Rising Stars in Real Estate - Crain's New York Business · 2019-06-26 · This is the environment...

Meet the2019 honorees

JUNE 24, 2019 | CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS | 17

T echnology is transforming the way

work is done in unprecedented ways

as venture capitalists pour money

into proptech. As many are discovering,

the changes in the field—particularly

the spread of new technologies and

databases—are bringing opportunity,

enabling newcomers to access knowledge

and connections once available to only

a select few.

This is the environment where Crain’s 56 Rising Stars in Real Estate are embarking on their careers in New York City, one of the most competitive markets in the world. The list is made up of professionals in residential and commercial real estate or ancillary fields. They have a maximum of 10 consecutive or cumulative years of expe-rience in real estate, and they are making their mark on the city market. Some of the honorees are early in their careers, while others have started in or returned to real estate after establishing themselves in another industry.

The honorees were discovered through Crain’s research and nominations by their firms. They were selected for their knowledge, skills, integrity, accomplishments and contributions to their profession and to the community.

Ryan Williams, co-founder and CEO of Cadre, advises those who are starting careers in real estate and real es-tate technology to “understand the impact of what came before you, but always challenge the status quo.”

He followed his own advice, founding the technology- enabled investment platform Cadre in 2014. Cadre is an online marketplace that provides institutions and indi-viduals access to real estate and alternative investment opportunities.

Williams, who has worked in real estate for less than a decade, says some of the best opportunities are emerging as longstanding firms partner with innovators in the field.

“More and more partnerships are happening,” he says, “between established players in traditional industries and newer platforms that helped change the industry for the better.”

New agents have to continue to educate themselves daily on new technologies and mergers and acquisitions, according to Laura Brady, founder and president of Concierge Auctions, a city firm that sells properties at auction and publishes a “days on the market index” for the industry.

The growing accessibility of information in easy-to-use databases will be crucial to these newcomers as they es-tablish careers. The days when key data was available to only the top players in the industry will become history.

“That knowledge is going to instill power,” Brady says.

Data has become so important that how real estate firms deploy technology has become a differentiating factor.

“Ten years ago, many brokerages were more or less creat-ed equal,” Brady notes.

But today, she explains, many differences exist among traditional brokerage brands based on what technology they offer to their agents and whether they ask the agents to pay for it or the brokerage provides it.

“Technology enablement is important when brokers decide which agency to go with,” she adds.

Dan Faggella is the founder of Emerj Artificial Intelli-gence Research, which speaks to organizations such as the World Bank on the future of technology.

“The No. 1 trend in real estate is that everything is quan-tifiable,” Faggella says, “and anything that has to do with quantifying what is going on in real estate is going to be blossoming.”

That’s because consumers also have more information.

“Back in the day, the real estate agent had access to all of the information,” says Eric Barron, chief revenue officer of Triplemint, a platform that matches residential buyers, sellers and renters. “Today the consumer has access to a lot of that information. The agent is providing much more advisory service.”

Although real estate professionals are working in new ways, few say these new technologies will eliminate people from high-touch areas such as sales. An artificial intelligence-enabled chat bot, for example, would have difficulty answering the highly individual questions people ask a residential broker.

“Compared to banking, health care and retail, the questions are super-tailored to families’ individual preferences,” Faggella says. “You can’t preprogram a machine to address them.”

That said, online tools for vetting sales leads continue to advance, providing a way for ambitious brokers to gather information that will foster stronger relation-ships with prospects.

“Real estate is a handshake busi-ness,” says Sam Viskovich, vice president of marketing for Reonomy, a platform that provides data on commercial properties. “It always has been. Technology is helping to get to that handshake quicker.”

Louis Baugier, an honoree, has capitalized on this as founder and CEO of Vero Technologies, a fintech startup focused on speeding the leasing process.

“The biggest opportunities are taking technologies that exist in a lot of other businesses,” Baugier says, “and applying them to very mundane processes and, in the process, creating a lot of value.”

Given the innovation in the industry, tech jobs are prolif-erating and sometimes attracting people who started out in a different area of real estate.

“Initially, if you wanted to get into real estate, it meant you wanted to become a broker, a developer, work in private equity or get into commercial or residential appraisals,” says Noah Isaacs, founder of Battery Valuation, provider of a software solution for commercial real estate appraisers.

Today, in a sign of how much change has occurred, Isaacs’ 45-member firm has product managers, UI UX designers and software engineers.

“All of these people are working in real estate in a way that you would never think of as a real estate job—but it is,” Isaacs says.

Elie Rieder, founder and CEO of Castle Lanterra Proper-ties, an investor in multi-family properties, finds his firm depends so heavily on technology for tasks such as prop-erty management, portfolio management and reporting that he needs to hire people who adapt to it easily.

“When we’re hiring,” Rieder says, “we’re focusing on finding faster learners and people who understand how a specific need or software fits into what our organization is trying to accomplish.”

The Real Estate Board of New York is showcasing the opportunities in real estate to a younger generation. REBNY is launching an internship program this summer for 45 high school and college students, partnering with the city’s Department of Youth and Community Devel-opment. Under the leadership of REBNY Chairman Bill Rudin, CEO and co-chairman of Rudin Management Company, the six-week program will introduce the stu-dents to commercial real estate, development and other types of positions in the field.

“Diversity is a big issue in the real estate space,” says Mariya Lyubman, senior vice president of human re-sources administration at REBNY. “Our commitment to diversity and Bill Rudin’s commitment to diversify the industry are what prompted us to look at how REBNY can be impactful.”

The good news for emerging real estate professionals is that the pace of change—and the opportunity it creates—shows no signs of slowing.

