Built World Advisors Podcast: The Definitive Biography of the People Building Our Cities

By Ben Hoffman & Felipe AzenhaBusiness Entrepreneurship Education Self-Improvement

Built World Advisors Podcast: The Definitive Biography of the People Building Our Cities episodes

April 29Moishe Mana - Founder and Chairman, Mana Common
In this episode, we sit down with Moishe Mana, one of the most unconventional and visionary developers shaping Miami today.
Moishe’s story is as wild as it gets. He arrived in New York with nothing, slept on park benches, started a moving company with a single van, and built it into the largest operation in the tri-state area. That hustle became the foundation for a sprawling business empire spanning logistics, media, art, and real estate.
We get into his early days in New York, identifying opportunity in overlooked neighborhoods like the Meatpacking District, and how that same instinct led him to Wynwood long before it became what it is today. Moishe shares what it actually takes to bet on a neighborhood, assemble land at scale, and create a cultural movement, not just a real estate project.
The conversation then shifts to Miami: Wynwood, Downtown, and beyond, where Moishe lays out his vision for the city as a global hub connecting the Americas, art, fashion, and technology.
This one is about grit, conviction, and seeing what others don’t, and having the courage to go all in on it.
Connect with us
Want to dive deeper into Miami’s commercial real estate scene?
📧 Get in touch: Built World Advisors
🎙️ Listen & Watch: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
📱 Follow the show: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with the Hosts:
Felipe Azenha
Ben Hoffman
Our Partners & Sponsors
🏢 Studio Space: A special thank you to Büro coworking space for hosting us!
Proudly sponsored by:
Top of Mind PR
Vizzda
Vinya
1 hr 36 min
April 22Dev Motwani - Managing Partner of Merrimac Ventures
In this episode, we sit down with Dev Motwani to dig into one of South Florida’s most unique real estate journeys - from growing up working the front desk of a struggling beach motel to leading over $3B in development across the region.

Dev shares how his family survived the collapse of Fort Lauderdale’s spring break era, pivoted into distressed hotel acquisitions, and ultimately helped reshape the city into a luxury destination. We get into the evolution of Merrimac Ventures, the lessons learned during the 2008 financial crisis, and the strategy behind landmark projects like the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale and beyond

It’s a conversation about resilience, long-term vision, and what it actually takes to assemble, entitle, and execute transformative projects; told by someone who’s been in the trenches since childhood.
Connect with us
Want to dive deeper into Miami’s commercial real estate scene?
📧 Get in touch: Built World Advisors
🎙️ Listen & Watch: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
📱 Follow the show: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with the Hosts:
Felipe Azenha
Ben Hoffman
Our Partners & Sponsors
🏢 Studio Space: A special thank you to Büro coworking space for hosting us!
Proudly sponsored by:
Top of Mind PR
Vizzda
Vinya
1 hr 27 min
April 14Michael Goldban - Founder & CEO, Magellan Realty Group
In this episode, we sit down over a glass of tequila with Michael Goldban, founder of Magellan Realty Group and a commercial real estate veteran with over 25 years of experience across law, development, and retail leasing.

Michael has held senior leadership positions at Brookfield Property Partners, CIM Group, EQ Office, and Forest City Ratner Companies. Through Magellan Realty Group, he has expanded into sports and entertainment real estate — including retail leasing at Inter Miami CF's stadium — applying institutional-grade tenant curation to some of the most high-profile and complex venues in the country.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Retail leasing inside sports and entertainment venues, including Inter Miami CF
• Why ground-floor retail is the most consequential — and most challenging — component of mixed-use projects
• How strategic tenant curation shapes placemaking and drives long-term asset value
• The shift toward experiential retail and what it demands from developers and leasing teams
• Lessons from 25+ years inside major institutional platforms
• Michael's transition from institutional real estate to entrepreneurship

