See Thesis Driven at Blueprint 2025
We're back hosting this year's Vision Stage featuring top developers and their projects
The Vision Stage is back and bigger than ever.
Following up on last year’s success, we’re again partnering with Blueprint—the leading conference bringing together real estate innovators, builders, and investors—to showcase the real estate developers presenting their most innovative and forward-thinking projects.
We’ll dig into the developers and projects we’re showcasing in a bit, but here are the things you need to know:
Blueprint is taking place on September 16-18th in Las Vegas. If you’d like to attend, you can get $300 off the ticket price with Thesis Driven here. And Kam and I will be there for the whole show, so if you ever wanted to pitch me on featuring something in Thesis Driven, investing in your syndicate buying distressed Phoenix multi, or joining your padel club… there’s no better time.
And while this note is focused on the Vision Stage, Blueprint itself has an awesome lineup of speakers and talks covering topics from data centers and BTR to AI tactics and construction tech. It’s the place to dive deep into emerging technologies touching real estate and meet the people blazing the way.
And if you’re a real estate developer or owner, there are two ways to get into Blueprint for free:
Apply for a Roundtable Pass. This would give access to a private 10 person developer-focused roundtable and a complimentary ticket for all 3 days. Apply here.
Email me about a super-secret advisory committee. You need to have experience operating real estate—including making technology buying decisions—to qualify. But being on it gets you into Blueprint for free, plus some other stuff. (You can reach me, as always, at brad@thesisdriven.com)
So who will be on this year’s Vision Stage? We have an awesome lineup this year, including:
Frank Monterisi, EVP, Related Companies
Monterisi, one of the top executives at Related Companies, will introduce the firm’s massive stadium-anchored project in Willets Point, Queens—delivering 2,500 below-market units, it will be the largest all-below market new construction housing development in NYC in more than 40 years.
Steve Edwards, Principal & President, REthink Development & Reena Brillot, Deputy City Manager, City of Santa Clara
Edwards and Brillot will present one of Silicon Valley’s most compelling placemaking projects featuring more than 1,250 units and 100,000 square feet of retail and creative use. (We featured Edwards’s work in Santa Clara in a prior Thesis Driven piece on placemaking.)
Sam Charney, Principal & Founder, Charney Companies & Sharon Ayalon, CEO & Co-Founder, Urbanmix
Charney and Ayalon are behind Gowanus Wharf, one of Brooklyn’s most exciting developments, featuring more than 1,000 apartments as well as a public park, canal boardwalk, retail, and more.
Michael Hirschfeld, Vice Chairman, JLL
Hirschfeld will discuss BLVD Las Vegas, the most exciting new project on the Strip since the giant spherical arena-eyeball thing.
Blake Berg, Chief Development Officer, DC Partners
Berg’s firm is building a 22-acre hotel-anchored master planned development in Fredericksburg, Texas—one of the most compelling projects to come to the Texas Hill Country and bringing our concept of the Walkable Exurban Downtown to life.
Chris Patton, Director of Virtual Design & Construction, Rogers O'Brien Construction
Patton will be presenting Cosm, a new kind of “shared reality” live entertainment experience. Cosm is currently live in LA and Dallas with locations opening soon in Detroit and Atlanta.
Casey Roloff, CEO & Town Founder, Seabrook, WA
Regular Thesis Driven readers are probably familiar with Seabrook—it’s one of the most compelling town-building stories in the US today, and we did a deep dive on Seabrook a while back. This is a great opportunity to hear the Seabrook story—and future—straight from the town’s founder, Casey Roloff.
Ryan Johnson, CEO & Co-Founder, Culdesac
With over 1,000 units, 17 acres, two miles of bike and foot paths, and zero resident parking spaces, Culdesac is perhaps the most ambitious attempt to build a neighborhood without cars. CEO and Co-founder Ryan Johnson will share his vision and where the project stands.
Want to join us? Register here for $300 off the ticket price. See you in Vegas!
—Brad Hargreaves