Speakers

Aaron Gadiel is a real estate professional who has been on the forefront of the evolving retail landscape for the past 25 years. Aaron has served his partners and clients in all facets of the industry, including valuation, development & repositioning, leasing, marketing, and operations.

Some of the premier retail projects which Aaron has played a key role include The Arboretum of South Barrington, Green Exchange, Block 37, and Burr Ridge Village Center all located in the Chicago area, as well as Hollywood & Highland and The Original Farmers Market located in Los Angeles.

Aaron helped to develop an ICSC-recognized award-winning incubator program which has successfully converted numerous small businesses into full-time rent paying tenants.

Described as a visionary 

Barbara Hale, Director of Specialty Leasing & Advertising, at CBL Properties, where she leads the training and onboarding of Local Leasing and Advertising Managers across the portfolio. With a passion for empowering teams and elevating specialty leasing programs, she focuses on sharing best practices and navigating an ever evolving retail landscape. Known for her enthusiasm for B2B social media, Barbara is driven to connect with entrepreneurs, build industry relationships, and showcase how local leasing and advertising opportunities help businesses grow within CBL malls.

Benjamin Matlin is the CEO of Adentro, the Wi-Fi-powered marketing and retail media platform transforming physical real estate into measurable digital media networks. Adentro operates across 6,000+ locations and has built an identity graph of over 100 million consumer profiles, helping brick-and-mortar operators capture first-party data, activate audiences, and prove closed-loop attribution.

Ben previously helped scale Teads from $10M to $600M in revenue before its acquisition by Altice. He later joined Atomic as a Partner, where he led and ultimately stepped in to run Adentro.

Today, Ben is focused on turning REIT and venue infrastructure into revenue engines. Through partnerships with groups like Simon Property Group and Westfield, Adentro is helping malls and mixed-use properties monetize Wi-Fi, launch retail media networks, and connect digital ad spend directly to in-store traffic and sales.

His work sits at the intersection of commercial real estate, retail media, and identity-driven marketing, building the operating system that connects the digital and physical worlds.

Bryan Calkin is a senior retail real estate executive with 15+ years of national specialty leasing leadership and a distinguished record of driving revenue growth, elevating asset performance, and building high-performing teams across major U.S. portfolios.

Bryan has led leasing strategy for more than 100+ assets in 30+ states, directing teams of over 40 professionals and delivering multimillion-dollar revenue outcomes. His career includes key leadership roles at Pyramid Management Group and Spinoso Real Estate Group, where Bryan consistently improved occupancy, optimized tenant mix, and expanded specialty income programs across large scale retail environments.

As Senior Vice President of Specialty Leasing at Summit Properties USA, Bryan leads national strategy, portfolio innovation, and enterprise level revenue initiatives, guiding the organization’s specialty leasing platform with a focus on operational excellence and sustained financial growth.

Cabanne Howard is the CEO of Kaleidoscope Management Group (KMG), a strategic digital marketing and communications firm based in St. Louis, MO.

With more than 20 years of communications experience, Cabanne and her team help their clients – who represent companies across a wide range of industries including: Commercial Real Estate, Hospitality, Arts & Culture and Senior Living, – achieve their business goals. Cabanne founded KMG after working for start ups and Fortune 500s, where she saw an opportunity to create the firm she wished she could have hired as her marketing firm. KMG values relationships and results in equal measure.

Clare Rose serves as Vice President of Business Development at PREIT, where she leads revenue goals for sponsorships, common area revenue, and inline short-term revenue. In this role, Clare oversees strategic initiatives that drive growth and enhance property performance across PREIT’s portfolio.

Clare has been with PREIT for over 14 years, beginning her career as the Specialty Leasing Representative for Dartmouth Mall in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. In 2016, she relocated to Philadelphia to assume the role of Regional Director, and her proven leadership and results earned her a promotion to Vice President, heading the Business Development department.

Prior to joining PREIT, Clare spent over seven years with Westfield at Westfield Valley Fair in California, where she honed her expertise in retail operations, specialty leasing, and visual merchandising. Her passion for retail and design, combined with her strong business acumen, enables her to craft innovative strategies that deliver measurable success.

Clare holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and Education from San José State University. She brings a unique perspective to her work, blending her love for art with her knowledge of business to inspire her team and create engaging retail environments.

Chris Neidhardt is a seasoned retail real estate leader with over 15 years of specialty leasing experience, including more than a decade in leadership roles. He has a proven track record of driving revenue growth, elevating leasing performance, and building high-performing teams across major U.S. portfolios. 

