Past Events

• Tuesday, 2/23, 12:00-1:00pm: Market Observations Discussion + Member Networking
   
• Tuesday, 3/16, 12:00-1:00pm: Circle Market Update and Discussion on Underwriting Environmental Risk
  Speakers: Keith Banhazl, Managing Director, Moody’s Investor Service, and Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor of Real Estate
   
• Thursday, 3/25, 5:00-6:00pm:  Circle Virtual Cocktail Hour
   
• Tuesday, 4/6, 12:00-1:00pm: Market Observations Discussion + Member Networking
   
• Wednesday, 4/21: Global Real Estate Alumni Introductions and Market Observations – exclusively for CBS alumni outside of the US. Sponsored by the Real Estate Circle.
   
• Tuesday, 4/27, 12:00-1:00pm: Market Observations Discussion + Member Networking
   
• Thursday, May 6, 4:00-6:00pm: Columbia Business School Annual Real Estate Alumni Event
   
• Tuesday, May 18, 12:00-1:00pm: Market Observations Discussion + Member Networking

Circle Academy Breakfast: The Art of Choosing

February 2020
 

A special presentation by world-renowned choice expert, Sheena Iyengar, S.T. Lee Professor of Business, Columbia Business School. Dr. Iyengar explores the psychology behind decision-making and innovation. In today’s increasingly dynamic world, how can we choose with confidence? And how can we think and act creatively when options seem to be endlessly proliferating, as new tasks and opportunities vie for our attention? Dr. Iyengar’s work provides insights into the common mistakes we make when facing decisions and presents lab-tested solutions for getting the most from choice. 

Hosted by the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate. 

 

Circle Breakfast Event: Development of Life Science Buildings

March 2020
 

A conversation with Robert Albro, Managing Director, King Street Properties, and Brian Steinwurtzel ’04, co-CEO and Principal, GFP Real Estate on zoning and development of life science buildings, and the size of the current market.  

Special thanks to Brian Steinwurtzel ’04 for organizing this event.

 

Circle Market Observations and Discussions 

March 2020 - February 2021

Topics included: 

• How Coronavirus is Impacting the Real Estate Credit Markets
• How the Pandemic Has Altered the Real Estate Market
• Urban Single Family Rental Market
• Luxury Sales and NYC Residential Market
• Industrial outlook
• Insight from Senior experts in the Real Estate Search Industry
• The Intersection of Technology and Inclusive Leadership
• Flattening the Curve: Pandemic-induced Revaluation of Urban Real Estate

Some of the featured members and speakers in 2020-2021 programming have included:

• Thomas Flexner, Global Head of Real Estate, Citigroup
• Gideon Gil '00, Executive Managing Director, Equity, Debt, and Structured Finance, Cushman & Wakefield,
• Dan Heflin, CEO, Torchlight Investors,
• Anthony J. LoPinto, Global Sector Leader, Real Estate, and Managing Director, Korn Ferry
• Gemma Burgess, President of US Search, Ferguson Partners
• Mark Momongan ’99, Founder and Managing Partner, Maple Hill Search Partners 
• Tawan Davis, Founding Partner and CEO, Steinbridge Group
• Tim Berry ’13, CEO, Pennybacker Capital
• Steven Shores ’00, CEO, RangeWater Real Estate
• Gregorio Schneider ’96, Founding Partner & CIO, TC Latin America Partners
• Quentin Reynolds ’02, CIO, Davis Companies
• Mark Caplan ’84, CEO, The Time Group
• James Schmid ’05, CIO, Anchor Health Properties
• Raphael Sidelsky ’99, CIO, W5 Group
• Camille Douglas, Senior Managing Director, LeFrak
• Matthew Karp ’04, President, Amstar Group
• Gentry Hoit ’90, Senior Advisor, Finback Real Estate
• Cia Buckley Marakovits ’93, President & CEO, Dune Real Estate Partners
• Anna Coatsworth ’01, Real Estate Advisor, Compass
• Nicholas Bienstock ’96, Managing Partner, Savanna Real Estate Fund
• Brian Steinwurtzel ’04, Co-CEO, GFP Real Estate
• Nancy Lashine ’81, Founder & Managing Partner, Park Madison Partners
• Mark Portner ’99, Managing Director, Shorenstein
• Walter Stackler ’94, Managing Partner, Shelter Rock Capital Group
• Robert Stern ’88, Managing Partner, Castle Hill Investors
• Bill Stasiulatis ’04, CFO, RRA Capital
• Joseph Smith ’99, CEO, 1754 Properties
• Ivo De Wit ’17, Managing Director, CBRE Global Investors
• Louis D’Avanzo ’91, Vice Chairman, Cushman & Wakefield
• David Dowell ’04, Managing Principal, Arliga Capital Advisors
• Sproule Love ’09, Owner, Allegro Senior Living
• Katherine Vila ’16, COO, Roundhouse
• Philippe Visser ’04, President of Related Office Development, Related
• Yolande Schuler, Real Estate Transaction Advisory Head, WeWork
• Ed McGovern ’95, Managing Director, Security Properties
• Garraud Etienne ’16, COO, Settlement Housing Fund
• Abner Figueroa ’96, Managing Principal, Five Boro Multifamily
• Thomas Campbell ’09, Principal, Managing Member, Thorobird Companies
• Alex Holiday ’13, Partner, The Glasshouses
• Jimmy Arakanji ’12, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Thor Urbana
• Ryan Moorehead ’09, Founder & CEO, Javelin Residential
• Mark Tsocanos ’88, Partner, The Baupost Group

