Best Startup
At Best Startup US we track over 1,000,000 US startups and over 3 million people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top New York based Founder operating in the Real Estate space. If you think a Founder is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.us.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Ori Allon
Founder & Executive Chairman of Compass
Prior to Compass Ori was the Director of Engineering at Twitter’s NYC office, after selling his prior company, Julpan, to Twitter in 2011. Previously, Google acquired his patented thesis work called Orion. During his time at Google, Ori led a search quality team that integrated the Orion technology and algorithms with the Google search engine. Ori earned his PhD in computer science at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
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About Compass: Compass is a real estate technology company that provides an online platform for buying, renting, and selling real estate assets.
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Robert Reffkin
Co-Founder and CEO of Compass
Robert Reffkin is the Founder and CEO at Compass. Prior to Compass Robert worked at Goldman Sachs as Chief of Staff to the President & COO following five years working in the firm’s private equity arm. Prior to Goldman Sachs, he worked at Lazard and McKinsey & Company. In 2005, he was appointed as a White House Fellow to serve as special assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury. Robert is also the Founder of New York Needs You. He received a B.A. and M.B.A. from Columbia University. Outside of work, he recently completed 50 marathons, one in each state, to raise $1 million for nonprofits.
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About Compass: Compass is a real estate technology company that provides an online platform for buying, renting, and selling real estate assets.
Henry Kravis
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts
Henry Kravis (New York) co-founded KKR in 1976 and is Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer. He is actively involved in managing the Firm and serves on regional Private Equity Investment and Portfolio Management Committees. Henry Kravis currently serves on the boards of First Data Corporation and ICONIQ Capital, LLC. He also serves as a director, chairman emeritus or trustee of several cultural, professional, and educational institutions, including The Business Council, Claremont McKenna College, Columbia Business School, Mount Sinai Hospital, Partnership for New York City, Partnership Fund for New York City, Rockefeller University, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management. He earned a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College in 1967 and an M.B.A. from the Columbia Business School in 1969. Henry Kravis has more than four decades of experience financing, analyzing, and investing in public and private companies, as well as serving on the boards of a number of KKR portfolio companies.
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About Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Partnership Fund for New York City: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts is a global alternative asset manager focusing on private equity, fixed income, and capital markets.
Girish Reddy
Member, KKR and Co-Founder, Hedge Funds of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts
Girish Reddy (New York) is a Member at KKR and Co-Founder of KKR Prisma, which previously conducted business as Prisma Capital Partners LP, and is currently KKR’s customized hedge fund solutions business. Mr. Reddy also oversees the KKR Prisma Investment Committee. Before starting KKR Prisma, Mr. Reddy was a partner and co-head of equity derivatives at Goldman Sachs & Co, based in Europe. Prior to this role, he was the chief investment officer of LOR Associates in Los Angeles. Earlier in his career, he was a senior vice president of portfolio construction and asset allocation at Travelers Investment Management Company, where he specialized in various overlay strategies for the firm using listed futures and options. Mr. Reddy serves on the executive board of the Indian School of Business, on the investment committee of the Cornell University endowment, and is also a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Mr. Reddy holds a B. Technology degree from I.I.T., Madras, as well as an M.Eng and an M.B.A. from Cornell University. He is also a CFA Charterholder.
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About Kohlberg Kravis Roberts: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts is a global alternative asset manager focusing on private equity, fixed income, and capital markets.
Naomi Wolf
Co-Founder and CEO of DailyClout
Dr. Naomi Wolf is a bestselling author, columnist, and professor; she is a graduate of Yale University and received a doctorate from Oxford. She is cofounder and CEO of DailyClout.io, a successful civic tech company. Since the publication of her landmark international bestseller, The Beauty Myth, which The New York Times called “one of the most important books of the 20th century,” Dr Wolf’s other seven bestsellers have been translated worldwide. The End of America and Give Me Liberty: A Handbook For American Revolutionaries, predicted the current crisis in authoritarianism and presented effective tools for citizens to promote civic engagement. Dr Wolf trains thought leaders of tomorrow, teaching public presentation to Rhodes Scholars and co-leading a Stony Brook University that gave professors skills to become public intellectuals. She was a Rhodes scholar herself, and was an advisor to the Clinton re-election campaign and to Vice President Al Gore. Dr Wolf has written for every major news outlet in the US and many globally; she had four opinion columns, including in The Guardian and the Sunday Times of London. She lives with her husband, private detective Brian O’Shea, in the Hudson Valley.
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About DailyClout: DailyClout is a platform that empowers real people to build & exert real political clout.
Ryan Simonetti
CEO & Co-Founder of Convene
Ryan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Convene, commercial real estate’s first workplace-as-a-service platform. His unique expertise in real estate acquisitions, development, and structured finance has helped catapult Convene to become a pioneer in the industry.
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About Convene: Convene designs and services premium places to work, meet, and host events.
Vishal Garg
Founder & CEO of Better.com
Vishal Garg is the Founder and CEO of Better.com, a digital-first homeownership company whose services included mortgage, real estate, title, and homeowners insurance. A serial entrepreneur, the day that he came up with the idea behind Better.com, Vishal was simply looking to purchase a home for his growing family (and not start a new company). When Vishal’s effort to buy his family’s dream house was defeated by an antiquated homeownership process, the vision and mission for Better.com was born. Vishal Garg’s Better.com all-in-one digital platform takes customers through the entire home-buying process, from finding an agent to securing a mortgage (or refinanced loan) to shopping for insurance. To date, under Vishal Garg’s leadership, Better.com has done over $46.9 BN in home loans and provided over $16B in cumulative coverage through Better Cover and Better Settlement Services, the insurance divisions of Better.com. Better.com has raised over $400M in equity capital and is backed by L Catterton, Kleiner Perkins, Goldman Sachs, American Express Ventures, Citi and other investors. In December 2019, HousingWire honored Vishal Garg with the “2019 Vanguard Award”, which recognizes leaders of businesses contributing to the growth of the housing economy. In July of 2020, Comparably surveyed employees of color to rate the top CEOs driving diversity and inclusive work culture. The results ranked Garg at #13 out of 25, placing him alongside leaders at organizations like Microsoft and Google. In September of 2020, Business Insider named Vishal Garg as one of the “100 People Transforming Business in 2020”. And, in October of 2020, Ernst & Young included Garg on the “Entrepreneur of the Year 2020” list. Vishal Garg is also the founding partner of 1/0 Capital. Previously, Vishal was Co-head and Managing Partner, ARAM ABS Group ($6 B+ assets) and the Founder and President & CFO of MyRichUncle (2005 NASDAQ IPO), which he founded at the age of 21 and built into the fourth largest private student loan originator in the US. Prior toMyRichUncle, Vishal was an analyst in the Mergers & Acquisition dept. at Morgan Stanley, and a frontier emerging markets portfolio manager for the Strategos Fund. He is a graduate of NYU Stern with the highest honors.
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About Better.com, Phoenix Holdings: Better.com is a homeownership journey platform that utilizes technology to change the way people buy and own a home.
