For the 5th Annual Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium
From top developers expanding the boundaries of real estate to legendary architects to innovators of new standards and technologies, the speakers at the 2026 Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium represent the top minds shaping the future of this exploding sector. Join us for this unique opportunity to learn from and network with the top executives, developers, designers, policymakers, consultants and visionaries leveraging wellness to increase value in real estate.
Joseph G. Allen, DSC, MPH, CIH
Professor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Director, Harvard’s Healthy Buildings Program, United States
Joseph G. Allen is Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Director of Harvard’s Healthy Buildings Program. He coauthored Healthy Buildings, named by The New York Times as a top book for healthy living. During COVID-19, he served on The Lancet COVID-19 Commission and advised The White House. He has authored 100+ scientific papers and contributes to The New York Times, The Washington Post and Harvard Business Review, and advises JPMorganChase and Amazon on healthy buildings.
John Beard
Professor and Director of the International Longevity Center USA, Columbia University, United States
John Beard is Irene Diamond Professor and Director of the International Longevity Center USA at Columbia University. Formerly Director of Ageing and Life Course at the World Health Organization, he led global initiatives including the World Report on Ageing and Health, the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) program and the Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities, now reaching more than 350 million people. He has worked extensively with the World Economic Forum and served on the US National Academy of Medicine Commission on Healthy Longevity. His research focuses on health as functioning across the lifespan.
Marco Beltrame
Investment Manager, Bizzi & Partners Development LLC, United States
Marco Beltrame is an Investment Manager at Bizzi & Partners Development LLC, where he oversees U.S. investments and helps guide strategy across a portfolio exceeding $1 billion in assets. Based in New York, he focuses on cross-border structuring and complex financing, contributing to flagship projects including The Greenwich, 565 Broome SoHo, and The Fifth Miami Beach. His role spans transaction execution, development oversight, and investor relations across the firm’s US and European portfolio, supported by a background in civil engineering and real estate finance.
Bernard Bohnenberger
Co-Founder & CEO, Discover Collection, Thailand
Bernhard Bohnenberger is Co-Founder & CEO of Discover Collection. Prior, he was President of Six Senses, a globally renowned management company, until July 2019 following its sale to InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). Prior to his 28-year tenure with Six Senses, he also held hotel operations roles with Hilton in Geneva and Hong Kong, Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel, Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Munich, Hotel Baur au Lac Zurich, and The Peninsula Hong Kong, all award-winning properties known for exceptional service. A graduate of Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, he has served on its International Advisory Board since 2013 and received its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
Martin Boudreau
President and Founder, 44Productions, Canada
Martin Boudreau is President and Founder of 44Productions, where he leads the creation of large-scale immersive experiences across hospitality, entertainment, and tourism. With a background in experiential design and live production, he works with developers, destinations, and public sector partners to shape next-generation guest experiences. Martin is a frequent speaker on the evolving hospitality landscape, sharing insights on how storytelling, culture, and innovation are reshaping the industry.
Lynette Harrison Brubaker
Founder & CEO, LHB Group, United States
After 15+ years in the media industry as the publisher of both WWD and In Style Magazine, Lynette Harrison-Brubaker launched her boutique marketing and communications company LHB Group in 2018. The company has attracted a diverse portfolio of brands and executives who have enlisted Lynette to successfully launch or pivot in a rapidly changing business environment. Clients include makeup mogul Bobbi Brown and her brand, Jones Road; retail legend Mickey Drexler; and Michelin Star chef Missy Robbins.
Anjan Chatterjee, MD, FAAN
Professor of Neurology, Psychology & Architecture, Founding Director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, United States
Dr. Chatterjee directs the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. He wrote The Aesthetic Brain and co-edited Brain, Beauty, and Art. He received the Geschwind Prize in Cognitive Neurology from the American Academy of Neurology, the Arnheim Prize for contributions to psychology and the arts from the American Psychological Association, and the lifetime achievement Fechner Award from the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics (IAEA). He was the past President of the Cognitive Neurology Society and the IAEA, and serves on the boards of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the Global Wellness Institute, and Philadelphia Fringe Arts.
Robin Dolch
CEO, Hundred Stories, United States
Robin Dolch is a public relations expert and founder known for shaping narratives in the real estate industry. A former journalist and real estate agent, she brings a full-spectrum perspective to every project, working closely with stakeholders at all levels. She creates impactful press platforms for leading developers and differentiates properties through strategic partnerships and programming. With experience across major global markets, she has collaborated with top architects and designers. Robin is a founding editor of ICON and former editor-in-chief of Hampton Family Life.
