Susan Fleming, KEYNOTE SPEAKER, EXECUTIVE, EDUCATOR, MOTHER
Dr. Susan S. Fleming is an educator, speaker, investor and mom. After retiring from twelve years on Wall Street in 2003, Susan began work as an educator, teaching executives, investment professionals, MBAs and undergraduates in the areas of corporate finance, insurance, valuation, and gender bias. She enrolled at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management to pursue a Ph.D. in Management and from 2010 - 2018, she was a Senior Lecturer at Cornell University, teaching women in leadership and entrepreneurship.
Brady Rice | ASCENSION GROUP
Brady is the Managing Member of Ascension Group, a market leader in providing executive management services specializing in capitalizing, developing, restructuring, and operating commercial real estate assets. Additionally, Brady is the Chief Operating Officer for a family office and its 18-portfolio companies with a focus on developing and operating luxury resorts, residences, and retail centers throughout the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico with a focus in Los Cabos.
Brady has nearly 20 years of real estate experience, most recently focusing on hospitality, retail, and multifamily in North America, with over $12.0 billion in dispositions, financings, and advisory engagements. Brady is also a graduate of Cornell University, with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics and Management and a focus in Real Estate.
Michaelangelo L’Acqua, ENTREPRENEUR
Michaelangelo L'Acqua is an internationally acclaimed music-branding specialist. His commitment to creating ground breaking, innovative solutions for his clients marks a successful career that is highlighted by unprecedented achievements in the realms of music, hotels, fashion and luxury brands.
Kevin Osterhaus, GRADUATE HOTELS
Kevin Osterhaus is the President of Graduate Hotels. In his role, Kevin oversees global operations and marketing across the collection of 32 operating U.S. and U.K. properties.
Most recently, he held the role of Chief Operating Officer for U.K.-based Ennismore International, overseeing global operations for The Hoxton hotels, including The Hoxton’s independent restaurants and the successful U.S. and U.K. launch of Working From_, the group’s coworking brand. Prior to Ennismore, Mr. Osterhaus held New York City-based roles as President for SIXTY Hotels and Executive Vice President of Operations for Standard International. His career has also included leadership roles with companies including Bunkhouse Group, Destination Club Management and ClubCorp.
Channing Henry, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HEAD OF US AT PFK HOTEL EXPERTS
Channing Henry joined PKF hotelexperts in 2019 as Managing Director | Head of US, leading the US consulting practice from New York . With more than 15 years in hospitality development and consulting, she brings a development perspective to the firm’s extensive advisory work. Channing advises hotel developers and owners on highest and best land use analysis, capital strategies and fundraising services, brand positioning and negotiation, and planning and development services in the US, Canada and Latin America.
Channing is on the Leadership Committee for ULI’s Recreational Development Council and an Executive Committee member of the South Park Business Improvement District (BID) Board in Downtown Los Angeles. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Argentina and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Yale’s School of Management.
Richard Gomel, PARTNER, WEWORK
Elizabeth Keating, REVOLVER NEW YORK & FOUNDER, E.KEATING CREATIVE & STRATEGIC CONSULTING
Elizabeth is a leader, mentor, advisor, connector of good people, mom and speaker.
Elizabeth created two successful business ventures – a renowned, full-service branding agency, Revolver New York, and a beauty & luxury group, BESPOKE, as a sub-division of Publicis Groupe.
Elizabeth is a proud connector of individuals & groups to create the best collective. Always hungry for a challenge, ambitious for success & eager to create change in the world. Inclusivity & diversity reign supreme, and she is determined to build interesting products, properties, & entities that live up to her clients’ dreams.
Elizabeth graduated from Georgetown University, received a certificate from Harvard Business School Online, “Sustainable Business Strategy”, and currently resides in New York City with her husband and two children (with a temporary stint in Colorado).
