Mark N. Antar is a Partner in Belkin Burden Goldman, LLP’s Litigation Department whose practice focuses on real estate and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on complex landlord‑tenant disputes.
Joanna Frank is a real estate entrepreneur who oversees the global expansion of Fitwel, the leading people-centric healthy building certification platform. She serves as President and CEO of Active Design Advisors, Inc.
Health as Infrastructure: The Future of Real Estate Value
As climate risk, consumer expectations, and market pressures continue to reshape real estate, health and resilience are emerging as core drivers of long-term asset value. Joanna Frank will explore how the industry is shifting beyond sustainability rhetoric toward measurable performance—where healthier buildings support tenant demand, operational efficiency, investor confidence, and portfolio resilience.
Drawing from global trends, certification data, and real-world implementation, this conversation will examine why health-focused design and operations are no longer a nice-to-have, but a competitive advantage. From climate resilience to occupant well-being, Joanna will discuss how evidence-based strategies and scalable certification frameworks are helping organizations future-proof assets, strengthen communities, and drive measurable value across portfolios.
Nicholas Muir is a seasoned global real estate executive based in New York with more than 40 years of experience leading complex development projects across hospitality, mixed-use, and large-scale infrastructure.
Disrupting the Industry: Construction as a Value-Creation – Nick Muir
For investors, time—not cost—is the primary driver of returns, requiring a strategic shift in how design & construction is approached. Construction should be reframed from pure execution to an investment strategy through off-site and modular delivery, global procurement partnerships, and lean, data-driven production methods. This approach accelerates timelines by 20–40%, enabling earlier occupancy, higher IRR, and improved quality, safety, and predictability while reducing risk and environmental impact. At the board level, success depends on prioritizing speed-to-revenue, treating construction as a repeatable platform, and investing in partnerships, systems, and data to build faster, de-risk delivery, and unlock revenue sooner.
Frankel Connect was established by Elizabeth Frankel, a respected industry leader with more
than 20 years of experience across the construction and development sectors.
Brooks McDaniel is the Senior Vice President of Building Repositioning at STO Building Group, a global family of builders providing full-service construction across the US, Canada, UK, and Europe. Specializing in the repositioning of buildings,
Repositioning Real Estate in today’s market.
What works, what has not
Paul M. Ribaudo is a partner in the Valuation and Forensic Services Practice. With over 30 years of experience in public accounting, he specializes in forensic accounting, dispute resolution consulting, and expert witness services.
Rent control and stabilized apt issues on change of ownership
Gabe Whitman is a NY State broker for 20 years. Mr. Whitman worked at Cushman & Wakefield representing over 2 million sf of office space and retail in Downtown Manhattan and Midtown South.
“From distress to direction: leading the repositioning of a Class A office portfolio.”
“Turning challenge into clarity for a distressed Class A office portfolio.”
Asset Criteria
Investment Profile
Vacancy Considerations
Operating Strategy
Cost Rationalization
Leasing Strategy
Reactivating Demand
Deal Philosophy
Executive Vice President/Principal of Volmar Construction, Inc., a general contractor specializing in building renovation, new construction and facility maintenance contracts in the Northeast United States for a wide variety of Federal, State, and Municipal agency clients.
Volmar Construction and various projects both completed and underway.
Brad is the founder and editor of Thesis Driven
(www.thesisdriven.com), a publication covering innovation in the built world.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how buildings are designed, financed, and built. From generative design tools that optimize layouts and materials to predictive models that flag cost overruns and schedule delays before they happen, AI is beginning to automate many of development’s most complex tasks. This session will explore practical use cases already emerging in construction and predevelopment—how owners and operators can evaluate vendors, pilot tools, and position their organizations to capture early efficiency gains and strategic advantages.
Zach leads advocacy strategies to advance REBNY’s public policy priorities and oversees external relationships and
outreach to policymakers.
NYC Mayoral Election
John Ritter has over 40 years’ experience in the sales and leasing of industrial, office and retail properties located in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Nassau counties. He is a partner at Sholom & Zuckerbrot Realty. In addition, John and his partne
Ultimate co-tenant and retail space.
John and two of his partners Eric Deutsch & Brian Lockner will share updates on various projects in Jamaica and 315 Meserole Street, East Williamsburg
See PDF attached for details re 315 Meserole St.
With expertise spanning planning, design, and project management, Rob has been a key
contributor to SM&W's success since he joined our firm 19 years ago. Rob has been
instrumental in shaping the company's operational strategy, optimizing processes, and driving
cross-functional collaboration among SM&W's global offices.
Steven Cohen is an agile global CEO and Board Director adept at identifying and capitalizing on market shifts.
Throughout his career, from his education at the UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE (MBA & BA) in
Entrepreneurship, Real Estate & Economics, Corporate Governance, and Strategic Positioning he has achieved
significant growth across three continents.
Tim Angerame is the chief operating officer at utiliVisor, the leading tenant submetering and energy plant optimization service.
