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YAREA Conference 2018: Influential Trends in Investing & Design

Electra Ferriello | November 20, 2018

The Yale Alumni Real Estate Association Conference, which has convened annually at Yale since 2008, provides alumni, students, and faculty a chance to engage with leading thinkers in real estate—and with one another.  The purpose of the conference is broader than simply “an industry gathering.”  Instead, it is a venue to focus on new ideas and trends shaping a field that has a potential impact on the fabric of our communities.  This year, the theme of the conference was centered around the topic of, “Influential Trends in Investing & Design.”

Francis Lively
Conference Chair, Francis Lively, The LCP Group, L.P., welcoming conference guests.

Keynote speaker, Goodwin Gaw, Chairman, Gaw Capital Partners gave a talk about, “Real Estate 2018: An Outlook on the State of Affairs of Commercial Real Estate.”

Goodwin Gaw
Keynote speaker, Goodwin Gaw, opening the YAREA 2018 Conference.

The first panel of the day, moderated by Yale SOM Professor, Kevin Gray, discussed innovative investment strategies in real estate.

Panel 1
From Left to Right: Moderator Kavin Gray, Yale University; David Lynn, Everest Healthcare Properties; Ben Brady, Bain Capital; Clint Myers, Revolution

The second panel of the day spoke about design trends in real estate and showed examples of their previous and current projects.

Panel 2
From Left to Right: Moderator Diana Budds, Curbed; Scott J. Avram, Lightstone Group; Stephen Brockman, Deborah Berke Partners; James Lansill, Corcoran Sunshine

The third panel looked at real estate opportunity zones and how taxes drive investment strategies.

Panel 3
From Left to Right: Moderator Cherie Santos-Wuest, Celadon Venture Advisors, LLC; Molly Bryson, Ballard Spahr; Louis Dubin, Redbrick LMD; Lisa Davis, PGIM Real Estate

Bruce D. Alexander, Yale Vice President New Haven & State Affairs & Campus Development (Retired), gave a presentation about Yale University’s efforts to rehabilitate the real estate in many areas of New Haven and his joint efforts with the city to improve New Haven.

Bruce Alexander 3
Bruce D. Alexander discussing Yale University’s role in the “renaissance of New Haven”

The last panel of the day, moderated by Bruce D. Alexander, was a continuation of Bruce’s presentation.  Each of the panelists are Yale alumni who have all contributed to investing in New Haven real estate to help revitalize the area and seek new living spaces for the Yale community as well as New Haven residents.

Panel 4
From Left to Right: Moderator Bruce D. Alexander, Yale University; Bruce Becker, Becker + Becker; Alex Twining, Twining Properties; Joseph Cohen, East River Partners LLC; Nathan D. Taft, Jonathan Rose Companies