Salman Bin Ayyaf joins the GSD as a trained architect with an extensive experience in real estate development and strategic consulting. He worked at Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) on transformative projects such as KAFD—the world’s largest LEED-certified Neighborhood Development, and ROSHN—which aims to deliver over 400,000 homes by 2030. Working at JLL’s strategic consulting division, he conducted feasibility studies, highest and best use analyses, demand assessments, and market research across core and alternative asset classes. His work has spanned large-scale national initiatives, with a focus on thoughtful urban expansion, sustainable development, and data-driven decision-making in complex real estate contexts.
Muram Bacare, a multidisciplinary professional, has a strong interest in cities, design, and community development. Prior to Harvard she completed her Bachelor in Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design and her Master in Urban Planning at Tufts University. Currently based in Boston, she is pursuing her Master in Real Estate at Harvard University, where she aims to connect her background in architectural design and urban planning with expertise in finance and development. Professionally, she has worked on projects involving economic development, housing policy, and disaster recovery in post-earthquake Türkiye. Beyond academics, she is passionate about art curatorship and traveling.
Yuki Cao is a multidisciplinary professional bridging architecture and real estate. With a BArch from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MArch from Princeton University, she integrates design expertise with sustainable development. She has contributed to residential, mixed-use, hospitality, and adaptive reuse projects through experiences at leading firms such as Neri & Hu and Kengo Kuma & Associates. Her approach emphasized culture, context, and community. In real estate, she has conducted market research, feasibility studies, and community-driven housing initiatives. Beyond academia and practice, she enjoys exploring all facets of design, from the built environment to art and material experimentation.
Wenshu Cui is an aspiring investor, entrepreneur, and educator. She graduated with a BS (Honors) in finance and economics from The Ohio State University. Upon graduation, she joined Spring World, directing six cross-sector M&A transactions including mining, land-reclamation, and financial services, and oversaw large-scale residential and commercial developments that achieved an 18 % average ROI through strategic planning and operational efficiency. She also co-founded and serves as CFO of an AIGC-powered, industrial-ERP-focused smart-manufacturing firm in China, leading market expansion, investor relations, and financial planning. Driven by a passion for education, she founded an international-education startup that delivers finance and economics curricula to undergraduates and master’s students worldwide.
Noah David Garcia is a registered architect, educator, and grounded technologist whose work traverses scales and mediums, bridging the digital and physical. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science in New York City, and a master’s focused on human-computer interaction and urban informatics from the University of Michigan. Most recently, he founded an architecture firm in Miami, taught Web Development at Miami Dade College and the University of Florida, and was a data scientist at the University of Miami conducting research on housing, health, and climate issues.
Dylan DeWald has a background in architecture and project management spanning multiple continents and a diversity of asset types. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and has worked at leading architectural firms in New York City. His portfolio includes Australia’s first Aboriginal art museum, the master plan for Madrid’s financial district, and a 1.2 million-square-foot residential and hospitality development in the UAE. Guided by a belief that successful projects deliver meaningful value through community-responsive design, Dylan seeks to combine his design expertise and rigorous project execution to make lasting contributions to the built environment.
Alexander Dragten began his career as a Principal Investing Analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York. He later moved to San Francisco to join Shorenstein Properties as an Investment Associate, where he evaluated opportunistic equity and debt investments across office, multifamily, retail, and mixed-use assets. He holds a BS in finance from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Outside of work, Alexander enjoys windsurfing, soccer, reading, and skiing.
Adam Drummond is a hotel real estate professional, integrating operational expertise with investment strategy. After completing his bachelor’s degree at Cornell University, he joined hotelAVE, a boutique advisory firm, where he consulted capital partners on a variety of hospitality related equity and debt placement decisions in addition to asset managing a $2B+ hotel portfolio across the Mountain West and West Coast. At Harvard, Adam aims to expand beyond hotels to explore intersections between hospitality and other real estate asset classes, with focus on how capital markets, operations, and design can converge to create more engaging and resilient built environments.
Nelson Duque, a South Florida native, has spent seventeen years as Managing Director of the region’s largest privately owned brokerage and development firm, overseeing brokerage operations. He has nearly two decades of full-cycle experience encompassing site acquisition, branding, sales, and strategic exit planning. Nelson has directed sales and marketing for over thirty mixed-use developments—encompassing more than 6,200 units across South Florida, New York, and Latin America—serving clients ranging from first-time buyers to institutional investors. He also authors the South Florida New Development Market Report, a go-to resource for brokers and planners, and sits on the National ADA Accessibility Compliance Advisory Council. He graduated summa-cum-laude from Columbia University.
