AFIRE Rising Leaders from across our full global member network are invited to the Fall 2026 Rising Leaders Summit, taking place November 9-10, 2026 at the Fordham University Real Estate Institute in New York.
The Summit offers a dynamic program of peer-to-peer conversations, leadership development roundtables, and strategic discussions on the global forces shaping commercial real estate.
More than a conference, the Summit is a collaborative forum designed to foster growth, insight, and connection among the people driving the next era of institutional real estate. Through candid discussion and shared experience, AFIRE’s Rising Leaders community continues to build the skills, relationships, and vision needed to lead in an increasingly complex world.
AFIRE’s Rising Leaders represent a diverse group of established leaders from AFIRE member firms, typically with 10-15 years of experience, set to transform the executive landscape over the next decade.
18:00-20:30
WELCOME RECEPTION & DINNER
08:00-09:00
NETWORKING BREAKFAST
09:00-09:45
CAPITAL MARKET TRENDS
- Mark Fitzgerald, Affinius Capital; Joshua Harris, Fordham
09:45-10:30
MAKING THE CASE FOR CONVERSIONS
- Andrew Levison, Dermot
10:30-10:45
MORNING BREAK
10:45-11:30
ON LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION
- Gunnar Branson, AFIRE
11:30-12:15
CHANGES IN NYC HOUSING POLICY
- Christina Smyth, Smyth Levenson
12:15-13:00
LUNCH
13:00-13:45
SECTOR UPDATES: DATA CENTERS, MULTIFAMILY, OFFICE, AND RETAIL
- Carrington Brown, Affinius Capital; and more TBA
13:45-14:15
AI VS. HUMAN CAPITAL
- Speakers TBA
14:15-15:00
C-SUITE LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS
- Alexia Gottschalch, L&G Asset Management
