Josh Panknin is the Director of Real Estate Technology Initiatives in the Engineering school (Industrial Engineering and Operations Research) at Columbia University and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Real Estate at New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. His focus is on developing new capabilities for the real estate industry through technology. By leveraging the immense technology resources at Columbia Engineering, he focuses on foundational research that combines broad and deep engineering capabilities for more holistic solutions rather than narrow, incremental improvements.

Prior to academics, Josh was Head of Credit Modeling and Analytics at Deutsche Bank’s secondary CMBS trading desk where he helped develop and implement automated models for valuing CMBS loans and bonds. He also spent time at the Ackman-Ziff Real Estate Group and in various other roles in research, acquisitions, and redevelopment.

Areas of expertise: 

• Digital transformation
• Valuation
• Data
• AI/ML

Josh has a master’s degree in finance from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in real estate finance from New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate.

Josh currently resides in New York City.

Subject Matter Expertise: Education, Corporate Innovation Strategies and Training 

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Benjamin Burns is one of the most accomplished digital marketing strategists in the real estate industry. He is currently consulting for a wide variety of real estate companies and startups.

Ben previously led Digital Strategy and Marketing Analytics at The Bozzuto Group, served as Chair of the Real Estate Technology Alliance (RETA) and was a previous Board Member of the Apartment Innovation Marketing Conference (AIM). He currently serves as an Advisor to several real estate tech startups. Earlier in his career, Ben was a marketing executive at start-ups in double-sided marketplaces, LivingSocial, Parking Panda and SnagaSlip, two of which had successful exits.

Areas of expertise:

• Full journey customer acquisition (top of the funnel through to retention) 
• Customer journey mapping
• Product / platform recommendations 
• Customer marketing analytics
• Search engine optimization 
• Affiliate marketing 
• A/B testing strategy and framework
• Conversion rate optimization 
• Paid marketing 

Ben currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and two children.

Specialty: SEO/Digital Marketing

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Devin Vermeulen is a design and development strategy leader. Formerly the creative director of WeWork, Devin was the 5th employee hired in 2010 by the founders and spent the next decade being responsible for establishing the company’s brand with particular attention to developing an experience-focused approach to design. He helped lead the spatial innovation team and build an agile product development cycle for design standards.

Devin earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kansas and subsequently worked as an architect and designer with boutique design firms in New York. He has presented on topics that include wellness in design and the future of workplace for the Urban Land Institute, Worktech London, HDElevate, and Design Junction.

Areas of expertise:

• Workplace and Co-working Consulting- programming, layouts, design & execution strategy, branding, wellness
• Integrated Project Delivery strategy, prefabricated & modular construction and architecture
• Retail & Residential Development design & strategy

Devin currently lives in Atlanta.

Specialty: Workplace Design, Flex Space

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Frank Spadafora has a distinguished two-decade career on the leading edge of CRE technology bridging opportunity and solution delivery at the juncture of people, process, product, and platform. An evangelist for technology adoption, data-driven process evolution, and digital transformation, Frank is a tireless champion of client-facing transaction teams and a trusted strategic consult to the C-Suite.

Most recently, Mr. Spadafora served as VP, Head of Investor Services Technology at Cushman & Wakefield where he led all facets of business solutions technology including strategy and operations, global AOP and vendor management, product development and implementation, and continual improvement. He has a proven track record of optimizing and automating antiquated and fragmented CRE processes, elevating insight through data integration and analytics, and future-proofing CRE services through the identification and onboarding of transformative technologies. Frank has consistently delivered value creation and value preservation for the largest global portfolio owners and full-service CRE firms.  

In addition to leading multiple service line solution portfolios through M&A and IPO at Cushman & Wakefield, Mr. Spadafora was also a founding member of C&W’s partner-first emerging technology program, leveraging strategic affiliations with VC’s, accelerators, and academic institutions to identify early-stage technologies, and drive from proof of concept to implementation to meet real-world client challenges. He has advised numerous startups on minimum viable product, UI/UX, and go-to-market strategies.

Frank has been recognized as an innovator in the industry securing the 2016 CIO 100 Award for workflow technologies for C&W’s commercial appraisal automation platform, contributing articles for industry publications including CIO and CIRE magazines, and appearing on numerous industry panels and workgroups. 