As Vice President of Specialty Leasing at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Chris oversees national strategy and innovation for specialty leasing and permanent kiosk leasing, shaping future revenue growth through creative short-term leasing initiatives. 

Known for launching Westfield’s holiday market programs, expanding experiential activations, and developing programs that incubated hundreds of small businesses globally, Chris combines strategic merchandising, data-driven decision-making, and strong brand partnerships to maximize asset value and enhance customer experience.

David Parsons is Chief Executive Officer of MG Malls and Outdoor and Global Mall Media, and serves as a Professor of Retail Management, Marketing and Cannabis Retail Operations at East Stroudsburg University. With more than 30 years of experience in advertising and media, he works with mall owners and national advertisers to structure advertising programs that align with agency buying standards while protecting the core economics and mission of specialty leasing. His expertise spans digital networks, programmatic enablement, national and local advertising frameworks, retail media networks, and the translation of retail real estate assets into disciplined, sellable media products. David is widely recognized for his depth of knowledge in media strategy, advertising planning, and emerging retail media networks, including his recent work with the newly founded MG Audio, an audio retail network generating revenue to retail owners.

Ivan Lyutskanov is the Vice President of Green Team Environmental Group with a role focused on Operational & Commercial Optimization and Government Relations. The company is one of the leading used textile collectors and wholesalers in the US, placing clothing collection bins on various properties in 16 states. With its 1500+ locations, Green Team has established itself as a reliable tenant with a wide range of partnerships with landlords.

Ivan's career has led him through strategy consulting in the TMT industry, logistics, and online retail in the European market. He holds a degree in Business Economics and is passionate about data analysis and the sizeable, cumulative implications that small steps can bring in a large system. Whereas Green Team diverts millions of pounds of textiles from US landfills, it also allows landlords to profit from underutilized space at a significant market premium by boosting their environmental engagement.

Jesse is a seasoned technology executive with over 17 years of experience building and scaling high-growth companies from seed stage through Series C. Before co-founding Bridgeline, Jesse spent four years at JLL, where he co-founded the JLL Digital Solutions Advisory business, bridging the gap between traditional real estate and cutting-edge technology.

Prior to JLL, Jesse served as Managing Director at Adeptmind, where he oversaw all operations, engineering, and revenue lines. During his tenure, he successfully led the company to a $6.2M USD Series A and cultivated a global network of over 200 retail landlords and PropTech investors. His leadership career also includes executive roles as Managing Director for Stocard (a Klarna Group Company) and Sr. Sales Director at Flipp, where he secured partnerships with Fortune 500 retailers and supported landmark funding rounds of $15M (Series B) and $61M (Series C).

Joe Kunigonis is the CEO of Smartify Media Inc. and an industry veteran and subject matter expert within the digital outdoor advertising, programmatic, real estate, and location-based technologies segments of the DOOH and Retail Tech Industries. Joe has over 28 years of experience in outdoor advertising, media, and retail digital signage. He has been involved with thousands of signage deployments nationwide and has activated thousands of advertising campaigns with some of the largest global brands and advertising agencies. 

Possessing over 20 years of experience in the Specialty Leasing industry, Jess began her distinguished career as a Specialty Leasing Manager at a local mall in Harrisburg, PA, and has since ascended through various roles, demonstrating comprehensive expertise in the field.  For the past eleven years, Jess has held leadership positions, most recently serving as a Senior Director at CBRE, where she has significantly contributed to shaping the landscape of Specialty Leasing.  She is known for delivering exceptional financial performance, process innovation and strategic leadership within the real estate industry.  She is deeply committed to team growth, and her collaborative approach fosters innovation, accountability, and measurable results.  Jess is pleased to offer insights derived from her extensive journey within this dynamic sector.

Katie Kurtz is a seasoned retail real estate executive with over 20 years of experience driving business development, revenue growth, and innovation across large, complex portfolios. Most recently, she has taken on the role of Head of Business Development at Federal Realty where she leads the evolution of how retail environments are programmed, monetized, and experienced. This follows her tenure as Senior Vice President of Business Development at Brookfield Properties, where she led national teams of 100+ professionals generating more than $300 million in annual revenue, launched new revenue streams across retail, food and beverage, and sponsorships, and built high-impact partnerships with global brands. Katie is known for building high-performing teams, identifying emerging retail trends, and translating strategy into execution that creates long-term value.