Austin Brooks
Co-Founder of Rentroom
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About Rentroom: Next generation software for property owners and tenants
Alex Britton
Co-Founder and CEO of Rentroom
Alex Britton is the co-founder and CEO of Rentroom. Prior to founding Rentroom as CEO, Alex worked as a growth product manager at Toast Inc. and Blue Apron. These positions assisted Alex in gaining a strong understanding of B2B and consumer software businesses. He has led software development, go-to-market strategy, and operations teams. Alex holds a B.A. in Entrepreneurship and Computer Science from NYU.
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About Rentroom: Next generation software for property owners and tenants
Anish Malhotra
Founder & CEO of Plotify
Anish Malhotra is a Founder and CEO at Plotify.
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About Plotify: Plotify is a real estate company that specializes in Buying, owning, managing, and selling an investment property.
Ryan Williams
Co-Founder & CEO of Cadre
Ryan Williams is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Cadre.
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About Cadre: Cadre is an online marketplace that connects investors and operators of real estate.
Aaron Block
Co-Founder, Managing Partner of MetaProp
Aaron is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of MetaProp, a New York-based venture capital firm focused on the real estate technology (“PropTech”) industry. Founded in 2015, MetaProp’s investment team has invested in 100+ technology companies across the real estate value chain. The firm manages multiple investment funds for both financial and strategic real estate investors representing a pilot- and test-ready sandbox of 15+ billion square feet across every real estate asset type and global market. Aaron served as Chairman of Chicago-based BayRu, LLC, the US-Russia ecommerce shopping and shipping specialist and eBay.com’s exclusive drop shipping partner for Russia/CIS consumers. After Aaron joined the company in 2010 as an investor and CEO, BayRu grew to become the 8th largest international online retailer in Russia. In 2013, BayRu was #11 on the Inc5000 “Top 100 Retail Companies” list and was named “Exporter of the Year” by the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Prior to BayRu, Aaron was a commercial real estate executive with Cushman & Wakefield and oversaw more than 270 professionals as leader of the Chicago region. Aaron received numerous honors and awards during his real estate career including Top Producer, Most Creative Deal, Agency of the Year and Most Promising Brokerage Professional. Aaron has a BA from the Univesity of Illinois and an MBA from DePaul University. He is co-author of PropTech 101 (proptech101.com) published by Advantage Media. He has also been featured in dozens of international publications and media including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Chicago Tribune, Crain’s, CBS Radio, The Moscow Times, RIA Novosti, RBK, Vedomosti, and Kommersant. Outside of work, Aaron served as a board member of numerous organizations including Young Presidents Organization (“YPO”), New York City Community Board Five, and Friends of the Chicago River. In addition to English, Aaron also enjoys speaking Spanish and Russian.
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About MetaProp: MetaProp is a venture capital firm focused on the real estate technology industry.
Zachary Aarons
Co-Founder and Partner of MetaProp
Zach Aarons currently works as the Co-Founder and Partner for MetaProp.VC. He previously worked at Millennium Partners as the Project Manager.
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About MetaProp: MetaProp is a venture capital firm focused on the real estate technology industry.
L.D. Salmanson
Co-Founder of Cherre
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About Cherre, The Salmanson Fund: The Leading Real Estate Data Management and Analytics Platform
Ben Hizak
Co- Founder of Cherre
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About Cherre: The Leading Real Estate Data Management and Analytics Platform
Carl Icahn
Chairman and Founder of Icahn Enterprises
Carl Icahn is best known as an activist investor. He buys large stakes in companies in an attempt to gain seats on the board of directors and increase shareholder value. Some of his more recent moves involved [Yahoo](/organization/yahoo), [Take-Two Interactive](/organization/take-two-interactive-software), [Motorola](/organization/motorola), [Blockbuster](/organization/blockbuster-2) and [Time Warner](/organization/timewarner).
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About Apple, Icahn Enterprises: Icahn Enterprises L.P. (NASDAQ: IEP), a master limited partnership, is a diversified holding company engaged in nine primary business.
Cyrus Claffey
Executive Chairman & Co-Founder of ButterflyMX
Cyrus Claffey is an Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of ButterflyMX.
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About ButterflyMX: ButterflyMX develops property access solutions including video intercom systems and keypads that users can manage from a smartphone.
Matthew Knoff
Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder of ButterflyMX
Matthew Knoff is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of ButterflyMX.
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About ButterflyMX: ButterflyMX develops property access solutions including video intercom systems and keypads that users can manage from a smartphone.
Kunal Shah
CRO & Co-Founder of ButterflyMX
Kunal Shah is the Co-Founder and CRO of ButterflyMX.
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About ButterflyMX: ButterflyMX develops property access solutions including video intercom systems and keypads that users can manage from a smartphone.
Jim Kaplan
Founder, Managing Partner of Chasella
Jim Kaplan is the co-founder of CHASELLA, a private equity firm that specializes in real estate investment and development, and in supporting new products and services across a variety of industries that range from smart-home technologies to financial services and consumer retail. He is an advisor to a number of early-stage firms, and works closely with their teams to help maximize efficiency and growth. In addition, he is a dedicated member of the Board of Advisors to Kids Need More, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that helps children and families afflicted with cancer.
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About Bevi, Chasella, Thnks: A results oriented private equity and early stage investment firm that is predicated on value-creation through innovation and trust.
Ryan Brown
Head of Sales and Co-Founder of Up&Up
Ryan Brown is a Co-Founder of Up&Up.
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About Up&Up: Up&Up is a tech-enabled real estate platform that allows renters to accumulate fractional ownership of the properties.
Will Blodgett
Co-Founder and Partner of Fairstead
Will Blodgett is a Founding Partner of Fairstead where he has led the acquisition and development of more than 16,000 units and $4B in real estate across the United States. Along with his partners, Will oversees all of Fairstead’s new acquisitions and developments and its current portfolio of 12,800 units across 15 states, including: affordable, mixed-income and supportive housing developments. Previously, Will managed the acquisition, financing, and development of over 4,500 units for The Related Companies’ Affordable Housing Group and served as a Special Advisor to the New York City Housing Authority. Will holds a BA from Yale and an MBA from MIT. He serves on the board of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, Affordable Housing Developer’s Council, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the American Institute of Stuttering, and New Heights Youth, Inc.
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About Fairstead: NYC based real estate developer committed to preserving high quality housing
Court Cunningham
Founder & CEO of Orchard
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About Orchard: Orchard is an online platform for buying and selling residential real estate.
Phil DeGisi
Co-Founder | Chief Product & Marketing Officer of Orchard
Phil DeGisi is the co-founder and Head of Growth & Customer Experience at Perch, the home buying and selling marketplace. Previously, he was Chief Marketing Officer at CommonBond, a leading marketplace lender, where he helped scale the company to over $1B in loans. Prior to joining the CommonBond team, Phil held e-commerce and digital marketing roles spanning startups and large organizations, including Quidsi (a subsidiary of Amazon), littleBits electronics, and Walmart.com. Phil received his M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and his B.A. from Vassar College with a degree in economics.
