Forums

Where Real Conversations Happen

The Symposium Forums are a new way to connect, collaborate, and dive deep into the topics shaping the future of real estate. Designed as interactive, discussion-based sessions, each Forum brings together a curated group of up to 50 participants— professionals, students, and Harvard professors—who share a common interest in a specific topic.

No lectures, no panels—just engaging conversations led by a student and professor, where ideas flow freely, titles are left at the door, and fresh perspectives emerge. Some Forums will feature key industry leaders sharing their expertise, others will center around case studies for collaborative problem-solving, and some will explore best practices from firms across the country.

We are continuously developing more Forums to tailor discussions to different interests, ensuring that you can find your passion and community within our conference.

To sign up for your forum, please use the link.

Unlocking Solutions for the Missing Middle and Housing Affordability

Forum Director: Amy Tomasso, MRE ‘25

Explore the role of Missing Middle Housing in addressing the housing crisis in this interactive Forum session. Learn why this type of housing is "missing" and how developers can build more of it through small-scale, place-based solutions. Andrew Gibbs from Arctaris Impact Investors will lead a case study on a Missing Middle Housing project in Erie, PA, that will serve a range of budgets including workforce and middle income. Work through site plans, pro forma analysis, cost-saving technologies, and key decision points real developers face. Gain advocacy tools and inspiration to build more Missing Middle in your community, and leave with a deeper understanding of Missing Middle Housing’s impact.

Andrew Gibbs is a Principal on the Real Estate team at Arctaris, where he evaluates development opportunities, manages investments, and develops public-private strategies to advance social impact. Prior to Arctaris, he invested institutional capital at Stoltz Real Estate Partners and Aberdeen Asset Management in London and Philadelphia, with a focus on residential mixed-income development. He has been involved in over $2 billion in real estate activity and published work in journals such as the Urban Land Institute and Governing.com. From 2020–2021, he researched zoning policy and capital markets at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Andrew is a CFA® Charterholder and holds degrees from the University of St Andrews and Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Bruce Douglas is President of The Douglas Company, an industry-leading commercial general contractor that has been focused on multifamily residential construction from affordable to high-end since 1976. The Douglas Company is a 100% employee-owned ESOP company and a seven-time honoree on the INC. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies, with offices in Ohio and Florida serving the Eastern United States. Bruce is a graduate of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and past recipient of their outstanding young alumnus award. He holds contractor licenses in 15 states and multiple credentials including PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP), Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP), and is LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction (LEED AP BD+C).

Converting Office to Home - To Be or Not to Be?

Forum Director: Eno Chen, MArch ’25

Cities across the U.S. face a striking paradox: too much office, not enough housing. The solution seems obvious - Why not convert offices to homes! But is it really that simple? 

Join us for a provocative exploration of real estate's most pressing question with an outstanding panel of Harvard alumni who are leading this transformation from Boston and New York, offering diverse perspectives from two major markets tackling this challenge as architects and developers: Tim Love, the Founding Principal of Utile will moderate an engaging discussion, with Douglas J. Manz, Chief Investment Officer at HYM, Scott Oran, Founder and Managing Partner of Dinosaur Capital Partners, and John Cetra, Founding Principal of CetraRuddy Architecture. We will navigate the maze of financial hurdles, design challenges, and regulatory barriers that make these conversions either brilliant investments or costly mistakes.

Tim Love

Founding Principal of Utile

Douglas J. Manz

Chief Investment Officer at HYM

Scott Oran

Founding and Managing Partner
Dinosaur Capital Partners

John Cetra

Founding Principal
CetraRuddy Architecture

Redefining the Office: From Cubicles to Curated

Forum Director: Nikhil Kapoor, MRE ‘25


The office of tomorrow isn’t just a place to work—it’s a destination. Imagine walking into a space where AI concierges anticipate your needs, luxury lounges double as brainstorming hubs, and seamless design blurs the line between productivity and indulgence. As hybrid work reshapes real estate, offices are evolving into hospitality-first experiences—spaces that don’t just house teams, but inspire them.

Why Join the Conversation?

  • Discover why operators—not landlords—are becoming the driving force behind this revolution.

  • Can workspaces truly marry high-stakes productivity with five-star pampering? (Hint: The future says yes.)

  • In this new era, who holds the power—landlords, hospitality-savvy operators, or tech giants redefining convenience?

“Your desk is dead. Long live the destination.”

Dave Cairns is a former top-ranked professional poker player who made an unlikely leap into commercial real estate, ultimately advising some of the world’s largest companies on over 6 million square feet of office leasing at CBRE. Today, he leads enterprise growth at Kadence, a workplace technology platform helping organizations adapt to the realities of hybrid and distributed work. Dave’s path has never been linear, but that’s what makes his perspective so valuable. A widely followed writer and speaker on the Future of Work, he’s known for asking better questions, challenging conventional wisdom, and bringing humanity back into workplace strategy. He lives on Prince Edward Island, Canada with his wife and daughter, where he’s redefining what “success” can look like.

Real Estate in Africa - A Goldmine or a Gamble?

Forum Director: Jesumi Gbotosho, MRE ‘25

Join us for a high-stakes, debate-style forum featuring three powerhouse industry leaders—Edward Okpa, Akintola Oladejo, and Saha Aymeric—CEOs with vast expertise in real estate investment and development across the African continent. In a rapidly evolving market shaped by economic shifts, policy changes, and global interest, is African real estate the next big frontier or a risky bet? This dynamic conversation will cut through the noise, offering unfiltered insights on opportunities, challenges, and the future of the continent. Unlike traditional panels, this session is designed to be fully interactive, with the audience woven into the discussion—challenging ideas, posing critical questions, and sharing diverse perspectives. If you're an investor, developer, policymaker, or simply curious about the realities of Africa's real estate landscape, this is the conversation you can't afford to miss!

Edward Okpa is a real estate and international economic development strategist, and founder of The OKPA Company. With over three decades of experience, he has advised governments, corporations, and financial institutions globally. A member of the US EXIM Bank Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee, Edward has led trade missions to several African nations and served as Texas Trade Consultant for Oman. He has addressed African housing ministers and consulted on infrastructure, valuation, and development projects across the U.S. and Africa. His work reflects a longstanding engagement with real estate and development issues on both sides of the Atlantic.

Akintola Oladejo is the Founder & CEO of Prestigious Homes Limited, a luxury real estate firm with landmark developments in Nigeria and abroad. He has led high-end projects in Nigeria, applying global best practices in design, sustainability, and investment. With a background in engineering, banking, and oil & gas, he brings a multidisciplinary lens to real estate. He also chairs several companies, including Perez Medcare Hospital and Integrated Subsea Services. An alumnus of Harvard GSD (AMDP), Mr. Oladejo is committed to advancing property development and investment across Africa’s dynamic urban landscape.

Mr. Aymeric Saha is the CEO of MiDA Advisors and former Managing Director of the U.S. Government-funded MiDA initiative, which mobilized over $2 billion in investments in Africa and emerging markets. He spent 14 years at the World Bank, overseeing market and credit risks for $200 billion in global banking operations. In 2013, he was appointed Financial Policy Director in the U.S. Congress, helping implement post-crisis banking and capital market reforms and advancing U.S.-Africa trade initiatives like Power Africa. Mr. Saha also co-founded NewBridge Development/1438 Street LLC, a real estate firm in Washington, DC. He holds a Master in Finance and a Master of Science in e-Commerce from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in finance and economics from McGill University.

Middle East Megaprojects: Innovation, Influence & Urban Scale

Forum Directors: Winston Tang,
MPP/MUP ‘26 , HKS, GSD

Across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and beyond, countries in the Middle East, including those in the Gulf region, are deploying bold urban visions—and massive capital—to reshape cities as engines of economic transformation and regional influence. This forum explores how state-led megaprojects and sovereign-backed investment are redefining the global real estate playbook, from the rise of science cities and innovation districts to new models of public-private delivery.

