilient, and equitable projects within suburban regions - or, as Don prefers to call them, Urban Nodes in Suburbia, or UNiS. Don's success is built on decades of experience that cover a full array of product types, including the successful development of 80+ projects over his career and a current mixed-use development pipeline in excess of $10 Billion. He has been a pioneer in community driven development, including his role in creating the renowned Crowdsourced Placemaking public engagement program, and his focus on promoting the use of Form-Based Zoning Codes and the implementation of Community Benefits Agreements and Policies. An active member of the ULI, Don has been a long-time participant on ULI's national Transit-Oriented Development Council.

Zahra Ebrahim is the CEO of Monumental. She has led organizations in the social and private sector that design and deliver participatory and equity-centred approaches to policy, service, and infrastructure development. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto's Geography and Planning department, Chair of the Board of Park People, and the Vice-Chair of the Canadian Urban Institute.

Kofi Hope is a Rhodes Scholar and has a Doctorate in Politics from Oxford University. He is the co-founder of Monumental, a Toronto based strategic advisory firm. He writes a monthly opinion column for the Toronto Star newspaper and is an Urbanist in Residence at the University of Toronto School of Cities and an emeritus Bousfield Scholar with the Geography and Planning department. In 2017 he was winner of the Jane Jacobs Prize and in 2018 a Rising Star in Toronto Life’s Power List. Kofi was the co-founder and former Executive Director of the charity the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals.

Randy Peddigrew is Executive Vice President of Land Development Division for The Remington Group. The Remington Group, under the guidance of its principle Rudy Bratty, has been developing land in the Greater Toronto Area for over 60 years. Remington is involved in the development and management of a vast portfolio of residential, commercial and industrial land in almost every community across the Greater Toronto Area. Randy has worked in both the Public Sector and Private Sector. He has been in the development industry for 30 years.

Ajeev is a leading thinker and community developer focused on helping to build the social fabric that leads to healthier and happier communities. He works across the private, non-profit, and philanthropic sectors, with over a decade of community development experience at many scales of social service and community building – from the individual relationships and interactions of resident outreach and engagement to youth development programs, and neighbourhood revitalization with some of the country's largest public and private developers. Ajeev has held positions with the Laidlaw Foundation where he supported the launch of Ontario's first youth-led Indigenous Reconciliation Fund, and with the Centre for Connected Communities where he supported the planning, development, and engagement for many of Toronto's largest land development sites. He serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the People Design Co-operative, is a Master of Science in Planning Candidate at the University of Toronto, and is a 2018 PLACES Fellow with The Funders Network.

Jack works with public and private clients to create vibrant, sustainable cities, bringing a design-oriented approach to solving complex challenges, and a keen understanding of a designer's responsibility to the public. Jack leads projects spanning mixed-use development, urban infrastructure, transportation, multi-family residential developments, and large-scale master plans. He was recently the Lead Planner for the Penn Station Master Plan. With an undergraduate degree from Harvard University, and a Master of Architecture from the Yale School of Architecture, he frequently speaks at conferences, and his writing has appeared in FastCo Design, Architectural Record, World Architecture, and the New York Times.

Jee Mee Kim is a City Executive for Arcadis -- a global design and engineering firm that works with public and private sector clients to develop sustainable solutions that improve quality of life. As City Executive for the New York metro area, Jee Mee oversees the firm's client relationships in the region, pursues new business development opportunities and partnerships, and shapes strategic growth initiatives. Jee Mee brings over 20 years of experience in managing complex urban development and transportation projects across the United States. Prior to joining Arcadis, Jee Mee was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve as the Chief Strategy Officer for the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) where she oversaw the Policy, Intergovernmental Affairs, Press/Communications, and Safety Education teams. During her tenure at the NYCDOT, she advanced Mayor de Blasio's 2021 transportation commitments, developed a strategic plan for the BQE triple cantilever (including the conversion of the roadway from three lanes to two lanes), and helped author Delivering Green, a progressive vision for freight movement in the city. She is a recognized thought leader and practitioner on urban transportation and mobility issues, real estate and economic development, transit-oriented development, and infrastructure funding and financing. For two decades, Jee Mee led a range of complex transportation, land use, real estate, and community planning projects at consulting firms HR&A Advisors and Sam Schwartz Engineering. She began her career as a social justice leader, whose work ranged from organizing New York City's Asian immigrant communities around workers' rights and housing issues at CAAAV to advocating for clean water and recycling at the Natural Resources Defense Council's Urban Program.