Laura McLaughlin is Vice President of Specialty Leasing at Brixmor Property Group, overseeing short-term and non-traditional leasing for the REIT’s national portfolio of nearly 360 open-air shopping centers. Laura leads a dynamic team focused on driving revenue growth, enhancing property value, and creating innovative solutions for tenants and partners. Her strategic vision and leadership have consistently delivered exceptional results, fostering strong relationships and unlocking new opportunities across Brixmor’s national portfolio. Laura’s commitment to excellence and her ability to adapt to an evolving retail landscape have made her a trusted leader and a key contributor to growing industry within commercial real estate.

Linda Johansen-James is a globally recognized retail strategist, entrepreneur, and author, and the Founder and CEO of International Retail Group. With more than 26 years of leadership experience, she has launched over 40 retail concepts, negotiated hundreds of leases across four countries, and helped brands scale across pop-ups, kiosks, automated retail, and flagship stores worldwide. She is also Publisher of International Retail Magazine, author of AI for Retail Success, and a sought-after keynote speaker known for her people-first approach and belief that “bonding is the new branding.”

With two decades of experience in retail real estate marketing and leasing, Lindsay began her career driving foot traffic and improving the customer experience in open-air shopping centers. She later designed, launched, and managed the specialty leasing department for InvenTrust Properties and developed a successful short-term leasing program for ShopCore Properties. Throughout her career, she has managed large national portfolios, led specialty-leasing teams, and delivered consistent growth in ancillary revenue.

In 2024, Lindsay founded Green Cardinal Consulting, a boutique firm that is dedicated to helping shopping center owners, managers, and developers maximize ancillary revenue through strategic specialty-leasing programs. She partners closely with clients to tailor and scale short-term inline and common-area leasing programs whether launching a new specialty-leasing initiative or revitalizing an existing one. Some services include program design, property analysis, deal process optimization, template creation, and team training which are designed to streamline operations, reduce vacancy, elevate the tenant and customer experience, and drive long-term NOI growth.

Lisa Harper is Vice President – Specialty Leasing & Advertising at CBL Properties. CBL owns and manages a national portfolio of market-dominant properties including enclosed malls, outlet center and lifestyle retail which are in dynamic and growing communities.  Lisa’s management of CBL’s specialty leasing and advertising program allows her to ensure high standards and flexible terms to provide fertile ground for all entrepreneurs, new and old, at CBL’s many properties. With over 30 years in the shopping center industry in management and leasing, Lisa joined CBL in 2002 as a specialty leasing manager and has enjoyed her growth with the company.  When asked what she loves about her role: “I am inspired and moved by the successes realized by others, whether a co-worker or new business partner. I embrace the opportunity to help others realize their dream”.

Lori Lesko is Vice President, Real Estate at GO! Retail Group, where she has spent more than 20 years leading leasing and lease administration across all brands, including GO! Calendars, Toys & Games, Toys“R”Us, and Attic Salt. She oversees national real estate strategy across malls, outlets, and lifestyle centers, with deep expertise in both specialty and permanent leasing.

With a 30-year career in the shopping center industry, Lori began at DeBartolo and Simon Property Group before moving to the retailer side. She has worked on both sides of the table and plays a key role in scaling seasonal pop-up and year-round store formats, overseeing up to 1,100 locations at peak.

Her experience spans the full retail lifecycle—from site selection, deal structure, store design to operations and the annual opening and closing of more than 500 seasonal locations. A graduate of Youngstown State University with a degree in Shopping Center Management, Lori is a recognized industry expert known for practical, performance-driven dealmaking.

I’m Lori McGhee Curtis, a professional with many years of experience (28) in Specialty/Temporary Leasing. I value growth, creativity, and meaningful connections, and I’m always eager to learn and take on new opportunities. Outside of work, I enjoy a variety of interests that help me stay balanced and engaged in my community.

Much of my work life was with Taubman.  I spent 28 years growing up within the company.  During those years, I had the opportunity to work/meet some amazing people – Deborah Georgetti, Deborah Kravitz and Anita (Saleh) Davis. I am now working for myself at The Collective Lab!

I am married to Phillip, and we have five (5) children (blended marriage), three (3) g’babies that I adore and two (2) Saint Bernards that continuously challenge me!  I am originally from Virginia but have now been a Michigander for twenty (20) years.  

Melinda is a partner at Atlas Hill RE and currently oversees anchor leasing, business development, and inline leasing.  A seasoned real estate executive with over 30 years of experience, she previously led Business Development at Brookfield Retail and served as President and COO of WeWork.