A must-listen for anyone working at the intersection of real estate, sports, and live experience.
Connect with us
Want to dive deeper into Miami’s commercial real estate scene?
📧 Get in touch: Built World Advisors
🎙️ Listen & Watch: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
📱 Follow the show: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with the Hosts:
Felipe Azenha
Ben Hoffman
Our Partners & Sponsors
🏢 Studio Space: A special thank you to Büro coworking space for hosting us!
Proudly sponsored by:
Top of Mind PR
Vizzda
Vinya
1 hr 47 min
April 07Grant Killingsworth - SVP, CBRE
Grant came in hot with Spanish wine in hand to unpack the evolving office market in South Florida and what tenants are really thinking right now.
Grant is a true Miami local and currently a First Vice President at CBRE. He brings nearly 15 years of experience representing office users, with a background that spans both landlord and tenant perspectives. Before joining CBRE, he spent close to a decade at JLL, where he worked on some of Miami’s most prominent office assets, including Espirito Santo Plaza and 1221 Brickell.
We get into how the tenant mindset has shifted post-COVID, what companies are prioritizing today when making office decisions, and how landlords are adapting to compete. Grant also shares how his early experience working for institutional owners shaped the way he negotiates on behalf of tenants, often unlocking creative structures and meaningful cost savings.
This conversation is a deep dive into the real dynamics behind office leasing today, from deal strategy and underwriting to what actually drives decision-making at the tenant level.
Connect with us
Want to dive deeper into Miami’s commercial real estate scene?
📧 Get in touch: Built World Advisors
🎙️ Listen & Watch: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
📱 Follow the show: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with the Hosts:
Felipe Azenha
Ben Hoffman
Our Partners & Sponsors
🏢 Studio Space: A special thank you to Büro coworking space for hosting us!
Proudly sponsored by:
Top of Mind PR
Vizzda
Vinya
1 hr 30 min
March 25David Adler - CEO, Adler Development
David Adler, CEO of Adler Group, joined us for a deep dive into one of Miami’s most storied development legacies. With roots stretching back to post-WWII Miami Beach, David provides a unique perspective on how to navigate multi-generational business and evolving asset classes.

Key takeaways from our conversation:

The Evolution of Industrial: How David’s father, Mike Adler, pioneered the "Miami International Commerce Center" and went non-union to make the economics of industrial work in the 70s.

Public-Private Partnerships (P3): Why David believes ground leases with the County and City are the ultimate "recession-proof" strategy in a high-interest-rate environment.

The 2008 Playbook: How the Adler Group stayed active during the Great Recession by managing non-performing notes and working with lenders to finish underwater projects.

Transit-Oriented Development: A look at their massive investments along the Miami Metrorail and why density around transit is the future of the city.

The "Closet King" Legacy: Lessons learned from three generations of building—from 12-story rentals to 400,000 sq. ft. City of Miami headquarters.
Connect with us
Want to dive deeper into Miami’s commercial real estate scene?
📧 Get in touch: Built World Advisors
🎙️ Listen & Watch: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
📱 Follow the show: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with the Hosts:
Felipe Azenha
Ben Hoffman
Our Partners & Sponsors
🏢 Studio Space: A special thank you to Büro coworking space for hosting us!
Proudly sponsored by:
Top of Mind PR
Vizzda
Vinya
1 hr 28 min
March 17Douglas O'Donnell - Founder & CEO, The O'Donnell Group
Douglas O'Donnell joins us for a cocktail to discuss his journey from being an ocean lifeguard and water polo player to becoming one of the most respected names in industrial real estate. Doug explains the mechanics of "tilt-up" construction and why he’s betting big on infill locations where supply is physically limited by the sea and the Everglades.