Jeremy Gutsche is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning innovation expert, "one of the most sought-after keynote speakers on the planet" and the CEO of Trend Hunter -- the world's #1 innovation website with over 3 billion views from 150,000,000 visitors. Prior to Trend Hunter, Jeremy grew a $1 billion portfolio for a bank, and today, over 800 brands, billionaires and CEOs rely on his innovation keynote speeches and workshops to predict and create the future. He's even helped NASA prototype the Journey to Mars!

Dr Pippa Malmgren is a digital diviner: she uses years of experience at the highest levels of geopolitics and industry to identify the trends that others might miss in a turbulent landscape. She weaves threads from economics, politics, tech, markets and strategy to show new solutions to long entrenched problems, and spark new ideas for an emerging future. Pippa is a speaker who can make the world economy exciting, weaving signals together to paint a compelling landscape that gives audiences confidence to navigate turbulence and opportunity. Touching on everything from finance to defense to digital trends, food, energy, fashion or space, she’s an optimistic realist who leaves audiences, regardless of their specific sectors, excited and empowered. Her personal experience as the daughter of Harald Malmgren, aide to John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford, set the stage for her to take on global issues with a natural curiosity, leading her to some of the highest offices in the world. Her path to the White House was complete when Dr Malmgren served President George W. Bush as Special Assistant to the President and on the Economic Council, advising on the Enron scandal and terrorism risks to the economy post-9/11. She was until 2019, a Non-Executive Board Member of the Department of International Trade in the UK, and has served in the British Ministry of Defense Working Group on Global Strategic Trends and briefed Britain’s top Generals at Sandhurst. She is the founder of DRPM Group, which advises global institutional investors on investment trends. This draws on her own experience as an economist, having previously served as Deputy Head of Global Strategy at UBS. As an entrepreneur, she is a Senior Advisor to The Monaco Foundry, a start-up incubator for impact-led founders, and a Special Advisor to Avonhurst, a legal and consulting firm in the UK specializing in deals, policy and capital raising. Always seeking stimulating ways to apply her expertise, she co-founded an industrial drone manufacturing firm which won the Cog X Award for Autonomy, the 2020 National Technology Award and Power Product of the Year 2020. Cognizant of the ever-increasing importance of socio-environmental responsibility, Pippa is on the board of the Premios Verdes, the ‘Green Oscars’ which recognizes companies and institutions using tech for environmental good. As the award-winning author of four books, she is well-placed to synthesize complex concepts into ideas that an audience will want to take away. Pippa is a regular guest anchor on CNBC and a regular commentator on the BBC including on The Today Program, Newsnight, Hard Talk. In 2015 she took part in the Intelligence Squared debate, titled The Robots are Coming and They Will Steal Our Livelihoods, in which she emerged victorious in a debate on how robots and AI will affect the workforce in the future. She has been the keynote speaker for companies including Google, American Express, Ernst and Young, Barclays and HSBC, as well as giving the Commencement Address at the London School of Economics graduation ceremonies in 2013 and 2016. Her specialist topics for speaking engagements include geopolitical risks, the global economy, leadership through disruption, and tech innovation & trends. Pippa holds a BA from Mount Vernon College and an M.Sc. and PhD from LSE. She completed the Harvard Program on National Security. Pippa Malmgren is a speaker for audiences who want to know how the world is changing, and how they can get ahead of the game. Pippa leaves audiences energized, empowered and excited to seek out the next big opportunity that they might have overlooked before. Her keynote speeches are infused with her signature combination of expertise and charisma, providing valuable insights, practical solutions and cautious optimism for the future.

A trained architect and water resource engineer with nearly 20 years of experience advising real estate and renewable energy developers, investors, and users on sustainability and resilience, Hyon has dedicated her career to creating and delivering holistic built environment solutions that protect the environment, communities, and investments. Her clients range from global corporations and real estate companies to local and national governmental entities. Leveraging her expertise in architecture, renewable energy, and water management, and command of five languages, she helps organizations and projects develop and implement sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies in alignment with their organizational and financial goals. Hyon is an award-winning educator and currently serves as adjunct professor of historic preservation at Goucher College. She is an active member of Commercial Real Estate for Women (CREW) and a member of Urban Land Institute (ULI)'s Responsible Property Investment Council (RPIC).