Michelle Fitzgerald leads marketing and sales enablement  that aligns with partnership strategy for Complete Solutions, working directly with owners, operators, and vendor partners on event programs designed to deliver long-term value rather than one-off exposure.

She is also the founder of Modern Client, where she works alongside brands and teams serving the commercial real estate space to shape partnerships that align audience, storytelling, and execution. Her perspective is informed by being in the room on both sides of conversations and navigating what actually works in practice. Michelle also serves on the planning committee for the Property Management Peer Summit, where vendors and owner-operators are brought together through events designed to build meaningful, long-term relationships and educational value.

With more than 20 years of experience across technology, sustainability, and brand strategy, Michelle is known for bringing a candid, practical voice to discussions on what renews, what breaks down, and how partnerships can be structured to deliver long-term, mutual value.

Peter Rukis is a commercial real estate strategist specializing in helping owners and developers monetize common area space. His work at Eminent Property Management focuses on identifying overlooked income opportunities, structuring creative partnerships, and transforming non-core areas of a property into consistent revenue streams. With a background spanning operations, sales, and business development, his experience working across ancillary income programs, client development, and execution strategy allows him to bridge the gap between initial concept and project implementation. Peter holds a bachelor's in economics from The State University of New York and a master's in finance from Pace University. 

Robert (Rob) Ruzza is Vice President of Specialty Leasing/Alternative Revenue for CBRE’s Mall & Large Format Retail platform. With more than 20 years in commercial real estate, he has held senior leasing roles with Westfield and Simon, driving significant revenue growth across local, regional, and national portfolios. Rob has led specialty leasing programs generating up to $10M annually, worked on major redevelopments and mixed-use projects, and supported acquisitions, dispositions, and ground-up construction. He is known for scaling alternative revenue programs and advancing innovative leasing strategies for large retail assets.

Samantha Nelson is a senior commercial real estate executive with more than 15 years of experience driving revenue growth, national account strategy, and specialty leasing innovation across some of the retail industry’s largest portfolios.

She currently serves as Vice President of Specialty Leasing at Kohan Retail Investment Group, where she founded the company’s Specialty Leasing Department and led transformative initiatives that streamlined deal processes, strengthened national partnerships, and unlocked new revenue streams. 

Prior to Kohan, Samantha spent nearly a decade with Brookfield Properties and General Growth Properties, overseeing regional and national teams responsible for more than $50 million in annual revenue. Known for her strategic mindset, collaborative leadership, and ability to build high-performing teams, Samantha has negotiated deals with many of the nation’s top brands and has been a trusted driver of retail leasing innovation.

After graduating college and having no clue what she wanted to do, Sarah started working for Inland Real Estate where she focused on strip center leasing. Thinking this would be a good short-term job until she figured out what she wanted to do when she grew up, she quickly leaned into the role and didn't look back. After 7 years at Inland, she pivoted to the specialty world in 2013 with GGP. Currently approaching 15-years at GGP, Sarah oversees the East region for the Specialty Leasing group. 

Sharon Loeff is President and founder of Shopworks, Inc., an industrial design and retail consultancy she established in 1992. With over 40 years in specialty retail, she has designed more than $150 million in retail merchandising units and fixtures, launched hundreds of retail concepts, and advised developers and retailers worldwide. A pioneer in modern retail merchandising units, Sharon is known for leading national launches, creating ancillary revenue programs, and repositioning distressed properties through innovative design and leasing strategies.

Shelly Rich is the Director of Specialty Leasing / Business Manager of Transitions at Spinoso Real Estate Group, where she leads the strategy, management, and growth of the company’s specialty leasing portfolio. Since joining Spinoso in 2021, she has been instrumental in driving revenue-generating leasing programs, managing asset transitions, and developing innovative strategies across a diverse portfolio of properties.

Previously, Shelly built her career in retail property management at Arnot Mall in Horseheads, NY, advancing from Marketing Manager to General Manager. She holds a B.A. in Pre-Law/Legal Studies from Elmira College.

Tra Williams is a speaker, author, and nationally recognized expert in entrepreneurship and business strategy. He is the author of Boss Brain and has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, and Franchise Times. Tra consults with municipalities and economic development organizations to strengthen small business ecosystems and has helped thousands of entrepreneurs pursue self-employment.

He is the founder of FleetForce Truck Driver Training and ParkPro, a tech startup connecting truck drivers to underutilized parking nationwide. Tra holds a degree from the University of Georgia and is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Franchise Management program.