Icon Insights

In this episode of Icon Insights, '12 University of Colorado graduate Mo Gillie speaks with Chris Shears , a principal at Shears Adkins Rockmore, an architecture, interior design and planning firm in Dever. Shears has directed the design efforts for many of Denver's more substantial new projects, representing a construction value of over $1.5 billion. He also serves on the University of Colorado D...

In this special episode of Icon Insights taken from the recent Klump Annual Real Estate Forum in Denver, commercial real estate industry leader Willy Walker discusses lessons learned from more than two decades with Walker & Dunlop, one of the largest commercial real estate finance and advisory firms in the United States and internationally. Walker is the company's chairman and CEO, he was named "F...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '23 Leeds School of Business graduate Ezra McPhail speaks with Kim Koehn , the owner of K2Ventures, an investment and development entity looking to develop, acquire, and/or redevelop small-to-midsize properties in the Denver and Colorado Front Range areas. Kim has held executive positions at national developers Opus Corporation, Corporex Companies, and Fifield Rea...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '20 Leeds School of Business graduate Brandon Strickland speaks with Danny Prosky , the president and chief executive officer of American Healthcare REIT, Inc. American Healthcare REIT is one of the largest healthcare-focused real estate investment trusts in the word, and Prosky has spent more than 25 years of his professional career in the specialized field of he...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '23 Leeds School of Business graduate Luke Burns speaks with longtime Colorado developer Craig Ferraro about how he carved out a career working in ski resort communities, the philanthropic work that has kept him connected to those mountain resort communities, and the risks and rewards of working on projects high in the Rocky Mountains. Ferraro is the former Managi...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '22 Leeds School of Business graduate Cliff Dinwiddie IV goes in-depth on the past, present and future of affordable housing with Denver-based developer Kevin Knapp , who boasts more than 15 years of working in the industry. Knapp discusses how he became involved in affordable housing, the differences between affordable and market-rate housing, his thoughts on ren...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '23 Leeds School of Business graduate Brendan Mulcahy dives deep into the career highlights of Boulder-based developer Bill Reynolds , the founder of  W.W. Reynolds Companies. Reynolds reflects on how he got his start in the real estate industry, his role in founding the CU Real Estate Center (CUREC), the work of the W.W. Reynolds Foundation, and how he thinks abo...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '12 Leeds School of Business graduate Jordan Swisher interviews longtime commercial real estate consultant Rick Woodruff about the the do's and don'ts of mentorship. Woodruff discusses why he first began mentoring aspiring real estate professionals, how a mentor should approach the relationship and what skills make for a good mentor, and why mentees should never b...

In this episode of Icon Insights, 18' Leeds School of Business graduate Jack Korosec interviews Dan Ivanoff , a Denver and Seattle-based office and apartment developer.  During the podcast Ivanoff shares stories of forging his own path, being his own boss, a discussion about the office market during various economic cycles, and his opinion of whether an MBA is needed for a career in commercial rea...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '19 Leeds School of Business graduate Brinete Chavez examines some standout projects from the career of Randy Nichols , an acclaimed Denver-area commercial and multi-family real estate developer and the President and Founder of The Nichols Partnership, Inc. Nichols has been a mainstay on the Colorado real estate scene for more than three decades, and The Nichols P...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '21 Leeds School of Business graduate Lily Colley Ferguson speaks with California-based real estate veteran Christina Hill about the connection between asset management and sustainability, the challenges facing downtowns and certain sectors in a post-COVID world, and the lessons she's learned after more than two decades as an innovative leader and respected mentor...

In this episode of Icon Insights, Alexandra McPherson, a 2019 Leeds School of Business graduate, interviews Karen Klerman , a Senior Director of Community Banking and Commercial Real Estate at FNBO. The two of them discuss strategies to navigate the early part of your career with the goal of moving toward an "ideal/perfect job." The examples are based on Karen 's background in real estate finance...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '17 Leeds School of Business graduate Lucas Michieli speaks with versatile Denver-based developer Bahman Shafa about how he built his real estate empire after getting his start in the city selling sports apparel as a street vendor. The two also discuss how Shafa has endured various economic crises using resilience and adaptability, and Shafa weighs in on the curre...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '21 Leeds School of Business graduate Paula Chavarria speaks with acclaimed Denver-area developer Fiona Arnold about her varied accomplishments and how her methodology of doing things backwards has brought her success and driven different Denver communities forward. Arnold is the President of MAINSPRING Developers, a Colorado company engaged in commercial and resi...

In this episode of Icon Insights, '16 Leeds School of Business graduate Megan Kranichfeld focuses on the subjects of collaboration, building connections, and the importance of relying on your network with Kevin Kelley , the former Executive Vice President for real estate development firm United Properties.  Kelley opened the Denver office of United Properties in 2005, and prior to retiring in 2021...

In the debut episode of Icon Insights, '21 Leeds School of Business graduate Erika Vette goes in-depth on the topic of leadership with Ann Sperling , a Senior Director in the Denver Business Unit at Trammell Crow Company, national leaders in real estate development, investment, and property management. Sperling has also served in executive roles for real estate and investment management firm Jones...