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About Orchard: Orchard is an online platform for buying and selling residential real estate.
Ajay Yadav
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Roomi
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About Dada Room, Forbes, Forbes Real Estate Council, Roomi: Roomi is a free mobile platform that helps people find flexible, affordable co-living solutions.
Patrick Burns
CEO and Co-Founder of Spruce Holdings
Patrick Burns is a Co-Founder at Spruce Holdings.
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About Spruce Holdings: Spruce Holdings aims to improve title insurance assessment and issuance to reduce the time needed to close a real estate deal.
Marcela Sapone
CEO & Co-Founder of Hello Alfred
In 2014, the founders of Hello Alfred won the TechCrunch Disrupt SF pitch competition–becoming the first all-female founder team to do so–after wowing judges with its vision of an on-demand concierge service that connects customers with a professionally trained home manager to complete workaday household errands like cleaning, laundry, and pet care.
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About Hello Alfred: Alfred is the largest and most advanced residential management platform.
John S. Shriber
Co- Founder & CEO of Roomster
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About Roomster: The leading multi platform roommate matching & shared housing application. IOS, Android & fully responsive design
Jian Wei Gan
Co-Founder & CTO of Ribbon Home
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About Ribbon Home: Ribbon Home was created to make home ownership achievable by giving homeowners the freedom to buy before they sell.
Louis Ceruzzi
Founder and President of Ceruzzi Properties, LLC
After earning degrees from Georgetown University and New York University School of Law, Louis Ceruzzi established himself as a developer of commercial and residential real estate in the Northeast. Ceruzzi Properties LLC, the firm he founded in 1988, became the successor company Ceruzzi Holdings LLC, following the formation of a successful partnership with Starwood Capital Group. Louis Ceruzzi used that partnership to transform underused shopping centers into major retail spaces anchored by national brands. As head of a full-service company whose operations include project development, ownership, property management, and leasing, Louis Ceruzzi has formed hundreds of tenant relationships with retail chains that include Target, Lowe’s, the Home Depot, and Costco, as well as hotel brands such as the Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, and Marriott. Ceruzzi’s residential and mixed-use real estate ventures include a range of multimillion-dollar development projects in collaboration with international corporations such as the Trump Organization and SMI USA, based in Shanghai. Louis Ceruzzi has also earned a name as a leading restaurateur, in partnership most recently with renowned Iron Chef winner Geoffrey Zakarian, to further develop Zakarian’s brand to Greenwich, CT. The National is set to open by mid-2016 on the premises of the capital’s historic Old Post Office Pavilion, now undergoing reconstruction to become the Trump International Hotel. The restaurant will offer a French bistro-inflected, American-style cuisine in an upscale environment. Louis Ceruzzi previously developed Lola 41 and its sister restaurant, Lola Burger, on Nantucket. In New York, he owns several restaurants that reflect his own love of fine wines and Italian cuisine. Based in the Upper East Side, these include Sfoglia, Bar Roma, Via Quadronno, and Bottega del Vino.
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About Ceruzzi Properties, LLC: Ceruzzi Properties, LLC – A Commercial Real Estate Development Firm
Ben Black
Co-Founder & CIO of EasyKnock
Ben Black is the Co-Founder and CIO of EasyKnock. Formerly the Executive Director at Morgan Stanley, a New York-based financial services firm, as well as the former Managing Director for Ladder Capital, a commercial real estate investment firm, Ben brings an extensive background in real estate investment and management. There, Ben witnessed the narrowing margin for Americans looking for typical financing options. In response, Ben decided to create a solution that disrupts a process that is no longer working for the American people. In partnership with Jarred Kessler, Ben has developed the first institutionalized sale-leaseback platform to help homeowners across the country access the money they need to reach their goals.
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About EasyKnock: EasyKnock provides sale-leaseback solutions that help homeowners to convert their home equity to cash.
Jarred Kessler
CEO & Co-Founder of EasyKnock
Jarred Kessler is the CEO and Co-Founder of EasyKnock, and former Global Head of Equities at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., a New York-based financial services firm. He previously held positions at Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs. Jarred is the propelling force behind the name that’s changing the future of real estate. Having worked on Wall Street for years, Jarred saw the fundamental issues preventing Americans from accessing the money they need. He decided he was going to do something about that. With over fifteen years of experience in technology and business strategy and development, Jarred has developed the first institutionalized sale-leaseback platform to help homeowners across the country.
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About EasyKnock, Forbes Real Estate Council: EasyKnock provides sale-leaseback solutions that help homeowners to convert their home equity to cash.
Zach Ehrlich
Founder and CEO of Stoop
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About Stoop: Stoop is a marketplace platform for furnished home rentals and urban residential space.
Jordan Barker
Founder & Principal of Bark Equities
Jordan Barker is passionate about everything retail and has built a diverse network of clients and relationships. Jordan has worked at both large and boutique commercial real estate firms, which has enabled him to not only understand but also change the shortcomings in the industry. With over $160M in closed real estate transactions, Jordan’s success has been created by his desire, passion, and creativity to deliver positive results. Jordan graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University, The Martin J. Whitman School of Management and is a Member of the New York ICSC Next Generation Committee.
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About Bark Equities: Bark Equities is the trusted real estate partner global retailers need.
Yaakov James Zar
Co-Founder and CEO of Lev
Yaakov Zar is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lev.
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About Dispatch, Lev: Lev is a commercial mortgage marketplace.
Matt Rodak
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Fund That Flip
Matt is the Founder and CEO of Fund That Flip, a venture-backed real estate investment marketplace specializing in short-term loans for residential real estate rehabbers. As an active real estate investor, Matt became frustrated with the inefficiencies and lack of transparency offered by traditional rehab lenders. Fund That Flip’s technology provides ease-of-use, speed and transparency to professional real estate rehabbers. For accredited and institutional investors the platform automates sourcing, underwriting and loan origination, providing unprecedented access to this desirable asset class. Prior to founding Fund That Flip, Matt led sales and marketing for a $950M commercial property risk management firm. Matt earned a finance degree from John Carroll University and is a Chartered Property Underwriter.
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About Fund That Flip: Fund That Flip provides fast, convenient, and affordable capital for experienced real estate investors.
Jeff Baehr
Founder & CEO of RueOne Investments
RueOne Investments is an independent private investment firm offering family offices and institutional investors exclusive access to direct and co-investment opportunities in private equity and venture capital. I have been involved in the alternative investment industry since 1998. I began my career as an analyst working for Strategic Financial Solutions and continued in increasing roles of responsibility at The Carlyle Group, The World Bank, and ARIS Capital Management. Most recently, I founded Empiric Asset Management, a family of funds focusing on energy infrastructure and energy master limited partnerships(“MLPs”).
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About RueOne Investments: RueOne is a private investment firm making early to growth stage investments in FinTech / InsurTech / Enterprise Software.