Costantino Enríquez co-founded a construction and architecture firm in Mexico City after earning his Bachelor of Architecture. Through his practice, he has led projects ranging from civil works and structures to finishes and thematic design, ranging across residential, commercial, infrastructure, and special-use buildings. His experience has provided him with a comprehensive understanding of project delivery, from vision to execution and the challenges of balancing design excellence with efficiency in dynamic projects. Costantino will pursue a master’s in real estate at Harvard, with a focus on development and global expansion. He enjoys golf, running, and travel as ways to recharge and gain perspective.
Lily Friedland earned her BA in sustainable development from Columbia University, where she received departmental honors for her thesis on low-cost urban design interventions for greyfield redevelopment sites. She began her real estate career at Brown Harris Stevens, where she worked on the Architecture and Design team advising developers on office-to-residential conversions in Manhattan and conducting design analysis for luxury residential projects across the city. Prior to Harvard, Lily worked at a New York–based family office, where she guided limited partner investment initiatives for national commercial and residential opportunities. Originally from Maine, she is also an avid skier and hiker.
Karen García has 12+ years of leadership experience spanning U.S. multifamily real estate investment and Colombia’s construction industry. Before Harvard, she was Director of Strategy and Business Development at Corner Companies, a Florida-based family office, where she led business strategy and cross-border capital raising, contributing to the equity structuring of a $300M multifamily portfolio in Florida and New York. Previously, she spent a decade as CEO of Impermembranas, establishing it as the leading waterproofing provider for major real estate projects in Colombia and achieving a fivefold revenue increase. Karen holds a degree in Architecture from Universidad de los Andes, with studies at UNAM.
Brandon German, a Chicago native, is an entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of real estate, social justice, and housing. Prior to Harvard, he worked as a Real Estate Project Manager for a Boston-based development firm that specializes in mixed-use multifamily affordable housing developments. He is a Real Estate Broker with expertise in residential sales & leasing, investment sales, as well as commercial retail & office space leasing. Brandon is the founder of Blackstar Home Development; a company whose mission is to strengthen neighborhoods through the redevelopment of distressed properties in order to create homeownership opportunities.
Kwangmin Ki holds a bachelor’s degree from Korea University. Before joining Harvard, he worked for nearly four years at Korea Real Asset Management Co., Ltd. (KORAMCO), the first real estate finance company in Korea and the largest player in the Korean REITs market. As a real estate fund manager, he managed blind funds primarily investing in the Korean REITs market, focusing on financial analysis and investment strategies. He also enjoys studying wine and holds a WSET Level 3 certification.
Phil Kim is a Seattle native and multidisciplinary professional with experience across real estate, finance, and consumer goods. He began his real estate career with a leading property developer in Thailand, where he worked on project feasibility for luxury residential developments and explored innovative business models. He later continued his work in housing with a developer focused on single-family residences, gaining exposure to a different scale and market segment. He holds a Master of Architecture from Yale University and a BA in economics from UC Berkeley. Outside of work, he is an avid traveler who enjoys discovering new cities through their architecture, restaurants, and bars.
Jaeyoung Lee, CFA, has over 7 years of experience in Korea’s major financial institutions, including IPO advisory at Mirae Asset Securities and loan origination for logistics and office assets at Shinhan Bank. With a background in capital markets and real estate finance, most recently at Hangang Asset Management, he has managed cross-border equity and debt funds, underwritten U.S. assets, and led restructuring efforts for distressed properties. A CFA Society Boston member, he brings cross-border expertise in underwriting, capital structuring, and asset management. Jaeyoung holds a BA in business administration from Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea.
Shawn Lee worked at Centroid Investment Partners as an Acquisition Manager, covering a wide spectrum of real estate-related transactions in opportunistic private equity investments in South Korea. Prior to Centroid, he was a Manager at Mirae Asset Global Investments, where he was responsible for underwriting, structuring, and executing cross-border real estate transactions. Shawn began his career at LaSalle Investment Management, supporting capital raising and product development for institutional investors. Over his career, he has closed more than $2.5 billion in transactions, including direct and fund-of-funds investments across various asset classes. Shawn holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Emory University.
Josh McCarthy, prior to Harvard, worked at Suffolk Construction, where he contributed to projects across multiple sectors. He helped deliver Lyrik Back Bay (formerly Parcel 12) in Boston, the city’s first major air rights development in the last 40 years. He then joined Suffolk’s project team in Big Sky, Montana, managing the construction of luxury residential homes on the Montage property. Later, he supported Suffolk’s Aviation Center of Excellence, helping manage its national aviation portfolio. Josh holds a BA in environmental policy from Colby College.
