
Leading Voices in Real Estate
The Leading Voices in Real Estate podcast series interviews some of the most successful, interesting, entrepreneurial people who shape our cities and the built environment. Host Matt Slepin gets to the personal side not often heard from these legends and visionaries, their career stories and advice, and their role in creating vibrant communities with character, beauty, and a high quality of life.
Latest episodes

Aug 8, 2017 • 45min
Gadi Kaufmann | Managing Director & CEO of RCLCO
After growing up in Israel and serving in the army, Gadi Kaufmann came to the U.S. on a scholarship to Brigham Young University. His drive led him to an interview with RCLCO during college; and now, after 38 years and four careers at RCLCO, he has transitioned to the current managing director and CEO.Read Gadi’s biography

Jul 25, 2017 • 47min
Ellen Winkler | Co-Founder of INDUSTRY, Drumbeat
Ellen Winkler became an accidental developer when she moved her video production firm to Denver and failed to find a fun, yet collaborative work environment. Now she is creating coworking spaces all around the city.Read more about Ellen’s backgroundRead more about Drumbeat

Jul 11, 2017 • 28min
Jonathan Rose | President of Jonathan Rose Companies
Jonathan Rose left his family’s multigenerational real estate company to start his own for-profit mission-driven development firm. His passion for creating communities of opportunity is strengthened through the belief that we all share a compassion that makes the world a better place.More information on the Rose CompaniesMore information on the Well Tempered City

Jun 16, 2017 • 44min
Phil Freelon | Lead Architect of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
Leaving a legacy is easy for Phil Freelon, who founded one of the largest African American–owned architecture firms. With numerous cultural institutions under his belt, including the newest Smithsonian museum, he is motivated to design places where the public can convene.Phil Freelon’s bioRead more about the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and CultureRead more about Phil Freelon

Jun 13, 2017 • 46min
Mary Ann Tighe | CEO, New York Tri-State Region of CBRE
Mary Ann Tighe didn’t know what commercial real estate was until she was 36 years old. With a successful career in the Carter/Mondale White House before launching the A&E network, she recognized her knack for deal-making and is now one of the country’s most prolific brokers.Read Mary Ann Tighe’s bioRead more about Mary Ann’s career

May 30, 2017 • 60min
Chip Conley | Former Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy for Airbnb
Chip Conley started one of the country’s first boutique hotel chains, Joie de Vivre, when he was just 26 years old. After selling the company, he joined the startup Airbnb at age 52, despite the fact that the young founders were primed to disrupt his industry.Read more about Chip’s leadershipRead more about Chip’s role at AirbnbPre-order Chip’s newest book, Wisdom @ Work: The Making of a Modern ElderLearn more about Chip’s other books*This is a rebroadcast of our previous interview with Chip Conley.

May 16, 2017 • 39min
Tom Geddes | CEO of Plank Industries
A chance meeting on a playground led Kevin Plank, Under Armour’s founder, to ask Tom Geddes to oversee his private investments. Tom’s leadership is enhancing Baltimore’s waterfront and how the public experiences the city.Learn more about Plank IndustriesLearn more about Tom Geddes

May 2, 2017 • 39min
Janet Marie Smith | Executive Vice President Planning and Development of Los Angeles Dodgers
Janet Marie Smith had a homerun vision for Camden Yards, the first baseball stadium in 70 years that was built within the existing urban fabric of any U.S. city. With stadium work in Boston and Atlanta also under her belt, she is now enhancing 55-year-old Dodger Stadium.Learn more about Janet Marie SmithRead more about Janet Marie Smith’s involvement with Camden Yards

Apr 19, 2017 • 41min
Andrés Duany | Founder of Congress for the New Urbanism/DPZ CoDesign
Following the advice of his grandfather, Andrés Duany knows he can either be popular or indispensable, and he’s chosen the latter. Made famous by his traditional neighborhood design of Seaside, Florida, Duany has led the charge in creating new urbanist communities.Learn more about Andrés Duany and DPZRead more about New Urbanism

Apr 5, 2017 • 41min
Scott Cowen | President of Tulane University
How does one prepare for an unexpected crisis? Scott Cowen managed to lead Tulane University through Hurricane Katrina, strengthening the student body and city of New Orleans in the process by strategically integrating the two.Learn more about Scott Cowen and the rebuilding of Tulane and New OrleansLearn more about the Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives