In this episode of Meet the Visionaries, MSRED student Michael Khamis speaks with MaryAnne Gilmartin, Founder and CEO of MAG Partners, about what it means to build cities with conviction, purpose, and long-term vision. MaryAnne traces her path from public service in New York City’s economic development ecosystem to leading transformative real estate projects in the city, including the Barclays Center, the New York Times Building, and New York by Gehry.
The conversation explores MaryAnne’s decision to launch MAG Partners, grounded in a belief that a development firm can be both principled and profitable. She discusses navigating capital formation through volatile cycles, the importance of patient capital, and why she continues to bet on New York City despite political and market headwinds. MaryAnne also offers a candid assessment of housing policy, public-sector collaboration, and what functional public–private partnerships require.
MaryAnne reflects on MAG Partners’ mission-driven approach to development, including naming buildings after unsung women leaders and designing projects that prioritize beauty, sustainability, and community impact. As she states, “An urban developer can lift a city,” a sentiment that portrays both the responsibility and opportunity embedded in the profession.
Interview by: Michael Khamis / MSRED 2026
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production: Michael Khamis / Lacey Cochran
Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/dance-with-me
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
Learn more: https://magpartners.com
In this episode, we meet with Chris Bilotto, Executive Vice President at The RMR Group, and President & CEO of both Diversified Healthcare Trust and Service Properties Trust. With leadership roles spanning healthcare real estate, hospitality, and a diverse portfolio of operating properties, Chris shares how he navigates the complexities of managing large, dynamic real estate platforms.
From lessons in operational excellence to the evolving demands of healthcare assets and the future of service-oriented real estate, Chris offers insights shaped by decades of hands-on experience. He discusses RMR’s integrated approach, the importance of aligning operations with long-term value creation, and what it means to lead teams through thoughtful business practice.
Whether you’re interested in REIT management, sector-specific challenges, or broader leadership wisdom, learn from an experienced executive driving strategy across multiple major real estate trusts.
Interview by: Shagun Kalra MSRED Candidate 2026
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production: Shagun Kalra / Lacey Cochran
Music from #Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/dance-...License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
In this episode, host Michael Khamis, a student in the MIT Master of Science in Real Estate Development program, sits down with EvanRegan-Levine, Chief Strategy Officer at JBG SMITH (NYSE: JBGS)—one of the most influential real estate owners and developers in the Washington, D.C. region. Together, they explore how JBG SMITH is reshaping urban districts through data-driven strategy, digital infrastructure, and long-term placemaking. Evan shares insights into the transformation of National Landing—home to Amazon HQ2 and Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus—and discusses how the firm’s contrarian bets on adaptive reuse and smart-city infrastructure are positioning it for the next generation of mixed-use development.
The conversation spans from strategy to execution, revealing how JBG SMITH blends technology, capital-markets insight, and long-term vision to create lasting value for its shareholders. Evan reflects on the evolution of National Landing into a connected innovation district and the lessons learned in building an ecosystem anchored by Amazon, Virginia Tech, and the Pentagon. He discusses the firm’s growing pipeline of adaptive-reuse projects—from Tysons Dulles Plaza to Bell Street—and how these efforts are redefining the urban fabric of the D.C. region. Along the way, Evan unpacks the importance of higher-education anchors in fueling innovation economies and shares how JBG SMITH balances visionary placemaking with the discipline of a public-company framework, from share buybacks to portfolio repositioning.
Whether your interests lie in urban transformation, smart infrastructure, or the future of real-estate strategy, this episode displays how visionary leadership and disciplined execution intersect to shape the cities of tomorrow.
Interview by: Michael Khamis / MSRED Candidate 2026
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production: Michael Khamis / Lacey Cochran
Music from #Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/dance-...License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
Learn more: https://www.jbgsmith.com
In this episode, Shotaro Fujisawa, founder of Yamori (ヤモリ), joins us to discuss how his Tokyo-based startup is reimagining Japan’s housing market.
Founded in 2019, Yamori tackles Japan’s growing vacant-home crisis by acquiring and rehabilitating underused properties, turning them into affordable rentals for overlooked groups such as foreign workers, single-parent families, and young renters. Beyond renovation, the company builds digital tools for landlords, offers beginner-friendly real estate education, and integrates smart home technology to improve safety and accessibility for elderly tenants.
