The
Newark Summit for Real Estate, Economic Development & Placemaking
3rd
Annual Leadership Summit
Monday, February 9th, 2026
550 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102
16th Floor – Panels & Fireside Discussions | 17th
Floor – Receptions & Exhibiting
7:30 AM – 6:35 PM
7:30 AM –
BREAKFAST RECEPTION
8:15 AM –
CHAIR WELCOME REMARKS
8:20 AM –
ARTS – SPACES, CULTURE & CATALYST
·
The Role of Art Centers, Spaces + Culture
in Neighborhood Revitalization, City Growth and Helping Drive Newark
Forward
·
Arts Community Driven Transformative Real
Estate Projects Highlighted
·
Creating & Building A Sense-of-Place
·
Advocacy and The Role of City, County, State
& National Partners
·
The Benefits of Private Spaces | Public +
Private Partnerships
·
Art District Overlays – Impression &
Long-term Implication for Artists, Neighborhood & City
·
Collaboration & Partnership
Opportunities Highlighted – Anchor Institution Focus
·
The Role / Importance of Inclusive
Equitable Growth. Best Practices. | Local Living Economy – Placemaking
Strategies
April Mason, Founder & President, Violet PR
(MODERATOR)
Talia Young, President & CEO, Newark
Symphony Hall
Lauren LeBaux Craig,
Executive Director, Newark Arts
Marcy S.
DePina,
Executive Director, Newark City Parks Foundation
Rebecca P. Jampol,
Co-Director, Project for Empty Space (PES)
Jon
Crowley,
Executive Director, New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission
Ashley
Mays, Chief Marketing Officer, Newark Alliance, &
President, Newark Happening
8:55 AM – INVEST NEWARK REMARKS
Marcus Randolph, President & CEO, Invest Newark
9:00 AM-
MIXED-USE + RETAIL & PLACEMAKING
·
Successful Projects Highlighted -What are
Innovative/Disruptive Owners Creating or Repositioning
·
Placemaking / MXD / Retail Winning Playbook –
Successes Highlighted – Strategies – Synergies
·
Unlocking / Activating New MXD development
corridors – Leveraging Prudential Center – New Spaces
·
New / Specialty Uses | Film Studios & The
Next New Emerging Asset Classes
·
Mixed-Use, Affordable, Retail, Hotel, Office,
Placemaking & Multifamily Synergies
·
Authenticity, Creativity, Story-telling & Culture
– What’s making unique brands / properties standout? As Amenities?
·
The Role / Importance of Inclusive Equitable
Growth. Best Practices. | Local Living Economy – Placemaking Strategies
Siree Morris, Managing Partner, MCI
Collective
Emily Manz, Chief Business Development Officer, Invest
Newark
Timothy Lizura, EVP,
Real Estate & Capital Projects, NJPAC
Jonathan Schultz,
Co-Founder & Managing Principal, Onyx Equities
Melba Wilson, Founder & Chef, Melba’s Restaurant
Louis D. March, President, March Construction
Lisa John-Basta, Chair,
Redevelopment, Land Use & Zoning, CSG Law (MODERATOR)
9:40 AM-
MID-MORNING RECEPTION
10:30 AM-
OFFICE & INNOVATION – GROWTH | CAPITAL | TALENT | PLACEMAKING
·
A ‘View From The Top’ Coming From the
Owner, Operator, Large Occupier/Anchor Perspectives | Successful
Workplace/Growth Capital Strategies
·
Why Talent Is Choosing Newark | Sector
Appeal – TAMI, FIRE, Life Sciences |Exciting / Creative Projects Highlighted
·
Newark as a tech – innovation – talent
hub. Why global players are choosing
Newark / NJ. Success stories &
Appeal.
·
Asset Management – Deal Flow: Appeal of Class
A Trophy Assets– Owner, Occupier Viewpoints
o
Pre-Built / Flex Space \ Co-Working /
Still the next thing? • Office to Residential
|Farming | Film, Specialty Uses
·
Capital Markets Outlook: Are Significant Trades Happening? Is it finally time for transactions to
happen?
·
Importance of Amenities & Public
Programming/Placemaking – Role of 24/7, Live, Work, Play, Learn – Managing New
Office Tenant Class
·
The Role / Importance of Inclusive Equitable
Growth. Best Practices. | Local Living Economy – Placemaking Strategies
John Saraceno, Co-Founder
& Managing Principal, Onyx Equities
Duncan Turner, General
Partner & Global Managing Director, SOSV – HAX
Aaron
Price, Founder & CEO, techunited, propelify,
BetterFutureLabs
Aaron
Stauber, President, Rugby Realty Co.