Joining the conversation, Marwan Aboudib will offer a strategic lens on Giga projects in Saudi Arabia, large-scale planning in the UAE, and the Gulf’s growing role in funding citybuilding efforts in Africa—highlighting the geopolitical, economic, and design forces reshaping global urban leadership. Complementing this macro view, Peyman Askari will share insights from delivering iconic high-rise projects such as Marina 101 and Princess Tower in Dubai, and the structural design of WTC2 in New York, illustrating how these visionary ambitions are executed on the ground—through innovation in materials, construction systems, and regional contrasts in development delivery. Together, the discussion will bridge big-picture strategy and engineering reality to explore the future of citymaking at scale.

Marwan Aboudib is a Managing Partner at Tekuma, a global urban innovation and strategic design firm shaping the future of cities at the intersection of technology, nature, and human experience. He is driving transformative urban projects across the Middle East, Asia and Africa; including next-generation innovation hubs and megaprojects in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

He currently serves on the board of the MIT Center for Real Estate and collaborates with research platforms such as MIT DesignX to advance the frontiers of sustainable urbanism and city-making. Marwan also holds a dual masters in architecture and real estate from MIT (MSRED and MArch)

Peyman Askari is a founding principal at PAN Partners, a boutique consulting firm with expertise in building design, construction, real estate investment, and development. With decades of experience in leadership roles, Peyman has successfully managed internationally-renowned building construction projects with a focus on innovation and sustainability. Peyman actively serves on the boards of the Tall Building Institute and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH, New York Chapter).

Real Estate Venture Market

Director: Howard Au, MRE ’25

The Harvard forum real estate startup session is designed for individuals eager to launch their own real estate ventures. Currently,  6 teams from diverse backgrounds will be presenting their ventures on real estate, from AI to construction. 

Real estate professionals (Small funds, VC funds or GP seeds) will moderate the sessions, offering valuable feedback to presenting entrepreneurs. This forum serves as an incubator for enthusiasts looking to start their own real estate ventures, whether as General Partners (GPs) or Limited Partners (LPs). Recognizing the challenges faced by real estate startups due to their capital-intensive and asset-heavy nature, the session aims to facilitate powerful connections between industry professionals and entrepreneurs, providing the necessary network, momentum, and catalyst for their business proposals.

Team 1: Adapt build | Roberto Interiano

Team 2: Fix AI | Sophia Cabral, Baffour Appiah-Korang, Schola C. Eburuoh, Vandit Gandotra

Team 3: CUBE | Nicholas Curcio, Menno Hilberts

Team 4: Tangible Impact | Alexandra Smith

Team 5: Clima Energy | Carlos Gosen, Daniel Agudelo

Team 6: AI in Real Estate Alpha Engine | Richard Xie, Luca Hahmann

Judging Panel: William Hedley (BGO), Anil Erdem (BGO), Jonson Berman (Suffolk VC), Daniel Corea (JLL Spark)

Anil Erdem is a Managing Director at BGO, overseeing the firm’s ~$40 billion U.S. Asset Management platform and PropTech investments. He joined BGO in 2020 from Raith Capital Partners, responsible for acquiring and managing value-add investments across all asset classes. Previously, Anil spent five years at Tishman Speyer as a Director, focusing on acquisitions, asset management, and portfolio management in New York and London as part of their Leadership Development Program. He began his career at Boston Consulting Group as a management consultant, advising clients across various industries. Anil holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from Bogazici University.

Daniel Correa is a growth principal at JLL Spark, where he drives value-creation opportunities for portfolio companies as they implement go-to-market strategies and engage with the firm’s strategic partners. Prior to joining Spark, Daniel worked in growth and development functions at real estate start-ups like Compass, Eataly, and Convene.

Daniel holds a B.A. in design and environment analysis from Cornell University, with minors in real estate and French.

Will Hedley is a Principal at BGO (BentallGreenOak) based in New York and serves as the Deputy Portfolio Manager of the BGO U.S. Core Plus Fund, a top-performing institutional open-end real estate investment vehicle. The Fund focuses on sectors with strong demographic demand drivers, including multifamily, industrial, and infrastructure-oriented commercial assets such as cold storage, medical office, R&D, and data centers with significant access to power. The Fund leverages BGO’s in-house data science team and machine learning models to gain unique insights into market and demographic trends.

