Meet Our Students
The following students are members of the MIT Center for Real Estate class of 2008. (See bottom of this page for a list of Student Hosts for the Class of 2008 Visitor's Program.)
DAMIEN B. CHAVIANO
Boston, MA
BA, International Studies, 2004, Middlebury College
Originally from Chicago, Damien has spent the last three years working in Boston for the Raymond Property Company (RPC), a private development company specializing in high-end commercial development and property management. While at RPC, Damien served as a project manager on a 311 acre, one million square foot mixed-use residential golf course community in Massachusetts’ prestigious North Shore. In addition Damien has been actively involved in deal sourcing, underwriting, and property management.
Prior to graduating from Middlebury, Damien spent a year working and studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Damien studied at the Universidad del Salvador while working at the Buenos Aires office of Ernst & Young. Damien is a member of BAYREP and sits on the executive committee for the ULI Young Leaders while co-charring the programs committee.
JUNGHUN CHOI
Seoul, Korea
BS Civil Engineering, 2005, Hanyang University
Junghun worked most recently at Merrill Lynch in Global Wealth Management as an intern. He worked on researching potential markets and clients, analyzing asset allocation and developing clients’ portfolio. Prior to Merrill Lynch, Junghun was involved in the business development department in Daebo Construction, where he was responsible for estimating the project development of 'HangdamDo Resort"(USD 250 million) as a bidder and analyzing the feasibility, development and golf course extension(public 18 holes) of the Seowon Golf Club(Top 10 rank, Golf Digest Korea,2007). He was also involved in international civil projects as an appraiser, including a ship channel project worth $200 million, and pipe line projects worth $60 million in India and Singapore at Hyundai Engineering and Construction, a leading global construction company. In addition, he joined the Claims Team at Hyundai E&C to coordinate their legal department from an engineering perspective.
Junghun plans to use his experiences at MIT to be an international developer with focus on town house with green concept, as well as performing financial analysis in real estate globally.
VIPASHA DASGUPTA
Mumbai, India
MBA-Marketing, 2003, Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai
B. Arch, 1999, Sir J.J. College of Architecture, Mumbai
Vipasha has worked in the Indian real estate industry for over four years and in the design industry (as an architect) for two years. She has worked for Reliance Industries Limited’s pan-India retail venture (“Reliance Retail”)of setting up retail formats such as hypermarkets and specialty stores in 784 Indian cities. At Reliance, Vipasha analyzed cities (A+++ to B+ category), decided on the locations for the retail presence in the particular city and conducted feasibility tests of proposed properties - for procurement. She was responsible for negotiating & finalizing nearly 1 million sq. ft area (built space and land). She also worked on retail store-network plan for supermarket/specialty stores, using tools like GIS. Prior to Reliance Retail, Vipasha worked with McDonalds, India (South and West zone) where she performed location analysis and signed 3 properties (2800 sq. ft each) for McDonalds’ QSR (Quick Service Restaurant). Prior to McDonalds, Vipasha worked with Hiranandani Group of Builders – a reputed mixed-use development company in Mumbai. Here she was involved in sales and leasing activities of around 0.5 million sq. ft commercial space for IT companies.
At MIT, she intends to learn more about the role of finance in the real estate industry.
BOZHO DERANJA
Los Angeles, CA
B.S. Real Estate Finance, 2000, University of Southern California
After receiving his degree, Bozho acquired a position with American Standard Development where he would eventually become the Director of the company’s asset management division. There, he would oversee operations of a large portfolio of industrial and self storage properties throughout Southern California.
After his tenure with American Standard Development, Bozho underwent his first entrepreneurial endeavor as President of Golden State Property Group, Inc. Initially, the company focused on directing and managing building and unit renovations, evicting problem tenants and releasing to qualified renters. Since its inception, he has added brokering sales and purchase transactions and has now associated with Blu Croix Ltd. to provide real estate consulting services for the telecommunications industry. Working with Blu Croix has created many new experiences as Bozho’s work now focuses on entitlement, zoning and policy; giving him opportunities to work with various municipalities throughout the western United States.
During his summers, Bozho manages to get away for a month and captains a commercial fishing vessel in Bristol Bay Alaska where he catches Sockeye (“Red”) Salmon for the world market.DONNA DIBONA
Providence, RI
BS, Finance, 1996, Boston College
For the past four years Donna has worked as a builder in Massachusetts, specializing in the construction of single family residential homes. As founder and president of DKD Development Corp. her responsibilities include project feasibility, architectural design, managing the permitting and financing processes, interacting with local townships and regulatory boards, and construction and budget management. Prior to running her own business, Donna worked in the managed healthcare industry as the Sr. Pricing Analyst at United Behavioral Health (UBH) in San Francisco, California. While at UBH she worked closely with the senior executive and sales teams to bring in new business through customized approaches to pricing and program development.