Carlo A. Scissura, Esq. is President & CEO of the New York Building Congress, a position he has held since January 2017.
The New York Building Congress is a broad-based membership association committed to promoting the growth and success of the construction industry in New York City and its environs. The organization – which includes members from across the building community – provides a unique forum to advance an industry-wide agenda focusing on economic and infrastructure investment, job creation, and professional exchange.
Amie Gross AIA founded Amie Gross Architects in 1984 with the conviction that people of all walks deserve well-crafted architecture. With over forty-five years of multidisciplinary work, Ms. Gross has championed the causes of diversity, community alliance, and direct engagement with urban policy.
David Feinberg is General Counsel at Time Equities Inc. (TEI), and is responsible for overseeing the legal aspects of the various transactions TEI performs. David is also the Chief Compliance Officer of Time Equities Securities LLC, TEI’s FINRA licensed broker dealer.
In addition to our staff of attorneys who are well practiced in land use law we have non-legal professionals who possess a broad knowledge base in zoning regulations.
Bill Montana is Senior Managing Director at Savills, a global real estate advisory firm. Since 1988, he has been providing real estate advisory services to major corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations located in the New York metropolitan area and nationally. He and his team structure creative and innovative occupancy solutions that save their clients money.
Marie Driscoll, CFA, founder of Driscoll Advisors and co-founder of MDSQUARED, is a leading expert in beauty, fashion, and retail. A four-time Top Retail Expert by RETHINK Retail, she also teaches at multiple institutions and contributes to industry publications.
A Brief Survey of Manhattan Retail Real Estate Trends and Challenges
Manhattan’s retail real estate market is experiencing a dynamic transformation, shaped by evolving consumer behaviors and innovative retail formats. We will explore the key trends driving the robust retail real estate industry in Manhattan:
Emerging Trends
· New retail fundamentals
· Changing consumer lifestyles and demands
· NYC’s flagship mentality driving luxury neighborhood investments
· Rise of experiential retail and multi-use spaces
· Impact of return-to-office mandates
· Resurgence in tourism
Persistent Challenges
· Uneven recovery across local neighborhoods
· Effects of high borrowing costs on investment and profitability
· Ongoing shift to online shopping
Our brief overview will provide insights into the forces shaping Manhattan’s retail landscape, highlighting both the opportunities and obstacles facing the sector. Attendees will gain a nuanced understanding of the current state and prospects of retail real estate in one of the world’s most competitive markets.
As Founder and CEO of Indigo River, Dena Prastos, AIA, is the first "waterfront architect," trailblazing a new category in the industry. Indigo River is a women-owned transdisciplinary design firm focused on progressive waterfront architecture, resiliency, and climate adaptation.
Indigo River is a women-owned transdisciplinary Architecture & Engineering studio focused on Climate Adaptation, Waterfront Infrastructure, and Resiliency. A leading authority in New York Harbor and beyond, the studio specializes in climate adaptation through waterfront solutions that seamlessly transcend boundaries – guiding and executing projects from ideation through final construction and operations.
Services offered – waterfront architecture, marine engineering, climate adaptation, resiliency, etc.
In addition to working with clients like +Pool, Harlem River Greenway, Governor’s Island Trust, Scenic Hudson, and NYC Economic Development, Dena and her team at Indigo River are also working on Robert De Niro’s new Wildflower Studios in Astoria, which is the first vertical film production studio in the world.
Sonya Weisshappel is the founder and CEO of Seriatim, Inc., a boutique move management and professional organizing firm founded in New York City in 1999.
Getting a space ready for a renovation or even a rental? Do you know what you own? Do you have an inventory? What happens in the in-between when you’re moving to temporary housing or your items are going to storage? What about the items that are being left in the home?
Seriatim offers comprehensive services beyond just moving your belongings. We ensure that every item is properly cataloged, appraised, and insured, providing peace of mind during transitions. Our expertise in inventory management, administrative support, and coordination with trusted third-party vendors sets us apart, making us the reliable choice for managing your possessions through
Mr. Karr has enjoyed a long career in commercial real estate with a focus on tenant representation in office and retail leasing, development projects, and asset sales. His main activity now is representing sustainable products for housing and healthy buildings.
Modular construction is a remedy to the long and unpredictable project cycles of site-built buildings. To make a dent in solving the critical housing shortage, the industry must reach industrial scale to supply units quickly. Industrial scalability enables the mass production of modular housing units similar to the production of cars, characterized by the standardization of a turnkey product: Large-scale, streamlined production, and investment in automated production.
In his role as Director of Marketing for Holon Modular Building Systems at BROAD U.S.A., he guides the company’s market development and communications strategy for the Holon turnkey modular building, a stainless steel-framed volumetric modular building designed to Passive House design principles, and aimed at high-rise multifamily projects.
BROAD Sustainable Building has innovated a stainless steel framed high-rise building concept with a Passive House design to sharply reduce energy consumption. A 26 story, 202 unit residential tower completed in 5 days in January 2024 will be presented.