Ilias Metaxas holds a bachelor’s degree from EHL Hospitality Business School, where he developed a strong foundation in real estate finance and investment, with a focus on hotel assets. He worked in PwC Greece’s Real Estate Advisory department, contributing to portfolio hotel valuations and supporting M&A transactions involving commercial properties. At Lamda Development, Greece’s largest real estate investment and development company, he supported the financial modeling of The Ellinikon project, concentrating on construction cost projections and future cash flows for the development of two major shopping centers. At Harvard, he aims to deepen his expertise in real estate finance, investment strategies, and development practices. Ilias is passionate about kitesurfing, running, and travelling.
María José Moreno is a real estate finance professional from Colombia with a degree in civil engineering from Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá. She has previous experience at Amarilo, one of Colombia’s largest homebuilders, and at JLL where she advised institutional CRE clients on valuations and capital markets across Colombia and Latin America. Before coming to Harvard, she worked at Anchor Loans Institutional, a Pretium subsidiary, as part of the Market and Valuation team supporting credit strategy in U.S. residential markets. Her professional interests lie in real estate private equity, particularly investment strategy, originations, asset valuation, and cross-border transactions.
Francis Motycka is a real estate development professional with a passion for creating dynamic, mixed-use communities through both new construction and adaptive reuse projects. Prior to Harvard, he worked as a Development Manager at Urban Investment Partners in Washington, D.C., where he led mixed-use ground-up development and office-to-residential conversions. In addition to development, Francis brings experience in acquisitions, portfolio management, and asset management, giving him a broad perspective on the real estate investment lifecycle. He is particularly interested in innovative approaches to urban revitalization. Francis holds a BA in economics from the College of William & Mary.
Benjamin Orf worked for Covalto, the premier digital banking and services platform for SMEs in Mexico, after obtaining a Bachelor of Arts (with Honors) in history from Brown University. Whilst at Covalto, he helped launch the company’s asset backed term loan, as well as working capital and leasing products. A relative newcomer to the real estate field, Ben has four years’ experience working for M&D Investments, an LP specializing in value-add multifamily acquisitions in California, the Mountain region and the Pacific Northwest. He is a keen jogger, guitarist and hiker.
Yuli Ouyang, born in China, specializes in data-driven analysis and real estate finance. Prior to Harvard, she earned an MPhil in real estate finance from the University of Cambridge. Coming from a family deeply rooted in real estate development, she gained hands-on experience and deep industry insight. At McKinsey, BCG, and Accenture, she contributed to projects involving valuation, REIT strategy, and spatial data analysis. She led academic research applying machine learning to study housing market dynamics. As an investor, she backs ventures in embodied AI, education, and industrial innovation. She fosters innovation in global real estate and champions gender equity.
Jackson Peacock received his undergraduate degree in finance from Brigham Young University. After graduation, he joined the global private markets firm Partners Group (USD 152B AUM), spending a year on the private credit desk before transitioning to the real estate team as an Associate. His work focused on acquisition and development opportunities across the Mountain West and Sunbelt regions, particularly within the SFR/BTR, multifamily, and industrial sectors. Jackson’s efforts contributed to the closing of over USD 700M in debt and USD 350M in equity. Previously, he recruited, trained, and led door-to-door sales teams for a national pest control company and operated a short-term rental business.
Cole Peterson is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in accounting. Upon graduation, he joined the Gardner Company, a premier real estate development firm in the Intermountain West. At Gardner, he has worked across multiple asset types, including industrial, multifamily, retail, office, and data centers. His experience includes contributing to the development of the new company headquarters for Wasatch Electric, a 900-acre rezone, the preliminary acquisition and entitlement steps for a data center site, and a 280-unit multifamily development adjacent to the Real Salt Lake stadium, among other projects.
Lucas Ryder began his career at Indochina Capital, a leading investment and real estate development firm in Vietnam. He has played a key role in investment advisory, development, and hospitality ventures, helping build the firm’s advisory team into one of Vietnam’s top brokerages and facilitating more than US$500 million in transactions. His professional focus lies at the intersection of real estate, hospitality, and capital markets, with a focus on development strategies across emerging markets. Leveraging his multicultural background, he built trusted relationships with investors, developers, and government stakeholders. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Tejas Sampath joins the MRE program after three years at McKinsey & Company, where he consulted on projects in major cities across the Middle East with developers on multi-billion-dollar housing and urban development. Holding an MA in development studies from IIT Madras, he has a long-standing interest and specialization in urban issues and wrote his master’s thesis on housing and land rights. He has advised on policy reforms and large-scale master-plans, and is particularly interested in land-use policy and affordable housing. He enjoys running and writing, with poetry published in established literary magazines.