Donna enjoys traveling abroad and has studied at the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland as well as lived and worked in Rome, Italy, teaching English to adults.
TYSON DIRKSEN
San Francisco, CA
BA, Psychology, 2002, Brown University
Tyson has 4+ years experience in real estate development, management and consulting in both domestic and international markets with expertise on sustainable development. Most recently, he designed, drafted, and managed the sustainable renovation/extension of one of his investment properties in Melbourne, Australia. While in Australia, Tyson also worked as a project manager for G&D Construction, a boutique residential construction company, and as a sustainable design consultant for several residential projects. Tyson commenced his career working for his family’s real estate investment and development company: managing a retrofit of a 32-unit apartment complex; renovating high-end residential properties; and performing due diligence on prospective investments.
Tyson is focusing on increasing the scope of his development projects, expanding into the commercial sector, and deepening his knowledge base in sustainable design.
QUINN EDDINS
Tucson, AZ
M.A. Middle Eastern Studies, 2004, Harvard University
B.A. Humanities, 1999, Stanford University
Quinn is a dual degree candidate, anticipating both an MS in Real Estate Development and a Master in City Planning in 2008. He studies real estate development in emerging markets, with a particular emphasis on housing development and housing finance. Before attending MIT, Quinn worked at the World Bank in Washington DC, where he researched water policies in Middle Eastern countries and contributed broadly to the 2007 Middle East and North Africa Development Report. Before that he lived in the Republic of Yemen, where he worked with the Yemeni government’s Public Works Project to develop water supply infrastructure in provincial villages. In addition to his work in emerging markets, Quinn has worked in commercial real estate development in Phoenix, AZ and affordable housing development in New Orleans, LA.
MATTHEW FLOWERS
Orlando, FL
BS, Mathematics, 2002, University of Florida
MBA in Corporate Finance & Real Estate, 2005, University of Florida
Matt most recently worked as an Investment Analyst with ZOM, Inc where he performed the financial modeling and feasibility analysis for the company’s development projects. Matt’s financial modeling experience includes a 313 unit art deco condominium in downtown Orlando, a 29-story high-rise apartment project in downtown Austin, and a luxury boutique hotel in South Beach. In total, Matt has performed the financial modeling of over $750 million worth of projects in construction or preconstruction and has modeled the sale of over 1,000 apartment units. Matt plans to combine the experiences he gains at MIT with his interest in sustainable development.
ANTHONY GUMA
Boston, MA
B.Des., 1998, University of Florida
M.Arch., 2001, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Since 2001, Anthony has worked in London and Boston as an employee of Foster and Partners, a large international architectural firm. During this time, Anthony was primarily focused on a residential development in London, and the major expansion of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. His involvement in these projects was varied, and ranged from preliminary design to construction. The Museum of Fine Arts project led to his relocation from London to Boston where he represented Foster and Partners at CBT Architects, the local architect of record. In this role, he oversaw portions of the design implementation throughout the final phases of design development and construction documentation. Anthony has been a LEED Accredited Professional since 2006.
MICHAEL KAZMIERSKI
Detroit, MI
BS, Finance, 2006, Bentley College
MS Finance, 2007, Bentley College
Michael graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Finance in 2006 and completed his M.S. in Finance with High Distinction in 2007 from Bentley College. Michael worked with the Managing Member of a residential Metro Detroit real estate development company from 2003-2006. While working with this company, he performed due diligence activities and financial modeling on a variety of projects such as raw land development, industrial conversions and other value-add opportunities. After, he spent time in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas with Kerzner International Resorts Limited where he assisted with due diligence activities and budget preparation and was able to gain exposure to construction management on Atlantis’ Phase III. In his return to Boston to complete his Masters in Finance, he assisted a local residential real estate developer with analysis of new markets for expansion and potential acquisitions. In the summer of 2007, Michael was employed by the principal of Vision Equities which is located in New Jersey where he worked on underwriting new office and retail properties from $20-250 million. Also, he assisted with the redevelopment of the company’s projects in New Jersey and sourced new development deals.
KYUNGWON KIM
Seoul, Korea
SB, Urban Studies, 2003, Yonsei University
Kyungwon majored in Urban Planning and Engineering at Yonsei University, Korea. He was inspired to enter Urban Planning by Seoul, a city of ten million inhabitants and one of the world’s greatest metropolitan centers, which is developing dramatically.