Susie Ellis
Founder, Chair & CEO, Global Wellness Summit & Global Wellness Institute, United States
Susie Ellis is the co-founder, chair and CEO of the GWS. She is also chair and CEO of the nonprofit GWI, known for its pioneering research, wide-ranging initiatives, international roundtables, wellnessevidence.com and The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease. She is the former president of Spafinder, where she pioneered the first global wellness trends forecast. She sits on numerous academic and industry boards, and holds an MBA from UCLA.
Katrine Formby
Vice President, Sable Investments, United States
Katrine Formby is Vice President of Sable Investments, a private equity firm based in Austin, Texas, focused on real estate and diversified investments. She led the 20-year restoration of Telluride’s historic 1892 First National Bank Building, culminating in the 2026 documentary The Nugget Building: A Telluride Restoration Story, airing on Rocky Mountain PBS. Formby serves as a Trustee of Huston-Tillotson University and was appointed in 2026 by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Governor’s Commission for Women.
Michelle Gagnon
Founder & Nose, Bio Alchemy Olfactive, United States
Brand founder Michelle K. Gagnon is a bio alchemist, olfactive artist, distiller, explorer, aromatherapist, and educator. She works exclusively and extensively with wildcrafted /organic materials and essential oils sourced from farms and artisan distilleries around the world. With the belief that plants are master communicators, Michelle continuously explores and learns from the botanical materials she works with, conceptualizing her formulations to help share their stories.
Neil Jacobs
Founder, Wild Origins, United States
Neil Jacobs is the founder of Wild Origins, a consultancy providing strategic, brand, and sustainability guidance across hospitality, wellness, and lifestyle sectors. Formerly CEO of Six Senses for over 13 years, he now advises global clients including Cain International and Capella Hotel Group. Jacobs is known for shaping purpose-driven, luxury hospitality experiences and brings deep expertise in concept development, brand growth, and operational strategy.
Gemma Jennings
Global Vice President of Programme Partnerships, BBC Studios, United States
Gemma Jennings is global vice president of programme partnerships at BBC StoryWorks. She is responsible for the organization’s international partnerships strategy, managing a talented team to create meaningful and memorable content campaigns that win audiences, awards and valued partners. Since joining the BBC in 2017, Gemma has led the creation of solutions-focused series combining the BBC’s storytelling heritage with industry expertise to look deeper into the issues shaping society.
Katherine Johnston
Senior Research Fellow, Global Wellness Institute, United States
Katherine Johnston has extensive experience conducting economic and industry competitiveness studies worldwide, including 17 years as a Senior Economist with SRI International. Since 2008, she has partnered with the Global Wellness Institute to pioneer groundbreaking research on the global wellness industry, focusing on defining and measuring opportunities within the wellness economy and conducting deep-dive analyses into key wellness sectors. She holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University.
Tyler Jones
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Blue Heron, United States
Tyler Jones is Founder and CEO of Blue Heron, where he guides the firm’s culture, vision, and design philosophy. A fourth-generation Nevadan raised in Las Vegas, he learned the construction trade from his father, founder of Merlin Custom Home Builders. After studying architecture at the University of Colorado Boulder, Tyler founded Blue Heron in 2004 and developed Vegas Modern™, a distinctive architectural approach now synonymous with the brand. Under his leadership, Blue Heron has earned numerous national design awards and achieved LEED Platinum and National Green Building Standard Emerald certifications.
Jane Kitchen
Media & Trends Analyst, Global Wellness Summit, United Kingdom
Jane Kitchen is Managing Editor of the Global Wellness Summit’s annual Future of Wellness trends report. A journalist with 20 years’ experience specializing in the spa and wellness industry, she is also Editor-at-Large at Spa Business and Editor of the Spa Business Handbook. She co-authors the annual Spa Foresight report and has traveled globally reporting on new openings, interviewing industry leaders and analyzing the trends shaping the wellness market.