“Venture capital is realizing there is a multitrillion-dollar industry in real estate that is highly antiquated,” Isaacs says. “That excitement is bringing fuel for new compa-nies with new ideas to start building technology to make things more efficient. We’re in the heart of it right now.”

Read on for a look at how the industry’s new movers and shakers lean into change as they make their mark.

The fast-changing future of real estate The real estate world is changing by the day.

“More and more partnerships are happening

between established players in traditional

industries and newer platforms that helped

change the industry for the better.”

Ryan Williams Co-founder and CEO, Cadre

18 | CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS | JUNE 24, 2019

AT THE CENTER OF

WHAT’S NEXTCushman & Wakefi eld Congratulates

on their selection to the

Crain’s New York Business

Rising Stars in Real Estate list.

cushwakenytristate.com

Jason Greenstone Mallika Winsor Molly Sandza Aylin Gucalp

AT THE CENTER OF

WHAT’S NEXTCushman & Wakefi eld Congratulates

on their selection to the

Crain’s New York Business

Rising Stars in Real Estate list.

cushwakenytristate.com

Jason Greenstone Mallika Winsor Molly Sandza Aylin Gucalp

HARRISON ABRAMOWITZDirector

NEWMARK KNIGHT FRANK

TREVOR ADLERPartner

STROOCK STROOCK & LAVAN

As director of the New York office of Newmark Knight Frank, Harrison Abramowitz represents both tenants and landlords in retail leasing transactions. In one recent deal, he helped CVS pharmacy negotiate a lease for 10,000 square feet at 387 Park Ave. South. He currently is working with emerging brands including Candid Co., which is ex-panding around the country, and with Japanese cosmetics company Shibuyala, for which he negotiated the lease for its first Manhattan store last year and is now expanding in New York City and nationally. Abramowitz has been named one of Newmark Knight Frank’s Rising Stars every year since 2016 and served as national president of the group.

Trevor Adler advises clients in commercial real estate matters with a focus on complex leasing transactions. Adler has recently represented Edward J. Minskoff Equities in the complete leasing of about 400,000 square feet of office, educational and retail space at 51 Astor Place. He has also represented the Visiting Nurse Service of New York in negotiating a 30-year headquarters occupancy transaction in 300,000 square feet of the former News Building on 42nd Street and has worked with the Durst Organization in its sale of leasehold and condominium interests and the leas-ing of office space at 205 E. 42nd St. He is the lead pro bono counsel to IMPACCT Brooklyn, a nonprofit that promotes small business, affordable housing and cultural diversity.

MARKO AGBABADirector, investment sales division

ARIEL PROPERTY ADVISORS

Marko Agbaba executes Ariel Property Advisor’s exclusive listings and leads its business development initiatives in Northern Manhattan, particularly East Harlem. Since he joined the firm in 2012, he has been involved in the valuation of more than $1.2 billion in properties and par-ticipated in the sale of more than 40 transactions worth more in aggregate than $200 million. Agbaba is a member of REBNY’s Commercial Upper Manhattan & Bronx Com-mittee. He also serves as a first lieutenant in the United States Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol. As such, he participates in nationwide search-and-rescue mission for missing persons and provides relief in disaster areas.

JOSH AGUS President of real estate

CACTUS HOLDINGS INC.

Part of a real estate family active in the New York City market for more than 40 years, 25-year-old Josh Agus manag-es a team and oversees a portfolio of more than 60 proper-ties in the New York City and Florida areas. Agus is known for maximizing rezoning and development opportunities and his ability to navigate multiple city and state agen-cies. Among his notable transactions in the last year is the purchase of a retail condo on 96th Street and Amsterdam Avenue for $19 million. Aside from real estate, he volun-teers as a counselor at Camp Gesher, a program that sends orphans to summer camp.

ANDREW BEKKEVOLDCorporate finance associate

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.

LOUIS BAUGIERFounder and CEO

VERO TECHNOLOGIES

Andrew Bekkevold has quick-ly risen during his five years at SL Green, and now works with the CFO on some of the firm’s highest-profile projects. He has played a critical role in evaluating and executing the firm’s $2.5 billion share repurchase program; obtaining and maintaining SL Green’s investment grade ratings at S&P, Moody’s and Fitch and refinancing, extending and expanding the com-pany’s unsecured corporate credit facility by more than $1 billion, among other projects. He is vice chairman of Habitat for Humanity’s Young Professionals Board and took a service trip with the group to El Salvador in May to aid an impoverished village.

Vero Technologies (formerly Surecave) is a venture-capital funded leasing fintech startup that helps convert leads to appointments. Its focus is on speeding the renter qualifi-cation process, which can often add days to a transaction. Douglas Elliman and the landlord Stonehenge have ad-opted the technology at their companies. Founder Louis Baugier began his career at JPMorgan Chase in global real estate portfolio management, specializing in commercial redevelopments. He moved to RXR Realty as the third hire at a development platform that managed $3.3 billion of commercial and residential projects in the tri-state area. A former All-American rugby player, he is training for his fourth marathon

MICHAEL APRILTreasury services associate, real estate banking

JPMORGAN CHASE

In his role at JPMorgan Chase, Michael April works closely with some of the most prom-inent real estate firms in the industry and provides them with cash management and payment solutions. April’s career started as an e-commerce specialist at Amazon in 2012. He then became a teller at Bank of America, moved into Private Banking at Signature Bank and joined JPMorgan Chase as a treasury associate in 2016. He was one of Real Estate Weekly’s Rising Stars for 2019. He earned his B.S. in marketing from Johnson & Wales University, with a concentration in operations management.