We dive into the technical shifts in the industry: why clear heights have plateaued at 32 feet, how to "manufacture" value by building bridges over culverts, and why a "box inside a box" is the future of cold storage. Doug also pulls back the curtain on his new $50M fund, focusing on opportunistic acquisitions and why he believes technology will drive a deflationary trend in interest rates.
Connect with us
Want to dive deeper into Miami’s commercial real estate scene?
📧 Get in touch: Built World Advisors
🎙️ Listen & Watch: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
📱 Follow the show: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with the Hosts:
Felipe Azenha
Ben Hoffman
Our Partners & Sponsors
🏢 Studio Space: A special thank you to Büro coworking space for hosting us!
Proudly sponsored by:
Top of Mind PR
Vizzda
Vinya
1 hr 2 min
March 10Live at the University of Miami with Daniel Kodsi - CEO, Royal Palm Companies.
We took The Built World Podcast on the road for a special live episode! Teaming up with the University of Miami’s Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism (MRED+U) program, we sat down on campus with Daniel Kodsi. And don't let the academic setting fool you—even though we were hosting a live university event, we still made sure to throw back a few cocktails with Dan while unpacking his incredible career.
Dan walks us through his massive trajectory in South Florida real estate. We cover his early days grinding it out in property management and single-family homes, to eventually developing the iconic Paramount Miami Worldcenter (58 stories and 567 condos). By the time he was just 26 years old, Dan had already built 400 homes and 700 apartments. Tune in for a masterclass in scale, vision, and execution.
Connect with us
Want to dive deeper into Miami’s commercial real estate scene?
📧 Get in touch: Built World Advisors
🎙️ Listen & Watch: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
📱 Follow the show: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with the Hosts:
Felipe Azenha
Ben Hoffman
Our Partners & Sponsors
🏢 Studio Space: A special thank you to Büro coworking space for hosting us!
Proudly sponsored by:
Top of Mind PR
Vizzda
Vinya
1 hr 54 min
March 03Anthony Scavo - President & Managing Partner, Basis Industrial
We sat down with Anthony Scavo over cocktails to break down his career trajectory and the strategy behind Basis Industrial's recent $84.75 million acquisition of a 42-building industrial portfolio in Hialeah.
Anthony brings decades of institutional weight to the table. After growing up in Brooklyn and attending NYU, he spent 26 years alongside his father overseeing construction for the LeFrak Organization. Since joining Basis Industrial in 2021, he has helped pivot the firm toward a highly lucrative niche: small bay warehouses.
In this episode, we cover:
The transition from the LeFrak Organization to Basis Industrial.
The specific economic tailwinds driving the small bay warehouse market.
The thesis behind their massive $84.75 million Hialeah portfolio acquisition.
How Basis scaled to over 77 properties and 12 million square feet of industrial space.
Basis is actively looking for new opportunities, making this required listening for anyone operating in the South Florida industrial market.
Connect with us
Want to dive deeper into Miami’s commercial real estate scene?
📧 Get in touch: Built World Advisors
🎙️ Listen & Watch: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
📱 Follow the show: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with the Hosts:
Felipe Azenha
Ben Hoffman
Our Partners & Sponsors
🏢 Studio Space: A special thank you to Büro coworking space for hosting us!
Proudly sponsored by:
Top of Mind PR
Vizzda
Vinya
1 hr 54 min
February 24Ricardo Dunin - Founder & CEO of Oak Capital
Over some Flor De Cana & Tequila we sit down with Ricardo Dunin, Founder & CEO of Oak Capital. Ricardo is behind some of Miami’s most iconic developments, including The Mutiny Hotel, Sonesta Coconut Grove, Meridian Lofts, The Ritz-Carlton Residences Miami Beach, and currently the Domus projects in Brickell, and Edgewater.
Born in Minnesota, raised in Brazil, and trained across global markets, Ricardo’s journey spans investment banking in Nashville, real estate in New York, and building a dominant commercial brokerage in Rio before ultimately planting roots in South Florida. From pioneering Miami’s first luxury condo-hotel to transforming the former Miami Heart Institute into one of the most refined residential properties in the city, Ricardo has built a career on seeing opportunity where others see obstacles.
We talk about the early days of professionalizing real estate in Brazil, taking bold risks, partnering with global brands like Ritz-Carlton, and why great developers are more like orchestra conductors than builders.
This is a conversation about vision, design, risk, and what it really takes to create projects that define a city.
Connect with us
Want to dive deeper into Miami’s commercial real estate scene?
📧 Get in touch: Built World Advisors
🎙️ Listen & Watch: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
📱 Follow the show: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with the Hosts:
Felipe Azenha
Ben Hoffman
Our Partners & Sponsors
🏢 Studio Space: A special thank you to Büro coworking space for hosting us!
Proudly sponsored by:
Top of Mind PR
Vizzda
Vinya
1 hr 47 min
February 16Q4 2025 Market Update: Juan Arias, National Director of Industrial Analytics, CoStar Group & Anthony Graziano, CEO, Integra Realty Resources
This quarter, we poured some whiskey and sat down with two of the sharpest minds in commercial real estate data: Juan Arias, National Director of Industrial Analytics at CoStar Group, and Anthony Graziano, Chairman & CEO of Integra Realty Resources.