David Smith, WHITMAN PETERSON
David currently works at Whitman Peterson, a real estate private equity firm based in Los Angeles, where he focuses on capital markets transactions and investments. Prior to joining Whitman Peterson in 2020, David was a Senior Director at RobertDouglas, a hospitality-focused real estate investment banking firm. At RobertDouglas, David advised on over $1 billion of hotel financing and M&A assignments, representing leading ownership groups in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. He also previously worked at Macquarie Group, where he covered corporate structured finance as a credit analyst in New York City. David is a graduate of the Master of Management in Hospitality (Real Estate) degree at Cornell University and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia. He has also studied at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is a member of the Cornell Hotel Society, the Urban Land Institute, and the advisory panel of the American Glamping Association.
Yasmine Arab, FOUNDER, AL-YASMINE GUEST HOUSE
Yasmine Arab is the co-founder and managing partner of Al-Yasmine guesthouse, a country house turned 20-room first of its kind leading boutique hotel in Lebanon. With a consulting and business analysis background, Yasmine has helped hospitality players tackle issues related to their digital presence, operations, and guest experience design.
Will Bennett, MANAGING PARTNER AND CEO, THREE RULES CAPITAL (3RC)
Will Bennett is a seasoned executive with over 10 years of experience in real estate. He founded Three Rules Capital (3RC), an entrepreneurial, value based real estate investment and development company focused on luxury residential and resort developments. Current project at 3RC include Esencia, a luxury resort and residential community in Puerto Rico anchored by Aman Group, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. Previously, he was Partner, Managing Director, and Head of Development at Irongate, where he led projects like the Ritz Carlton Residences in Waikiki and the Four Seasons Resort at Costa Palmas. Earlier in his career, he worked at Related Companies on notable projects such as 70 Vestry in Tribeca. Will also has a background in investment banking and private equity and serves on the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board. He holds degrees from Wesleyan University and Harvard Business School.
Steven A. Carvell PROFESSOR, CORNELL UNIVERSITY HOTEL SCHOOL
Steven A. Carvell, professor of finance in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, was named Cornell's first vice provost for external education strategy in 2019. He works to help the university achieve greater synergies among a range of external education programs. These include executive education, certificate, and master's degree programs, which are offered by various colleges and schools as well as eCornell. Collaborating with all of these units, Carvell leads efforts to support and expand external education programs. In particular, his role includes aligning eCornell more closely with the academic enterprise.
Carvell joined the faculty of the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration in 1986 and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses, including Advanced Corporate Finance, Capital Budgeting, Financial Strategy and Investments, and Mergers and Acquisitions. He has also been active in executive education since 1990, working with almost every major domestic and international hotel company to create custom courses for hotel executives. These companies include Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental Hotel Group, and Taj Hotels. Carvell was one of the earliest contributors to eCornell and has authored eight distance learning courses that are among the most widely demanded offerings of eCornell for the past 15 years. At Nolan School, he served as associate dean for academic affairs (2007–2016) and academic director of the Pillsbury Institute for Entrepreneurship (2013–2016). Currently, he is academic director of the Center for Real Estate and Finance.
Kurt Slanaker BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
A dynamic business developer and strategic connector, Kurt leads Design Hotels’ brand portfolio and partnership initiatives across the Americas – bringing together creative entrepreneurs, visionaries, and brands to explore new ideas and build meaningful collaborations.
Kurt has spent his career at the intersection of design, hospitality, and community building, developing and nurturing a broad network that includes artists, architects, strategists, and venture partners. His approach to brand development is deeply collaborative, rooted in relationships and a belief in the transformative power of shared vision.
Prior to joining Design Hotels, Kurt led a range of strategic growth and creative initiatives across industries, partnering with standout brands such as Aēsop, Le Labo, and Maison Kitsuné, as well as rising innovators like De Soi, Yola Mezcal, and GOODEE. Whether supporting legacy names or emerging talent, Kurt brings a unique ability to build resonance through meaningful brand experiences, shaped by his passion for crafting spaces—both experiential and conceptual—that inspire connection.
Based in Los Angeles, Kurt can be found venturing throughout the vast city with his 5-year old son and wife in their lifelong pursuit of finding the best dim sum spots, newest gallery spaces, and historic building sites that are waiting for a second life.