ALLISON CHIARAMONTELicensed real estate salesperson

WARBURG REALTY

Known for her success as a luxury real estate broker, Allison Chiaramonte has done over $35 million in sales in the first half of 2019 alone. Key to her success has been her prowess on social media, leading Forbes to name her one of its “Luxury Real Estate Brokers Killing It On Instagram.” She is often quoted in the media on topics ranging from home renovations to family lifestyle. A longtime resident of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Chiaramonte is an active member of the genLOVE committee of God’s Love We Deliver, which cooks and hand-delivers meals to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

on being recognized among Crain’s Rising Stars

in Real Estate.

We salute all the honorees.

Harrison Sitomer,

Evin Epstein, &

Andrew Bekkevold

SLG-2544 SL Green Rising Stars in RE Congrats Ad_V6.indd 1 6/14/19 10:26 AM

Source: *“New York City 5 Fast Facts: Numbers Show Strong Start to 2019,” Cushman & Wakefield

Approximately 8.3 million square feet of new office

leasing occurred in Manhattan in Q1 2019, 16.6% more than

in Q1 2018.*


CONGRATULATIONS TO

on being recognized among Crain’s Rising Stars

in Real Estate.

We salute all the honorees.

Harrison Sitomer,

Evin Epstein, &

Andrew Bekkevold

SLG-2544 SL Green Rising Stars in RE Congrats Ad_V6.indd 1 6/14/19 10:26 AM

GILL CHOWDHURYLicensed associate real estate broker

WARBURG REALTY

CHARLOTTE ELSTOBVice president, international retail

JLL

Starting his career in real es-tate at age 20, Gill Chowdhury joined Warburg Realty in 2017 after working at Douglas Elliman and Citi Habitats. Focusing on rigorous research, data mining, cold calling and relationship building, he built a fast-growing business. Chowdhury has tripled his average sales prices since moving to Warburg. He has been an active volunteer for iMentor, an organization that matches high-school students in low-income areas with mentors who are college graduates to support them on their journey to graduation. Chowdhury has been quoted in various regional and national media.

Charlotte Elstob leads cross-border retail for JLL in the newly created position of vice president of international retail. She acts as a single point of contact for global brands, working with them and JLL leasing agents to secure retail space and navigate cross-border expansion. Elstob started her career in real estate at JLL in the U.K. in 2011 after graduating from Oxford Brookes University. She began as a graduate surveyor in the area of corporate solutions, then worked as a director and later as a chartered surveyor in shopping center leasing. She has advised clients in prime retail locations, among them Westfield Stratford, the U.K.’s busiest shopping center.

EVIN EPSTEINAssistant director of sustainability


At SL Green, Evin Epstein pursues green building designations to optimize building efficiency and marketability. Reporting to the firm’s vice president and director of sustainability, she is responsible for communi-cating the firm’s sustainability program to analysts, inves-tors and tenants through the appropriate reporting doc-uments. She also oversees the firm’s tenant amenity and wellness program. Epstein joined the firm in 2015, after earning a master’s degree in environmental policy design from Lehigh University. She is a LEED Green Associate and a member of REBNY’s Sustainability Committee.

SCOTT EVANSChief digital officer

HUDSON YARDS AT RELATED COMPANIES

Scott Evans joined Related in 2017 after serving as gener-al manager of global digital commerce for Tory Burch, vice president of finance and operations for Ralph Lauren and SVP of operations at Sotheby’s. In his current role, he is responsible for developing and implementing Hudson Yards’ digital strategy. One of his projects at Hudson Yards is integrating the Salesforce CRM into Related’s operations. Earlier in his career, he held various leadership positions at Sotheby’s, Kozmo.com and United Parcel Service. Evans received his MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University with a focus on finance and technology.

EVAN FIDDLEFirst vice president, Midtown Manhattan office

CBRE

KRIS FERRANTIPartner

SHEARMAN & STERLING

After graduating from Amherst College, Evan Fiddle joined CBRE, quickly moving ahead in the company. Fiddle represents publicly traded clients such as NBC Universal, Boston Properties, Forest City Ratner Companies and Brookfield Properties. He also represents hedge funds such as Tailwind Capital, Cantillon Capital Management and Kepos Capital. Known for his work as a tenant-landlord adviser, he was named REBNY’s 2017 Most Promising Commercial Salesperson of the Year. He also made the Commercial Observer’s “30 Under 30 List” in 2018. Fiddle publishes regular articles on LinkedIn highlighting top commercial real estate news.

As an attorney, Kris Ferranti has advised SL Green on a lease transaction with Citi-group believed to be the larg-est of its kind in New York City history. He was also part of the team that advised Unibail-Rodamco on its acquisition of Westfield Corp., one of the largest retail acquisitions ever. In another high-profile transaction, he represented David Werner Real Estate Investments in the $360 million acquisition of 219 and 235 E. 42nd St. from Pfizer and the lease-back of these properties. In his pro bono work, he routinely advises veterans on service-oriented injury claims and appeals to the U.S Veterans Administration. He provided pro bono post-earthquake assistance to Haitian nationals.

PATRICK FARNHAMProject manager

LANGAN

A member of Langan’s environmental engineering group in New York City, Patrick Farnham takes on a variety of complex projects, building a reputation for solving project challenges through teamwork. In 2017, Farnham was named one of the five Young Professionals of the Year Winners by the American Council of Engineering Compa-nies. He is currently a professional mentor for the Engineers Without Borders chapter at Vaughn College in Queens. He recently traveled to Kibingo Cell, Rwanda to provide men-toring. There, he used his professional experience to meet with local and regional government officials and collect local environmental and geographical data.