Syd Kitson
Chairman and CEO, Kitson & Partners, United States
Syd Kitson is Chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, a Florida-based real estate development firm known for innovative, responsible community planning. A Wake Forest economics graduate and former NFL offensive guard for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, he founded the firm in 1999. Kitson led the creation of Babcock Ranch in Florida, the nation’s first fully solar-powered, climate-resilient town, recognized by Money as one of the “50 Best Places to Live in the US” He has served as Chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Council of 100, and the Florida State University System Board of Governors.
Susan Magsamen
Executive Director, International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Susan Magsamen is the founder and executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she also serves as assistant professor of neurology. A pioneer at the intersection of brain science and the arts, she is co-author, with Ivy Ross, of the New York Times bestseller Your Brain on Art. She co-directs the NeuroArts Blueprint with the Aspen Institute and is author of the Impact Thinking model.
Amy McDonald
CEO and Founder, Under a Tree Consulting, Wellness Counseling, United States
Amy is the founder of Under a Tree Consulting, where for over 20 years she has led innovative wellness projects for hospitality and real estate developers worldwide. She focuses on business strategy, feasibility, and design development, with a strong emphasis on ROI and regenerative health. A 2024 Women of Wellness award recipient, Amy is a sought-after speaker and active leader within the Global Wellness Institute, driving impactful change in the global wellness industry.
Heidi Moon
VP Marketing & Communications, Global Wellness Summit & Global Wellness Institute, United States
With strong expertise in strategic business planning, management and communications, Heidi Moon is a trusted advisor in the business of wellness with three decades of experience in seven countries. She consults to, and has led, pioneering spas, integrative wellness centers and wellness real estate projects. As VP of Marketing & Communications for both GWS and GWI, she drives the global visibility of these two leading organizations, shaping narratives that influence the direction of the wellness industry. Heidi has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics.
Freddie Moross
Founder & CEO, Myndstream, United Kingdom
A disruptive voice at the intersection of art and science, Freddie Moross is the Founder and CEO of Myndstream, a global wellness music company on a mission to release the power of music to enhance the health and wellbeing of billions of people globally. Freddie chairs the GWI’s Music for Health and Wellbeing Initiative and sits on the Forbes Travel Guide Standards Advisory Committee. Leading a growing team in London and Los Angeles, he champions the belief that music programmed with intention can profoundly and positively transform every facet of society, from healthcare to education, hospitality and beyond.
Sam Nazarian
Founder & CEO, sbe Entertainment, United States
Sam Nazarian is a visionary entrepreneur and founder/CEO of sbe, a global lifestyle hospitality company redefining luxury across hotels, dining and entertainment. Since 2002, he has built an ecosystem spanning 100+ hotels and 150 venues worldwide. Recognized on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and a two-time Hotelier of the Year, he continues to innovate with ventures like HQ Hotels & Residences and The Estate—an ambitious longevity platform set to include 25 global centers by 2030 in partnership with Fountain Life.
Steve Nygren
Founder, Serenbe, United States
Steve Nygren is founder & CEO of Serenbe, a wellness community modeling sustainable development with green space, agriculture, retail and housing as the future of healthy living. A partner at Nygren Placemaking consulting and author of Start in Your Own Backyard (2025), Steve also co-led the land use plan preserving 70% of 40,000 acres near Atlanta. His honors include GWI’s Leader in Innovation Award and the 2025 MLK Jr. Beloved Community Environmental Justice Award. He serves on boards including The Ray C. Anderson Foundation and The Biophilic Institute.
Ari Peralta
Innovation Director, COCUN Wellness Research Institute, United States
Ari Peralta is a Harvard-trained neuroscientist and sensory designer shaping how the world restores and connects through the human senses. He has collaborated with global brands including Dove, Six Senses, and NASA, and is currently Innovation Director at the COCUN Wellness Research Institute in California. With a background in neuroscience (Harvard), sensory design (Parsons NYC), and an MBA from the University of Tampa, Ari fuses research and design to reduce overstimulation and support nervous system regulation. He is an international award-winning innovator and a global champion of arts-for-wellness.
Mark Rivers
Chief Executive Officer, Canyon Ranch, United States
Mark Rivers is Chief Executive Officer of Canyon Ranch, appointed in 2023 after leading new development initiatives, including the Austin resort. With over 25 years of experience in hospitality and real estate development, he brings a strong focus on innovation and next-generation wellness experiences. A former principal with Solage Hotels and Resorts and executive at Mirage Resorts, he has led major resort projects nationwide. Rivers is also the original master developer of the Driftwood Golf & Ranch Club in Austin and an active supporter of fitness and community initiatives.