December 2019

Real Estate Symposium

The 12th annual Real Estate Symposium, an exclusive Columbia Business School alumni-only educational forum will take place on Wednesday, December 12, 2019 at the Princeton Club of New York. Registration for this event will be available to CBS alumni only in the CBS Real Estate Alumni Community.

More information.

 

November 2019

Sites & Sounds Tour: East Side Access

A unique opportunity for an insider look at the exciting development of East Side Access.

Special thanks to Gentry Hoit ’90 and Tommy Craig ’82 for organizing this event.

 

October 2019

Distinguished Speaker Breakfast: Tom DeRosa ’88

An exclusive conversation with Thomas DeRosa, CEO, Welltower on how modern, purpose built real estate settings are driving better health and wellness outcomes while lowering costs to payers.

Hosted by the Paul Milstein Center and the Real Estate Circle

 

September 2019

Breakfast Panel: NY Rent Regulation

A dynamic panel discussion focusing on the investment implications of the recent overhaul of New York rent regulations, featuring representatives from three of the largest multifamily owners and developers in New York City, and a Columbia Business School professor.

This topical conversation with esteemed panelists, Jeremy Shell ’04, TF Cornerstone, David Twerdun ’09, LeFrak, Joe Weishaar ’11, L+M Development, and Professor Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, Columbia Business School will be moderated by Jonathan More ’09, Mission Capital Advisors, Mayfair Investment Partners. 

Special thanks to Jared Toothman '12 for organizing this event.

 

August 2019

Circle Social: Summer Cocktail Hour

The Paul Milstein Center hosted its second Real Estate Circle Summer Happy Hour at the Empire Hotel Rooftop Bar in August. We kicked-off the upcoming fall Circle programs with this member appreciation event! It was great to connect with members and alumni guests over drinks and appetizers at this summer event.

 

May 2019

CBS Annual Real Estate Alumni Reception

This is the largest real estate alumni activity at the School! An evening when hundreds of alumni reconnected with former classmates and meet new friends and business colleagues at the Columbia Business School’s Annual Real Estate Alumni Reception.

The 2019 honorees included:

Distinguished Real Estate Partner: Matthew Lustig

Distinguished Real Estate Faculty: Camille Douglas, Michael Giliberto, Andrew Jacobs ’96

 

April 2019

Circle Event: The Robots Are Coming!

An exciting look at robotics in the real estate industry, a presentation with distinguished speakers, Zach Aarons '13, Co-Founder and Partner, MetaProp, Scott Peters, Co-Founder, Construction Robotics, and Platt Boyd, Founder and CEO, Branch Technologies. Followed by an evening reception to connect with classmates and fellow CBS alums. 

Special thanks to Zach Aarons '13 and MetaProp for organizing and hosting this event.

 

April 2019

Distinguished Speaker Breakfast: Debra Cafaro, Chairman & CEO, Ventas

An exclusive conversation with Debra Cafaro, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Ventas, an S&P 500 company and real estate investment trust that owns approximately 1,200 healthcare, life science and senior living properties in North America and the United Kingdom and serves as the primary capital provider to leading healthcare companies. A recognized industry leader, Cafaro set and oversaw execution of a long term strategy that has driven Ventas’s market capitalization to $26 billion at its peak from $200 million since her leadership began in 1999. Widely-acclaimed for her strategic vision, Cafaro has received multiple professional recognitions. In addition to her work at Ventas, Cafaro is broadly engaged across business, public policy, academic, sports and non-profit sectors.

Special thanks to Cia Buckley Marakovits ’93 for organizing this event.

 

March 2019

Sites and Sounds Tour: 53W53

A unique opportunity for an insider look at the exciting new development of 53W53. An iconic residential condominium project that includes three floors of new exhibition space above the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). This exclusive tour was led by David Penick, Managing Director, and Tim Flynn, VP of Construction, Hines.

Special thanks to Tommy Craig ’82 and Hines for organizing and hosting this event.