Patricia Earnest is Chief Investment Officer of Roadside Development, a market-leading developer behind major projects such as City Ridge, the 1.7 MM SF, award-winning, redevelopment of the former Fannie Mae HQ site in Washington, DC.

 

In her 25+ year career, Ms. Earnest has executed over $5.8 billion of equity and debt transactions across all structures and all real estate product types both as intermediary and as principal. 

 

Ms. Earnest is an active leader of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and serves on the ULI Small Scale Development Council She is a founding and current member of the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) of ULI Washington DC and has led the WLI Circles group nationally.  She is a member of the board of IONA Senior Services, a non-profit serving over 4,500 seniors and their families, and of CREW DC. She has devoted her efforts to mentoring others in commercial real estate independently and through Project Destined.

Patrice Frey is Senior Advisor to Main Street America, where she leads an initiative to accelerate investment in small-scale real estate development projects on Main Streets. Patrice previously served as President & CEO of Main Street America between 2013 and 2022, overseeing the creation of MSA as an independent subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Prior to her time at MSA, Patrice served as the Director of Sustainability at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, where she led the National Trust's efforts to promote the reuse and greening of older and historic buildings, including research and policy development work through the Seattle-based Preservation Green Lab. Before joining the National Trust, Patrice worked for several years in the field of community development and urban research. She is a graduate of Scripps College and the University of Pennsylvania's program in historic preservation, where she received a master's degree in preservation planning and a certificate in real estate design and development through the Penn School of Design and Wharton Business School.

Ellen Klasson is a Managing Director in RCLCO’s Management Consulting practice, working out of the Washington, DC office. Ellen leads executive search engagements for leadership roles at development, investment, and land use companies across all asset classes. Ellen’s consultative nature has enabled her to identify and attract talent for both traditional and nuanced roles, and her deep understanding of the business lends itself to a more analytical approach of a candidates’ viability. Working for twenty years in the real estate industry has allowed Ellen to forge long-lasting relationships with and earn the trust of both clients and candidates.

Ellen is highly engaged for with the Urban Land Institute, where she is the Americas Chair of its Women’s Leadership Initiative and a member of the Urban Revitalization Council. She is also a volunteer with UrbanPlan, a program for high school and college students that introduces them to the complex trade-offs of real estate development.

Ellen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University and a Master of City & Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Tsering Yangki is Head, Real Estate Finance and Development, for Dream Unlimited Corp. (www.dream.ca) an impact driven & fully integrated real estate development & asset management company. With over CAD 23 billion of assets under management, Dream has a diverse portfolio ranging from condominium, purpose-built rentals, office, retail development, industrial, and income producing properties across Canada & the USA. Tsering leads a team that has 6 million SF of active mixed use and mixed income developments and a pipeline of 22 million sf in its pipeline. In addition, she leads the debt origination, strategic direction, execution & oversight on all aspects of debt solutions and oversees the risk management & governance of existing debt. Tsering has over 18 years of experience in real estate development, finance & private-public partnerships. She holds a Master of Arts in Law & Diplomacy, with a focus on International Finance & Economics from Fletcher School, Tufts University, USA, MPhil in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. In 2022 she was recognized by Globe & Mail's Report on Business's Best Executive award & in 2021 was recognized as WLI Champion, Toronto.

Yvonne Yeung is the CEO of SDG Strategies, a strategy consulting firm based in Canada with over 20 years of public and private sector experience delivering high-quality, award-winning, sustainable transit-oriented communities and vibrant public spaces worldwide. Her work focuses on informing how cities can better position infrastructure investment to deliver healthy, equitable, 15-min walkable complete communities through synergistic collaboration as a blueprint. Appointed as ULI Curtis Infrastructure Fellow, Vice-chair of the ULI SDRC Product Council, member of ULI Toronto Advisory Board, the ULI WLI Women's Leadership Initiative Champions, and Leadership of ULI Infrastructure Forum, Yvonne authors ULI Infrastructure Leadership research publication "Building 15-minute Communities: a 2030 Leadership Action Plan" and founded the "Getting to Transit-Oriented Communities Initiative", leading the strategic engagement across the region and North America, promoting progressive city-building practices and collaborations between public and private sectors. Specialized in team building, executive strategy, large-scale transformation and cross-sector implementation, Yvonne is the recipient of the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management MBA Award, the American Society of Landscape Architects Honour Award, a founding board member of the OALA Ground Editorial and past member of the City of Toronto Public Art Commission, the Canadian Standards Association Design Standards Committee and the Green Building Certification Institute LEED Review Committee.

