Leading Voices in Real Estate

Community Building Music was everywhere. We played music, we were encouraged to play music, we sang in the car. But that was also the 70’s. Dar grew up in Chappaqua, NY during the 70’s. It was developing and becoming more progressive as a commuter city to New York City. Her parents were involved in city politics but also enjoyed art, gardening, and music. Through volunteering and fundraising, her...

Jim was born and raised in the Detroit suburbs. He has positive memories of the dynamic neighborhood full of families raising their kids and a strong public school environment. Also clear in his memory is a downtown visited on special occasions or to shop at Hudson’s, once America’s largest department store. Transit: Jim attributes Detroit’s early lack of public transportation to the fact that it...

Creating and Building: Born in McComb, MS, Keith says he could have written the book “Hillbilly Elegy,” about his own life. Since his parents weren’t really in the picture, his grandmother raised him from a young age in Pasadena, TX. He went on to graduate from the University of Texas, receiving his MBA with a concentration in real estate shortly thereafter. “I was just intrigued always with the i...

Sam Zell, one of the most storied names in real estate, describes his riveting journey from his parents’ escape from Poland in 1939 as Hitler invaded to how he built his real estate empire at Equity International, created the modern REIT, and lead the industry public. More about Equity Group Investments Forbes Magazine on Sam Zell’s success Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Reb...

A-P Hurd was not planning on going into the real estate industry. After working in journalism and on the trading floor, she then landed a leadership role at Touchstone. Her unique perspective on business encourages people to use their skillsets to allow them to do their best work. Executive Q+A: A-P Hurd’s Urban Expression Read more about AP’s book The Carbon Efficient City

After growing up in Israel and serving in the army, Gadi Kaufmann came to the U.S. on a scholarship to Brigham Young University. His drive led him to an interview with RCLCO during college; and now, after 38 years and four careers at RCLCO, he has transitioned to the current managing director and CEO. Read Gadi’s biography

Ellen Winkler became an accidental developer when she moved her video production firm to Denver and failed to find a fun, yet collaborative work environment. Now she is creating coworking spaces all around the city. Read more about Ellen’s background Read more about Drumbeat

Jonathan Rose left his family’s multigenerational real estate company to start his own for-profit mission-driven development firm. His passion for creating communities of opportunity is strengthened through the belief that we all share a compassion that makes the world a better place. More information on the Rose Companies More information on the Well Tempered City

Leaving a legacy is easy for Phil Freelon, who founded one of the largest African American–owned architecture firms. With numerous cultural institutions under his belt, including the newest Smithsonian museum, he is motivated to design places where the public can convene. Phil Freelon’s bio Read more about the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Read more about Phil...

Mary Ann Tighe didn’t know what commercial real estate was until she was 36 years old. With a successful career in the Carter/Mondale White House before launching the A&E network, she recognized her knack for deal-making and is now one of the country’s most prolific brokers. Read Mary Ann Tighe’s bio Read more about Mary Ann’s career

Chip Conley started one of the country’s first boutique hotel chains, Joie de Vivre, when he was just 26 years old. After selling the company, he joined the startup Airbnb at age 52, despite the fact that the young founders were primed to disrupt his industry. Read more about Chip’s leadership Read more about Chip’s role at Airbnb Pre-order Chip’s newest book, Wisdom @ Work: The Making of a Modern...

A chance meeting on a playground led Kevin Plank, Under Armour’s founder, to ask Tom Geddes to oversee his private investments. Tom’s leadership is enhancing Baltimore’s waterfront and how the public experiences the city. Learn more about Plank Industries Learn more about Tom Geddes

Janet Marie Smith had a homerun vision for Camden Yards, the first baseball stadium in 70 years that was built within the existing urban fabric of any U.S. city. With stadium work in Boston and Atlanta also under her belt, she is now enhancing 55-year-old Dodger Stadium. Learn more about Janet Marie Smith Read more about Janet Marie Smith’s involvement with Camden Yards

Following the advice of his grandfather, Andrés Duany knows he can either be popular or indispensable, and he’s chosen the latter. Made famous by his traditional neighborhood design of Seaside, Florida, Duany has led the charge in creating new urbanist communities. Learn more about Andrés Duany and DPZ Read more about New Urbanism

How does one prepare for an unexpected crisis? Scott Cowen managed to lead Tulane University through Hurricane Katrina, strengthening the student body and city of New Orleans in the process by strategically integrating the two.

MaryAnne Gilmartin defies many conventions in the real estate world. She wears high heels to construction sites of major New York City projects and has achieved the top leadership position in a family business where she has no relation.

Growing up, Toby Bozzuto did not want to work in the family business—yet now he is the CEO. Toby began his career in the music industry but was drawn into the real estate world because of the foundational values his father set for the Bozzuto Group.

Kimber Lanning has operated an independent record store in downtown Phoenix for 30 years. Her experience as a small business owner led her to start Local First Arizona, advocating for self-reliant, unique downtowns that can support the little guy. Learn more about Kimber Lanning and Local First Arizona

Teens using power tools? That’s the foundation for Alex Gilliam’s two nonprofits. He brings together youth to physically build amenities in their struggling neighborhoods. These students learn how to engage civically while changing the urban landscape. Learn more about Alex Gilliam and Public Workshop Watch Alex Gilliam’s TED Talk

Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood was one of the most blighted in the country, impeding on the city’s economic development. Leveraging creative financing as well as civic and corporate partnerships, Steve Leeper has led 3CDC in the transformation of this historic neighborhood. Learn more about Steve Leeper and 3CDC Learn more about the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood

A lifelong New Yorker, Alicia Glen serves as the city’s deputy mayor for housing and economic development. Why did she leave the private sector for public service, and what are the challenges for New York given one of its own is entering the White House? Read Alicia Glen’s bio

Egbert Perry of the Integral Group developed the national model for mixed-income housing. He has since been changing the notion of which industry sectors people of color are accepted, and successfully forging into market-rate commercial projects. Read more about Egbert Perry and the Integral Group Read a 1998 article on the creation of Centennial Place

As an African American and Asian American woman in office, Mayor Marilyn Strickland challenges our notion of what makes a strong leader. She talks about her journey, starting with a job at the headquarters of Starbucks to earning the top post of an international port city. Mayor Strickland is a trustee of ULI and was a Rose Center for Public Leadership and Land Use fellow. Read Mayor Strickland’s...

Steve Wilson is the founder of 21c Museum Hotels, started in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2006. These unique concept hotels, which incorporate gallery space for Wilson’s expansive art collection, are a unique way to help revitalize the downtowns of midsized cities with a growing tourism industry. Wilson and his wife now have seven other hotels open or under construction around the United States. In th...