This year marked the twenty-seventh anniversary of the Alexander Bodini Foundation Prize Competition, held as the final project of Columbia Business School’s Capstone: Real Estate Investment course taught by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Business Jane Yang ’10 (Founder, Cooper Square). Continuing a longstanding tradition of real-life learning in real estate, the competition challenged student teams to work directly with industry sponsors on live investment opportunities, combining market research, asset-level underwriting, markets analysis, and investment committee-style recommendations. This year’s project sponsors included Eagle Rock Properties, Noble Investment Group, Lonicera Partners, and Vero Capital. The top four teams advanced to the final round, held on May 4th, 2026.
The panel of judges was comprised of a distinguished group of real estate alumni, including Matt Giammanco ‘13 (Vice President of Development, AvalonBay Communities), Will Kluczkowski ’10 (Managing Director, Head of Real Estate at Ray), and Jeff Turkanis ’10 (Founder, Principal, Ocean Gate Realty Advisors).
1st Place: Noble Investment Group
The winning team, consisting of Hogan Barnes ‘26, Ronald Chico ‘26, Khrishan Gopal ‘26, and Santiago Simán ’26, worked with Noble Investment Group on a hospitality investment opportunity involving an extended-stay hotel portfolio. The team developed a comprehensive investment thesis that considered portfolio composition, market positioning, operational upside, capital planning, and potential execution risks. Their presentation stood out for its clear articulation of the sponsor’s strategic advantages, disciplined underwriting approach, and thoughtful assessment of how operational improvements could support long-term value creation. Ultimately, the students arrived at a final recommendation that Noble Investment Group should pursue the acquisition of the portfolio. George Dabney, Managing Principal and Chief Financial Officer at Noble Investment Group acted as the executive sponsor providing guidance to students on this project.
2nd Place: Vero Capital
The second-place team consisted of Stephen Barry ‘26, Dominga Derderian ‘26, Alexia Filice ‘26, and Yuval Halperin ’26. They advised Vero Capital on a value-add office investment opportunity. Their analysis focused on how targeted repositioning, amenity upgrades, and tenant experience enhancements could improve the competitiveness of a well-located office asset in a quality-driven market. The team combined market research, sponsor-specific operating insights, and financial analysis to evaluate whether the investment could meet institutional value-add return objectives. Ultimately, they advised Vero to go ahead with this acquisition. Andy Stone ’13, Principal at Vero Capital and Co-Founder of the Vero A2R Office Platform, acted as the executive sponsor providing guidance to the students on this project.
3rd Place: Eagle Rock Properties I
The third-place team was Henry Everitt ‘26, Peter Dyer ‘26, Edmundo Subiabre ‘26, and Perry Gordon ’26, who worked with Eagle Rock Properties on a multifamily investment opportunity involving both acquisition and disposition considerations of two distinct assets. The team evaluated market fundamentals, rent positioning, renovation potential, and transaction structuring considerations. Their presentation highlighted the importance of balancing value creation opportunities with execution, fiduciary discipline, and risk mitigation in a complex real estate transaction. Rishi Gupta ’11, Chief Investment Officer at Eagle Rock and Mitchell Levine, Senior Acquisitions Analyst at Eagle Rock and Dominik Sochon, Senior Acquisitions Analyst at Eagle Rock acted as the executive sponsors providing guidance to students on this project.
4th Place: Team 2 – Eagle Rock Properties II
In fourth-place were Winnie Zheng ‘26, David Maximilian Tessner ‘26, Elley Choung ‘26, and Tiffany Bauman ’26 who also advised Eagle Rock Properties on a multifamily portfolio strategy. Their analysis emphasized market demand drivers, operating improvement opportunities, and the potential benefits of exiting a stabilized asset and acquiring a new value-add investment. The team presented a well-structured framework for assessing both sides of the transaction while remaining focused on risk, timing, and long-term value creation. Rishi Gupta ’11, Chief Investment Officer at Eagle Rock and Mitchell Levine, Senior Acquisitions Analyst at Eagle Rock and Dominik Sochon, Senior Acquisitions Analyst at Eagle Rock acted as the executive sponsors providing guidance to students on this project.
Across the finalist presentations, several themes emerged: the continued importance of a disciplined basis, the value of sponsor-specific operating advantages, and the need to structure transactions carefully when markets, tax considerations, and fiduciary obligations intersect. The teams also demonstrated the breadth of today’s real estate investment landscape, from hospitality portfolio acquisitions and office repositioning to suburban multifamily value-add strategies.
Columbia Business School is grateful to Mr. Daniele Bodini ’72 for his continued and generous support of the Alexander Bodini Foundation Prize Competition. His commitment to experiential learning has helped make the competition a cornerstone of the MBA real estate experience. The Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and Columbia Business School also extends sincere thanks to this year’s sponsors, judges, and faculty for their mentorship, time, and engagement with students throughout the semester.
Anthonie Abbenhuis ’26 is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School and the Teaching Assistant for Capstone: Real Estate Investment and Real Estate Transactions. Prior to business school, Anthonie worked at Boston Consulting Group in Amsterdam, where he focused on transformation, digital change, and new ways of working across sectors including aviation, public sector, and energy. Originally from the Netherlands, he holds both a BSc and MSc in Aerospace Engineering from Delft University of Technology. He will be returning post-MBA to Boston Consulting Group in Amsterdam.