Victoria Oestreich is a Senior Manager at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) where she supports a wide array of programming and research focused on the intersections of sustainability, health equity, and the built environment. She currently leads ULI's Cohort for Park Equity program, which engages local ULI offices to advance equitable access to high-quality parks via technical assistance, learning, and sharing. Victoria is also the lead author of an upcoming ULI publication focused on the real estate industry's adoption of healthier and more sustainable building materials. Prior to joining the C&I team, Victoria worked at ULI Northwest in Seattle, where she organized and participated in nearly a dozen Technical Assistance Panels, helped facilitate the curriculum for numerous leadership programs, and produced a wide variety of educational events for the District Council. She holds a Master in Public Administration degree from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance and a B.A. in Psychology, both from the University of Washington in Seattle.

Rives co-directs Gensler’s global Design Resilience practice focused on sustainable design, and is the global Resilience lead for the Gensler Research Institute. He is a principal and a recognized global expert in resilient, high-performance, and sustainable design, and has served as a faculty member at Rice University and the University of Houston for 30 years.  

Ms. Ponce de Leon has over 14 years of experience in civil engineering working on historic, cultural, adaptive reuse, residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. As Managing Partner of GordonDC, Jessie is responsible for all consulting, engineering, and permitting operations within the District of Columbia. She is a member of ULI Washington and is currently co-chair of the WLI Steering Committee. Jessie is also an active alumna of Virginia Tech (VT); a member of the Civil Engineering Alumni and Land Development Executive Boards. In 2022, Jessie was recognized as one of Washington DC's "40 under 40" by the WBJ and in 2023 received the "Outstanding Young Alumni Achievement" award from VT's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department.

Rhea is the Director of Hickok Cole Lifestyle, the firm's award-winning hospitality interior design studio and now serves as the firm's Director of Trendcasting, a role that ensures that the firm is at the forefront of cultural design trends and movements that enhance client's projects. Rhea's is the Chair of the ULI Washington's Women's Leadership Institute, and her work has been recognized by the IIDA MAC, Design Milk, Hospitality Snapshots, NAIOP DC|MD, Multi-Housing News, Delta Associates and NAHB's Pillars of the Industry.

Nathalie is Climate Resiliency Lead / Architecture & Planning based in HDR’s Boston office. As an architect, planner, and urban designer, she brings design and stakeholder engagement to the forefront of her projects, working for the development of resilient buildings, grey and green infrastructures, nature-based solutions, and innovation for integrated design approaches. Her work also centers on the built and social environments and economic impact assessments. She has been teaching on resiliency and sustainability at Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD), Northeastern University and Wentworth Institute of Technology since 2011. In 2016, Ms. Beauvais started the BSA/BSLA Global Design Initiative for Refugee Children. The Initiative was awarded the 2020 AIA National Collaborative Achievement Award. Nathalie is steering the development of the resiliency practice supported by cross-sector expertise. She is leading the resiliency team of experts for infrastructure and architecture projects for risk and vulnerability assessment and resiliency guidelines for several projects

Heather Slack is an experienced consultant who specializes in commercial real estate sales and tax incentives including New Market Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credits. Heather supports developers by advising on acquisitions and implementing design concepts that will maximize available tax incentives and cash flow.  She also represents corporate investors such as financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies seeking direct investment and tax management opportunities.   Her experience in working with non-profits, developers and investors in growing markets has led to an extensive knowledge of available subsidies and an ability to structure complex and layered capital stacks.  Heather’s focus is using tax equity incentives to revitalize, preserve and socially impact people and places.