Thomas A. Rizk
Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Rizk Ventures
Thomas A. Rizk has three decades of experience building diverse companies, managing a variety of investments, and investing in special opportunities. He currently serves as CEO and Chairmen of Rizk Ventures, a private investment firm. Mr. Rizk previous experience includes founding TractManager Inc. where he serves as Chairman and CEO until April 2013 and CEO and Director of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation. He led Cali Associates through its highly successful initial public offering as Cali Realty Corporation, a real estate investment trust (REIT) traded on the NYSE.
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About Rizk Ventures, Workspace Property Trust: Rizk Ventures is a privately-held investment firm. We focus on Venture Capital, Private Equity, Real Estate and Special Opportunities.
Linda Rizk
Co-Founder of Rizk Ventures
Linda Rizk is the Founder of CHTCS, a global compliance and advisory company that provides corporations with the necessary tools to combat human trafficking. Mrs. Rizk is also the Co-founder of Rizk Ventures, a venture capital investment firm, and leads the company’s philanthropic initiatives. Mrs. Rizk also currently serves on the Advisory Board for Operation Game On, a golf rehabilitation program for returning combat-injured troops. Linda Rizk has received many awards for her charity work. Mrs. Rizk has her B.A. degree in Economics. She was an investment banker while getting her M.B.A. from Pace University.
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About Counter Human Trafficking Compliance Solutions (CHTCS), Rizk Ventures: Rizk Ventures is a privately-held investment firm. We focus on Venture Capital, Private Equity, Real Estate and Special Opportunities.
Ryan Eisenman
Co-Founder and CEO of Arch
Ryan Eisenman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Arch.
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About Arch: Arch digitally manages private investment operations for investors and investment advisors.
Jonathan B. Handler
Founder and CEO of YINC
Jonathan B. Handler is the founder & CEO at YINC.
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About YINC: YINC leverages Blockchain technology to transform the service-to-hire industry for consumers & real estate mgmt companies.
Robert Schwartz
Co-Founder and Principal of S3 Capital
Robert Schwartz is co-founder and principal of Spruce and S3 Capital, and leads acquisitions, financing and day-to-day management for the firm. Prior to founding Spruce and S3 Capital, Robert helped run a successful family business where he established and grew the family’s real estate investment program. Robert began his career as an investment banker at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and UBS, in their Financial Institution Coverage groups. He is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
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About S3 Capital: S3 Capital is a private construction debt lender in New York City and focuses on loans between $1M to $20M and $20M to over $250M.
Joshua Crane
Co-Founder and Principal of S3 Capital
Joshua Crane is co-founder and principal of Spruce and S3 Capital and is responsible for sourcing and executing on all aspects of the business. Prior to founding S3 and Spruce Capital, he was at Irongate, where he developed the Trump International Hotel and Tower at Waikiki Beach Walk. Joshua also worked at Stellar Management, where he was involved in the acquisition of Independence Plaza, a 1,330-unit rental building in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood and 2,000 units in Washington, D.C. Joshua began his career at Solomon Brothers in its Mergers and Acquisitions group. He graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
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About S3 Capital: S3 Capital is a private construction debt lender in New York City and focuses on loans between $1M to $20M and $20M to over $250M.
Liz Young
Founder & CEO of Realm
Founder & CEO, Realm. Previously Reonomy, Groupon & Bloomberg.
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About Realm: All the data you need to navigate complex, expensive home decisions.
Michael Rudman
Co-Founder & CTO of Jones
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About Jones: Jones offers independent contractors a Pay-As-You-Go solution to end the hassle of liability insurance.
Potter Polk
Founder and Partner of Kalyx Development
Potter Polk is the President of Kalyx Properties Inc. He brings to Kalyx more than 25 years of business management experience in wire- less communications, international tourism, and tech- nology. Since 2009, Potter has been actively engaged in the legal marijuana industry evaluating a broad range of cannabis opportunities including cultivation, infused product manufacturing, enterprise management software development and real estate. He has built a network of top industry professionals as well as cannabis specific regulatory and operational expertise. As the CEO of Mingleridge NJ, Potter drafted the third highest scoring application for New Jersey’s MMJ program. He participated in providing testimony on medical marijuana business regulations to NJ legislators and assisted in the re-draft the program’s regulations on behalf of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana NJ (CMMNJ) under request for recommended changes by the office of NJ State Senate Nicholas P. Scutari, co-sponsor of NJ’s Compassionate Use law. As Founding Director and CFO of the Happy Travels Group, Potter grew the company’s Australian and New Zealand retail travel centers to 25 locations. Potter was also the Founder and CEO of The Internet Outpost Group now trading as part of The Global Gossip, and a provider of public internet access solutions to more than 400 hotels and resorts in 6 countries. Mr. Polk holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Skidmore College and currently serves as the Chairman of Greener Pastures, a not-for-profit equine rescue sanctuary in Cecilton, Maryland.
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About Kalyx Development: Kalyx Development Inc. has amassed an unlevered, multi-state portfolio of cannabis properties.
Jay Goldklang
Founder and CEO of Great Jones
Jay Goldklang is the founder & CEO of Great Jones, a venture-backed startup aiming to deliver superior technology and service to residential property owners and their residents. Before founding Great Jones, Jay served as VP of Product Management at 1stdibs, the world’s leading online marketplace for high-end antique and modern furniture, fine art, jewelry and fashion. There, Jay and his team built the business model and many of the tools and operational practices to help scale 1stdibs’ online sales from zero to hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Prior to his role at 1stdibs, Jay worked at Seamless, Bain & Company, and Gold Standard Collectibles, a vintage sports memorabilia business he founded. He graduated magna cum laude from Yale University and received an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar.
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About Great Jones: Great Jones is building the modern operating platform for the residential rental asset class.
Omri Dor
Co-Founder & COO of Obligo
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About Forbes Real Estate Council, Obligo: Obligo rids both landlords and renters from the burden of security deposits.
Ankur Jain
Founder & CEO of Kairos
Ankur Jain is the Founder & CEO of Kairos.
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About Bilt Rewards, Kairos, Rhino: Kairos is a portfolio of brands that focuses on making life simpler and more affordable for our generation.
Zoe Oz
Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer of Kairos
Zoe is the Co-Founder & CMO at Kairos. She graduated from Harvard University.
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About Bilt Rewards, Kairos: Kairos is a portfolio of brands that focuses on making life simpler and more affordable for our generation.
Andrew Klein
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of BullsBridge Capital
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About BullsBridge Capital: Revolutionizing Real Estate Investing
Ryan Melohn
COO & Co-Founder of Expansion Venture Capital
Ryan Melohn is co-founder and chief operating officer for Expansion VC. In addition Mr. Melohn is vice-president and property manager for the Expansion Group Inc. , a real estate corporation with holdings in both residential and commercial sectors. As chief facilitator for Expansion VC, Mr. Melohn has been responsible for successfully pairing potential entrepreneurs/companies with ideal investments. Ryan’s networking throughout the venture capital and corporate worlds, have proven extremely valuable to EVC. His portfolio includes but is not limited to Postmates, RelayRides, AngelList, Life360, Firebase, TheRealReal, Enigma.io, Compstak, Engrade and eShares among many others. Ryan’s philanthropic interests are varied and eclectic. He is particularly dedicated to Kids of Courage, an organization focused on improving the daily lives of children and adults battling catastrophic illnesses.