STEVEN FISCHERSenior audit manager

FRIEDMAN

In his eight years at Friedman, Steven Fischer has advised real estate groups, holding companies, industry-affili-ated businesses and individual owners and developers. Among his major projects have been the planning and supervision of complex audit engagements, financial statement preparation for privately held real estate companies and tax return preparation and reviews for firms in the industry. His recent focus has been on deals for an investment management firm with assets worth more than $1.3 billion, including the $28 million sale of a 72,000-square-foot medical office, as well as the acqui-sition of a 1.5 million-square-foot industrial building in North Carolina.

Source: *REBNY

RISING SKYLINE, RISING STARSCongratulations to Evan Fiddle and Taylor Scheinman for being recognized as two of Crain’s Rising Stars. In the

fi ercely competitive commercial real estate industry, these CBRE brokers have proven themselves as exemplary

talents. Through strategic thinking, insightful market intelligence and industry expertise, Evan, Taylor and others

across our fi rm are enabling clients to realize their potential in the business capital of the world.

There are currently 17,000 active listings in

REBNY’s Residential Listing Service (RLS). All of the

listings on the market are valued at $29 billion.*


RISING SKYLINE, RISING STARSCongratulations to Evan Fiddle and Taylor Scheinman for being recognized as two of Crain’s Rising Stars. In the

fi ercely competitive commercial real estate industry, these CBRE brokers have proven themselves as exemplary

talents. Through strategic thinking, insightful market intelligence and industry expertise, Evan, Taylor and others

across our fi rm are enabling clients to realize their potential in the business capital of the world.

LOUIS FRANCODirector

ISA REALTY GROUP

JEFF FRONEKDirector of investments

RUBENSTEIN PARTNERS

After starting out at Massey Knakal Realty services in retail leasing in 2013, Louis Franco moved to Isa Realty Group in 2014 as a director. His focus is on both landlord and tenant representation, particularly in the area of retail. He has represented property owners and management firms including Perlbinder Realty, Dermer Management and Hilson Management, as well as many local real estate fam-ilies. He has also represented many retailers including Starr Restaurants, CV Restaurant Group, Gumption Coffee and Lush Cosmetics. Franco is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the state of New York and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Rubenstein Partners is a registered investment adviser and fund manager for private equity funds. Jeff Fronek works with founder and senior managing principal David Ruben-stein to coordinate the firm’s acquisitions across all markets and has direct investment and asset management respon-sibilities in New York. He also oversees the execution of 25 Kent Ave., a speculative, ground-up construction project in Brooklyn. Another key responsibility is refining the firm’s underwriting techniques to ensure consistency and the use of best practices. Fronek previously worked at Merrill Lynch and EY. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in economics and international relations.

JESSICA FURGIUELEAssociate

SCHWARTZ SLADKUS REICH GREENBERG ATLAS

Representing developers, pur-chasers, sellers and investors, Jessica Furgiuele frequently advises clients on real estate acquisitions and financing. She recently advised clients on the $158 million acquisition of 378 West End Ave. and financing of the deal from Bank OZK, the $11.55 million ac-quisition of 82 and 84 Wadsworth Ave. and financing from Signature Bank Loan; and the acquisition of a portfolio of buildings, including 810 Macon Street in Brooklyn and financing from Capital Source. She received her law degree from Fordham Law School in 2012, where she was a staffer for the Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law and was selected for the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award for her participation in the Housing Rights Clinic.

MAËLLE GAVETChief operating officer

COMPASS

In overseeing Compass’s business operations, Maëlle Gavet taps into wide-ranging experience overseeing global operations at The Priceline Group, as CEO of Russia’s largest ecommerce site, Ozon, and as a principal of Boston Consulting Group. Known for her advocacy of women in technology, she is the executive sponsor for the affinity group Women of Compass. She was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, as well as one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 and one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company. Gavet earned a bach-elor’s degree in Russian languages and literature from the Sorbonne and a master’s degree from Institute d’Etudes politiques de Paris.

TANYA GRIMALDOSenior commercial leasing associate

THE DURST ORGANIZATION

JASON GREENSTONEManaging director, retail services

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD

Tanya Grimaldo joined the Durst Organization in 2013 and since then, has moved up at the firm to senior com-mercial leasing associate. She provides leasing support for the Durst Organization’s Midtown West commercial portfolio, which spans One Bryant Park, 151 W. 42nd St., 1155 Ave. of the Americas and 114 W. 47th St. She has been involved in securing leases with tenants including BMO Capital Markets, Nasdaq, ING Financial Services and the National Basketball Players Association. Prior to the Durst Organization, Grimaldo worked at a private real estate firm and the advertising agency The Terri & Sandy Solution. She is a member of the Young Men and Women’s Real Estate Association and REBNY.

Jason Greenstone, who joined Cushman & Wakefield’s Retail Services Group in 2012, spe-cializes in serving landlords and retailers expanding in Manhattan. He has been instrumental in major transactions such as American Girl’s lease of 38,968 square feet at 75 Rockefeller Plaza and Forever 21’s leasing of the former H&M space at 435 Sev-enth Ave. for $4.3 million a year. The tenants he’s served include Century 21, Chase, Crate & Barrel and Gucci; among the landlords are Brookfield, Empire State Realty Trust, Related Companies and TIAA-CREF. REBNY selected him for the Most Promising Commercial Salesperson of the Year Award in 2013.