Brandt has 40 years experience in the field, written and lectured widely across North America on the wise reuse of built resources, and co-authored the national document "Building Resilience: Practical Guidelines for the Sustainable Rehabilitation of Buildings in Canada". Former Director of: Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals, Canada Green Building Council, Association for Preservation Technology and Co-Chair, APT Technical Committee on Sustainable Preservation, Mark is co-founder of the Zero Net Carbon Collaboration for Existing and Historic Buildings and Co-Lead of the Climate Heritage Network Working Group 3 - Building Reuse is Climate Action.TRACE's work at the nexus of natural and cultural conservation has produced dozens of awarded projects, including the $100M Sir John A Macdonald Building adaptive reuse, which received 8 National/International awards and 5-Green Globes rating. TRACE specializes in Modern Heritage rehab/reuse, from single buildings to campuses and complexes, like the deep green rehab of the 1M s.f., 1973 Pearson Complex, Global Affairs Canada's HQ.

Veronica joined Slate in 2020 and is responsible for the overall project execution of several of Slate's mixed-use developments in Toronto, Mississauga, and Hamilton. Veronica is involved in all aspects of redevelopment – her expertise pertains to policy and project feasibility including site specific planning and investment strategy. Prior to Slate, Veronica worked in research and consulting and held senior roles in the Ontario Premier's Office and the Office of the Official Opposition in Ottawa. She holds a BAH from Queen's University and a MA from Carleton University.

Sukanya Paciorek is the Senior Principal of the Carbon Free Buildings team at RMI where she leads the team's market transformation work. With nearly 20 years of experience in the energy, sustainability and real estate industries, Suki was previously the SVP of Energy & Sustainability at Vornado Realty Trust and the Chief Operating Officer at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. She has a breadth of public policy and community engagement experience through serving on non-profit and industry Boards like NYSERDA, the Real Estate Board of NY, the Building Energy Exchange and Mercy Housing Northwest. After spending two decades in New York, she now lives with her family in the Bellingham, Washington in the Pacific Northwest.

In her role as Head of Social Impact and Inclusion, Sustainable Investments, Sunita acts as a catalyst for the development and execution of the corporate social impact and inclusion strategy- the “S” of ESG.  This includes the social impact of the company's real estate investments, the communities in which it invests as well as the diversity, equity and inclusion strategy by positioning Ivanhoé Cambridge as a real estate industry leader in these three areas. In addition to this role, Sunita has held various leadership roles in Legal Affairs, Investment Management for nearly 15 years, where she provided strategic value-oriented solutions for projects in Canada and the United States related to the Retail, Office and Industrial assets.  In 2015, she was recognized by Lexpert Rising Stars, as one of Canada’s leading lawyers under 40. Sunita has also been instrumental as lead counsel for CIBC SQUARE – new transformational office development downtown Toronto of more than 3M sf.

 

Recognized for her leadership qualities and keen mind, Sunita is actively involved with several organizations dedicated to the commercial real estate industry as well as workplace diversity, equity and inclusion. She is a Director on the Board of NAIOP Toronto and a member of CREW Toronto. She has also served as Co-President of the Promotion Committee of Women in Governance. She was the initiator and ambassador of the first Women’s Forum at Ivanhoé Cambridge.

 

Sunita holds a Bachelor of Political Science, a Bachelor of Laws and is a member of the Ontario Bar. She received her Mini-MBA from the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). Sunita speaks four languages: Hindi, Punjabi, French and English.

A founding partner, Frank was an architect in London and Paris before becoming a planner. He integrates regulation and design, whether guiding master plans, such as for the St Lawrence Neighbourhood, CAMH or Bridgepoint Health, or managing proposal calls for public-private developments, such as the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, MaRS or North Toronto Collegiate Institute.

