The MBA Real Estate Program Advisory Board initiated the Columbia Business School Real Estate Forum in 1995.
The Columbia Forum is an invitation-only group of leading real estate executives who meet throughout the year to candidly discuss issues of strategic importance to the real estate industry in coordination with our faculty, while also contributing expertise to the MBA Real Estate Program. Members of the Forum are all real estate CEOs or senior industry executives who own, operate, and manage substantial real estate assets and have significant knowledge of real estate in the US and abroad. In addition to their support, their affiliation and participation in Columbia’s top real estate program helps us attract and train the best and brightest candidates.
The annual Columbia Real Estate Forum Meeting is a small, invitation-only, off-the- record, half-day summit which brings together about 40 business leaders in the real estate community to discuss issues of importance to the industry. It is not a traditional conference but rather a roundtable meeting among peers and academics, sharing knowledge and exchanging expertise in a closed format.
In 2024–2025, the Real Estate Forum welcomed the following new members:
- Ronald Dickerman ’87, President and Founder of Madison International Realty
- Katie Keenan, Global Co-Chief Investment Officer, Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies
- Michael Levy, Chief Executive Officer, Crow Holdings
- Quentin Reynolds ’02, Chief Investment Officer, The Davis Companies
- James Schmid ’05, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner, Anchor Health Properties
- David Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer, Waterton
29th Annual Columbia Real Estate Forum Meeting, Spring 2025
Faculty Presentation: How AI Is Transforming Business and Curriculum Innovation at Columbia Business School
Paul Tetlock, Senior Vice Dean for Curriculum and Programs, Alexandra Morgan Ciardi Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School
An Update on the Debt and Banking Business moderated by Ron Kravit, Senior Managing Director, Cerberus Capital Management, with discussion leaders:
- Matt Salem, Partner and Head of Real Estate Credit, KKR
- Josh Zegen, Managing Principal, Co-Founder, Madison Realty Capital
Briefing: The State of the NYC Economy
Melissa Román Burch, COO, NYCEDC
Discussion 1: The Office Market moderated by David Sherman ’82, Senior Advisor and Co-Founder, BGO Strategic Capital Partners; Co-Director, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate, with discussion leaders:
- Nicholas Bienstock ’96, MSRED ’92, Co-Chairman and CEO, Savanna
- Hilary Spann, EVP, New York Region, BXP
- Sabine Stener, CEO and Founder, Gaedeke Group
Discussion 2: The Housing Market moderated by 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, with discussion leaders:
- Hugh Frater ’85, Chairman, Vessel Technologies
- Michael Levy, CEO, Crow Holdings
- Melissa Pianko, Partner, InterCapital Group; Co-CEO, Dayrise Residential
- Brian Steinwurtzel ’04, Co-CEO, GFP Real Estate
Closing Remarks
John Klopp, Global Head of Real Assets, Morgan Stanley Investment Management
29th Annual Real Estate Forum Meeting Participants – February 11, 2025
Nicholas Bienstock ’96
Co-Chairman and CEO
Savanna
Guest
Ben Brady
Partner
Bain Capital Real Estate
Guest
Jon Brayshaw
Founding Partner
Prime Finance
Member
Keith Breslauer
Managing Director and Senior Partner
Patron Capital Partners
Member
Chris Byrns ’25
Circle Fellow
Columbia Business School
Student Fellow
Brad Caracausa
Head of Acquisitions
Dune Real Estate Partners
Guest
Christina Chiu
President
Empire State Realty Trust
Guest
Erin Dodd
Vice Dean, Development and Alumni Relations
Columbia Business School
Guest
Maria Fera
Associate Director
Columbia Business School
Paul Milstein Center Staff
Conor Flynn MSRED ’07
CEO
Kimco
Member
Hugh Frater ’85
Chairman of the Board
Vessel Technologies
Member
Adam Gallistel ’04
Head of Americas, Head of Credit, Real Estate
GIC
Member
Alexa Hammel
Senior Associate Director
Columbia Business School
Paul Milstein Center Staff
Gentry Hoit ’90
Chief Strategy Officer
ARK Homes for Rent
Circle Board
Hayley Holzinger ’25
Circle Fellow
Columbia Business School
Student Fellow
Austin Jansen ’25
Bodini Fellow
Columbia Business School
Student Fellow
James Joyce ’25
Bodini Fellow
Columbia Business School
Student Fellow
Katie Keenan
Global Co-Chief Investment Officer
Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies
Member
John Klopp
Global Head of Real Assets
Morgan Stanley
Member
Ronald Kravit
Senior Managing Director
Cerberus Capital Management
Member
Leanne Lachman
Executive-in-Residence Columbia Business
School
President
Lachman Associates
Member
Nancy Lashine ’81
Founder and Managing Partner
Park Madison Partners
Circle Board
Shawn Lese ’98
Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer and Head of Funds Management, Americas
Nuveen
Guest
Michael Levy
CEO
Crow Holdings
Member
Robert Lieber
Executive Managing Director
Island Capital Group / C-III Capital Partners
Guest
Chris Mayer
CEO
Longbridge Financial
Professor Emeritus
Columbia Business School
Member
Melissa Pianko
Partner
InterCapital Group
Guest
Tomasz Piskorski
Edward S. Gordon Professor of Real Estate
Columbia Business School
Faculty
Sara Queen
Managing Director, Head of Equity Strategies,
Real Estate
Metlife
Guest
Quentin Reynolds ’02
Chief Investment Officer
The Davis Companies
Member
Richard Richman JD ’72, MBA ’73
Chairman and Founder
The Richman Group
Member
Melissa Román Burch
COO
New York City Economic Development
Corporation
Guest
Matt Salem
Partner, Head of Real Estate Credit
KKR
Guest
David Schwartz
CEO and Chairman
Waterton
Member
Scott Shapiro ’99
Managing Director
Eagle Rock Ventures
Executive-in-Residence
Columbia Business School
Guest
David Sherman ’82
Senior Advisor and Co-Founder,
BGO Strategic Capital Partners
Co-Director
Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate
Member
Raphael Sidelsky ’99
Chief Investment Officer
W5 Group
Circle Board
Ross Smotrich ’83
Managing Principal
RE Strategic Advisors
Guest
Jiaqi Song ’25
Bodini Fellow
Columbia Business School
Student Fellow
Hilary Spann
Executive Vice President, New York Region
BXP
Guest
Brian Steinwurtzel ’04
Co-CEO and Principal
GFP Real Estate
Guest
Sabine Stener
CEO
Gaedeke
Member
Kristin Svenningsen
Managing Director
Columbia Business School
Paul Milstein Center Staff
Paul Tetlock
Senior Vice Dean for Curriculum and Programs, Alexandra Morgan Ciardi Professor of Finance and Economics
Columbia Business School
Guest
Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh
Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor of Real Estate
Columbia Business School
Co-Director
Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate
Faculty
Josh Zegen
Managing Principal, Co-Founder
Madison Realty Capital
Guest
Brian Zhou ’26
Bodini Fellow
Columbia Business School
Student Fellow
Explore Annual Center Report
It is with great pleasure that we present this annual report, highlighting the 2024–2025 academic year at the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate. This report captures the depth and diversity of activity, thought leadership, and specialized expertise that define our work and reflect the ongoing dynamism of the real estate industry. See more from the report below.