Cassie Rosenthal
EVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Rosenthal Capital Group, United States
Cassie Rosenthal is a third-generation stakeholder and Chief Marketing Officer of Rosenthal Capital Group, the nation’s largest privately held commercial finance firm. Previously, she co-owned and directed the New York and Berlin outposts of the Goff + Rosenthal art gallery. Her thought leadership has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, WWD, Footwear News, BBC Radio, and CNBC. Cassie serves on the board of the New York Institute of Credit, where she received the inaugural Women’s Division Renaissance Award. She also serves on the board of Powerhouse Arts and the advisory board of Gold Collective, an invitation-only network of entrepreneurs.
Ivy Ross
Chief Design Officer for Consumer Devices, Google, United States
Ivy Ross is Chief Design Officer for Consumer Devices at Google, where she has led the launch of a family of hardware products earning more than 240 global design awards. Previously, she held senior roles at Calvin Klein, Coach, Swatch, Mattel, Gap and others. In 2023, she co-authored the New York Times bestseller Your Brain on Art. A National Endowment for the Arts award winner, her jewelry is in 12 international museum collections.
Paul Scialla
Founder & CEO, Delos Living, LLC; Founder, International WELL Building Institute, United States
After 18 years on Wall Street, Paul Scialla’s interest in sustainability and altruistic capitalism led him to found Delos, which merges the world’s largest asset class—real estate—with the world’s fastest-growing industry—wellness. Since the company’s inception, Paul has become a leading voice in the wellness and sustainability movements, serving as a keynote speaker at prominent green building, real estate, and technology forums and conferences around the world.
Veronica Schreibeis Smith
CEO & Founding Principal, Vera Iconica Architecture & Developments, United States
Veronica Schreibeis Smith is CEO and Founding Principal of Vera Iconica, a global design firm focused on environments that support optimal living. A pioneer in wellness architecture, she leads work spanning architecture, interior design, Wellness Kitchen™ design, and real estate development, with projects that redefine how people live, work, and thrive. She has practiced on four continents and collaborates with leading hospitality and regenerative brands. Veronica is founder of GWI’s Wellness Architecture & Design Initiative and the nonprofit Wellness Architecture + Design. She hosts the podcast Architecture of Being.
Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki
Founder, tst ink llc, United States
Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki is founder of tst ink llc, working at the intersection of development, sociology and marketing. She uncovers deep consumer insights to shape distinctive communities across the US, Canada and Mexico. Former CMO of Newland, she led brand and launch strategy for 40+ communities in 14 states. She co-chairs GWI’s Wellness Communities initiative and spearheaded the America at Home Study. Her work has been featured in USA Today, Forbes and CNN Business.
Dennis Steigerwalt
President, Housing Innovation Alliance, United States
Dennis Steigerwalt is President of the Housing Innovation Alliance, a national network advancing innovation in housing through collaboration among builders, manufacturers, investors, and technologists. Previously Managing Director of International Operations at IBACOS, he led strategic innovation programs across 28 countries. Dennis is also founder of Connectivity, an investment and advisory platform supporting real estate development and early-stage companies focused on housing, technology, and sustainability. He serves as Vice Chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Residential Neighborhood Development Council.
Deron Triff
Founder, Project VELUM, United States
Deron Triff is a media innovator focused on how storytelling and cultural experiences can help people thrive. He helped expand TED Talks globally through 100+ format partnerships reaching over a billion people annually. He co-created the podcasts Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman and Meditative Story with Arianna Huffington and helped architect PBS’s partnership with Comcast that launched PBS KIDS Sprout (now Universal Kids). His latest venture, Project VELUM, explores immersive storytelling environments designed to support nervous-system regulation and emotional wellbeing.
Ophelia Yeung
Senior Research Fellow, Global Wellness Institute, United States
Ophelia Yeung has extensive experience leading research and strategy development for business, nonprofit, multilateral and government organizations, including 20+ years at SRI International and as the co-director for the Center for Science, Technology and Economic Development. Since 2008, she has co-authored many research studies for the GWI, including “The Global Wellness Economy: Country Rankings” in 2022 and “Wellness Real Estate: Looking Beyond Covid” in 2021. Yeung holds degrees from Smith College and Princeton University.
