Annual Center Report, Real Estate Forum

Real Estate Forum

The Columbia Forum is an invitation-only group of leading real estate executives who convene throughout the year to candidly discuss issues of strategic importance to the industry in coordination with our faculty, while also contributing their expertise to the MBA Real Estate Program. Members are CEOs and senior executives who own, operate, and manage substantial real estate assets, bringing deep experience across markets in the US and abroad. Their engagement and affiliation with Columbia play an important role in helping us attract and develop the next generation of real estate leaders.

In 2025–2026, the Real Estate Forum welcomed the following new members:

• Christina Chiu, President, Empire State Realty Trust
• Steven Shores '00, CEO, RangeWater Real Estate
• Brian Steinwurtzel '04, CEO, GFP Development

30th Annual Columbia Real Estate Forum Meeting, Spring 2026

The annual Columbia Real Estate Forum Member Meeting is a small, invitationonly, half-day summit which brings together 30 to 40 business leaders in the real estate community to discuss issues of importance to industry. It is not a traditional conference; rather it is a roundtable meeting among peers and academics, sharing knowledge and exchanging expertise in a closed, off-the record format.

Macroeconomic Overview: State of the U.S. Economy
Brett House, Professor of Professional Practice in the Faculty of Business, Economics Division, Columbia Business School

Discussion 1: Housing Affordability and Policy

Discussion Leaders:

• Morris Davis, Professor and Paul V. Profeta Chair in Real Estate, Academic Director, Rutgers Center for Real Estate, Rutgers Business School
• Judy Herbstman, President Settlement Housing Fund
• Michael Levy, CEO, Crow Holdings
• Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor of Real Estate and Professor of Finance; Co-Director, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate (Moderator)

Faculty Presentation: The Competitive Landscape of AI Companies
Moran Cerf, Academic Director in Executive Education, Columbia Business School

Discussion 2: AI and Data Centers

Discussion Leaders:

• Brian Feldman '17, Vice President of Development, Compass Data Centers
• Karim Hassouna, Senior Managing Director, Real Assets, Blue Owl Capital
• Ranjini Venkatesan, VP, Senior Analyst, Sector Specialist Office and Data Center REITs, Moody's
• Ron Kravit, Senior Managing Director, Cerberus (Moderator)

Closing Remarks

• David Sherman '82, Co-Director, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate, and Senior Advisor and Co-Founder, BGO Strategic Capital Partners