Kyungwon joined the asset management division of Samsung Everland Inc., the holding company of Samsung Conglomerates, in 2003. His division handled both property and asset management for Samsung's major commercial real estate. Soon after taking the job, Kyungwon helped choose sites for new Samsung Electronics retail shops all over Korea looking at local demographics, consumer spending patterns, physical accessibility, and the locations of competitors. Shortly thereafter, he took a leasing management position for Samsung Life Insurance, which has eight major office properties totaling more than 300,000 square meters. During this period, the vacancy rate on these properties was far below market average, and the rents increased by an average of 14 million USD per annum. Most recently, Kyungwon helped Samsung Electronics sell its office property portfolio, which consisted of 7 office buildings in major cities in Korea. The transaction volume was 139 million USD. After graduating from MIT Real Estate Development program, Kyungwon plans to work towards a career in international real estate investment.
ALEXANDER KNAPP
Olympia, WA / Paris, France
BA Arch, 2000, Rice University
BArch, 2002, Rice University
Alex comes to MIT from Paris, where he worked as an architect at the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. During five years at the firm, he was focussed on major cultural projects, in particular spending more than three years on a $230 million expansion of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Alex joined the project at the feasibility stage and left the office as the first phase was nearing completion, with a second phase midway through design. His time was divided between Paris and Los Angeles. The design work was based out of Paris and involved a wide range of activities from concept massing to full scale details. Alex made monthly visits to Los Angeles to coordinate with the local design team and negotiate the key subcontract trades, and in the later stages, inspect completed work on sit.
Prior to the LACMA project, Alex worked on other projects for Renzo Piano: a $160 million renovation of the Pierpont Morgan Library museum and research facility in New York, and a $400 million reconstruction of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
AI KONG
Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Commerce, Finance and Real Estate, 2003, Univ. of British Columbia
“Thought without learning is perilous” – Confucius
As a direct descendant of Confucius, Ai holds dear to this philosophy. Since the inception of her career, Ai sought to feed her passion for international real estate investment and development through learning. At global firms such as Colliers International, Metzler Realty Advisors, and most recently Jones Lang LaSalle, Ai augmented her learning by accumulating over $800MM in commercial real estate transactions in her portfolio.
Ai has extensive understanding of real estate institutional investments from both public and private sectors. Strategic consulting, asset disposition, due diligence, underwriting, and acquisition are a few components of the transaction process where she has practical experience in. Working with clients such as Blackstone, REEFF, and TIAA-CREF further intensifies her knowledge.
Ai is also a contributor to several published studies including the KPMG “CEO’s Guide to International Business Costs” and “International Real Estate: An Institutional Approach”. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, a licensed real estate salesperson, and a member of the Young Leaders Group of the Urban Land Institute.
CERVANTES LEE
Taipei City, Taiwan
BA Econ., 1997, Nat’l Taiwan University
MBA, Finance, 2001, Nat’l Taiwan University
For the past three years, Cervantes has been the real estate investment manager at AIG Nan Shan Life Insurance Co., the 2nd largest life insurer in Taiwan with total asset over US$ 35 Bn. He is the first hire and directly reports to Head of Real Estate Investment Director. Cervantes has assisted in building first US$ 800 Mn real estate portfolio (zero real estate exposure before the Team set-up) over 11 investment projects – hypermarts, power center, regional malls, office, industrial office, residential development and offshore REIT IPO. He was ranked as one of the top three investment managers by AIG Global Real Estate Asia in 2005 and 2006. Before attending MIT Center for Real Estate, Cervantes was assigned as Deputy Head of Real Estate Investment Department, and managed 5 recruited investment analysts’ daily work.
Prior to joining AIG Nan Shan, Cervantes has some working experience with Colony Capital in real estate investment and CLSA in banking and property research. Cervantes also has 20-month civil service experience as second lieutenant and transportation officer for R.O.C Navy (Taiwan).
Cervantes has received Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) Designation in 2007 and is a certificate level 2 Business Valuation Appraiser. He passed CFA Level I Exam in 2001. He is also a Fellow of Life Management Institute (FLMI). He is native in Mandarin and Taiwanese, and has working knowledge of English and Japanese.
Cervantes is married and a new father of a baby boy born in March 2007. His interests and hobbies include jogging, visiting shopping malls, model housing tours, economic & development history, Monopoly games, and cartoon series of the Simpsons.