MICHAEL GRAVESLicensed associate real estate broker; founder, The Michael Graves Team

COMPASS

Michael Graves has made record-breaking sales since starting his real estate career in 2009. He sold more than $1 billion in real estate in less than eight years and has closed the 13th highest priced sale nationwide. Prior to joining Compass in 2019, Graves worked at Douglas Elliman and Core Group Marketing. In his early career he served as director of sales and marketing for his family’s luxury hotel development company, Graves Hospitality. He graduated from NYU, where he received master’s de-grees in composition and scoring for film. His music has been performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

AYLIN GUCALPSenior associate, retail services

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD

Starting out in Cushman & Wakefield’s rotational training program, Aylin Gucalp is now a senior associate in the retail services group in the firm’s Manhattan office, where she specializes in both landlord and tenant representation. She and her team advise Ascena Retail Group, Luxottica, NIKE, A.C. Moore and Carter’s OshKosh B’Gosh. Among her transactions on the tenant side are Pelé Soccer at 1560 Broadway, Lamy at 452 West Broadway, and the renewal of LOFT at 7 Times Square. On the landlord side, she represented Reformation at 1055 Madison Ave. She is an active member of several women’s professional organizations including New York Women Executives in Real Estate.

Crain’s New York Business2019 Rising Stars in Real Estate

Congratulations to

and all the Rising Stars

JESSICA SHERMANASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, DOUGLASTON DEVELOPMENT

CN019224.indd 1 6/18/19 3:17 PM

Source: *The Skyscraper Center

The Bank of America Tower at 1 Bryant Park was the

United States’ first skyscraper to achieve LEED Platinum

Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council

in 2010.*


Crain’s New York Business2019 Rising Stars in Real Estate

Congratulations to

and all the Rising Stars

JESSICA SHERMANASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, DOUGLASTON DEVELOPMENT

CN019224.indd 1 6/18/19 3:17 PM

ZACHARY KADDENVice president, development

MADISON REALTY CAPITAL

SAYO KAMARAAssociate

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL

After joining Madison Realty Capital as a legal intern while studying at Cardozo School of Law, Zachary Kadden rose to assistant project manager to project manager and later vice president of development. He focuses on the firm’s rezoning and land-use projects, as well as new construc-tion, including mixed-use and mixed-income develop-ments. In late 2018, he helped gain approval for one of the first Mandatory Inclusionary Housing rezoning projects in Queens, which will include space for a 476-seat public school and 129 affordable units. Kadden is on the junior board of Breaking Ground, a nonprofit that helps people escape homelessness.

Focused on tenant and owner representation, Sayo Kamara has been involved in a number of high-profile deals, complet-ing transactions totaling about $55 million in the past year. He has represented Macmillan Publishers in the dispos-ing of 35,382 square feet at 1 New York Plaza, represented Brookfield Properties in leasing approximately 23,000 square feet to Children’s Aid Society at 105 W. 125th St. and represented Macdonald & Cie in leasing 7,150 square feet at 48 Wall St. He studied finance at the University of North Texas and was previously an adviser at Cresa. He volunteers as co-chair of special events for the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club.

MICHELLE KLEGERVice president, business development

KENSINGTON VANGUARD NATIONAL LAND SERVICES

In her three-year career at ti-tle insurance firm Kensington Vanguard, Michelle Kleger has built strong relationships with more than 100 clients—among them leading institutional real estate investors and lenders—and closed more than 350 deals. In the last 18 months, she has been part of 200 deals worth more than $2 billion. She and a friend founded a nonprofit called Girl Gang CRE in 2017 to en-hance the lives and careers of women in commercial real estate. The group has grown to more than 300 members. The founders organize events with women sponsors and speakers that have attracted more than 100 attendees.

MICHAEL LEEPartner

HKS REAL ESTATE ADVISORS

After joining the financial advisory firm when it was founded in 2011, Michael Lee worked his way up to partner, where he has originated loans alongside HKS’s founders. He has originated more than 60 transactions valued at more than $800 million. Among his largest deals were a $30 million loan to refinance a retail and office building on Fifth Avenue, ground-up construction of a 50-unit rental building in Manhattan, three loans adding up to $26 million for three Manhattan brownstones and a 10-year self-amortizing loan for a prime office and retail building in Tribeca. He manages the firm’s team of 13 brokers.

AARON MALITZKYVice president

DH PROPERTY HOLDINGS

NATE LOWYPresident

JUNIPER CAPITAL GROUP

Joining DH Property Holdings when it first opened as a se-nior associate in 2016, Aaron Malitzky has already made a big impact. He has played a direct role in the acquisition of 24 acres of developable land in New York City for the firm, which is developing last-mile industrial and ware-house logistics facilities in Brooklyn. Before joining DH Property Holdings, Malitzky worked at Meadow Partners, a private equity investment firm in New York City, where he oversaw the asset management and development of more than $1 billion in real estate. He earned his master’s degree in real estate finance from New York University.

Nate Lowy began his career as a junior analyst in real estate. In 2016, he founded Juniper Capital Group, a boutique, independent financial advisory firm that offers debt, equity, bridge, mezzanine and joint venture financing for commercial real estate assets, primarily in the middle market. Since its inception, he and his team have closed deals worth more than $500 million. In 2018, he financed $200 million in property at 50 buildings. That represented 30% growth over 2017. The grandson of Holocaust survi-vors, Lowy is active with Jewish philanthropic charities and organizations.

GRANT LONGSenior economist

STREETEASY

At the online real estate marketplace StreetEasy, Grant Long and his team use machine learning to bring transparency to New York City’s real estate industry. In two recent projects, they quantified how the L train shut-down and the later cancellation of the shutdown—and the Amazon pullout from its planned headquarters in Long Island City—affected demand from renters. He and his team created the Street Easy Rental Demand Index, which tracks data in real time. He is a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the NYC Office of Management and Budget and serves as an adviser to the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline.