Will is responsible for portfolio strategy, debt and hedging, operations, and asset management oversight for the Fund.

Jonson Berman is Vice President of Investments at Suffolk Technologies, where he leads early-stage venture investments focused on advancing sustainable solutions in the built environment. With a background in physics and molecular engineering from the University of Chicago, Jonson specializes in supporting companies that deliver better, faster, and more cost-effective technologies to reduce environmental impact. Prior to joining Suffolk Technologies, he spent five years at a multi-billion-dollar family office, where he launched its first dedicated Climate-Tech venture fund and concentrated on sustainable infrastructure investments. Jonson’s expertise bridges technical innovation and strategic investment for transformative industry impact.

Beyond the Blueprint: Conversations on space, power, and place within cultures

Forum Directors: Gerardo Reyes Varela & Tatiana Schlesinger, MRE’25

This forum serves as a thoughtful and respectful space for engaging in bold, often uncomfortable, yet critically important conversations about the complexities of the real estate industry. From the treatment of informal settlements in cities to the issue of access and use of public spaces, we explore real-world challenges that demand honest reflection and open dialogue. By having meaningful debates, we aim to uncover insights and conclusions into stakeholder dynamics, justice, equity, and the ethical responsibilities that shape the future of real estate around the world.

Juan Camilo González is the Senior Manager at Ingeurbe, a leading real estate developer in Colombia. He holds an Industrial Engineering degree from Universidad de Los Andes and an MBA from Stanford University. He began his career in public markets at Colpatria, Citibank, and Merrill Lynch, and later joined Linzor Capital Partners. He founded EPICA, structuring over $93M in real estate sales. As Manager of Ciudad Norte (2016–2019), he led Bogotá’s Lagos de Torca project. He also co-founded Agroreforestadora Rancho Victoria, managing 4,000 hectares of reforested land in Colombia’s Eastern Plains.

Martin Anzelini is an architect focused on vernacular habitats and the organic forces shaping the built environment. As both designer and manager, he has led award-winning urban, territorial, and housing projects across continents and scales. He has taught and lectured globally, contributing to architecture and urbanism symposiums, and has published academic and practical works on sustainable construction and resilient planning. Marin is the founder of AGRA and HabArk and currently serves as a planner at the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority, advancing projects that reflect local context and community resilience.

Alternative Hospitality: Future-Proofing in 2025

Forum Director: Ariel M. Estwick, MRE ‘25

This interactive forum focuses on equipping operators, investors, and industry spectators with actionable approaches to thrive in challenging times. Special guest Ana Britten (HBS MBA ‘14), Co-Head of Real Estate Americas/EMEA and Head of Design & Development at Sonder, a leading firm known for its strategic pivots, will share insights on nimble adaptation as audience members co-create practical strategies to weather market volatility, address regulatory uncertainty, and differentiate properties in an increasingly competitive environment.

Ana Britten is a real estate executive with a focus on hospitality and mixed-use. She is currently a Managing Director and Co-Head of Real Estate for the Americas and EMEA at Sonder, where she leads portfolio growth, design and development, and asset management. Since joining Sonder in 2018, she has played a key role in expanding the company’s footprint through new developments, conversions, and strategic partnerships.

Previously, Ana held roles at MCR, where she focused on hotel acquisitions and development, and at Hines, where she led the development of a 360-key luxury hotel and the retail components of CityCenterDC. She began her career in project and infrastructure finance at Morgan Stanley.

Ana holds a BSFS from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She serves on the board of Common Ground Farm in Beacon, NY.

Facilitator: Leonard O. Allen-Smith (GSD, MRE ‘24) is the founder and CEO of Allen Smith Equities, a NYC-based real estate development and advisory firm. Established in 2022, the firm has completed more than $5 million in transactions. Leonard is also former Managing Partner of East Chop Capital, where he cultivated a portfolio of luxury vacation rental homes across six states. A certified public accountant, he previously worked at KPMG, offering tax compliance services to REITs and investment firms. Leonard holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from Hampton University and a Master in Real Estate from Harvard Graduate School of Design.