In this conversation, Shotaro explains the economic and cultural forces driving Japan’s vacant-home problem and how Yamori’s data-driven, community-based model is restoring both housing supply and social trust. Yamori is leveraging a special purpose company (SPC) model, a form of public-private partnership with local municipalities, to finance its projects and deliver affordable housing at scale.
Shotaro’s story captures the courage, ingenuity, and resilience it takes to build from the ground up—showing how purpose-driven entrepreneurship can transform communities and redefine what housing means in Japan.
Interview by: Cherry Tang / MSRED Candidate 2026
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production: Cherry Tang / Lacey Cochran
Music from #Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/dance-...License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
Learn more: https://www.yamori.co.jp
In this episode MSRED students Isabelle Turri and Cherry Tang sit down with David Blumenfeld, Co-Founder of NextRivet, to explore how technology and data-driven strategy are reshaping the real estate industry.
From uncovering the true operational needs of Real Estate firms to crafting tailored tech solutions that enhance decision-making and efficiency, David shares how NextRivet’s consultative approach is redefining what it means to be a technology partner in real estate.
The conversation dives into the intersection of business strategy, innovation, and the human side of digital transformation; revealing why understanding the why behind the problem is just as critical as building the solution.
Interview by: Isabelle Turri and Cherry Tang / MSRED Candidates 2026
Director: Denise DeLoreyProduction: Cherry Tang / Lacey CochranMusic from #Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/dance-...License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
In this episode, architect and urban planner Janet Marie Smith joins us to reflect on her career shaping some of baseball’s most beloved ballparks. Her work has redefined the role of sports venues as engines of urban vitality and cultural identity.
At Oriole Park, Janet Marie helped pioneer the “retro” ballpark movement that reconnected stadiums with their urban surroundings. In Boston, she led the modernization of Fenway Park, balancing preservation with progress.
Moving west to Dodger Stadium, Janet Marie honored a mid-century icon while creating a more vibrant, inclusive fan experience.
“A great ballpark,” she notes, “isn’t sustained by architecture alone but by the energy it inspires.”
Her challenge was to distinguish what made the stadium’s design timeless from what had simply become dated. The resulting updates, including the new Centerfield Plaza, created a lively fan experience that celebrates Los Angeles’ culture and diversity.
Now through The Canopy Team, Janet Marie continues to champion community-driven development, showing that great ballparks, like great cities, are defined not by their structures but by the people who bring them to life.
Interview by: Cherry Tang / MSRED Candidate 2026
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production: Cherry Tang / Lacey Cochran
Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/dance-with-me
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
Learn more about The Canopy Team: https://canopyteam.com/
In this episode of Meet the Visionaries, MSRED student Michael Khamis sits down with Jay Parsons, one of the industry’s renowned rental housing economists and strategists, for a deep dive into the forces shaping housing and capital markets in 2025 and beyond.
From the ripple effects of immigration policy on construction labor and project feasibility to the rent slowdown, shifting housing policy, and the limits of monetary easing, Jay unpacks the data and narratives driving today’s real estate economy. The conversation also explores the 2025–2026 supply peak, evolving migration patterns, and what REIT earnings can tell us about the road ahead for multifamily performance and valuation.
Interview by: Michael Khamis / MSRED 2026
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production: Michael Khamis / Lacey Cochran
Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/dance-with-me
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
In this episode, we sit down with Aun Abdullah, Vice President of Lodha Group and head of the Environment and Sustainable Urbanization agenda at the Lodha Foundation. Aun leads the Net Zero Urban Accelerator, a partnership between Lodha and the RMI India Foundation, and his work spans every scale of the built environment—from ultra-efficient buildings to the design of Palava, a planned urban township built on the 5-10-15 neighborhood planning principle. Aun is shaping India’s national decarbonization and urbanization pathway.
We explore the personal side of Aun’s journey: what first sparked his passion for climate-positive development, how he became involved in the creation of Palava, and the lessons it offers for cities worldwide. Along the way, Aun discusses how policy, industry practices, and market forces must evolve in sync to make efficiency and sustainability a defining principle of construction. With 100 million Indian households projected to enter homeownership in the coming decade, Aun situates Lodha Group’s work within the larger challenge of creating livable, economically viable, and low-carbon urban spaces.