Sheila
Rostiac, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, PSEG
Matthew
Kertz, Partner,
Genova Burns LLC (MODERATOR)
11:10 AM– MAYOR’S
FIRESIDE
Ras Baraka, Mayor, City of Newark
Angelo
Genova, Esq.,
Co-Founder & Chairman, Genova Burns LLC
(MODERATOR)
11:40 AM- NJIT RUTGERS NEWARK
LEADERSHIP FIRESIDE
Teik Lim, President, NJIT
Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., CPE, Chancellor, Rutgers
University- Newark
12:15 PM– AFFORDABLE
HOUSING | EXPANDING, PRESERVING & CREATING COMMUNITIES
·
Transformative Projects Highlighted – Pipeline
Discussed
·
Incentivizing Affordable Housing Throughout
the City | Successful Strategies + Formulas Highlighted 80/20 – 70/30
·
Affordable Housing and Public-Private
Partnerships
·
Why Developers are Choosing Newark | What’s
Working.
·
The Role of Agencies, Authorities, Non-Profits
& Advocacy | Public Sector Incentives | New Programs, Relevance, Appetite
·
Portfolio & Asset Management | Operational
Excellence Highlighted – Public / Private Perspectives
·
Financing | Capital Stack & Related
Financing Highlighted
·
The Role / Importance of Inclusive Equitable
Growth. Best Practices. | Local Living Economy – Placemaking Strategies
Melanie Walter,
Executive Director, New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency –
NJHMFA
Andrew Cavaluzzi, Partner & Co-Founder, Hudson Valley Property
Group
Teresa
Ruiz, Senate
Majority Leader, State Senator, NJ State Senate
Adenah Bayoh, President & CEO, Adenah Bayoh & Companies
/ Cornbread / Brick City Vegan (MODERATOR)
C. Lawrence Crump, Council
President, City of Newark
12:55 PM-
LUNCH RECEPTION
1:40 PM-
NRBP REMARKS
Ferlanda
Nixon,
President & CEO, Newark Regional Business Partnership – NRBP
1:45 PM –
EMERGING MARKETS & REGION
New
Development Corridors-Neighborhoods, Region Discussed
Emerging
RE Asset Classes – Industrial, Film, Cold Storage, Vertical Farming 2.0
Emerging
Industries/Sectors/Asset Classes, Emerging Trends/Innovations
T.O.D.,
BIDs, MainStreets & Related Programs – Impact, Role, Future – Creative + Innovative
Deals/CoLabs | Best Practices|Placemaking
Why
Companies/Investors Are Still Choosing Newark| Demographic Appeal – Major
Projects Discussed
Ingredients
to Getting Deals Done / Built | New Projects Highlighted | Design Element
Infrastructure:
Built, Technology (Newark Fiber) Updates, Visioning, Continuing Roles for
Pubic, Private, P3s
Business/culture
attraction strategies to help grow neighborhoods.
Alex Cocoziello,
Principal & Chief Investment Officer, Advance Realty Investors
Ron Beit, CEO, RBH
Group
Elias
Millstein,
Principal, The STRO Companies
Jeff Blau, Founder & President, Giga Holdings
Marcus Randolph,
President & CEO, Invest Newark
Elnardo
Webster, Partner,
Connell Foley (MODERATOR)
2:25 PM-
CAPITAL MARKETS, FINANCE, TAX & INCENTIVES
•
Importance/Role of Inclusive Equitable Growth
– Using Financial & Creative Incentives + Resources to Accelerate
•
Tax & Incentives – Aspire, PILOTs, Credits
•
Debt, Equity – Capital Markets
•
Distressed, Mezzanine, Workout & Specialty
Financing
•
Basis Points Outlook-where Is The Fed?
•
Largest / Creative Deals Highlighted
•
Investment Sales & Institutional Appetite
| Buy / Sell / Hold?
•
12-24-36 Months Predications
•
Financing Opportunities Across Asset Classes
Brian Murray, Founder
& CEO, SHIFT Capital
Jorge Santos, Chief
Real Estate and Investment Officer, Newark Alliance
Jose Cruz, Senior
Managing Director, JLL Capital Markets
David
Wolfe, Managing
Partner, Skoloff & Wolfe
Bernel Hall, President
& CEO, New Jersey Community Capital
Pedro Gomes, Founder
& CEO, Gomes Group / byGomes
Frank E. Ferruggia, Partner,
McCarter & English (MODERATOR)
3:05 PM-
SPECIAL REMARKS
3:30 PM-
MID-AFTERNOON RECEPTION BY THORNTON TOMASETTI
4:20 PM-
LEADERSHIP INNOVATIONS IN NONPROFIT, PHILANTHROPY & PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS
•
The New Newark Alliance Model: Integration for
Impact
•
Public-Private Partnership 2.0 — Innovating
& Accelerating a New Civic Operating System
•
The Role in Shaping Systemic Urban Change –
Best Practice Models Implemented
•
How can philanthropy de-risk innovation for
public and private partners? Unlocking Capital & Resources.
•
Nonprofits as Cornerstones of Newark’s Growth
– Delivering Social, Economic, and Cultural Impact
•
Strategic Partnerships – The Role of Anchor
Institutions, Corporates & Philanthropy in Scaling Local Initiatives
•
The evolution from traditional grantmaking to
ecosystem-building.
•
Major Transformative Projects – Highlighting
Community-Driven, Nonprofit-Led Efforts in Housing, Arts, Workforce & Youth
Development
Lata Reddy, Chair, The
Prudential Foundation, Newark Alliance Board, SVP, Inclusive Solutions
-Prudential Financial
Evan Weiss,
President & CEO, Newark Alliance
John Schreiber, President
& CEO, NJPAC
Aisha Glover, Global
Head of Urban Innovation, Audible
Kerri Levine, Managing
Principal, The Fidelco Group
Calvin
Ledford,
President, PSEG Foundation
5:00 PM-
MULTIFAMILY
•
The Role / Importance of Inclusive
Equitable Growth. Best Practices. | Local Living Economy – Placemaking
Strategies
•
Transformative Projects Highlighted |
Success Shared
•
Supply / Pipeline Forecasts|Regional
Forecasts – NNJ / NYC
•
Residential Continuing To Be Newark’s
Real Estate Driver?
•
Pipeline – Approved Vs Built, Speakers
Forecast
•
Tenants Evolving Expectations – Enhanced
Amenities.
•
The Strength Of Class A Rental Product.
Class B??
•
Ramp-up or Ramp-Down? New Development Vs.
Adaptive Re-use – What’s Been Happening Historically
•
Getting Things Built: View from Top –
From Concept to Lease-Up
•
Storytelling – Let’s Keep the Momentum
Going – Accelerate
Samer Hanini, Managing
Principal, Hanini Group
Wasseem Boraie,
Principal, Boraie Development
Gabriel Lopez, Managing
Principal, J&L Companies
Scott Shnay,
Principal, SK Development
Drew Fletcher, President,
Greystone Capital Advisors, Greystone Construction Capital
Jennifer Carillo-Perez, Partner,
Connell Foley (MODERATOR)
Murat Mutlu, Founder
& Principal, INOA Architecture
5:40 PM-
CHAIR CLOSING REMARKS
5:45 PM-
CLOSING RECEPTION
6:35 PM-
END
2026
SPONSORS, PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS
VENUE
PARTNER:
The
Fidelco Group
550 Broad
CO-CHAIRS:
Newark
Alliance
Prudential
MEDIA
PARTNERS:
BINJE
ROI-NJ
NJBIZ
RE-NJ
Jersey
Digs
The Real
Deal
SPONSORS:
Violet PR
McCarter & English, LLP
Greystone
MHS Architecture
Genova Burns LLC
CSG Law
NJ’s Clean Energy Program
CPG Interactive
NJRE Direct
Gomes Group/ byGomes
Structural Workshop LLC
Invest Newark
Hanini Group
Boraie Development
INOA Architecture
JLL
Connell Foley
Thornton Tomasetti
Kaslander Lumber
March Construction
Skoloffe & Wolfe
Minno & Wasko
Chicago Title | NJ
SUPPORTING
INSTITUTIONS:
techunited
Innovation
+
Newark
Arts
Newark Downtown District
NRBP
Newark
City Parks Foundation
New Jersey
Motion Picture & Television Commission
BioNJ
NJIT