JUN-HO (JUSTIN) LEE
Seoul, South Korea
Bachelor of Engineering, Civil Engineering, 2002, Korea University
Justin studied civil and environmental engineering at Korea University as an undergraduate. Upon graduation he was employed by Samsung Engineering and Construction Co. as a civil engineer. Desired to fulfill his interests in the real estate field, he completed courses in Urban Planning at the Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University. Justin then accepted a position in the urban development field at Posco Engineering and Construction Co. where he worked in their Redevelopment Team for over five years as a project manager, performing feasibility studies and coordinating construction bids and contracts for housing redevelopment projects. Among the many projects he participated in, Justin was in charge of the Yongsan Zone-4 Mixed-Use Redevelopment Project. The project was a joint consortium project among 3 major construction companies including Posco E & C Co., estimating to a gross floor area of 95 acres, encasing over 500 residential units, commercial retail and office space.
SEAN LEE
San Francisco, CA
BA in Architecture, 2002, University of California at Berkeley
Upon receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from University of California, Berkeley in 2002, Sean started his career at a design/build firm Regan Bice Architects, which specialized in high-end residential project with budgets that range from a few hundred thousand to ten million dollars. After a few years working on residential projects, he wanted to expand his knowledge base to include larger-scale urban development projects and the public sector work. So Sean took a position with Albert Kim Architect & Associates, working as project manager in charge of building design layout and management for low-income housing development project in California.
The experience in various types of projects ranging from residential to community development not only enabled him to observe firsthand how much impact a well-organized design, planning, and management can have in a community, but also has offered him the chance to participate in every aspect of the project cycle: design development, construction administration, planning application, budget estimation, and financial analysis.
Sean is particularly interested in areas that need to be revitalized and redeveloped, in a way that contributes to a positive quality of life and preservation of the natural environment.
ALEX T. LIN
Taipei, Taiwan/CA
BS, Industrial Engineering & Operations Research, 2002, UC Berkeley
Prior to attending MIT, Alex was an Associate at Capmark Asia in the Investment & Origination Division covering the Greater China region. Capmark Financial Group (formerly GMAC Commercial Mortgage, the commercial real estate division of GMAC acquired by private equity consortium led by KKR and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners) is a leading global real estate finance company originating more than US$20bn of commercial mortgages a year with more than US$7bn investments and loans in Asia to date.
In the Taipei and Shanghai offices of Capmark, Alex was involved in the deal sourcing, underwriting, due diligence, structuring, investment committee presentation, and closing of a diverse set of investments in Taiwan and China including non-performing loans, distressed hard assets, private equity, and real estate equity of offices, retail, and residential properties.
Alex has studied at Oxford University in England and National Taiwan University in Taiwan and is bilingual in English and Chinese. At MIT, Alex seeks to deepen his understanding of real estate development, finance, and capital markets in order to become a better investment professional.
ERIC LOTH
North Andover, MA
BA, Psychology, 1996 Colby College
Eric joined Northpoint Realty Development in 2001. His investigations into new business opportunities and government programs led to an application for Northpoint's first large residential development, a 126 unit condominium development permitted under MGL Chapter 40B. He was involved in the acquisition, permitting and financing. He translated this experience to four additional applications, resulting in a total of 920 permitted condominium units.
Eric's experience includes the acquisition, permitting and disposition of two residential subdivisions. He was involved in the financial restructuring of many of the firm's real estate holdings, including refinancing an 80,000sf Super Stop and Shop. He most recently redeveloped two neighborhood plazas, securing CVS as the anchor tenant in both. Eric also provided financial modeling, fiscal impact reports and feasibility analysis to Northpoint and outside parties on a consulting basis.
Eric is a licensed Real Estate Broker and Appraiser in Massachusetts and a member of the Urban Land Institute, National Association of Realtors, Greater Boston Board of Realtors, Massachusetts Association of Realtors, North East Association of Realtors and the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce. Prior to Northpoint, Eric worked as a bond trader at Charles Schwab. He is an avid snowboarder.
TIANJIN LUO, AICP
West New York, NJ
M.U.E.P, Urban and Environmental Planning, 2000, University of Virginia
B.S, Biological Science, 1998, Florida State University
Prior to MIT, Tianjin worked as a lead project manager with the American Planning Association China Program for three years, conducting groundbreaking planning and design projects throughout China with a collaborative team of prominent professionals and researchers from both U.S and China. She worked closely with all levels of governments, institutions and private developers in China as strategic partners. Her projects varied widely in scale and covered a comprehensive array of planning topics ranging from regional economics, strategic planning, redevelopment, and transportation analysis to large-scale mixed-use designs. Tianjin also serves as a faculty member of a training team who help train more than 200 Chinese mayors and scholars in the Unites Stated on city planning and management every year.
Before her China adventure, Tianjin worked for the Baltimore Metropolitan Council for four years, managing region's socioeconomic data products and forecasting committee, leading council's work on housing market analysis, and developing region’s transportation plans.
