Behar On The Block

Christopher Rising is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rising Realty Partners, while also serving on its investment committee. Prior to that, Mr. Rising served as Senior Vice President, Asset Transactions at MPG Office Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPG) where he oversaw all acquisitions, dispositions and related transactions for the company. He joined the company in 2007 as Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives working directly with the CEO to formulate MPG’s strategy for reducing leverage and restructuring the company.

In 2003, Mr. Rising founded The Rising Real Estate Group (RREG), a real estate investment and brokerage company which through its partnership with Barker Pacific Group (BPG), a Los Angeles real estate operator and developer, raised an equity vehicle known as Hamilton Capital Partners (HCP). Mr. Rising currently sits on the investment committee for HCP, a co-invest vehicle which has acquired more than 25 real estate assets, and now includes 18 self storage facilities, retail, industrial, office and condominium projects.

As an owner, Mr. Rising has overseen the restructuring of the self-storage operation, acquisitions, and leasing operations. Mr. Rising is also a principal along with BPG and Golden Boy enterprises, Oscar de la Hoya’s firm, in 626 Wilshire Blvd., a 156,000 square foot office building located in downtown Los Angeles.

Chris Rising is a graduate of Duke University and Loyola Law School. He began is professional career as an associate at Pillsbury Madison & Sutro (now known as Pillsbury Winthrop), spent several years in the Office of the President at Cushman Realty Corporation and was a Director at Cushman & Wakefield. He is President of the Board of Chandler School in Pasadena, a member of the Board of Regents of Loyola High School in Los Angeles, the Board of Overseers at Loyola Law School and the Duke Athletic Advisory Board.

Jenny Goldfarb, aka Mrs. Goldfarb, is the founder of Unreal Deli. She grew up on the Standard American Diet (SAD), and in her early 30s, learned about the plight of animals on factory farms, which led her to adopt a plant-based diet. After much trial and error she became a whiz in the plant-based kitchen and realized the thing she missed most after becoming vegan was premium NY-style deli meat. She sought to recreate a corned beef made from beets, chickpeas, tomatoes and high protein wheat. The recipe became such a hit that it encouraged her to produce her Corn’d Beef Reubens for Delis, Whole Foods, even Shark Tank, where she took on Mark Cuban as primary investor. The company then developed Unreal Roasted Turk’y followed by Unreal Steak Slices. With no experience in the food sector, let alone launching a company, she gave birth to this rapidly expanding business in her tiny kitchen while pregnant with her 3rd child. The Unreal Deli product line can now be found in thousands of restaurant and grocery locations nationwide with more to come.

Don Kellar, MS, REP, PG is the CEO and Founder of Fulcrum Resources Inc. is a full-service environmental and engineering consulting firm that specializes in real-estate due-diligence, surface and subsurface assessments, remediation, and property condition assessments.

Brett Dedeaux is the president and founder of Dedeaux Properties.  He is recognized by Globe St as one of the top influencers in Industrial Real Estate and that same year the Los Angeles Business Journal recognized Brett on the LABJ 500.

Darryl Dunn is the CEO and General Manager of the Rose Bowl Stadium.  The Rose Bowl Stadium opened in 1923 and is one of the most iconic sports and entertainment venues in the country today.  Prior to his current role, Darryl worked for the Los Angeles Lakers, Raiders, Clippers and was a member of the 1994 World Cup Committee. Darryl is also recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of LA’s top 500 business and community leaders.

Kim Snyder is the President of the US Western Region for Prologis aka the sensei of Commercial Real Estate.  Prologis is a Global Industrial Real Estate Company. Kim oversees acquisition, development and operations for the company.  Currently managing over 200mm Sq FT of industrial real estate. He is one of the most sought after leaders on industrial real estate today. Kim shares changes in the industrial world, development and the new demands from industrial tenants.

Mark Weinstein founded MJW Investments in 1983 following a brief career as an attorney. Since then, he has acquired over $1,000,000,000 of student housing, apartment, commercial, industrial, and self-storage buildings.  MJW was rated 7th largest Commercial Developer by LABJ and Mark was voted one of the 500 most influential people in LA for the 5th straight year.

Mark has always been a visionary and risk taker with his multi family and student housing investments.  He shares stories from his first deal while still in law school to the more complex transactions including condo to apartment conversions, ground leases and CO-GP deals.  Mark was an early investor in Downtown LA when the city created the adaptive reuse ordinance and he shares why he was willing to take a on a  massive conversion of old industrial buildings to apartments.