Interview by: Soala Ajienka / MSRED 2025
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production: Soala Ajienka / Lacey Cochran
Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/dance-with-me
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
In this episode, we welcome the dynamic and inspiring Nicholas Edelman, CEO and Founder of surf park development company Aventuur. Aventuur is on a mission is to create exceptional surfing destinations and experiences that generate meaningful social and economic value. To do this, the company's secured the rights to the world’s leading wave-generating technology – the Wavegarden Cove – in markets across North America, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Fiji. They currently have three projects in active development.
In our conversation, we dig deep into the business case for surf parks, including the unit economics, demand drivers, and secular trends that make it one of the hottest niches in commercial real estate right now. Nick also shares his personal journey - one filled with a love of sport, nature, and personal connection - and how he came to found Aventuur with a friend from graduate school and the backing of some heavy-hitting investors.
Listeners will surely want to stay till the end to hear Nick provide an incredible anecdote about the early days of the company. From the beginning, though, this conversation is truly a masterclass in humble leadership, passion, and commercial real estate fundamentals.
Interview by: Robby Mulcahy / MSRED Candidate 2025
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production by: Robby Mulcahy
Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/mark-july/dance-with-me?rt=uc-referral
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
In the final episode of season two, we meet with Gregory Dewerpe, the Founder and Partner of NOA (formerly A/O), Europe's leading venture capital firm pioneering the transformation of the real estate and construction industries. Driven by a critical mission to decarbonize the built world and enhance its sustainability, Gregory brings a visionary and investment-focused perspective to identifying and scaling the innovative technologies essential for this transition. Sam Jakshtis (current MSRED student) and Gregory discuss how NOA's strategic investments are not just funding companies, but actively shaping a more efficient, resilient, and healthier future for how we build, live, and interact with our physical environment.
Interview by Sam Jakshtis | MSRED 2025
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production by: Lacey Cochran
Music from #Uppbeat
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
https://cre.mit.edu/
This episode features MIT alum Dave Burt, CFA, Founder and CEO of DeltaTerra Capital, who is at the forefront of quantifying the growing risks the climate crisis poses to real estate and mortgage markets.
Drawing on his background in managing a global macro portfolio as a Partner at BlueMountain Capital Management and his strategic leadership at Bain & Company, Dave offers a uniquely rigorous, data-driven perspective on uncovering often-overlooked climate-related market inefficiencies.
In this conversation, current MSRED student Sam Jakshtis and Dave explore how his work is shaping a new understanding of property valuation and investment strategy in an era of increasing climate volatility.
Paper Reference: Adaptation Using Financial Markets: Climate Risk Diversification through Securitization: https://www.nber.org/papers/w32244
Interview by: Sam Jakshtis, MSRED Candidate 2025
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production by: Lacey Cochran
Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/mark-july/dance-with-me?rt=uc-referral
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
https://cre.mit.edu/
In this episode, we're incredibly excited to welcome Brad Hargreaves and Paul Stanton of Thesis Driven.
Thesis Driven's flagship online newsletter is widely considered one of the more thought-provoking and well-written real estate publications today, diving deep into emerging real estate themes, technologies, and funding models. The brand has grown in the past few years to include a podcast, an online and in-person learning platform, and a developer database that inventories hundreds of qualified, active real estate developers and owners. In this conversation, we discuss how Brad & Paul came together to form Thesis Driven, the platform's evolution, and what they see at the frontier of innovation in commercial real estate.
Co-hosted by MIT graduate students Robby Mulcahy and Dean Firouzian, this conversation is a fun, free-flowing round table, full of thoughtful insights and fascinating anecdotes. Paul and Brad share a wealth of knowledge and years of experience founding, operating, and exiting successful real estate ventures, and their insider perspective is second-to-none.
Interview by: Robby Mulcahy / MSRED Candidate 2025, Dean Firouzian / MSRED Candidate 2025
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production by: Robby Mulcahy, Soala Ajienka
Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/mark-july/dance-with-me?rt=uc-referral
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
https://cre.mit.edu/
In this episode, we're honored to host one of the preeminent voices in commercial real estate today, Willy Walker.
