The Newark Summit for Real Estate, Economic Development & Placemaking

3^rd Annual Leadership Summit

Monday, February 9^th, 2026

550 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102

16^th Floor – Panels & Fireside Discussions | 17^th Floor – Receptions & Exhibiting

7:30 AM – 6:35 PM

7:30 AM – NJBIZ BREAKFAST RECEPTION

8:10 AM – CHAIR WELCOME REMARKS

8:15 AM – THE FIDELCO GROUP 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

Sam Chapin, Managing Director, LMXD

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

Courtney Mulligan, SVP of Marketing & Communications, Russo Development

Lisa John-Basta, Chair, Redevelopment, Land Use & Zoning, CSG Law (MODERATOR)

9:40 AM- CONNELL FOLEY 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

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.

Matthew Kertz, Partner, Genova Burns LLC (MODERATOR)

Petra Conte, Executive VP, Arch Street Capital

11:10 AM– MAYOR’S FIRESIDE

Ras Baraka, Mayor, City of Newark

Angelo Genova, Esq., Co-Founder & Chairman, Genova Burns LLC (MODERATOR)

11:35 AM- NJIT RUTGERS NEWARK LEADERSHIP FIRESIDE

Allison Ladd, Deputy Mayor, City of Newark

Teik Lim, President, NJIT

Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., CPE, Chancellor, Rutgers University- Newark

12:00 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

Jeff Monge, Managing Partner, Monge Capital

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

12:45 PM- LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTATION

12:50 PM- HANINI 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- Region/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 Public, 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

Juan Rodriguez, Associate Principal, MHS Architecture

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- NEWARK BOARD OF EDUCATION SUPERINTENDENT REMARKS

Roger León, Superintendent, Newark Board Of Education

3:10 PM- NJEDA NEWARK ALLIANCE LEADERSHIP FIRESIDE

Evan Weiss, CEO, NJEDA

Lata Reddy, Chair, The Prudential Foundation, SVP – Inclusive Solutions, Prudential Financial

3:35 PM- MID-AFTERNOON RECEPTION BY THORNTON TOMASETTI

4:15 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

Jocelyn Grahame, Managing Partner, New Jersey, McKinsey & Company (MODERATOR)

Shane Harris, President, Prudential Foundation

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

4:55 PM- MULTIFAMILY

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

The Role / Importance of Inclusive Equitable Growth. Best Practices. | Local Living Economy – Placemaking Strategies

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

Andrea Kaufman, Managing Director, Impact Investments/PGIM-PGIM Real Estate

5:45 PM- CHAIR CLOSING REMARKS

5:50 PM- AUDIBLE CLOSING RECEPTION

6:10 PM- AUDIBLE OFF-SITE NEWARK EXPERIENCE

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:

Russo Development

BSS

Brick City Capital

FBT Gibbons

PSEG

Cube3
Monge Capital

Violet PR

McCarter & English

Greystone

MHS Architecture

Genova Burns

CSG Law

NJ’s Clean Energy Program

CPG Interactive

NJRE Direct

Gomes Group/ byGomes

Structural Workshop

Invest Newark

Hanini Group

Boraie Development

INOA Architecture

JLL

Connell Foley

Thornton Tomasetti

Kaslander Lumber

March Construction

Skoloff & Wolfe

Minno & Wasko

Fidelity National Financial, Chicago Title (FNF)

The Da Silva Team LLC/ Keller Williams New Jersey Metro Group

SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONS:

NHA

NJPAC

ULEC

techunited

Innovation +

Newark Arts
Newark Downtown District

NRBP

Newark City Parks Foundation

New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission

BioNJ

NJIT

New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition