Modeled after the popular long-running TV show of the same name, ULI Philadelphia’s Shark Tank event is back for its second year in a row, offering a look into the world of real estate development and the capital funding and investment process in a fun and entertaining format. Brought to you by ULI Philadelphia’s Young Leaders Council, Shark Tank will provide aspiring and established developers the opportunity to present their real world project ideas to a panel of “sharks” – successful professionals in real estate development and financing who can, if persuaded successfully, help the developers bring their plans from concept to construction.  Each presentation offers the audience an inside look at how real estate projects come to life from the perspective of both the developer and the investors.

The panel of sharks will consist of a moderator and four sharks:

• Tony Rimikis will reprise his role from last year as moderator. Tony has been responsible for the development of over ten million square feet of commercial and industrial space as the recently-retired SVP of Urban Development for Brandywine Realty Trust and serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Drexel University.
• Two veteran sharks will return to this year’s panel – Stephen Mullin, President and Principal of Econsult Solutions, and John Westrum, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Westrum Development.
• Two sharks are new to the tank and panel this year – Melissa Govette, Senior Relationship Manager at M&T Bank, and Mark Callazzo, CEO of Alpha Funding Solutions and Managing Partner at Lucern Capital Partners.

A new feature of this year’s Shark Tank will be audience interaction and feedback. Attendees will be able to vote for their favorite projects through an electronic response system, so be sure to bring your phone and be prepared to text your responses!

Start your day with this entertaining and informative event, which includes a light breakfast and will take place from 8 a.m. -10:30 a.m. at the Pennovation Center, an 85,000 square-foot business incubator and laboratory located in the up-and-coming Grey’s Ferry neighborhood. A real estate redevelopment success story itself, Pennovation Center was created to provide entrepreneurs and innovators with resources to develop and commercialize research discoveries – the perfect setting for this real estate development and innovation-focused event.

Registration is limited to 90 attendees, so don’t miss out! Register here.