P.J. MASSEYLeasing associate

BROOKFIELD PROPERTIES

After graduating from St. Lawrence University with a B.A. in economics, P.J. Massey started his real estate career at Avison Young in the company’s New York office. By 2014, he joined Brookfield as part of its analyst rotation program and worked his way up to associate in the office leasing department. A mover and shaker cho-sen by City and State magazine for its “2019 Power List,” he is responsible for Brookfield’s Midtown Manhattan and Boston portfolios, which include Manhattan West, 666 Fifth Ave. and The Grace Building. He works closely with senior leadership at the firm.

CN019216.indd 1 6/20/19 12:22 PM

Source: *RE:Tech

Venture capitalists invested nearly $12.6 billion

in proptech startups globally in 2017.*


CN019216.indd 1 6/20/19 12:22 PM

Congratulations to TREVOR ADLER on being named a Crain’s New York Business Rising Star in Real Estate.

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLPNew York | Miami | Los Angeles | Washington, D.C.

www.stroock.com

ANDREW MCCARTHYVice president, development

AVERY HALL INVESTMENTS

NICOLE MENDELSONAssociate, New York retail

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL

JOHN OPPERMANNLicensed associate real estate broker

COMPASS

MICHAEL PASTERDirector

RKF

Throughout his career, Andrew McCarthy has overseen the development, design and construction of nearly $3 billion of total capitalization in residential and mixed-use projects within New York City. Since joining Avery Hall Investments in 2016, McCarthy oversaw the firm’s largest project, 1 Boerum Place, a luxury condo-minium tower in Brooklyn, managing the design, construction and financials from acquisition to completion. Prior to Avery Hall, McCarthy worked as an architect at Rafael Vinoly Architects, then joined JDS Development Group in 2014 as a proj-ect manager. McCarthy earned in M.S. in real estate development at Columbia University and is actively involved in the department’s mentorship program.

Nicole Mendelson joined Colliers International in 2016 after starting her career working as a buyer for Macy’s, then working at Cushman & Wakefield in retail owner representation. At Colliers, she has been marketing prime retail spaces such as the Bow-tie Building at 1530 Broadway, 1201 Broadway, 225 Park Ave. South, 655 Madison Ave. and 215 W. 42nd St. Some of her recent completed transactions include Toptable Group at 233 Park Ave. South, Boucherie at 225 Park Ave. South and McDonald’s flagship location at 1530 Broadway. She was chosen as a rising star by Real Estate Weekly for 2019 and is a member of REBNY.

John Oppermann—who doubles as executive director of the environmental nonprofit organization Earth Day Initia-tive—focuses on creating healthy and sus-tainable homes in his real estate career. He graduated from Harvard Law School with a J.D. in law and Georgetown Uni-versity with a B.A. in international politics and security studies. He now serves as an adjunct professor at New York University, teaching a course on marketing green homes, which looks at how green and healthy building features and standards such as LEED resonate with consumers. Before joining Compass, Oppermann was an associate real estate broker at RA Partners Real Estate Brokerage.

Joining his firm as a canvasser in 2013, Michael Paster rose to his current position as director by 2017 and now works on landlord and tenant representation. He represents well-known landlords in-cluding USAA, Pan Am Equities and The Georgetown Company and has negotiated deals with SL Green, Tishman Speyer and Savitt Partners. He has also represented tenants such as Pret a Manager, negoti-ating more than 30 leases on behalf of the chain. Within his firm, he mentors younger brokers who have recently joined the team. He earned a B.A. in economics with a concentration in corporate strategy from Vanderbilt University.


M I C H E L L E K L E G E R ,

YO U ’ V E A LWAY S B E E N A

R O C K S TA R

& N O W Y O U ’ R E A

R I S I N G S TA R !

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S

M I C H E L L E F O R B E I N G

A R I S I N G S TA R I N

R E A L E S TAT E !

T H E G I R L G A N G

I S S O P R O U D O F YO U !

F R O M E V E R Y O N E AT,F R O M E AT,F R

MICHAEL PHILLIPOUPartner

VENABLE

JUSTIN POLLNERAssociate director


MOLLY SANDZASenior associate, retail services

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD

TAYLOR SCHEINMANFirst vice president

CBRE

After joining Venable in 2012, Michael Phillipou rose to counsel in 2014 and partner in 2016. Phillipou works on some of New York City’s major infrastructure projects. He represents Amtrak on Moynihan Station, which involves a mixed-use condominium that will include a new Amtrak train hall. He also guided Amtrak on the development of the Hudson Yards/Gateway Tunnel Project. He recently rep-resented Waterfront New York in the $880 million sale of the Terminal Stores Build-ing. Phillipou devotes time to the New York City Bar Association’s Diversity Fellowship program and accepted the association’s 2019 Diversity Fellowship Program Partner of the Year on behalf of Venable.

As a specialist in tenant representation, Justin Pollner is one of Newmark Knight Frank’s top-producing young brokers—which has won him the designation of one of the firm’s Rising Stars for the past four years, and led to his promotion to his current role at the beginning of 2019. His clients have included Susman Godfrey, B. Riley Financial, Light Sky Macro and Foresite Capital among others. He is known for his acumen in executing lease acquisitions and dispositions and advis-ing clients on strategy. Pollner received his master’s degree in real estate finance from New York University’s Schack In-stitute of Real Estate and is active in its alumni association.

Molly Sandza joined Cushman & Wakefield’s Retail Services Group in 2016 and is now part of a team that acts as the exclusive leasing agent for Boston Properties’ Manhattan portfolio. She and her team recently brought Balenciaga to the General Motors Building at 620 Madison Ave. and represented the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the Journal Square Trans-portation Center. She has represented Unilever’s brands Maille and Magnum across Manhattan. Sandza is a graduate of Brown University, where she earned her B.A. in architectural studies. At Brown, she was a member of the rowing team, where she was an All-American.