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About Expansion Venture Capital: Expansion Venture Capital is a New York-based company providing investment and mentorship to early- and growth-stage companies.
Benoit Lam
Founder & Co-CEO of UPPERKEY
Entrepreneur for 10 Years | Investing in Talent | Life Enthusiast Passionate about human connections, real estate and hospitality. Key Highlights of UpperKey: 1. A fast-growing PropTech iRenting company disrupting the traditional hospitality industry one rental at a time. 2. Established business run by the founding owners, supported by a multi-disciplinary international management team, 3. A highly scalable platform requiring only minimal incremental investment to expand in new cities around the globe.
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About UPPERKEY: Hospitality Tech Company
Arash Yaghoubi
Founder of Hypsometric
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About Hypsometric: Hypsometric is an indoor mapping company- Google maps for interior spaces.
Evan Freed
Co-Founder of Hypsometric
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About Hypsometric: Hypsometric is an indoor mapping company- Google maps for interior spaces.
Kobi Wu
CEO & Founder of VisuWall
Kobi Wu Pasmore is the Founder and CEO of VisuWall Technologies.
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About VisuWall: Eye level media and metrics that matter in just a few clicks.
John Meadows
Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Bowery Valuation
Prior to co-founding Bowery, John worked at Leitner Group, now BBG, the largest independent appraisal firm in New York City. In his 4+ years there he valued over $3 billion of commercial property across all asset types. Frustrated with the antiquated process of appraising, but excited by the need for a better solution, he left to start Bowery with Noah and Cesar in June of 2015. John graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in US History. He still aspires to become a chef, a filmmaker, and the first left handed shortstop for the San Francisco Giants.
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About Bowery Valuation: Bowery Valuation is a technology-enabled commercial real estate appraisal that powers appraisers with cutting edge software.
Noah Isaacs
Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Bowery Valuation
Before co-founding Bowery, Noah worked for Butler Burgher Group, valuing over $2.5 Billion worth of commercial real estate in New York. In 2010 he started his career in Baseball Operations, running numbers for the Toronto Blue Jays. The following year he became the youngest plenary speaker in the 29 year history of the International Conference of the System Dynamics Society. Noah graduated from McGill University with a major in Statistics and a double minor in Operations Management and Labor-Management Relations.
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About Bowery Valuation: Bowery Valuation is a technology-enabled commercial real estate appraisal that powers appraisers with cutting edge software.
Susannah Vila
Co-Founder, CEO of Caretaker
Susannah Vila is the Co-Founder and CEO of Caretaker.
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About Caretaker: Caretaker builds property management automation software for small and medium sized landlords and property managers.
Sohin Shah
COO and Co-Founder of iFunding
Sohin Shah is the co-founder of iFunding. He heads the daily operations at iFunding, and has led the development team in building the platform infrastructure for iFunding. Sohin is the point of contact for investors and operating partners at iFunding. Sohin holds a Series 82 license and is currently preparing to take the Series 63 license exam. He has previously worked at investment banks in NYC and is a graduate from New York University, with a Masters degree in Finance & Risk Engineering. Sohin is also the creator of Valuation App, an app that allows finance professionals to analyze businesses and start-ups, making use of valuation techniques that are on par with what is used in the real world. Sohin successfully raised capital to develop this app by crowdfunding it from 57 backers.
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About iFunding, Valuation App: iFunding is a commercial real estate investment platform giving accredited investors access to investment opportunities online.
Maurice Vaughn
Co-Founder & Managing Director of Omni New York
Mo is the co-Managing Director and co-founder of Omni New York LLC. Prior to becoming involved in real estate projects in urban areas that need revitalization and development, Mo has been an active supporter and contributor to various community based organizations and charities. Mo has enjoyed a successful career as a major league baseball player with the Boston Red Sox, Anaheim Angels and the New York Mets. Mo has been an All-Star multiple times and was the 1995 American League Most Valuable Player. Mo attended Seton Hall University and is a graduate of Trinity Pawling School.
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About Omni New York: Omni New York LLC (“ONY”) is a real estate development company.
Jerry Kestenbaum
Founder, currently: Director of Emerging Technologies of BuildingLink.com
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About BuildingLink.com, Enertiv, OpenGov, Panorama: BuildingLink.com enables building staff to manage their buildings and handle their day-to-day tasks seamlessly and accurately.
Robert Herrick
CEO & Founder of VISUALHOUSE
Robert Herrick, started his career as an Architect, working for a highly regarded practice in London. From there Robert focused his career to Architectural Visualisation, working for an established architectural illustration studio. In 2006 Robert started his first business, Visualhouse. Then an architectural visualisation studio, working closely with renowned practices in London, New York and the Middle East. Robert grew the business and in 2008 securing a series of major international project contracts including the largest development in US history, Hudson Yards, New York. In 2011 Robert moved to New York establishing the firm’s first US office and continued to grow the business acting as Managing Director. Over the following 4 years Robert and the VH team grew the business into a full “Creative Ideas” agency with 5 international offices operating in London, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Hong Kong. Visualhouse had established commercial film, rendering, creative and branding divisions, with creatives producing 360 degree campaigns for the luxury property sector. Over the past 7 years Robert has built renowned visual brand stories for landmark buildings and iconic designers such as Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Daniel Libeskind, Rafael Vinoly, Thomas Heatherwick and many more. In 2013 Robert established the Thompson House Group along with a small group of tastemakers and collaborators in New York. With the core focus of delivering exceptional private member experiences across a growing group of international House’s, Workspaces, Restaurants and Hotels. Today Robert holds the position of CEO & Founder of Visualhouse internationally and the Thompson House Group.
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About : Visualhouse is a creative agency focused on creating compelling brand stories for architecture, design, and the built environment.
Julien Bonneville
Founder & CEO of TheGuarantors
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About TheGuarantors: TheGuarantors is a FinTech company that offers innovative risk and financial solutions for the real estate ecosystem.
Eva Hibnick
Founder of One Step Software
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About One Step Software: One Step is a fast growing technology company in the sober living space.
Paul Scialla
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Delos
Paul Scialla After 18 years on Wall Street, including 10 at Goldman Sachs as a Partner, Paul Scialla’s interest in sustainability and altruistic capitalism led him to found Delos, which is merging the world’s largest asset class – real estate – with the world’s fastest growing industry – wellness. Since the company’s inception, Paul has become a leading voice in the sustainability movement, serving as a keynote speaker at prominent green building, real estate, and technology forums and conferences around the world. Paul is also the Founder of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), which administers the WELL Building Standard® globally to improve human health and wellbeing through the built environment, a member of the Board of Directors for the Chopra Foundation, and a founding board member of the JUST Capital Foundation. Paul graduated from New York University with a degree in finance, and he currently resides in New York City.
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About Delos: Delos is a real estate company that focuses on tech, health, design and science to improve human health in the built environment.