Every quarter, Juan and Anthony help us cut through the noise and break down what’s actually moving Miami’s industrial market: pricing trends, vacancy shifts, absorption, capital flows, and where deals are getting done (and where they aren’t). The conversation ranged from industrial fundamentals to politics, tariffs, and where real opportunities may be emerging in today’s market.

We started with industrial, often an early indicator of broader economic health, then zoomed out to a wider discussion on commercial real estate, touching on macroeconomic forces, demographics, and how investors should be thinking about the current environment.

Connect with us
Want to dive deeper into Miami’s commercial real estate scene?
📧 Get in touch: Built World Advisors
🎙️ Listen & Watch: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
📱 Follow the show: LinkedIn | Instagram
Connect with the Hosts:
Felipe Azenha
Ben Hoffman
Our Partners & Sponsors
🏢 Studio Space: A special thank you to Büro coworking space for hosting us!
Proudly sponsored by:
Top of Mind PR
Vizzda
Vinya
1 hr 47 min

About Built World Advisors Podcast: The Definitive Biography of the People Building Our Cities

From the publisher's feed

The Built World Podcast is the premier biographical series and educational resource dedicated to the visionaries, risk-takers, and Institutional Operators shaping the landscape of…

Commercial Real Estate (CRE), Urbanism, and Property Development.

Hosted by Felipe Azenha and Ben Hoffman, active Commercial Real Estate Brokers and Co-Founders of Built World Advisors in Miami, this show is more than a market update—it is a deep-dive exploration into the life stories, personal philosophies, and investment strategies of the industry’s most influential leaders. Each episode is a professional masterclass delivered through the lens of a personal history, uncovering the "good, the bad, and the ugly" of the entrepreneur’s journey from their first deal to their most iconic project.

Conversations, Cocktails, and High-Level Banter

We believe the best insights happen when the guard comes down. Our signature "Conversations & Cocktails" format creates a relaxed, inviting atmosphere where the banter is light, the humor is sharp, and the drinks are flowing. But don't let the cocktails fool you—the dialogue is profoundly intelligent, offering a tactical look at the Capital Stack, Asset Management, and Market Economics. It’s the kind of high-stakes "shop talk" you usually only hear in a private boardroom or a closed-door partner meeting.

Virtually Every Asset Class Explored:

While Felipe and Ben are specialists in the Miami Industrial and Warehouse sector, The Built World Podcast explores the entire spectrum of the built environment. We provide high-level analysis across virtually every asset class, including:

Industrial & Logistics: From Small-Bay Industrial and Last-Mile Distribution to Flex Space and Cold Storage.
Multifamily & Residential: High-rise luxury, Workforce Housing, and Build-to-Rent (BTR).
Office & Mixed-Use: The evolution of the workplace and the rise of Live-Work-Play environments.
Retail & Hospitality: The transformation of the High Street, boutique hotels, and experiential retail.
Niche Assets: Self-storage, medical office buildings (MOB), and life sciences.

What We Explore:

If you are looking for an insider’s read on the South Florida Real Estate Market and national CRE Trends, we dive deep into:

The Miami Market: Navigating the Miami Skyline, Wynwood, Brickell, Miami Beach and beyond.
Capital Markets & Debt: Real-time perspectives on Cap Rates, interest rate impacts, GP/LP structures, and why veteran operators are moving off the sidelines.
The Operator’s Playbook: A look at the "Operator" side of the business—scaling income, professionalizing property management, and building high-performance brokerage teams.
PropTech & Innovation: How AI in Real Estate, advanced prospecting tools, and new construction technologies are redefining Placemaking.

Our Guest List:

We feature a "Who’s Who" of the built world, including: Real Estate Developers, Principals, Institutional Asset Managers, Capital Markets Brokers, Architects, Attorneys, and Urban Planners.

Who This Is For: Whether you are a seasoned Commercial Broker, an Active Investor looking for a Value-Add play, a student, or an entrepreneur obsessed with the future of our cities, this show offers a front-row seat to the minds redefining the built world.