Joining CBRE in 2015 as a senior associate, Taylor Scheinman rose to first vice presi-dent of the firm’s brokerage services group, thanks to her work securing first-class office space for her clients. She is part of a team that in the past year negotiated more than 400,000 square feet of acquisition and disposition deals, mainly in Midtown Manhattan, for clients such as Traxys North America, APG Asset Management and Skybridge Capital. She also represents landlords and is part of the agency teams for 461 Fifth Ave. and 590 Madison Ave. An active member of CBRE’s Alternative In-vestments Practice Group, Scheinman has been named to the firm’s Platinum Club and Million Dollar Club.


DROR SEGALChief investment officer

NORTHWIND GROUP

JESSICA SHERMANAssociate vice president, affordable housing

DOUGLASTON DEVELOPMENT

ALYKHAN SHIVJISenior associate

ORRICK

HAYLEY SHOENERSenior vice president, New York leasing

JLL

Dror Segal supervises Northwind Group’s real estate investments across multiple asset classes. Since joining the private equity firm in 2016, Segal has grown its Manhattan portfolio in areas such as se-nior living and health care and has assist-ed in establishing its proprietary lending platform. He has also been involved in transactions valuing more than $1 billion. While earning his MBA at University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, Segal founded the Michigan Ross Real Estate Fund. He raised $3 million from the school’s endowment to give students an opportunity to invest in real estate. He previously served as an officer in Israel’s navy for seven years.

While Jessica Sherman was growing up, her father Jeff Levine, founded and grew Douglaston Development, which has started and rehabilitated thousands of residential units. Now she is associate vice president of the firm’s affordable housing unit, where, in February 2019, she and her team were selected to develop 160 units at 705 10th Ave. in collaboration with the Actor’s Fund. The arts-oriented com-munity in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, to be operated by Spaceworks, will include both low- and moderate-income housing. Since 2016, Sherman has made it possible for her team to bring 680 affordable units to the Bronx and Staten Island.

Alykhan Shivji, a Harvard Law School graduate, advises companies from start-ups to corporations on real estate matters. He has recently advised proptech firms including Roam, a coworking provider, in connection with leasing a 17-story building in Midtown Manhattan for an upcoming New York location. He advised State Street Global Advisors in connec-tion with a $3.6 billion merger between Hudson Bay Company and Signa Retail Holdings. In his pro bono work, he has advised Storefront Academy, a tuition-free private school for low-income students in Harlem and the South Bronx, as well as other schools and nonprofits focused on providing equal access to education.

After interning at JLL in 2012, Hayley Shoener joined the firm in 2013 as an associate broker. She worked her way up to vice president and then senior vice president. By 2017, she had represented 3.4 million square feet of commercial office space, handling the agency leasing assignment for 437 Madison Ave. REBNY chose her as Most Promising Commercial Salesperson of the Year in 2016—and she never slowed down. She closed nearly $1 million in commercial leasing deals in the three years leading up to 2017. One win was being part of the team named the exclusive leasing agent for 141 W. 36 St. for Brause Realty.

Congratulations

TANYAGRIMALDOOn being named a

Crain’s New York

Rising Star in Real Estate


AFTON SIMKOProject engineer

LANGAN

JOANNA SIMONEVice president of leasing and property management operations

SIMONE DEVELOPMENT COMPANIES

HARRISON SITOMERSenior vice president


ALEXANDRA TENNENBAUMAssociate director


After Afton Simko earned a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering from Bucknell University, she worked in the hydraulic modeling unit at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. She modeled the agency’s capital projects and emergency construc-tion alternatives for the city’s aging sewer systems. Now, at Langan, Simko designs development projects for parks, the waterfront, commercial developments, residential buildings and schools. The Women Builders Council named her one of the Next Generation of Women Builders for 2018. She pays it forward as a mentor in the ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York City, which encourages the next generation of builders.

Joanna Simone began her career in the fashion industry. When she joined the family firm in 2012, she simultaneously took graduate-level real estate courses at New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate and Fordham University while working full-time. She specializes in lease negotiations, property management and operations and value-added asset reposi-tioning. She has executed more than 100 lease transactions in the past year and was named one of CoStar’s Power Brokers of the Year in 2015. She serves on the Real Estate Committee of the March of Dimes of Westchester and is an active member of the Westchester Square Business Im-provement District in the Bronx.

Harrison Sitomer has completed more than $8 billion in New York real estate in-vestments since joining SL Green in 2012. He was part of the team that led the firm’s efforts to acquire and capitalize its first major investment into Hudson Yards with the office tower on 460 W. 34th Street. He was also involved in the sale of SL Green’s interest in 724 Fifth Ave. to Jeff Sutton; the recapitalization of 30 Times Square and the acquisition, full recapitalization and the refinancing of 2 Herald Square. Sitomer also helped the company launch the formal SL Green Retail operating platform and spearheaded a partnership with chef Daniel Boulud at super-tall skyscraper 1 Vanderbilt.

Focusing on landlord tenant represen-tation, Alexandra Tennenbaum has represented landlords such as SL Green Realty Corp., RFR Realty, Hines, The Rockefeller Group, Related Companies and Stonehenge Management. In recent assignments, she secured a lease for JD Sports at 1466 Broadway and Watches of Switzerland at 60 Greene St. She rep-resents tenants such as Madison Reed, Lily Pulitzer, Edie Parker and Paintbox on its New York City expansion. She also represented American Vintage on its entry into the U.S. market. Tennenbaum is a licensed real estate salesperson and is a member of REBNY as well as the Interna-tional Council of Shopping Centers.