 

February 2019

Circle Breakfast: Co-Living—New Frontiers

An exclusive conversation on co-living as a new segment of the real estate market, with perspectives from investors in the space. Distinguished speakers Matthew Baron ’07, President, Simon Baron Development, Brian Lee, Senior Director of Real Estate, Common, and Raphael Sidelsky ’99, Chief Investment Officer, W5 Group, provided an inside look in the co-living model based on their investments in leading companies such as Ollie, Common, and Quarters.

Special thanks to Raphael Sidelsky ’99 for organizing this event.

 

February 2019

Circle Breakfast: Opportunity Zones in Action

A dynamic panel discussion on Opportunity Zones investing from all perspectives with an insider look on real transactions. This exciting conversation on how to unravel the mystery was moderated by Gentry Hoit ’90, GAH Real Estate with, esteemed panelists: Lisa Brill, Shearman & Sterling, Samuel Chapin ’14, L+M development, Scott Meyer ’14, PTM Partners, and Mike Shulman, Shearman & Sterling.

Special thanks to Gentry Hoit ’90 and Scott Meyer ’14 for organizing this event.

December 2018

Real Estate Symposium

The 11th annual Real Estate Symposium, an exclusive Columbia Business School alumni-only educational forum took place on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at the Princeton Club of New York.

 

November 2018

Sites & Sounds Tour: 56 Leonard

This tour, organized exclusively for the Columbia Real Estate Circle, was a unique opportunity for an inside look at the development at 56 Leonard. The tour was lead by Izak Senbahar of Alexico Group, and David Beznos, Dune Real Estate Partners, who generously offered to provide an overview of the design.

 

October 2018

Real Estate Tech Roundtable: Real Estate Tokenization and ICOs

A conversation with Mohammah Shaikh, CEO and Co-Founder, Meridio, a blockchain-based platform for creating, managing, and trading fractional ownership shares in real estate assets, and Jonathan Weibrecht, Director of Real Estate Capital Markets, Harbor, a global leader in security token issuance and innovation.

 

September 2018

Distinguished Speaker Breakfast: Nick Bienstock ’96 & Steven Orbuch

With Nicholas Bienstock ’96, Co-Managing Partner, Savanna, and Steven Orbuch, Founder and President, Oz Real Estate, this dynamic discussion covered topics on investment strategies and opportunities.

 

September 2018

Sites & Sounds Tour: Domino Sugar Factory

This was a unique opportunity for an inside look at the exciting development of the former Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg. Vishaan Chakrabarti, Architect and Founder of PAU, generously offered to provide an overview of the design of the first series of waterfront buildings at 325 Kent Ave, as well as the newly developed Domino Park.

 

July 2018

Summer Happy Hour

The Paul Milstein Center hosted its first Real Estate Circle Summer Happy Hour at the Empire Hotel Rooftop Bar in July 2018. We kicked-off our new upcoming Circle programs with this member appreciation event! It was a great opportunity to connect with members and alumni casually over drinks and appetizers this summer.

 

May 2018

Pre-Event Cocktails and Networking

With Columbia Business School’s Distinguished Real Estate Partner honoree David Neithercut ’82 before the Annual Real Estate Alumni Reception.

 

April 2018

Sites & Sounds Tour: 61 Ninth Avenue & 512 West 22nd Street

Hosted by Vornado Realty. Blending industrial elements of West Chelsea's past with ultra-modern, state-of-the-art design and set the heart of Google's Manhattan Campus, with prominent views west toward the Hudson River—an exclusive tour of these brand new properties, and networking along the High Line!

 

April 2018

Real Estate Circle Academy Breakfast

Featuring Professor Bruce Greenwald, Robert Heilbrunn Professor of Finance and Asset Management at Columbia Business School.

Described by the New York Times as "a guru to Wall Street's gurus," Greenwald is an authority on value investing with additional expertise in productivity and the economics of information. 

 

March 2018

Distinguished Speaker Lunch

A discussion with Richard LeFrak, Chairman and CEO and Harrison LeFrak ’98, Vice Chairman of LeFrak, a preeminent, family-owned property company committed to community development and long term ownership.

Beyond property, LeFrak investments are geographically diverse and span many business sectors with significant investments in securities, private businesses and energy. LeFrak regularly enhances its real estate and non-real estate asset base with opportunistic investments across the United States and around the globe.

 

February 2018

Distinguished Speaker Breakfast: Discussion on Global Investing

With Hilary Spann, Managing Director, Head of Americas, Real Estate Investments at CPP Investment Board and Steven Hason, Managing Director, Co-Head Americas Real Estate APG Asset Management US Inc.