Tianjin is a national award recipient in 2001 for AICP Outstanding Student Project. She is also a certified planner in the U.S by the American Institute of Certified Planners.
MARK McGOWAN
Boston, MA
BS, Business Administration, 2001, Fordham University
Prior to enrolling at MIT, Mark served as senior project manager at the Boston Redevelopment Authority and worked directly on over 50 development projects throughout the City of Boston. Mark was in charge of facilitating the permitting process for a variety of project proposals consisting of more than 9,000,000 gross square feet in development, including over 3,200 units of housing and totaling more than $2.4 billion. While at the BRA, Mark established and cultivated valuable working relationships with community groups, elected officials and abutters to effectively analyze project proposals and their potential impact on surrounding communities. Mark also made joint recommendations on project plans and produced final proposals for the BRA Board of Directors, the City of Boston Zoning Board of Appeal and the Boston Zoning Commission.
Mark is a LEED accredited professional and a member of the Urban Land Institute. He is also a graduate of the FBI's Citizens' Academy.
DANIEL J. McGRATH
Boston, MA
BA, History, 2000, Harvard University
For the last seven years, Dan has served in various positions at New Boston Fund, a Boston-based real estate investment and development company that has acquired and developed over $3 billion of properties. Most recently, Dan served in the Portfolio Management and Strategy group at New Boston, where he assisted in the portfolio oversight of the firm’s operating properties and developments, assessing property performance and developing strategies to address opportunities and challenges in the portfolio. He was also responsible for preparing and reviewing communications to the firm’s institutional and high net-worth investors. Prior to this position, Dan served in New Boston’s Investor Relations group, where he worked on a team that successfully raised nearly $700 million of equity capital. Dan has also been responsible for research functions at the firm and for day-to-day oversight of public relations. Dan is a graduate of Harvard University, where his senior honors thesis in history focused on Boston’s West End urban renewal project and the dilemmas of re-building America’s aging cities.
BRIAN S. MEYER, JR.
Quincy, MA
BS Construction Management, 2002, Wentworth Institute of Technology
Brian has worked with several general contractors, both in Boston and in Tampa, FL. During this time he worked as an estimator, on-site project supervisor and an office-based project manager. With this experience, he was certified as a licensed MA Construction Supervisor. This allowed him to transition into the role of an in-house general contractor for a Burlington, MA based real estate company. There he managed all aspects of design/build renovations and capital improvement projects for the firm’s clients, which spanned the entire New England region.
Brian most recently worked at Meredith & Grew, a full-service real estate company based in Boston, as a Project Manager with the Development & Advisory Services group. In this capacity, he advised his clients, both tenants and property owners, on how to manage the design, construction and occupancy of renovation and relocation projects. The project types ranged from high-end, multi-floor law firms leasing space in Class A downtown office towers to low-rise suburban single-tenant, owner-occupied office buildings to ground-up construction of affordable housing.
OLADIMEJI ODUSOTE
Lagos, Nigeria.
MED Architecture, 2004, University of Lagos.
BES Architecture, 2002, University of Lagos
Studying Architecture in the developing city of Lagos, in the 3rd world country of Nigeria, Oladimeji, was very early in his career intrigued by the idea of dealing with the apparent tensions between "good design" and "realistic design" - which for the most part were thought by his society to be mutually exclusive. Consequently, his interests in the development of the built environment are directed towards the creation of developments involving innovative programming and design solutions borne out of "reality".
After his MED architecture degree, Oladimeji worked with Design Group Nigeria Unltd.-architects and urban designers - in Lagos, and was involved with the design development and visualization of a number of projects including the five star Milan Intercontinental Hotel, in Victoria Island, Lagos.
In 2006, with two of his peers, he started Mindseye Ltd, a design and visualization company and has since worked with architects and developers on numerous projects including PARADISE CITY a 700 hectare new town development on the outskirts of Lagos and a proposal for a 4th mainland link road development connecting the Lagos Island to the Mainland with flanking commercial and mixed use developments: His involvement in these ranged from design development to 3d visualizations for design studies and the production of marketing paraphernalia.
JEEHYUN OH
Seoul, Korea
BS, Architecture, 1999, Seoul National University
ME, Architecture, 2001, Seoul National University
Prior to enrolling at MIT, Jeehyun worked as an architect at Junglim Architecture in Seoul for the last 6 years, specializing in large-scale office, retail, university, mixed-use and master planning projects. Her recent project was a US$600 million mixed-use complex project with office, retail and high-end residential towers. She is a registered architect of Korea.
At MIT, Jeehyun hopes to obtain insights into real estate finance and investment, as well as acquire global perspective, on the basis of her wide experience in the building industry.