Eesha Sanghrajka joins the MRE program with over two years of experience in real estate investment banking and advisory. After earning a BA in land economy and management from the University of Cambridge, she began her career at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) in London. This experience spanned three teams: data center advisory, valuations, and investment banking. Within investment banking, she contributed to equity raising mandates for a variety of European real estate platforms. Having grown up in Kenya, Eesha aims to leverage her experience and learnings from the MRE program to expand access to inclusive and affordable housing in Kenya, while driving transformative impact across the wider built environment.
Paul Schulman joins the Harvard MRE program with a diverse background across residential, retail, and hospitality assets. Recently he was an Account Manager at JPMorgan Securities and co-founded Manns Ave Capital – which focuses on student housing. Previously he worked at JPMorgan Corporate Real estate – managing acquisitions, portfolio management, and landlord relations for retail assets and later overseeing development and asset management for Sapphire Lounge. He started his career as brokerage deal manager covering national and local developers. Paul holds a BA from University of New Mexico and MBA from Brandeis University as a ROMBA Fellow. Paul enjoys hiking, travel, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Megha Sharma holds a BSc in investment and finance in property from Henley Business School (UK), gaining early experience with firms such as Hines, BlackRock, and in the UK Parliament. She began her career in PGIM Real Estate’s European Debt team before moving into private equity and asset management roles with Henley Investment Management and Brookfield Properties. Most recently, she was a SFR Senior Analyst with Gatehouse Investment Management, where she managed the firm’s JV with TPG. Megha is focused on expanding her expertise in US real estate, with strong interests in investor relations, capital raising, and operational living sectors.
Prakriti Singh is a second-generation real estate developer from India and founder of Nesara Living, a firm creating wellness-driven luxury second homes. She holds a degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Her work integrates insights from neurobiology, applying tactile therapies and material choices that enhance serotonin levels to promote well-being in residential design. With experience leading projects across India, Prakriti focuses on redefining contemporary living by merging sustainability, innovation, and wellness. Outside of real estate, she remains deeply curious about brain science and its applications to everyday life.
Philip Smith is an experienced real estate professional from Toronto, Canada, who spent the first eight years of his career at Oxford Properties Group. He began as an analyst, underwriting C$1.3B in development capital deployment across all major asset classes. After one year as an associate, Phil was promoted to Manager of the Canadian Development team’s Analyst & Associate pool and was responsible for hiring, training, and performance while overseeing analysis supporting a C$10B+ pipeline. He also served as a development manager for three high-rise multifamily projects totaling ~2,300 units. Up until recently, Phil served as co-chair of the ULI Toronto’s Sponsorship Committee and continues to be an active member of ULI and NAIOP. He holds a BA in economics from Queen’s University.
Justin Joel Tan is a licensed architect passionate about adding value to the built environment. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University, where he received the AIA Henry Adams Medal as the program’s top-ranking graduate. His professional experience includes Höweler + Yoon Architecture in Boston, OMA in New York, and SAA Architects in Singapore, with projects spanning across the U.S., Asia, and Europe. His portfolio covers residential and office towers, hospitality developments, cultural landmarks, and institutional buildings – from concept through construction. Justin brings a global, design-informed perspective to real estate, focusing on the intersection of architectural sensibility, financial performance, and community impact.
Stacey Tsai is a commercial real estate consultant from Taipei, Taiwan, holding a BS in urban planning from National Cheng Kung University. She has over 3 years of experience at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Taiwan in real estate appraisal, investment solicitation, urban renewal, and market studies, with projects including TOD development cases in Taipei metropolis, Taipei 101 and REITs. She has cooperated with clients from over 7 countries. Now pursuing Harvard’s MRE, Stacey aims to advance in real estate finance, sustainable development, and cross-sector collaboration. Outside work, Stacey enjoys aerial yoga, skiing, cooking, and exploring new cities.
Marko Velazquez is an entrepreneur with over fifteen years of experience in investment banking and private equity, having transacted more than $3 billion in institutional real estate over his career. Prior to Harvard, he launched Sembra, a vertically integrated real estate investment platform focused on US Student Housing. Marko started his career in the Real Estate & Lodging Investment Banking Group at Citigroup, where he advised public and private real estate companies on M&A and capital markets transactions across property sectors. Originally from San Diego, he earned a BA in economics from the University of Texas at Austin.
Peggy Wu brings a robust background in strategic consulting, asset management, and hotel investment across China’s real estate market. Prior to joining Harvard’s MRE program, she served as Cluster Revenue Manager at Hilton and held key leadership roles at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) and PLUS Hotel Asset Management, dealing with large-scale mixed-use and urban renewal projects. Peggy holds a BA in tourism management from Zhejiang University and a master’s degree from Singapore. With a sharp analytical mindset and deep operational insight, leveraging Harvard’s advanced financial training and interdisciplinary resources, she is passionately dedicated to the professional discipline of real estate asset management.