Areas of expertise:

• E-marketing and digital marketplace technologies
• Digital workflow and compliance solutions
• Alternative valuation products (AVM, NAV, Cost Segregation, VFR, Due-Diligence)
• Transaction and cash flow analysis solutions
• Amenitization, Tenant/Occupant Experience, Coliving
• Virtualization, AR/VR, Test-Fit
• Business process outsourcing (BPO) and onshore/offshore development strategies
• Enterprise IT and shared services implementation
• RPA and intelligent automation 
• CRE data and portfolio analytics
• Data standards, open/public data, SaaS subscription management
• New product design, development, and GTM strategy
• Full SDLC management, resourcing, QA/UAT, implementation

In his free time, Frank is an accomplished musician and songwriter, carpenter and renovator of historic homes, aspiring arborist, and proud father of two amazing children.

Specialty: Investor and Underwriting Solutions, Data and Analytics Transformation, Enterprise IT, Products and Partnerships

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Lee Odess is one of the most accomplished and knowledgeable Building Access experts in the world. He is the Founder of E+L+C, and former executive of Allegion, a billion-dollar manufacturer in the lock and access control industry. He also served as an Executive of Unikey, a start up that pioneered the IoT/smart lock/smart physical access control industry and began his career as an Executive with the first cloud-based physical access control manufacturer, Brivo.

Currently Lee is the founder of www.InsideAccessControl.com, a media and blogging platform focused on the physical access control industry, and Group337, a Growth Studio focused on business creation in the commercial real estate, proptech and smart home markets for small to large companies in the security, access control, and IoT industry.

Areas of expertise: 

• Strategy Development 
• Ability to break down complexity, make it simple to digest and actionable.
• Ideation 
• Execution Planning 
• Messaging and Storytelling 
• Program Development
• Channel Development 

Lee lives in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife Jen Odess and two kids, Ava and Ray. 

Specialty: Building Access

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Ryan Salvas is a seasoned product and program manager, Ryan has 15+ years experience in the development, implementation and application of cutting edge technologies. Trained as an architect, Ryan began his career in the world of design, construction, and commercial development, leveraging his diverse experience in developing uniquely informed end-to-end technology strategies for a variety of businesses and users. Beyond product development, Ryan has led tech M&A and investment round due-diligence, as well as holding a number of key patents in the technology and energy sector.

Area of expertise:

• Access control
• Customer/tenant experience
• AR/VR spatial experience
• Relationship management tech
• Business Intelligence
• Data strategy and insights
• 3rd party evaluation and integration
• Inventory management
• Procurement
• Spatial insights
• Construction tech
• Project management tech

Ryan lives in the suburbs of Boston with his wife and two children. When he is not playing in the backyard with his kids or working on a landscape project with his wife, he devotes almost 100% of his free time to mountain and gravel biking. He aspires to run away to the mountains of Vermont and live a life of secluded bliss as soon as his kids are out of school (too long).

Specialty: Design and Architecture, Workplace

Technology

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Chris Mayer has more than 30 years of experience managing teams and leading change across a variety of industries.

He previously served as publisher of The Boston Globe and president of the New England Media Group where he led the business turnaround and transformation through a combination of value-focused product offerings, leading edge technology solutions, enhanced efficiency, and a commitment to quality journalism. Prior to becoming publisher, he oversaw nearly all aspects of the business including manufacturing, distribution, sales, strategy, and technology.

Chris was also the first chief innovation officer at a $4B national construction company where he created the innovation practice, opened eight innovation centers and oversaw the company’s innovation initiatives. He has consulted in the digital media and online education industries, served as a leadership consultant, and speaks at conferences about driving innovation and leading change. 

He began his career in the computer science field, holding leadership roles as CIO, DBA, and led systems integration efforts both onshore and off before transitioning to general management roles

Areas of expertise:

• Business Strategy Development & Organizational Alignment
• Establishing an Innovation Practice
• New Technology Scouting/Solutions Development
• New Business Startup Coaching/Mentoring
• IT Strategy Development & Execution
• Technology Portfolio Management & Rationalization 
• Program Management/Project Management
• Business Analysis, Analytics, and Financial Planning
• Operations Management
• Executive Coaching
• Marketing Strategy, Branding, and Copywriting/Editing
• Interim Leadership (e.g. CEO, COO, CIO, CInO)

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Chris received his Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Yale University. He lives in South Boston with his wife and, at least around the holidays, his children.

Specialty: Construction

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Michael Beckerman is the CEO of CREtech and FUTURE PropTech, the largest global consulting, media and conference company devoted to technological innovation in the real estate sector. CREtech’s mission is to help the industry embrace, adopt and future proof their businesses. CREtech’s intelligence and event platform inspires the next generation of ideas, processes and people to champion the world's largest asset class.

Michael is one of the most sought-after speakers and thought-leaders in the emerging real estate tech sector and has delivered countless keynote presentations at premier global conferences and private company presentations. He is a frequent guest on industry podcasts and is also an influential blogger in the commercial real estate tech sector.

He began his entry into commercial real estate tech in 2012 with the launch of The News Funnel, a customized news platform, and subsequently launched a digital marketing agency for the commercial real estate industry, ATYPICAL.

Michael previously spent 25 years in the public relations industry having built Beckerman Public Relations into the largest firm in the industry specializing in the commercial real estate industry.  

Areas of expertise:

• Overall real estate tech trends
• Real estate tech company advisory
• Fundraising
• M&A

Michael resides in Gladstone, NJ with his wife and two children.

Specialty: Real Estate Technology Trends 

& Insights

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Dan Hughes is founder of ‘Alpha Property Insight’ and ‘LIQUID Real Estate Innovation’ which help the property sector to embrace and benefit from new ways of thinking and digital transformation.

Before this, Dan spent his career working across the built environment and has held senior roles in some of the world's leading data organisations. Dan led the Land and Property Sector strategy and commercial activity at Ordnance Survey, the world’s leading location data specialist. He led the global marketing function at IPD, part of MSCI which is the leading global data, index and benchmarking company for property investment. Dan was also Director of Data and information products for RICS which included BCIS, the world’s leading cost analysis data product and leading a Data Services team providing bespoke consultancy services.

Dan also led the PropTech transformation strategy at RICS. When he left, RICS was recognised as the world’s leading PropTech brand and was voted 'Top Association' at the Global PropTech awards.

Dan is on the British Property Federation Technology and Innovation Working Group, the steering committee for MIPIM PropTech, on the RICS data handling professional statement working group and is founder of the not-for-profit ‘Real Estate Data Foundation’, helping the sector benefit from data. Dan also holds the position of Trustee for the Property Sector Charity, LandAid.

Dan was author for the BPF LIQUID report and the LIQUID Future of Valuations paper.

Dan has achieved wide recognition in this space; voted one of the Top 50 Data leaders in the UK in 2017, voted Number 1 PropTech Influencer in the UK and the most influential global person online in PropTech. In 2018 Dan won the inaugural KPMG sponsored EG ‘Bridging the gap award’ recognising his contribution to bringing property and technology together.

Areas of expertise:

• Organisational digital transformation
• Data strategies
• Digital risk management
• Future property values
• Building a brand through the digital agenda

Dan lives in Hampshire in the UK with his wife and two daughters. He has a passion for all sports, particularly rugby, although more on the watching than playing side of things these days.

Specialty: Digital transformation, Innovation and Data Strategies

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Elie Finegold has been an entrepreneur and leader at the intersection of real estate and technology for nearly twenty years. He lead Global Innovation at two publicly traded real estate companies, the former Insignia Financial Group and most recently at Fortune 200 CBRE (NYS:CBRE), was a founding member of Island Capital Group led by Andrew Farkas, and co-founded and grew IGY Marinas into a $1.5 billion AUM vertically integrated global real estate business. He has founded a number of startups in both the real estate and technology sectors, and has been a leader in the evolution of the #PropTech industry, serving on numerous industry leadership boards. 

He is now a Venture Advisor to MetaProp, an advisor to numerous startup and growth-stage companies, and a featured speaker and author on the impacts of technology on real estate.

Areas of expertise:

• Corporate Innovation Strategy
• Change Management in Real Estate Companies
• Strategic Partnerships and M&A
• Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship - Building global businesses independently or within a corporate structure 
• Future of real estate and mobility
• Working with Venture Capital and their portfolio companies

Elie graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University (1995) with a degree in Ethnomusicology, a major he designed himself. His honors thesis received the Hoopes Prize and was published by the Harvard Library Press. A graduate of The Lakeside School in Seattle, he was also a two-time national champion in high school rowing. An active member of his community, Elie served as President of the Board of Seattle Works, Seattle’s largest organization promoting volunteerism among young adults.

Specialty:

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Lindsay Baker is a real estate industry veteran with a background in building science, sustainability, and technology. She most recently led the creation of the Sustainability and Impact group at WeWork, a role she created and built a team to support. Prior to WeWork, she was the President and on the founding team of Comfy (nee Building Robotics), a smart buildings software company that addresses HVAC optimization and tenant comfort in commercial buildings. She also worked previously at Google, the US Green Building Council, and as a researcher of the built environment at UC Berkeley. She has a Masters Degree from UC Berkeley in Building Science and a BA in Environmental Studies from Oberlin College. She serves on a number of for-profit and non-profit boards, including Measurabl, the world's fastest growing sustainability software for the built environment, and SPUR, a Bay Area non-profit focused on the sustainable and equitable future of cities, neighborhoods and communities.