Steven Salvesen
President and Founder of RIP Construction Consultants Inc.
For nearly 30 years, Steven Salvesen and his team at RIP Construction Consultants have provided property owners and contractors alike with the necessary services to complete their renovation and new construction projects on time and up to code. Opening RIP in 1986, Mr. Salvesen soon positioned his company as New York City’s trusted source of expediting services, from permits for the NYC Department of Buildings to compliance with all manner of state licensing authorities. With a consulting record that exceeds 1,000 residential and commercial establishments across the city, Mr. Salvesen and his colleagues at RIP stand alone for their expertise and versatility in the areas of expediting and project management. Among their core competencies, Steven Salvesen and RIP regularly work with Manhattan restaurants, bars, and nightclubs to obtain approval on rezoning proposals, violation removals, variances, public assemblies, and much more. Whether seeking permits from the Department of Buildings, Department of Transportation, or the Landmarks Preservation Commission, RIP works with all pertinent NYC agencies to ensure that clients can complete their projects in short order. As a strong testament to its reputation, RIP helped legendary East Village bar The 13th Step expand its current location, made it possible for Chelsea nightclub Amnesia NYC to renovate and change its overall look, and worked with several other key establishments in recent years. Some of Mr. Salvesen and RIP’s current and former clients include Le Souk, Rockwood Music Hall, Greenhouse Nightclub, Experiemental Cocktail Club New York, Dos Caminos, and Down the Hatch.
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About RIP Construction Consultants Inc.: Construction expediting and project management in New York City
Eric Fischgrund
Founder/CEO of FischTank PR
Eric Fischgrund is the founder and CEO of FischTank PR, a boutique communications and marketing firm headquartered in New York City. A career MarComm executive, Eric has worked both agency side and in-house prior to launching FischTank PR. The firm specializes in a number of corporate practice areas, including but not limited to B2B and B2C technologies, renewable energy and sustainability, financial services and personal finance products, and non-profits. Eric resides in North Jersey with his wife Monica and dog (Buddy), and enjoys spending time with family and friends, biking, golfing, hiking, reading, and writing.
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About Boom Local, FischTank PR: FischTank PR is a public relations and marketing firm specializing in media relations, content writing, branding, digital/social, & more.
Perrin Quarshie
Founder & CEO of RealBlocks
Perrin is the Founder of RealBlocks. RealBlocks democratizes access to alternative investments by digitizing shares of the funds over a blockchain-enabled network. The network is designed to create unmatched levels of liquidity and transparency in the traditionally complex world of alternatives, thereby enabling fund managers, financial intermediaries and investors greater control and impact over their performance,
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About RealBlocks: RealBlocks is a technology platform that delivers online access to alternative investments.
Yaniv Kalish
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SolarKal
Yaniv Kalish is a Founder & CEO at SolarKal.
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About SolarKal: SolarKal is the largest B2B solar energy marketplace in the US, connecting organizations to solar providers who compete for their business.
Keenan Williams
Co-Founder, President & Head Of CRE of REZI
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About Rezi, REZI: REZI a rental company that provides tech solutions to improve the rental experience for landlords and tenants alike.
Sean Mitchell
Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO of REZI
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About REZI: REZI a rental company that provides tech solutions to improve the rental experience for landlords and tenants alike.
Ariel Maidansky
Co-Founder and CEO of Envizzo
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About Envizzo: Envizzo is a platform for real estate operators to design and furnish properties with ease.
Kristie Lee Fenning
Co-Founder and CCO of Envizzo
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About Envizzo: Envizzo is a platform for real estate operators to design and furnish properties with ease.
David Greenberg
Founder & CEO of Updater
David M. Greenberg is the Founder and CEO of Updater. Updater’s app helps relocating consumers organize and complete all moving-related tasks, such as updating accounts and records, connecting Internet and utilities, booking a moving company, and much more. Over 1,000 real estate companies have partnered with Updater to deliver their clients a simplified moving experience. Technology owned by Updater touches nearly 50% of all household moves in the US annually. Updater’s Home Services Division provides innovative technology that simplifies the purchase of home subscription products across telecommunications, cable, satellite, home security, home improvement and home energy. MoveHQ, a subsidiary of Updater, provides widely-used technology that helps moving companies run their businesses, from driver applications to warehouse management solutions, and more. Updater has raised over $120 Million in growth capital and is backed by Fidelity International, Softbank Capital, IA Ventures, Second Century Ventures (the strategic investment division of the National Association of REALTORS), Commerce Ventures, and over 10 other institutional funds. Updater has over 200 full time employees and over 400 contractors working to reinvent the moving experience. In Crain’s list of Best Places to Work in NYC, Updater has ranked in the top 10 multiple times in recent years (and the top ranked tech company in NYC in 2016). Previously, David practiced corporate law at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.
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About Updater: Updater is a technology company platform that develops tools to help consumers relocate more easily.
Joseph Moinian
CEO & Founder of The Moinian Group
Joseph Moinian is known for his superb investment, development and management strategies, forging new neighborhoods and spearheading the transformation and enhancement of property values and environments. The New York City-based developer, investor and long-term owner of prime real estate nationwide is recognized for pioneering the development of emerging neighborhoods in major metropolitan cities across the United States. Founded by Mr. Moinian in 1982, The Moinian Group today boasts a portfolio of more than 20 million square feet of property – and is among one of the only national real estate entities to develop, own and operate properties across every asset category, including office, hotel, retail, condos and rental apartments. Joseph Moinian is a member of the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board of New York and sits on the boards of the Skyline Museum. Mr. Moinian is also a noted philanthropist who supports the arts, civic organizations and healthcare issues. He resides with his wife Nazee and their five children in Manhattan.
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About The Moinian Group: The Moinian Group is a real estate company that develops, owns, and operates commercial, residential, and hotel properties in US.
Jesse Daugherty
Co-Founder & CTO of LEX Markets
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About LEX Markets: LEX Markets is a commercial real estate securities marketplace that takes commercial buildings public through single-asset IPOs.
Sam Rosen
Co-Founder of Desktime
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About Asset Record Company, Desktime, Tap: Desktime lets users find temporary offices, desks, or other business equipment/facilities for rent.
Naj Austin
Founder &CEO, Somewhere Good of Ethels Club
Naj Austin is the founder and CEO of Somewhere Good and Ethel’s Club. She has spent her career building digital and physical products that make the world a more intersectional and equitable space. She was named one of Inc’s 100 Female Founders transforming America, a Huffpost Culture Shifter of 2020 and Time Out New York’s 2020 list of women making NYC better.
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About Ethels Club, Somewhere Good: An immersive wellness platform centering people of color. By us, for you.