William is Senior Director of ULI's Building Healthy Places Initiative, where he oversees a portfolio of content and programs focused on health and social equity in the built environment. Prior to ULI, he co-led Kimley-Horn's Atlanta-based Planning and Urban Design Studio. He has also directed a variety of design-related projects at Midtown Alliance in Atlanta, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the Congress for New Urbanism both in Washington, D.C., and the Markle Foundation in Manhattan. In addition to ULI, he is an elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner representing Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. Will holds a Masters degree in City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a B.S. in Urban Studies from Georgia State University, and studied architecture at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Will is a graduate of ULI Washington's Regional Land Use Leadership Institute and was named a 2010 Next City Vanguard. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Gretchen Sweeney is a nonprofit leader with more than 20 years of experience at the nexus of environment, sustainability, business, technology, and urban systems. At the Urban Land Institute (ULI) she oversees University Programs and national and global Awards, Honors, and Competitions. Her portfolio of university programs includes the University Partners, ULI Etkin Scholars, the Undergraduate Program, the University Forum, and student tracks at Fall and Spring Meetings. The award programs she oversees include the ULI Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition, ULI Global Awards for Excellence, ULI Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, the ULI Urban Open Space Awards, and the ULI Apgar Thought Leader Award. She provides strategic support for other regional and local ULI awards programs, and also provides product and business development for University Partnerships in collaboration with ULI Learning. Previously she was at Arc Skoru, Inc., a technology company serving the mission of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI). There she was responsible for product development and user success for Arc, a powerful, data driven platform that connects people to transformative action, global benchmarking, analytics, and certification across different scales of the built environment. Prior to Arc, she was Vice President, LEED Implementation, at USGBC, where she managed the development of new LEED rating systems. She served on the LEED Steering Committee (LSC) and guided collaborations with several hundred industry experts who volunteer to develop the best practices in LEED that guide better design, construction, and operations of the built environment. Earlier in her career she helped develop a voluntary sustainability certification for Maryland municipalities and worked in capital markets. She has a Master of City Planning and Certificate in Urban Design from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in Classical Languages from Mount Holyoke College.

Courtney is a creative producer and project leader with over 20 years of 
experience leading collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams on world-class 
location-based entertainment experiences, attractions, educational and 
cultural exhibits, and events. With a background in theatre, Courtney is 
adept at driving the creative, content development, and design process 
while collaborating with stakeholders to define and execute strategic goals 
throughout all stages of projects.

Prior to joining nFusion, Courtney was a producer at Thinkwell Group for 
10 years where she was responsible for a wide variety of projects with 
high-profile brands and intellectual properties spanning the industry. 
With a passion for cultural and educational projects, Courtney has led the 
development of many permanent and traveling immersive exhibits and 
attractions, working hand in hand with clients to ensure content, learning 
goals, and guest experience are prioritized and delivered upon in the final 
product. 

Before entering the world of themed entertainment, Courtney worked as a 
stage and production manager and scenic designer for theatre, hotel and 
cruise ship shows, tours, and special events.

At nFusion, Courtney leads the Creative+Design+Build team, establishing 
the roadmaps for integrating creative development into the traditional 
design/build delivery approach.

Darren was born and raised in B.C. and Northern Alberta, educated in Engineering and Business having and regarded as an authority in the field of Business Renewal. In the business world, Darren has run multinational companies, and has done business in China, Europe, Mexico, USA, Taiwan and Vietnam. He has led “turn-arounds” of distressed companies, manufacturing business expansions and rationalization, and corporate acquisition activities. Darren spent most of the last 10 years at the St. Lawrence Parks Commission in Ontario. His work in the Tourism/Museum sector has earned him several major accolades including, Attraction Ontario’s Tourism Champion of 2012 and the Canadian Government Executive Leadership Award in 2013 (one of only 7 in Canada).

In August of 2017, Darren accepted an invitation to join Fort Edmonton Management Company (FEMCo) in their quest for business sustainability and transformation toward a more self-sufficient and enterprise-minded business, and is overseeing the substantial redevelopment of the park and enrichment of the portfolio.

Renee Williams was born in Montreal and relocated with her family to Edmonton nine months after her birth; Edmonton has been home for her family since. Passionate about the capital city of Alberta and all that it has to offer, Renee has built her career on reminding locals of the magic of Edmonton and telling the world about this unique and totally authentic destination.  

It was clear to Renee at a young age to pursue a career in public relations and she completed her post secondary education in Calgary at Mount Royal University. Continuing education is important to her so she pursued her Certified Destination Management Executive accreditation and graduated from the internationally recognized program in July 2019. 

With a strong background in experience development, marketing, and customer experience, Renee joined the Fort Edmonton Management Company team in late 2019, after a nine year tenure with Edmonton Economic Development Corporation within the Edmonton Tourism division. At FEMCo, Renee provides oversight to the customer experience team to include: Marketing & Communications, Volunteers, Core Programs, Experience Development, Edmonton Yukon Railway operations, Indigenous Relations portfolio, Retail & Admissions, and Wardrobe. 