CAMILO OTALORA
Bogotá, Colombia
BS, Economics, 1999, Universidad de los Andes.
MBA Finance, 2006, Universidad de los Andes
Camilo was educated at Stonyhurst College in England and Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia. As of June 2007, Camilo has completed over 11 years of professional experience in the real estate and construction related industries. Before attending MIT, Camilo worked 6 years as assistant CFO, for FERNANDO MAZUERA y Cía. S.A., one of Colombia’s oldest and ranked among the largest real estate developer companies. His duties there included analyzing, planning, negotiating and coordinating the financial structure of 59 residential and commercial projects that add up to US$150 million in sales. In particular, Camilo implemented financial models that helped optimize the resources for each type of development.
His personal ventures include buying, renovating and leasing residential apartments and offices, and managing a construction equipment rental company that specialized in formwork and cranes.
Camilo enjoys playing soccer, tennis, golf, running and is preparing himself to run the Boston Marathon while at MIT.
NIKHIL PATEL
London, England
BSBA, Finance & Management Information Systems, 1999, University of Arizona
Prior to attending MIT, Nikhil was an asset manager for a family owned real estate company in Phoenix with portfolio holdings composed of commercial, residential and land properties. In this position, he analyzed annual budget trends and cash flows statements, evaluated new investment opportunities, and negotiated lease contracts.
Before this, Nikhil was a management consultant in Washington D.C. and New York for 6 years at Canada's largest consulting company, CGI Group. He conducted strategy and technology analysis for some of the nation's largest organizations including AIG, Verizon, AT&T, and the City of New York. Nikhil has lived and worked in London, Sydney, New York City, Washington D.C., and Phoenix. After graduating, he plans to
focus on international real estate development.
JASON R. PEARSON
Chicago, IL
BA Economics, 1993, Bates College
MBA Management & Strategy and Marketing, 2000, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
Prior to attending MIT, Jason Pearson was a project manager in the Chicago office of The Community Builders, a large Boston-based urban housing developer. During his tenure there, Jason managed the redevelopment of the Madden Wells public housing project on Chicago’s south side as part of the Chicago Housing Authority’s Plan for Transformation. As project manager, he oversaw the mixed-finance project’s first two phases, the development of a 475 unit mixed-income rental community at a total cost of $175 million. His responsibilities included all development activities from predevelopment through construction and lease-up, including project feasibility, planning, design, financing, construction, marketing, and creating and maintaining political and community relationships. In addition, Jason was involved in the planning of senior housing and an arts and recreation center as part of the neighborhood’s overall redevelopment.
Before joining The Community Builders, Jason worked as a management consultant with a focus on the Internet and e-commerce. He began his career as a project manager for a major commercial bank with the role of developing corporate-wide web sites and applications.
Outside of work, Jason recently renovated a 1904 three-unit greystone in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, transforming the building into upscale rental apartments by updating its systems and interior spaces while preserving the original charm and character.
KIMBERLEY W. RAE
New Haven, CT
B.A. Fine Arts, 1991, Colgate University
Prior to relocating to Cambridge in 2006, Kimberley lived in a small mountain community in Colorado where she developed a lodging business from a barren cattle pasture. Her responsibilities included entitlements, planning, design, construction management, operations and the profitable sale of the project three years after completion. The pasture was further developed into a single family subdivision, an elementary and middle school campus, and a hotel site. During this time Kim was a top-producing real estate broker and served in her community as Chair of the local Planning Commission, and as an appointee to the Tourism Board which administrated the county bed tax. Her entrepreneurial interests include rural land markets, prefabrication and sustainable design.
JAMES W. RIZZO
Washington, DC
BA Economics, 2000, Bucknell University
Prior to attending MIT, James was a Vice President of Federal Capital Partners (FCP). There he worked on acquisitions and dispositions of office, industrial, multifamily, retail and condominium product totaling more than $1 billion. He was primarily responsible for the underwriting, due diligence and closing of multifamily, retail and select office investments, as well as in helping oversee asset management efforts and value-creation strategies for the firm's apartment portfolio. Before joining FCP, James was a Financial Analyst with Atlantic Realty Companies, a real estate investment and development firm in the metropolitan DC area. There he was responsible for all financial and market analysis related to office acquisitions. As an undergraduate, James was a member of Bucknell’s Division I Lacrosse team.