CONGRATULATIONS

Joanna Simone

ON ECOMING

Crain’s New York Business Rising Star in Real Estate

simdev.com


EUGENE TRAVERSAssociate

KRAMER LEVIN NAFTALIS & FRANKEL

JESSICA TUSINGDirector of compliance

ARGO REAL ESTATE

ANTON WALKERDevelopment and investment associate, North America

CITIZENM HOTELS

ZACHARY WEILDirector


Navigating the city’s land-use regulations is challenging for developers. Eugene Travers helps them do that, appearing before New York City’s land-use agencies on their behalf so they can achieve their goals. In one of his highest-profile cases, he obtained variances needed by a cul-tural institution to develop a $20 million education center. In another, he helped Gamma Real Estate fend off a challenge to an 800-foot-tall Upper East Side building. In his pro bono practice, he is helping The Greenpoint Monitor Museum to obtain land-use approvals to develop a maritime museum commemorating the USS Monitor warship, which was built in Brooklyn.

Jessica Tusing arrived in New York City in 2013, after serving as the resident manag-er of a 300-unit condominium in Waikiki, Hawaii. She joined Argo Real Estate in 2014 and began managing a portfolio of more than 600 units. Rising through the ranks to director of compliance in 2017, she saved Argo clients more than $100,000 in 2016 alone, by using city incentives to improve compliance with building proto-cols. She ultimately created a department focused on compliance for all of Argo’s buildings, bringing more efficient man-agement. In 2015, Tusing obtained her Certified Property Manager accreditation through Institute of Real Estate Manage-ment and is an active member of IREM Greater NY Chapter.

Anton Walker has made a mark at citizenM Hotels over the last 18 months by leading the development team in the opening of the new citizenM Bowery hotel. A leader in the firm’s North American expansion, he leads all predevelopment activities for new citizenM hotels in key cities, and laid the groundwork for projects in Boston and Sili-con Valley worth more than $250 million. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Walker earned a degree in urban studies/affairs before embarking on sev-eral internships in the development area. He joined HR&A Advisors in 2015, rising to senior analyst before moving to CitizenM Hotels in July 2017.

Zachary Weil has been part of many high-profile deals, representing both owners and tenants. Thanks to his repre-sentation of Brooklyn LAB Charter School in its 80,000-square-foot lease of 77 Sands St. in Brooklyn, Weil won his firm’s 2018 Catch of the Day award. Weil has, on the tenant side, represented WeWork in its lease of more than 40,000 square feet at 33 E. 33rd St. and 44 E. 30th St. in Manhattan and DL1961 in a 15,000-square-foot lease of 121 Varick St. in Manhattan. He is also the leasing agent for 230 Park, represent-ing RXR Realty; 866 U.N. Plaza, represent-ing Carlyle Group; and 114 W. 41st St., representing Clarion Partners.

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NOAH WEISSManaging director and vice president of real estate investments

DOMIO

RYAN WILLIAMSCo-founder and CEO

CADRE

JOSH WINEFSKYAssociate

KRAMER LEVIN NAFTALIS & FRANKEL

MALLIKA WINSORSenior associate, Strategic Advisory Group

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD

Noah Weiss specializes in originating, structuring and closing deals. Since join-ing Domio, which owns apartment-style hotels in New York; Chicago; Washing-ton, D.C. and other major cities, Weiss has driven substantial business growth. Before joining the firm, Weiss served as director of acquisitions for Angelo Gordon and was the primary deal lead on domes-tic and international net lease acquisi-tions, driving the acquisition of more than 2 million square feet of real estate in 11 states and two countries. He and his family are actively involved in the Weill Cornell Children’s Health Council, where they have helped raise $4 million.

Ryan Williams, a Harvard University graduate, co-founded Cadre—an online marketplace that connects investors and operators in real estate—with Jared Kushner in 2014 after working in the Blackstone Group’s real estate private eq-uity division. The site, backed by investors such as Mark Cuban and George Soros, uses machine learning to provide analyt-ics to real estate investors. He has raised $133.3 million in funding for the start-up. Previously, he worked in Goldman Sachs Technology Media Group where he launched an institutional real estate single-family-homes fund, acquiring, renovating and selling properties across the U.S.

Josh Winefsky has built a reputation as an attorney who is just as comfortable work-ing on commercial real estate transac-tions as he is on residential condominium developments. He has represented clients such as Extell Development Co., CIM, Re-lated, Fortress and Westbrook Partners. In one notable deal, he represented Disney on the $1.2 billion sale/leaseback of its ABC campus on the Upper West Side to Silverstein Properties. He has also repre-sented CIM Group as it develops 432 Park Ave., through the contract negotiations and closings. He is currently representing Anbang on a deal to convert the Waldorf Astoria into a condominium.

As a senior associate in Cushman & Wakefield’s Tri-State Strategic Advisory Group, Mallika Winsor supports the firm’s advisory efforts and is involved in creative analysis, client management and exec-utive stakeholder guidance. Among her major assignments were Dentsu Aegis Network’s 126,000-square-foot Chica-go portfolio consolidation; Time Inc.’s 123,000-square-foot Manhattan termina-tion strategy and Mitsui’s 100,000-square-foot Manhattan headquarters strategy. Winsor is chair-elect of Cushman & Wakefield’s Tri-State Women’s Integrated Network and co-founder of Stamford Robotics, an annual community program that promotes STEM and teamwork in elementary school students.

We congratulate our associates

Eugene C. Travers

and

Josh S. Winefsky

on being named to

Crain’s New York Business’s Rising Stars in Real Estate.

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

1177 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10036

www.kramerlevin.com


Rising Stars in Real Estate - Crain's New York Business · 2019-06-26 · This is the environment...

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