 

January 2018

Sites & Sounds Tour: Essex Crossing, hosted by L+M Development

An unprecedented development in the heart of the Lower East Side. Spread over 1.9 million square feet, Essex Crossing comprises nine sites with over 1,000 new residences, 450,000 square feet of retail, 400,000 square feet of office space, community attractions, and green spaces. These nine sites represent one of the most significant urban renewal developments in the history of New York City. This tour, organized exclusively for the Columbia Real Estate Circle, was a unique opportunity for an inside look at the exciting development of the Essex Crossing megaproject.

Fall 2017

Circle Academy Breakfast

How Real Estate Staucks Up Among Capital Market Alternatives

Craig Leupold ’92, Chief Executive Officer, Green Street Advisors

 

Spring 2017

Circle Academy Breakfast

Scott Rechler, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, RXR Realty

Fall 2016

Circle Academy Breakfast

Power at Ground Zero: Politics, Money, and the Rebuilding of Lower Manhattan
 

Featuring a presentation by Lynne B. Sagalyn, Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor Emerita and Founding Director, The Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate, Columbia Business School

 

Spring 2016

Circle Academy Breakfast

The REIT World Today: Benefits & Headwinds
 

David B. Henry, Co-Founder, Peaceable Street Capital; Retired Vice Chairman, Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, Kimco Realty

Fall 2015

Circle Academy Breakfast

The Changing Structure of the Real Estate Investment Industry
 

David M. Sherman ’82, Co-Founder, President, and Co-Chief Investment Officer, Metropolitan Real Estate

 

Spring 2015

Circle Academy Breakfast

Secular Opportunities in Today’s Real Estate Markets
 

Richard J. Mack, Law ’93, Founder and CEO, Mack Real Estate Group

Fall 2014

Circle Academy Breakfast

The Current US Private Equity Market
 

Stephen J. Furnary, Chairman and CEO, Clarion Partners

 

Spring 2014

Real Estate Under the Alternatives Umbrella
 

Marjorie Tsang, Law ’85, Director of Strategic Research and Solutions, New York State Common Retirement Fund

 

Fall 2013

Circle Academy Breakfast

GSE Reform
 

Hugh Frater ’85, Chief Executive Officer, Berkadia

 

Spring 2013

Circle Academy Breakfast

CRE Debt: Have Markets Normalized?
 

Spencer Haber, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, H/2 Capital Partners

Fall 2012

Circle Academy Breakfast

Martin Cicco, CC ’78, Senior Managing Director and Head of Real Estate, Evercore Partners

 

Spring 2012

Circle Academy Breakfast

Being a Real Estate Entrepreneur, Young!
 

Mark Caplan ’84, President, Time Group: 

Fall 2011

Circle Academy Breakfast

Challenges to Effective Renegotiation of Residential Mortgages
 

Tomasz Piskorski, Edward S. Gordon Professor of Real Estate, Columbia Business School.

 

Spring 2011

Circle Academy Breakfast

An Interactive Case Study: Liquidity in a Credit Drought: Equity Residential (EQR)
 

David Neithercut ’82, President and CEO, Equity Residential

Fall 2010

Circle Academy Breakfast

Housing, Credit, Real Estate, and the Economy
 

Chris Mayer, Co-Director, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and Paul Milstein Professor of Real Estate, Columbia Business School

 

Spring 2010

Circle Academy Breakfast

Distressed Debt Investing: The Hancock Tower & Garage (a real estate case study)
 

Lynne B. Sagalyn, Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor Emerita of Real Estate, Columbia Business School

 

Fall 2009

Circle Academy Breakfast

Distressed Real Estate
 

John Klopp, CEO, Capital Trust, Inc.

 

Spring 2009

Circle Academy Breakfast

A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder
 

Eric Abrahamson, Professor of Management, Columbia Business School

Fall 2008

Circle Academy Breakfast

The Venturesome Economy
 

Amar Bhide, Lawrence D. Glaubinger Professor of Business, Columbia Business School

 

Summer 2008

Circle Academy Breakfast

Are Short Sellers Evil?
 

Charles Jones, Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School

 

Spring 2008

Circle Academy Breakfast

Strategic Intuition: The Creative Spark in Human Achievement 
 

William Duggan, Professor of Management, Columbia Business School

Fall 2007

Circle Academy Breakfast

Macroeconomic and Monetary Studies Function
 

Richard Peach, Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

 

Summer 2007

Circle Academy Breakfast

Is Good Governance always Good for the Shareholders? 
 

Matthew Rhodes-Kropf, Daniel W. Stanton Associate Professor of Business, Columbia Business School

 

Spring 2007

Circle Academy Breakfast

Bubbles, Fundamentals and Superstar Cities: The Future Path of High Real Estate Prices
 

Chris Mayer, Co-Director, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and Paul Milstein Professor of Real Estate, Columbia Business School

 

Winter 2007

Circle Academy Breakfast

Long Term Trends in Globalized Interest Rates
 

Bruce Greenwald, Robert Heilbrunn Professor of Finance and Asset Management, Columbia Business School