EMILY SCHWARTZ
Brookline, MA
BA, Political Science, Minor in Mathematics, 2002, Bates College
Prior to attending MIT, Emily was the Director of Research for Lincoln Property Company’s Boston office. Lincoln is a national commercial real estate firm specializing in development, property management and brokerage services. In her role as the Director of Research, Emily conducted in-depth research of general real estate market conditions, capital market trends, and development activity, produced quarterly statistics and market reports, compiled and analyzed economic and demographic data, and utilized Argus and Excel to perform financial analysis on various properties and development opportunities. She also participated in marketing presentations to existing and potential clients and was solely responsible for the preparation and delivery of real estate market data at such meetings. Prior to joining Lincoln in the fall 2003, Emily started her real estate career at Cushman and Wakefield of Massachusetts, where she was a research specialist. An avid runner, Emily has run seven full length marathons, including four Boston Marathons.
THEODORE SCHWARTZBERG
Boston, MA
BA, Political Science & Philosophy, 2003, Tufts University
Ted is currently a candidate for a Master of Science in Real Estate Development as well as a Master in City Planning at MIT, with a focus on affordable housing development.
Prior to MIT, Ted worked for three years in Tufts University's Office of University Relations, specializing in community and government relations. During his first year of graduate school at MIT he interned at the New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative, an affordable housing development and advocacy agency in New Orleans Louisiana. For the summer of 2007 Ted is working in the Real Estate department of Madison Park Development Corporation, an affordable and mixed-income housing developer based in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood.
CHANDAN DEV SINGLA
Chandigarh, India
Bachelor of Engineering, Civil - 1997, Punjabi University, India
M.B.A., Marketing - 2004, Panjab University, India
Chandan began his professional career as an Engineer with a Development Company in capital city New Delhi, India . He supervised construction of multistoried residential apartments totaling 200 in Gurgaon City and villas and resort development at 22 acre site in the NCR region.
After his M.B.A., he joined a Multinational IT hardware company, eSys Information Technologies. For a brief period, he worked in Personal Computer Division, developing strategies for product management, business development and brought efficiency to operations. His Real Estate Experience with the company includes identification, due diligence and fulfillment of acquisition process of 6 acre mixed use facility at Chandigarh for the integrated manufacturing, services and global back office.
In 2006, Chandan co-founded Prime Constructions, a partnership firm, involved in development of project of 100 unit multistoried residential in suburbs of Chandigarh. As Partner, his responsibilities spanned from leading the marketing and sales activities, supervising the project management team to due diligence on financial and investment decisions.
Chandan aims to broaden his skill set and understanding of Capital Markets, learn the tools during his stay MIT and apply those in emerging economies.
PETER VANDERWEIL
Boston, MA
BA, Economics, 1999, Colby College
Prior to enrolling at MIT, Pete worked as a Project Manager for Shawmut Design & Construction, a construction management and general contracting firm based in Boston, MA. Throughout his tenure, Pete worked on tenant interiors, hotels, historic residential, LEED projects, and banks. Most recently he was managing Bain Capital’s $15M project for their corporate offices in Boston.
Pete also has been involved personally with local residential real estate development ventures and hopes to broaden his experience in real estate through his peers and coursework at MIT.
YALI WANG
Jamaica Plain, MA
BArch, Tsinghua University, China
MArch, University of Minnesota
Prior to MIT, Yali worked as a project architect at GUND Partnership for the past four years. GUND specializes in residential, institutional, commercial and mixed-use projects across the nation. Her responsibilities included feasibility study, project management, construction management and marketing. As a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional, she documented the LEED registration for The National Association Realtors Headquarter project in Washington DC. It was the first LEED certified new building construction of the District of Columbia and was awarded a silver certificate. Her recent project experiences included the new academic center of Newton North High School and the mixed-use development of Parcel 3 in lower Roxbury.
Before coming to the United States, Yali had worked as a project designer for China Ministry of Construction where she gained working experience of construction finance.
In her free time, Yali likes to cook, hike, read, travel, listen to music and visit museums.
Yali is very excited about the study at the MIT Center of Real Estate. She believes that the MSRED program will instill her with solid real estate financial strength and broad multi-disciplined market insights.
MATTHEW WARNER
Boston, MA
BA, Economics 2000, Boston College
Upon graduating from Boston College in 2000, Matthew worked for John Hancock Financial Services in Boston. While working in the Investment and Pension systems department, Matthew supported numerous initiatives for the Real Estate Investment Group.
In 2004, Matthew left John Hancock to work for a small development company based south of Boston. Matthew has broad responsibilities for the firm, but mostly focuses on its mixed residential and commercial development. The firm recently completed a mixed-use project in Scituate Harbor, which consisted of 24 residential units and approximately 16,000 square feet of retail space. Matthew also has experience in property acquisition, permitting, construction management, property management, and financing.
Most recently, Matthew has entered into a joint venture agreement to develop an affordable single-family sub-division on the south shore.