Willy is Chairman and CEO of Walker & Dunlop. Under his leadership, Walker & Dunlop has grown from a small, family-owned business to become one of the largest commercial real estate finance and advisory firms in the United States and internationally. Walker & Dunlop is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and in its first ten years as a public company, its shares have appreciated more than 800%. The firm was also #17 on Fortune’s 2017 list of “Fastest Growing Public Companies” and has been named a Best Workplace for eight of the last eleven years by the Great Place to Work® Institute. Mr. Walker received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2011, was named “Financier of the Year” in 2017 and 2020 by Commercial Property Executive and was selected as a Most Admired CEO by the Denver Business Journal in 2024.
Willy shares the story of how he came to helm Walker & Dunlop, his early vision for the company, and how he's grown it from a modest, local real estate firm to one of the most recognized international real estate advisory companies in the world. He discusses the origin of his incredibly successful podcast, the Walker Webcast, as well as his approach to social media and brand building. We dive into Willy's thoughts on the state of the commercial real estate market today, and then end with a fun lightning round of questions in which Willy offers some great insight.
Throughout, Willy provides heaps of advice for students, and young and mid-career professionals alike. His experience, deep understanding of capital markets, and quick wit make this episode a truly delightful and informative listen.
Interview by: Robby Mulcahy / MSRED Candidate 2025
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production by: Robby Mulcahy, Soala Ajienka
Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/mark-july/dance-with-me?rt=uc-referral
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
https://cre.mit.edu/
Greg MacKinnon, Director of Research at the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) and a long time collaborator of the MIT Center for Real Estate, joins us on this episode of the Meet the Visionaries Podcast. Drawing on PREA’s deep industry reach and rigorous consensus forecasting, Greg offers a panoramic view of how shifts in capital markets, technology, and investor behavior are reshaping real estate.
As head of research, Greg’s vantage point cuts across market cycles and geographic boundaries, giving him clear insight into how institutions are broadening their horizons, innovating through new construction methods, and even democratizing real estate for retail investors. He also expands on how rising insurance costs and climate events are making resilience a top priority for portfolios.
Tune in to discover how Greg’s bird’s-eye view at PREA illuminates the forces shaping a more inclusive, agile, and forward-thinking real estate landscape.
Papers:
Interview by Soala Ajienka | MArch, MSRED 2025
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production by: Soala Ajienka
Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/mark-july/dance-with-me?rt=uc-referral
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
https://cre.mit.edu/
In this episode, we sit down with Elena Alschuler, Head of Sustainability for the Americas at LaSalle. She acts as a central leader for sustainability and climate risk initiatives across all asset classes and investment products, collaborating closely with Portfolio Management, Transactions and Asset Management.
Elena shares the business case behind sustainable real estate—how robust data, energy efficiency, and proactive climate-risk planning can enhance both asset value and environmental resilience. Listen in to learn about the evolving industry benchmarks that guide sustainability strategies, plus tangible ways investors can future-proof properties against climate shocks. Whether you’re new to real estate or a seasoned industry professional, this episode offers fresh perspectives on balancing profitability with sustainability.
Papers:
LaSalle, The Value of Green 2023
JLL, Demand for Sustainable Buildings 2023
Interview by Soala Ajienka | MArch, MSRED 2025
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production by: Soala Ajienka
Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/mark-july/dance-with-me?rt=uc-referral
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
https://cre.mit.edu/
In this episode, we welcome Kabir Seth, Principal at San Francisco-based Presidio Bay Ventures, a vertically-integrated developer of commercial real estate for private and public sector tenants across the U.S. Presidio Bay Ventures' portfolio consists of mid- to large-scale office, life science and R&D spaces, mixed-use, urban infill multifamily communities, industrial distribution centers and other special-use facilities, with an emphasis on bespoke strategy and tailored design for each end-user.
Kabir shares his own career journey, from growing up in Dubai to his studies at UC Berkeley, an early career in investment banking, and eventually partnering with PBV Managing Partner Cyrus Sanandaji to work first with public sector tenants and then strategically enter private development for a variety of uses. He reflects on the state of the San Francisco real estate market, particularly in the context of the "doom-loop" narrative of the past few years, and why he thinks the city remains an excellent geography for investors and developers willing to adapt. We dive into several of Presidio Bay Ventures' most recent office projects, including Springline, the firm's "office resort" concept that's proved to be a smashing success.