Her professional work, education and volunteer experience have given her strong strategic communications proficiency for over 15 years. Throughout her career, Renee has focused on media relations, strategic communications (offline, online, and social  media), brand management, communications planning, and project management. These skills have afforded her the opportunity to lead prominent marketing and communications initiatives promoting Edmonton with KLM Royal Duth Airlines in Europe, the launch of Air Canada’s Edmonton to San Francisco direct flight in 2018, and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

Recognized as a leader in the tourism community and the workplace, Renee has had the opportunity to participate on key board and committee positions with volunteer organizations, which include: Co-Chair of the Edmonton JUNOS 2023 Host Committee, board director with the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta, Destinations International Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, and Travel Alberta Marketing Advisory Committee. Her outgoing personality, attention to detail, strong work ethic, and unwavering commitment to customer service excellence drive her passion and aptitude for teamwork. 

With tenure in the government, not-for-profit, and private sectors, Renee’s experience covers a myriad of industries, and it is the perfect complement to the skill sets within the FEMCo executive team. 

Renee has a broad network and has built relationships with colleagues in the tourism space all over the world.

Peter Borzak, Chairman/CEO, Pine Tree Peter Borzak is the Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Pine Tree. In that role, he has been developing, acquiring, managing, operating, and selling grocery- and box-anchored open-air shopping centers for over 28 years. Pine Tree currently has a portfolio of 115 owned and managed shopping centers manages representing approximately 20 million square feet across the continental United States. Pine Tree has offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Minneapolis. Pine Tree's client base is primarily global institutional investors. Mr. Borzak graduated Phi Beta Kappa from George Washington University and has held various roles on charitable Boards, industry trade associations, and kids' sports leagues, throughout his 39-year real estate career.

Taylor Mammen is Chief Executive Officer of RCLCO Fund Advisors (RFA), which advises institutional investors on all aspects of their complex real estate investment portfolios, from strategy development to underwriting and asset management. Taylor helped pioneer this business beginning in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, when several prominent pension funds turned to RFA with the goal to construct better performing and more resilient real estate portfolios, and has grown it to become a highly respected institutional real estate advisor, working with some of the largest and most dynamic institutional investors in the world. In the process, Taylor and RFA have sourced, underwritten, and overseen investments on behalf of clients well in excess of $10 billion. Taylor leads the firm’s institutional investor client relationships and is responsible for the firm’s growth and development, in addition to serving on the boards of clients’ portfolio companies.

Taylor is also a member of the Executive Committee of RCLCO, which manages shared resources and oversees overall company strategy.

Before helping to build RFA, Taylor joined RCLCO after serving as director of research for a boutique government relations consulting firm in Washington, D.C. and working with the Boston Redevelopment Authority on a public-private initiative to revitalize and “re-knit” downtown Boston in response to the “Big Dig.” He received his Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Brigham Young University. He is an active member of the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) and the Urban Land Institute, and is currently on the board of Envision Utah.

Mary Ludgin is Heitman’s Head of Global Investment Research. She is a partner of the firm and holds a seat on its investment, valuation, and global management committees. She holds an AB from Vassar College and an MA and Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Mary was a Global Trustee of the Urban Land Institute and she chaired ULI’s Chicago District Council. She chairs the board of ULI’s Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance. She served as Chair of the Pension Real Estate Association, President of the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries, and President of the Real Estate Research Institute. Mary is a fellow of the Homer Hoyt Institute for Real Estate Research and a member of LAI, the honorary real estate society. Mary was the 2019 recipient of the Pension Real Estate Association’s James A. Graaskamp award, which recognizes researchers whose work contributes to the common body of knowledge regarding real estate investment.

Jamie Torres-Springer joined the MTA in 2021 as President of MTA Construction & Development. He is responsible for better, faster and cheaper delivery of the MTA's $55 billion capital plan through innovative management of construction work for subways, buses, commuter railroads, bridges and tunnels. Prior to joining the MTA, Mr. Torres-Springer served as Commissioner of New York City's Department of Design and Construction (DDC), the agency responsible for delivering infrastructure and facilities across New York City government. He led development and implementation of DDC's Strategic Blueprint for Construction Excellence, a comprehensive plan to streamline capital project delivery, and had a leading role in several programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York City's adaptation to climate change, and reform of the criminal justice system. Prior to DDC, he led a national planning practice working on urban infrastructure, open space, and citywide strategic plans for inclusive growth and sustainability.