Michael Mintz
CEO and Founder of MD Squared Property Group
Michael Mintz is the CEO and founder of MD Squared Property Group. Founded in late 2014, MD Squared has grown to manage over 70 retail and multifamily properties consisting of over 3000 units in the NYC area. Prior to co-founding MD2 Property Group, Michael was the Acquisitions Manager and a Senior Property Manager at FirstService Residential New York, LLC (formerly Cooper Square Realty, Inc.), managing properties and locating investment opportunities for the principals of FirstService. Michael used his management, investment and development knowledge to create and implement asset repositioning plans including violation removal, tenant buyouts, staff training and renovations and building improvements in order to maximize value for owners and enhance resident experiences. Michael has experience in high-end and affordable housing including rent-stabilized units in the rental, co-op and condo markets. He began working in property management upon graduation from the University of Maryland with a degree in Economics. Michael grew up in Minneapolis, MN. Michael established himself as a leading manager and key investment advisor at FirstService. He is an entrepreneur and has parlayed his unique skills and knowledge into making MD2 one of New York City’s leading property management and real estate investment firms. Michael holds real estate salesperson licenses in the State of New York and The District of Columbia. Michael is also a licensed New York State real estate instructor.
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About MD Squared Property Group: MD Squared Property Group is a New York City based property management firm.
Tom Petit
Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Landis
Tom Petit is the Co-Founder of Landis.
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About Landis, Zicklin School of Business: Landis helps renters become homeowners.
Cyril Berdugo
Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Landis
Cyril Berdugo is the founder of Landis and a Managing Partner at his personal tech and real estate investment company, Berd Industries. Prior to co-founding Landis and Berd, Cyril was a venture capitalist at Fifth Wall where he invested in real estate tech companies. He was also a Director at Crown Acquisitions, one of the largest real estate investment firms in the US, where he was responsible for acquisitions, refinancings, dispositions and asset management. Before joining Crown, Cyril worked at Houlihan Lokey where he advised companies on M&A, equity and debt capital markets, and restructuring transactions across all industries. At Houlihan, Cyril was a founding member of the Capital Markets Group. Prior to Houlihan Lokey, Cyril worked in the Credit Trading group at Citigroup. Throughout his career, Cyril has completed over $10 billion in transactions. Cyril is an advisor to several early-stage companies and a director at TP NYC, a real estate investment firm. He is a graduate of Emory University and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
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About Berd Industries, Landis: Landis helps renters become homeowners.
Bruce Menin
Co-Founder & Principal of Crescent Heights
Bruce Menin is Principal at Crescent Heights and a recognized leader in the design and development of cutting-edge residential communities and boutique hotels in premier locations nationwide, including New York City, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, San Diego, and Honolulu. At the helm of Crescent Heights since 1989, he has led the marketing and creative strategy for more than 100 residential and hotel properties and pioneered the renaissance of urban neighborhoods and coastal cities across the United States, including South Beach in Miami, Midtown in Atlanta, the Arts District in Philadelphia, the Financial District in New York City, and SoMA and Mid-Market in San Francisco. An active member of the community, Menin is involved in a variety of philanthropic endeavors.
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About Crescent Heights: Crescent Heights® has the rare ability to identify and then capitalize on lifestyle trends ahead of the curve.
Elie Deitsch
Co-Founder and President of Bond Collective
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About Bond Collective: Bond Collective provides shared and luxury workspaces for modern businesses and individuals to be productive in a sophisticated environment.
Shlomo Silber
Co-Founder and CEO of Bond Collective
Shlomo Silber is the co-founder and CEO of the flexible shared workspace provider, Bond Collective. As the visionary behind the company, Silber’s vast experience in the real estate and development sector allowed him to identify a gap in the marketplace for a hospitality-driven, member-centric workspace, driving him to found Bond Collective (formerly Coworkrs) in 2012 with partner, Elie Deitsch. An entrepreneur at heart, Silber was also the founder of Elbo Construction, a company that specialized in luxury apartment, brownstone, condominium and office suite renovations. Prior to that, he was a property and project manager across a substantial residential portfolio in New York City. While Silber heads up Bond Collective as CEO, he’s not afraid to put his handyman skills to the test by fixing a broken table or chair for members. He currently lives in Queens with his wife and four sons, all under the age of 10, when he’s not working, he enjoys cross-fit and exploring hiking trails throughout the country.
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About Bond Collective: Bond Collective provides shared and luxury workspaces for modern businesses and individuals to be productive in a sophisticated environment.
Mike O’Toole
CTO,Co-Founder of Funnel
Mike O’Toole, CTO of Nestio, is a super talented developer and our in-house Tech enthusiast.He grew up just outside of Boston, MA and received his B.A. from Macalester College. Mike currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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About Funnel: Funnel offers an app that makes leasing for prospective residents simple with just a few clicks from its users’ favorite devices.
Matt Brown
Founder & CEO of CAIS
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About CAIS: CAIS is a financial technology platform that provides independent wealth channels with access to alternative investments.
Mark Suleman
Founder & Chairman of MacroCrowd
Mark Suleman is founder and Chairman of the Board of MacroCrowd, LLC. As Chairman, Mr. Suleman is responsible for oversight of all corporate activities of the company on a global basis. Mr. Suleman is directly involved in the execution of MacroCrowd’s business platform of identify unique institutional quality real estate investment opportunities and promoting them on a global basis to investors around the world. As Chairman, Mr. Suleman plays a vital part in the company’s success. He works side by side with the CEO and COO to insure his corporate mandate and business vision is executed, so as to guide the company’s growth and continued global expansion in marketing and identifying unique real estate investment products and sources of investors. Prior to MacroCrowd, Mr. Suleman was involved for over 15 years as a private investor, business man, and merchant banker, managing and coordinating the financing of tens of millions of dollars of transaction proceeds, in numerous domestic and overseas business opportunities, across diverse sectors of industries including; natural gas, oil, mining, pharmaceuticals and technology. Mr. Suleman plays a pivotal role in securing financing for large capital projects via family offices, hedge funds, and private equity. Mr. Suleman graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with a dual major in Economic/Finance and Business Administration. On his free time, he enjoys flying single engine planes.
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About MacroCrowd: Macro Crowd specializes in Crowd Funding for Real Estate Investment Opportunities.
Scott Wilpon
Co-Founder, Partner of Sterling.VC
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About Sterling.VC: Sterling.VC is a sports, media and real estate VC fund supported by Sterling Equities, the principal owner of the Mets, SNY, and OverwatchNY
Brad Hargreaves
Founder & CEO of Common Living
Brad is the founder and CEO of Common. Common is dedicated to making housing better by providing flexible, community-minded shared homes. Previously,he co-founded General Assembly, a global education institution with campuses in more than 15 cities worldwide. As part of the General Assembly founding team, Brad led the growth of the company’s education business from its launch in 2011 into a global institution with over a dozen campuses. Most recently, he was a Venture Partner at Maveron, General Assembly’s lead investor. Brad has been named to Vanity Fair’s “The Next Establishment”, Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30”, and Business Insider’s “Silicon Alley 100”.
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About Common Living, GoCrossCampus: Common Living is a community-driven residential company that brings community, convenience, and flexibility to housing.
