TIME: 1:00PM - 2:00PM
As the GTA continues to wrestle with the challenges of housing affordability, UrbanToronto and a panel of industry guests will discuss the issue, sharing their experiences and explore solutions for the future.
Speakers:
Alexis Minz, Manager, Investment and Partnerships, The Daniels Corporation
Alexis Minz is Manager, Investments and Partnerships for The Daniels Corporation, an internationally renowned builder and developer based in the Greater Toronto Area. Having earned Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from Columbia University and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management in Toronto, Alexis is well qualified to handle underwriting and partnership negotiations for Daniels’ market condominium and rental communities. She also manages Daniels’ affordable housing initiatives, which include partnerships with and turnkey developments for non-profit organizations as well as headleases for units integrated within market rental buildings. Passionate about city building and creating dynamic and inclusive communities, Alexis uses creative approaches when working with all stakeholders involved in the development process.
Mark J. Richardson Chief Technology Officer, Rich Analytics
Mark J. Richardson is the Chief Technology Officer at Rich Analytics. He has more than 25 years of consulting-experience with public-sector clients at all-levels of Government in Canada and was part of the City of Toronto's Open Data Advisory Group which helped define the City's first official Open Data Master Plan in 2018 and was a citizen-member of the City of Toronto's Planning Review Panel (2015-2017). Mark is the Founder and Technical-Lead of the HousingNowTO.com affordable-housing tracking and transparency project since 2019. Using common tools such as Google maps, photographs, videos and data-visualization, HousingNowTO.com removes industry jargon, thereby minimizing misinformation and enhancing transparency and opportunities for genuine civic engagement. The HousingNowTO.com project was given an Innovation Spotlight by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in 2021. He is an active Urban Land Institute (ULI) volunteer with the Terwilliger Center for Housing in Washington, DC – and a regular collaborator on urban affordable housing innovation projects with University of Toronto’s School of Cities, and Toronto Metropolitan Universities’ School of Urban and Regional Planning.
Dan Van Leeuwen Partner, GTA, Windmill Developments
Dan van Leeuwen, Partner, GTA, at Windmill Development Group, has extensive experience in real estate development across a wide range of asset classes including mixed-use, hospitality, urban redevelopment, retail, commercial and multifamily development with a proven ability to formulate a strong vision and planning success for coupled with extensive experience in complex acquisitions, strategic planning, joint ventures and working with investor and lender partners. Dan has extensive First Nations real estate development experience planning, joint ventures, community-focused benefit programs, sovereignty and treat rights, legal and governmental framework, and economic reconciliation. Dan is passionate about sustainability and affinity-based planning, focusing on projects that build stronger, more resilient communities. Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Urban Planning from the University of Waterloo. He holds affiliations with the Urban Land Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Dan has an exemplary record of volunteer involvement with professional organizations focused on industry issues. Dan has served on several not-for-profit boards focused on arts and culture. Dan has dedicated time to teaching other real estate professionals through his involvement with the Lusk School of Real Estate, University of Calgary and Simon Fraser University. Dan was a real estate delegate on several trade missions to China, Dubai and Abu Dhabi in support of Calgary on behalf of the mayor’s office of the City of Calgary and Calgary Economic Development.
Ash Navabi Research Analyst / Economist, UrbanToronto