Kabir's insights and candor make this episode a truly inspiring and thoughtful listen. Tune in for another great conversation with the visionary Kabir Seth.
Interview by Robby Mulcahy | MSRED 2025
Director: Denise DeLorey
Production by: Robby Mulcahy, Soala Ajienka
Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/track/mark-july/dance-with-me?rt=uc-referral
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
https://cre.mit.edu/
In this episode, we welcome AJ Jackson, President of LEO Impact Capital, a subsidiary of JBG Smith focused on acquiring, financing, and operating workforce housing using an Impact Framework. AJ serves on numerous boards and advisory councils, including the Fannie Mae Affordable Housing Advisory Council, NMHC’s Workforce Housing Committee, and is Chair of the Advisory Board at the Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate at ULI.
AJ shares his fundamental understanding of macroeconomic conditions impacting the demand for affordable and workforce housing in gateway and growing cities, navigating public policy to establish competitive solutions to reducing housing prices for cost-burdened renters, and LEO’s unique organizational structure in solving for the “missing middle.”
With inflation and capital constraints impacting the public and private markets, housing remains at the forefront of national conversations. AJ offers listeners an abundance of knowledge on ways operators can leverage policy, public benefits, and technology to level the playing field. Tune in to learn how the private markets are paving the way for a future in workforce housing.
Interview by: Dean Firouzian / MSRED Candidate 2025
Produced by: Lacey Cochran
Music: #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/dance-with-me
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
In this episode, we welcome Joe Azelby, former NFL linebacker and current Head of Real Estate and Private Markets for UBS Asset Management. With a career spanning from professional sports to managing real estate, infrastructure, and private equity investments. Joe brings perspective to leadership, strategy, and the evolving real estate landscape.
Hosted by Dean Firouzian, a student at the MIT Center for Real Estate, this episode delves into the current state of the real estate market and Joe’s role in navigating its complexities. He shares insights about investments in data centers and energy storage infrastructure, as well as strategies for transforming struggling office markets through public-private partnerships and incentive programs to achieve their highest and best use.
Interview by: Dean Firouzian / MSRED Candidate 2025
Music from #Uppbeat
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
In this episode we welcome Tess McNamara, AIA, a Senior Sustainability Consultant at Arup and faculty member at the Yale School of Architecture. Tess shares her journey that propelled her to the intersection of research, design, and implementation, where she is driving advancements in sustainable built environments.
She offers insights into her role at Arup, where her research informs strategies designed to integrate a whole-life carbon perspective into projects. The conversation also explores her Yale course, Bad Buildings: Decarbonization through Reuse, Retrofit, and Proposition, which equips the next generation of architects with tools to tackle the challenges of sustainable, smart design.
As the challenges of sustainability in our buildings grows more complex, Tess reflects on the opportunities for architects and developers to collaborate in shaping resilient, future-ready spaces. Tune in to learn how Tess McNamara is inspiring meaningful change at the forefront of sustainable design and education.
Interview by: Robby Mulcahy / MSRED Candidate 2025
Music from #Uppbeat
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E
In this episode, we sit down with Jill Brosig, Senior Managing Director and Chief Impact Officer at Harrison Street, a global investment management firm headquartered in Chicago. With a background as a physicist at Argonne National Laboratory, KMS Fusion, and Motorola, Jill brings a unique perspective to the pursuit of aggressive sustainability goals in real estate. As a pioneer in environmental initiatives, she is unlocking new opportunities to drive value through ESG-focused strategies.
Our conversation delves into Harrison Street's expertise in identifying, acquiring, and managing alternative real assets, exploring how leadership is navigating the current market cycle. We discuss the evolving landscape of ESG in the built environment, highlighting Harrison Street's role in fostering partnerships that create operational and sustainable synergies. Around the world, project leaders are finding innovative ways to scale capacity for the growing technology and data sectors, and Harrison Street is at the forefront of these transformations. Tune in to discover how forward-thinking leaders like Jill Brosig are shaping the future of real estate — one bold initiative at a time.
Interview by: Dean Firouzian / MSRED Candidate
Produced by: Lacey Cochran
Music from #Uppbeat
License code: KQAWWN4CWQXDF01E