Maor Cohen
Founder & CEO of Pickspace
Israeli, Entrepreneur, Mentor, Doer. My passion is technology, Real Estate, and people. I had the opportunity and the luck to combine them together into one company (Pickspace) and to an amazing solution for property managers and tenants that I am very proud of. I am an entrepreneur by heart. Until 2008 I served as a combat soldier in an elite commando unit. As a student, I founded the International Entrepreneurship Students Community (IESC) where I was active as President for two years. Completed my Law and another degree in Business Management & Marketing. a year after I have completed my master’s in Law & Finance. + Bar exam. In 2019 I have launched Pickspace Inc in the USA with an amazing property management software for property management companies. Hope to meet you up the road! Maor
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About Pickspace: Pickspace – An automated online property management software – which increases productivity, tenant satisfaction, and profitability by 20%
Keith Rubenstein
Founder of Somerset Partners
Keith Rubenstein is a founder of Somerset Partners and has played a crucial role in the company’s development and success. Keith Rubenstein’s international relationships have enabled Somerset to expand its presence on a global level. As a result of his efforts, Somerset now partners with various off-shore entities, trusts and ultra high net worth individuals from around the world. In conjunction with these partners, Keith Rubenstein developed and expanded Somerset’s Core Investment Program to include significant commercial assets in major US markets.
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About Somerset Partners: Somerset Partners is a private real estate investment firm that specializes in multi-family and commercial office properties.
Danny Fishman
Co Founder & Managing Partner of Gaia Real Estate
Danny has more than 25 years of extensive international experience in Real Estate investment & management, private equity and venture capital, investment banking and asset management. Danny co-founded GAIA at 2009. Previously he founded and was CO-CEO of Tamir Fishman, an Investment bank and asset management company with $ billions assets under management. He has held board positions with numerous government housing, development, and real estate companies and is the former co-head of the Israeli government’s privatization unit. Fishman earned a B.Sc. in Economics and an M.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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About Gaia Real Estate: GAIA is a full-service, real estate investment company with integrated in-house property and asset management capabilities.
Jordan Franklin
Co-Founder and Board Advisor of doorkee
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About : Doorkee develops a peer-to-peer rental platform that connects departing tenants, apartment seekers, and landlords.
Mitch Wainer
Co- Founder & CMO of Welcome Homes
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About Sponsored, Techstars, Welcome Homes: Welcome Homes is the online home building platform that makes buying and designing new homes simple and more affordable.
Ari Glass
Founder of Boothbay Management
Ari Glass is a prominent New York based hedge fund manager, involved in the day-to-day operations of Boothbay Management as its founding partner and managing member. He studied at City University of New York-Queens College, from where he earned his Bachelor’s of Art with honors. In his current position over at Boothbay he is in charge of the company’s one-off investments, seeding early-stage hedge funds, and the management of its hybrid funds. Before starting his own fund, Ari Glass was President of Paine Heights Management where he oversaw the company’s interests like management of a special opportunity hedge fund that invested in the SPAC marketplace. He also advised on transactions in the emerging hedge fund sector. Over the course of two years and 4 months, he served as President of Platinum Management; the fund won two industry awards for Multi Strategy Fund of the Year. There Ari Glass was responsible for overseeing all non-investing activities, as well as the firm’s asset allocation and risk management, including its private investment funds. For more than 7 years, this noted businessman served as the Chief Operating Officer of Intrepid Capital Management. Prior to that, he served as Chief Financial Officer at Vector Capital Management, a statistical arbitrage hedge fund in Norwalk.
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About Alternative Investments Group, Boothbay Management, Coopers & Lybrand Consulting, Paine Heights Management, Peltz International, Prudential Securities: Investment firm established in 2011 by Ari Glass
Debrah Lee Charatan
Founder & President of BCB Property Management
Debrah Lee Charatan has built an outstanding record in real estate sales over the past 40 years. Since 2008, she has served as the Founder and President of BCB Property Management, where she focuses on the booming multifamily and mixed-use markets in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Under her leadership, BCB has worked on more than 60 buildings and close to one million square feet of space, a figure that includes 1,000-plus residential units and over 70 commercial units. A notable philanthropist as well, Charatan gives back to the community through the Charatan Family Foundation, with particular emphasis on organizations that provide medical care, offer cultural experiences, preserve traditions and make New York a better place to live. To this end, she and the Charatan Family Foundation support New Destiny Housing, the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, the Samuel Waxman Cancer Foundation, Mount Sinai Hospital, the Jewish Museum, the Central Park Conservancy and the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation, where she is a member of the Gevurah Society. Charatan also serves on the Lincoln Center Corporate Fund’s Women’s Leadership Council, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Real Estate Council, and Selfhelp Community Services Foundation’s board of trustees, of which she is vice chair.
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About BCB Property Management: Since 2011, BCB Property Management has maximized the value and quality of multifamily and mixed-use buildings throughout New York City.
Derek Lee
Co-Founder of Howard
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About Columbia University in the City of New York, Howard: World’s first flex-use real estate platform. Paving the way for a more flexible future in real estate.
Allen Shayanfekr
CEO & Co-Founder of Sharestates
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About ANSTitle, Sharestates: Sharestates specializes in crowd funding, real estate, investment, fixed income investment, and alternative investment.
Bennat Berger
Co-Founder & CEO of Novel Property Ventures
Bennat Berger is an entrepreneur versed in commercial real estate acquisitions and multifamily property development. As a principal of Novel Property Ventures, he seeks properties throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn as well as certain areas of the Southeast. Bennat Berger oversees Novel’s acquisitions, property management, and development, and hopes to continue to diversify Novel’s portfolio and build a model organization for property development and management. Raised in Manhattan and San Diego, Bennat Berger graduated from Torrey Pines High School and went on to graduate from Dartmouth College in 2006. At Dartmouth, he studied English and creative writing and graduated with a BA in English in 2006. Bennat wrote for The Dartmouth Free Press, was a member of Bones Gate and led two Project Preservation trips to Eastern Europe with Dartmouth College Hillel. Through Project Preservation, he helped restore Jewish cemeteries in Belarus and Ukraine that had been destroyed during World War II.Following a brief period with a Bronx-based real estate firm after college, Bennat joined Quantum Partners as director of development. From 2007 through 2009, he managed development of the 98-unit, 20-story Tempo condominium building in Gramercy Park. Tempo would be the first of many high-end projects Bennat would oversee in New York.After Quantum, Bennat entered the acquisitions division at Kushner Companies, where he sourced deals on multifamily residential properties in New York. In 2011, he left Kushner to become cofounder of BCB Properties and soon acquired the historic Atlantic Gardens mixed-use multifamily / retail properties in downtown Brooklyn. He has since acquired, developed and sold over 50 commercial and multifamily properties in the East Village, Harlem, Williamsburg, Cobble Hill, Park Slope and elsewhere throughout New York City.
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About Novel Property Ventures: Novel Property Ventures invests in multifamily and mixed-use properties in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Star Childs
CEO & Co-Founder of Citiesense
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About Citiesense, Ginkgo Management Consulting GmbH, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce: Citiesense is the Neighborhood Knowledge Platform. Citiesense creates data-driven maps and dashboards that strengthen community knowledge.