Areas of expertise: 

• The intersection of real estate technology and human health (including, yes, air filtration and other COVID-related interventions)
• The management/creation of sustainability, carbon, and climate goals, including the use of technology in regards to these goals
• Tenant/occupant comfort and health management
• Traditional green building standards, metrics and methods

Lindsay personal info

Specialty: Sustainability

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Don Goldstein is CEO of 5Q Cyber. Don is responsible for the overall leadership and direction of 5Q Cyber. Don is an accomplished, award winning C-Level technology executive with a distinguished 35-year career of providing robust technology and cyber security solutions to enable business growth. He possesses 20 years of commercial real estate experience across all lines of business with the largest commercial real estate services company in the world. Don is focused on developing collaborative relationships with 5Q Cyber clients along with developing partnerships with cyber security technology and service providers.

Don was recently honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award at Realcomm’s 20th annual conference in 2018, acknowledging him as a “true visionary who has consistently worked to improve the Commercial and Corporate Real Estate Industry through the strategic use of Technology, Automation, and Innovation.” Don also received Realcomm’s Digie (Digital Impact) Award, “designed to acknowledge individuals who saw things ahead of their associates, had the courage to leave the mainstream and the tenacity to keep standing up after many failed attempts.” Don is a featured speaker and panelist at many real estate and cross-industry events.

Don received formal CISO certification from Carnegie Mellon University in 2015. He holds an MBA from Loyola University Maryland, an MSSW from Columbia University, and a BA from Johns Hopkins University.

Areas of expertise:

• Enterprise Cyber Security Risk Assessments
• CISO Advisory Services
• Security Transformation Roadmap Development

Specialty: Cybersecurity

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Min Kyriannis is the Managing Member of JMK Grp. She has 25+ years in converged, global, information technology, cybersecurity, physical and risk management across the globe. 

Ms. Kyriannis had served as the head of cybersecurity and the head of cybersecurity and technology business development in her previous role at a well-established engineering firm, where she pioneered and developed an industry-leading cybersecurity program. She later began promoting cybersecurity, physical security, and technology as an integral part of all building systems. 

Ms. Kyriannis is a driven technology and security leader, and a trusted advisor who has a passion for developing relationships and getting people to work collaboratively together. She thrives on complex challenges and ideas and works to execute in-depth and sustainable solutions. 

She currently serves co-President of Women In International Security – NY Chapter, Chair of SIA’s Cybersecurity Advisory Board and Vice-Chair of SIA’s New Product Showcase Committee, as well as sits on the Advisory Board for SecuritySpecifiers.  

Areas of expertise: 

• Cybersecurity Programs  
• Physical Security Programs 

Specialty: Risk Management

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Marcio DaCosta has over 10 years experience in CRE technology and over 20 in IT. Most recently, Mr. DaCosta led emerging technologies for Cushman & Wakefield (C&W). He developed the innovation strategy from the ground-up to enhance and support the delivery of CRE services. His team, CREATE Labs, led innovation by developing partnerships with technology companies and incubating concepts into production-ready solutions. The overall focus was on practical and viable business applications of research in new technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation, IoT, autonomous workplace bots, drones, and blockchain. In the course of two years, CREATE Labs (4 people) ran over 50 emerging tech pilots and created several strategic partnerships that resulted in increased revenue for C&W.

Mr. DaCosta also led the Technology Account Management team at JLL and was responsible for strategy, adoption, and deployment of technology for all corporate clients. Previously, he was the Director of IT Service Delivery at a Top 20 Global Law firm responsible for global Project Management, Quality Assurance, Technology Education, Desktop Engineering, and Help Desk services. Mr. DaCosta has led multiple geographically dispersed teams in delivering critical and emerging technologies to achieve significant value and revenue in various organizations.