STEVE WEIKAL
Boston, MA
B.A. Economics, 1986, Michigan State University
Dual Degree Candidate, Master of Science in Real Estate Development/ Master of City Planning
Steve’s fascination with old buildings and urban real estate began in the theater. After getting a BA in Economics, followed by a year of graduate study in Australia, he worked successfully to renovate and reopen three abandoned Detroit theaters—the State, the Gem, and Capitol. As catalysts for urban economic redevelopment, these historic buildings contributed to the remarkable transformation of what is now the Fox Center entertainment district. Following the accomplishments in Detroit, Steve spent six years as the appointed director of the Oakland County Office of Arts, Culture & Film, and more recently managed the national media tour for Martin Scorsese’s The Blues for PBS. A licensed real estate broker, Steve executed over $10M in commercial and residential transactions in Boston and Florida during the 18 months before starting the dual MSRED/MCP program at MIT.
DELFIN C. WENCESLAO (BUDS)
Manila, Philippines
AB Management Economics 2000, Ateneo de Manila University
Prior to MIT, Buds was Director/Vice President of Operations for Aseana Holdings Inc., the Marketing (Leasing, Selling) and Development Arm of Aseana Business Park, a two hundred four (204) hectare development (fronting Manila Bay) envisioned to be the lifestyle, business and entertainment hub of the Philippines. Through this role, Buds had the opportunity to oversee the planning, construction and operation of both horizontal (roads, infrastructure) and vertical (mini-mall, interior fit outs) real estate projects. Concurrently, he was Treasurer/Director for Aseana Business Park Estate Association and Aseana Powerstation Association (retail mall), property management organizations which handle the maintenance and buyer/lessee customer services of both projects. Buds has also lead joint venture negotiations with other real estate companies for the development of other company-owned properties
Prior to his current role, Buds worked as a Tenant Negotiator for CB Richard Ellis Phils., Inc. His past clients include AIG, BMW AG, Marsman Drysdale Group, Petron Corp, General Motors, Sabic Petrochem, Kuok Philippine Properties, McDonalds (Philippines) and CitiFinancial.
Buds is a licensed Real Estate Broker and is the company representative to the following organizations, Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Council of Real Estate Brokers Association, Philippine Ecozone Association and National Real Estate Association.
KATE WITTELS
Philadelphia, PA
BA, Urban Studies, 2002, University of Pennsylvania
Prior to MIT, Kate was a senior analyst at Economics Research Associates (ERA), a real estate and economics consulting firm. At ERA, Kate conducted market studies, feasibility analysis and site evaluations for a vast array of land uses. Kate’s project work included commercial and recreational attractions, cultural institutions, transit oriented development projects, urban retail projects, economic development initiatives, destination resorts, and second-home communities located throughout North and South America. Prior to working at ERA, Kate was the manager of business services at Transportation Resource Associates, a consulting firm advising public transportation providers across North America. Kate also has experience in residential leasing and property management.
JOSHUA ZADE
Cambridge, MA
BA English & Theatre, 1998, Williams College
A native of Fulton, Missouri, Josh spent his undergraduate years in western Massachusetts studying English and Theatre at Williams College (1998). A resident of the Cambridge area since 1999, his most recent professional position was Graphics & Marketing Coordinator for Keen Development Corporation, a developer of mixed-income housing specializing in historic preservation and adaptive reuse.
Josh is a dual-degree student, and is pursuing a Master of City Planning at MIT's DUSP. He is spending the summer of 2007 interning with Lesley University's Department of Operations and Real Estate right here in Cambridge.
XIN ZHANG
Shanghai, China
BS, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2003, Fudan Univ.,Shanghai, China
MS, Industrial Design and Innovation, 2006, Ecole Des Mines de Paris, Paris, France
Master of City Planning in City Design and Development, expected in 2008, MIT
In his earlier years, Xin excelled in mathematics and engineering but later realized he had other interests he wanted to pursue. He developed several inventions that are now pending patent approval when interning in Switzerland and France. He then joined the World Bank as a consultant in D.C. and East Africa, working on regional infrastructure development and commercial/residential real estate development.
Xin is a dual degree candidate with the MCP program. His research interests are: 1) real estate finance, real estate capital markets; 2) a niche market: baby-boomer LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender) retirement residential community development. On the lighter side, Xin practices archery and hiking in Switzerland. He also volunteers at the Arc of Baltimore helping people with developmental and cognitive disabilities.
Student Hosts for the Class of 2008 Visitor's Program
- Damien Chaviano
- Vipasha Dasgupta
- Tyson Dirksen
- Anthony Guma
- Ai Kong