Myles joined Hines in 2016 and is based in Toronto. He currently oversees the T3 Bayside development, a two-building heavy timber creative office development in Hines’ master-planned Bayside community on Toronto’s waterfront. In addition, he is responsible for sourcing new development sites and income-producing properties, along with capital raising for the Canadian platform. 

Prior to joining Hines, Myles worked at Cadillac Fairview, in both investments and development capacities.  

Myles earned a Bachelor of Commerce with a dual specialization in Finance and Real Estate from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia and holds the CFA designation. 

Naomi Brunemeyer is BC Housing’s Director of Regional Development for the Lower Mainland and has over 25 years of experience in community development. She has worked in various roles at BC Housing for almost 20 years and previously worked at Vancouver Coastal Health providing communications support on the opening of North America’s supervised injection site and at the BC Persons With AIDS Society, Canada’s largest AIDS organization. Naomi is passionate about redefining success, community building and creating connections. She lives in Vancouver’s eastside with her blended family of three children, two cats, two dogs and her husband.

Bernadette Majdell has built her career around helping organizations and people succeed. CEO of HomeSpace Society since 2016, Bernadette has more than 20 years of experience within the affordable housing development and property management sector. She has held leadership positions at Hestia Group, AgeCare and Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation as well as serving on the board of the Calgary Homeless Foundation. Bernadette helped create Calgary’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness and played a key part in the creation of the HomeSpace Society. Her strong background in leadership, strategic planning, and building collaborative business relationships have enabled her to lead HomeSpace to become one of Calgary’s leading affordable housing providers.

In 2006 Hans graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor's degree in Architecture. Hans strives to create vernacular architecture that embodies the human scale while achieving true functionality. He believes that architecture has the ability to change the way we live our lives. Architects can create spaces where one can live, work and play in a healthy and pleasant environment. Hans exhibits great flexibility and willingness to work with a diverse client base, even though they would present equally diverse and sometimes conflicting requirements. He is technically proficient in numerous design and communication-related software applications and continues to explore new programs and techniques to produce greater than expected results.

Perhaps more importantly, Hans has the manner and personality to  engage clients and team members alike. As a project architect on a wide variety of projects, Hans has proven his ability to navigate the personalities and processes that challenge every architectural project while maintaining quality and design integrity throughout.  Clients have come to trust his professional maturity and his abilities to successfully facilitate projects that provide new challenges on what can seem a daily basis.

Hans received his architectural license in the state of Arizona in 2012, Colorado in 2015 and is a member of the American Institute of Architects. He is NCARB certified and is pursuing his LEED certification.

Laura Craft is a real estate investment manager with ~$44 billion under management. Laura establishes systematic approaches to embed ESG into investment decision-making and management of investments. Recently, Laura lead the Heitman partnership with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to publish the report, Climate Risk and Real Estate Investment Decision-Making, which explores current methods for assessing and mitigating climate risk in real estate.

As Vice President of Urban Resilience, Lindsay Brugger leads the Urban Land Institute’s Urban Resilience Program. Through research, technical assistance, convenings, and outreach, ULI’s Urban Resilience Program helps ULI members, the public, and communities across the globe make buildings and cities more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Prior to joining ULI, Lindsay was the Director of Resilience Knowledge and Engagement at the American Institute of Architects. During her tenure, she championed resilience, climate adaptation, and disaster assistance; co-creating tools and resources such as the Resilience and Adaptation Education Series, The Architect’s Guide to Business Continuity, and the Disaster Assistance Handbook to help AIA’s 95,000 members build new skillsets, integrate resilience into practice, and support their communities pre- and post-disaster. A licensed architect and certified passive house consultant, Lindsay’s resilience journey began while volunteering with Architecture for Humanity DC where she co-founded and directed the Resilience by Design program to provide technical assistance, organize educational offerings, host convenings, and promote the value of a resilient built environment. Lindsay received a Master of Architecture and B.S. in Architecture from Roger Williams University; as well as the Alpha Rho Chi Medal for her leadership and service.