Areas of expertise:

• Emerging Technologies and Innovation
• Proptech evaluation and partnerships
• Smart Building Technologies / IoT
• Digital Twin technology
• Autonomous robots, Artificial Intelligence, AR/VR, Blockchain
• Core technologies for the support of all CRE functions
• Digital workflow, compliance solutions, Robotic Process Automation
• CRE data and portfolio analytics
• Data standards, open/public data, SaaS subscription management
• New product design, development, and GTM strategy
• Full SDLC management, resourcing, QA/UAT, implementation

Specialty: Innovations & Emerging Technologies

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Jarrett LiBuono has over 15 years of experience as a leader in construction and development for top industry firms in the NYC area. In Jarrett’s most recent role, he helped launch a financial management tool to track capital improvement and new development projects across the firm’s global real estate portfolio, while actively managing the operations of work within existing assets. 

Prior to Jarrett’s transition to development, he was managing projects for a construction management firm, gaining experience with a ‘boots on the ground’ approach. His success is a result being proactive in the planning, design, and completion of each endeavor. 

Over the course of his career, Jarrett has completed real estate projects in excess of $500M across all major asset classes; residential, commercial, office, mixed-use, healthcare, and education. Jarrett’s responsibilities have encompassed pre-development, entitlements, construction financing, budgeting, consultant coordination, design development, marketing, deal analysis, due diligence, and operations.   

Areas of expertise: 

• Construction / Design / Development
• Project Management
• Owner Representation 
• Financial Reporting / Management
• Change Management
• Procurement
• Technology Portfolio Management 
• Construction Technology
• Product Recommendations

Jarrett received his Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from Columbia University and earned an MBA, with honors, in finance & accounting. He lives in Long Island, NY with his wife and two young kids and is an avid runner raising money for charity.

Specialty: Construction & Development

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Tyler Buck has over 20 years of experience assembling and leading cross-functional teams in the costing, design, build, and launch of scalable mobile and web products across numerous industries and international markets. Tyler has worked with many household names and led teams to build large scale mobile and web platforms that serve hundreds of millions of users.

He brings applied knowledge of artificial intelligence, data science, cloud, web and mobile technologies, user experience design and has the ability to drive rapid solutions to complex problems through agile, lean and real-time prototyping methodologies.  

Areas of expertise: 

• Digital Product Development
• Product Strategy
• Data Strategy
• Platform Modernization
• Cloud Migrations

Tyler lives in the San Francisco bay area with his wife and three young kids.

Specialty: Digital Product Development

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Kristen Magni, has over 20 years of experience leading innovation and change management in the human capital and organizational development space, the last 16 of which have been specific to the CRE industry. Kristen is the President of hyrUP Consulting, an integrated talent management solutions consultancy focused on talent strategy and transformational leadership. Connecting talent to the value agenda, hyrUP helps organizations achieve financial and customer expectations by building internal capacity and designing workplaces that scale and empower innovation.

Prior to hyrUP, Kristen was the Vice President of Talent & Culture for The Bozzuto Group, a privately held, real estate services company that specializes in Property Management, Construction, Development and Homebuilding. Kristen held this role for 9 1⁄2 years where she led talent strategy and was head of diversity, equity & inclusion. Her work garnered numerous awards and national recognition during her tenure.

Kristen has a proven track record of building progressive, 'best-in-class', people centric programs that deliver exceptional experiences and measurable business outcomes. With deep expertise in candidate and employee journey mapping, she brings the ability to thoughtfully design how humans connect with each other, and integrate with technology and automation to optimize the future of work. 

Areas of expertise: 

• Change Management
• Organizational Development and Innovation
• Talent Strategy
• Culture, Equity and Inclusion

Kristen currently lives in the DC Metro area and has a bachelor’s in communications from Penn State University.

Specialty: Change Management

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 Greg Lindsay is the director of applied research at NewCities and director of strategy at its mobility offshoot CoMotion. He is also a non-resident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council’s Foresight, Strategy, and Risks Initiative, a senior fellow of MIT’s Future Urban Collectives Lab, and a visiting scholar at New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management.

He’s been cited as an expert on the future of cities, technology, and mobility by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, USA Today, CNN, NPR, and the BBC. He’s a partner at FutureMap, a geo-strategic advisory firm based in Singapore, and has advised Intel, Samsung, Starbucks, IKEA, Audi, Chrysler, Hyundai, Tishman Speyer, British Land, André Balazs Properties, Aldar, Emaar, and Expo 2020, among many other organizations. He was the inaugural urbanist-in-residence at URBAN-X — BMW MINI’s urban tech accelerator.

Areas of expertise:

• Trends Foresight & Threatcasting
• Mobility
• The Future of Work

Greg is a two-time Jeopardy! champion (and the only human to go undefeated against IBM’s Watson). He lives in Montréal with his wife Sophie Donelson and their two children.

Specialty: The Future of Work

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