Join BREAA, Berkeley's premier network for real estate leaders and innovators, for an evening of waterfront views, conversation, and connection at our first Marin Happy Hour on Friday, August 21, from 5:00–7:00 PM at Barrel House Tavern in Sausalito.
RSVP today!
Reconnect with alumni, industry professionals, and expand your network over drinks on the water. This is a no-host happy hour, with food and beverages available for individual purchase.
Come for the people, stay for BREAA - where Berkeley builds the future of real estate!
Coming from San Francisco? Join fellow BREAA members on the 4:20 PM Golden Gate Ferry from the Ferry Building. The restaurant is just a short walk from the Sausalito Ferry Terminal.
Heading back to the city? We'll make sure you have time to catch the 6:30 PM return ferry to San Francisco.
The deals are back. The city is evolving.
New tenants. New capital. New momentum.
San Francisco retail is entering a new chapter, and the people helping write it are coming together in one room!
On Wednesday, August 26, join us for an exclusive conversation on the business of retail with Berkeley alumni leading the city's investment, leading, development, placemaking, and retail transformation.
Moderated by BREAA President Catherine Minor, Senior Portfolio Manager at DWS, this distinguished panel will feature:
From Union Square's resurgence to neighborhood retail corridors, hear firsthand how today's industry leaders are deploying capital, attracting tenants, and reimagining one of the world's most dynamic retail markets.
Following the panel, continue the conversation with fellow alumni and industry professionals during a hosted networking happy hour.
EVENT SCHEDULE
4:00 PM - Registration & Networking Reception
4:30 PM - Welcome & Panel Commences
5:30 PM - Network & Closing Conversations
This is one conversation about the future of San Francisco you won't want to miss!
MEET THE PANEL
We’re bringing together five industry leaders who are shaping retail from every side of the table. From investment and capital markets to leasing, store development, and major redevelopment projects across San Francisco hear from:
Kazuko Morgan
Executive Vice Chairman, Cushman & Wakefield
With more than 20 years in commercial real estate and over $6 billion in transactions, Kazuko is one of Cushman & Wakefield’s top brokerage professionals globally. She specializes in Class A urban luxury and specialty retail, with deep experience in iconic districts including San Francisco’s Union Square, Beverly Hill’s Golden Triangle, and other premier international retail markets. Recognized by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the 2026 Broker of the Year, her ubiquity of her deals around Union Square are paramount to the shopping district’s recovery.
Nicholas Bicardo Vice Chairman, Head of Retail Capital Markets, Northern California, Newmark
Nicholas Bicardo is the Vice Chairman and Head of Retail Capital Markets Northern California in the San Francisco office of Newmark. With more than 24 years of real estate investment experience, he is responsible for institutional-grade properties, concentrating on retail and mixed-use assets located throughout the Western United States.
Prior to joining Newmark, Bicardo led the retail practice at HFF in San Francisco and has closed more than $8 billion of real estate transactions.
Marc Panzer Senior Vice President, Real Estate & Store Development, Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
Marc oversees real estate, store design, and construction across the Williams-Sonoma portfolio, including Pottery Barn, West Elm, Rejuvenation, and GreenRow. Known for challenging convention, he has helped reshape the company’s retail strategy around experience, customer behavior, and store performance.
Christie DonnellyVice President of Development, BGRE
Christie leads complex mixed-use development projects across the country, bringing together institutional capital, public-private partnerships, and local communities to transform underutilized sites into vibrant destinations.
Catherine MinorSenior Portfolio Manager, DWS | President, BREAA
Catherine Minor is a Senior Portfolio Manager at DWS, bringing an institutional investment perspective to commercial real estate with experience in portfolio strategy, capital planning, asset performance, and value creation. Her background includes overseeing construction, repositioning, and capital improvement initiatives that translate investment strategy into stronger-performing assets.
As President of BREAA, Catherine helps connect Berkeley alumni across the real estate industry. She will moderate The New Retail Playbook, bringing together perspectives on capital, development, leasing, and the future of San Francisco retail.
Together, they’ll go beyond the headlines to discuss what is actually driving San Francisco retail today: new tenants, new capital, redevelopment, consumer behavior, placemaking, and what successful retail looks like next.
The Berkeley Real Estate Alumni Association is pleased to invite you to join us for the 7th Annual BREAA Gala on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at the Four Seasons San Francisco.
Each year, the BREAA Gala brings together alumni, faculty, students, and industry leaders for an evening celebrating the relationships, leadership, and shared experiences that unite generations of Berkeley real estate professionals. As our network continues to grow, the Gala remains our signature opportunity to reconnect with fellow Golden Bears, strengthen lasting relationships, and celebrate the people shaping the future of our industry.
A visionary executive. A respected board leader. A lifelong champion of the Berkeley real estate community.
For more than four decades, Connie Moore has shaped the commercial real estate industry through visionary leadership, unwavering integrity, and an enduring commitment to mentorship. As President and Chief Executive Officer of BRE Properties, she led one of the nation’s premier public real estate companies, while her board leadership with organizations including Healthcare Realty Trust, Columbia Property Trust, Tri Pointe Homes, and the Urban Land Institute has influenced the industry across California, Texas, and markets throughout the United States.
A proud alumna of the Haas School of Business, Connie has remained deeply committed to Berkeley. She chaired the Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics Policy Advisory Board for more than twenty years and continues to serve on its Executive Committee, strengthening the connection between academia and industry while inspiring generations of future leaders.
Her extraordinary career has been recognized with the NAREIT Industry Leadership Award, the Haas School of Business Lifetime Achievement Award, designation as a Lifetime Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, and an Honorary Doctorate from San José State University.
Yet those who know Connie best speak first of her generosity as a mentor, her humility as a leader, and the lasting impact she has had on countless careers. Her legacy is measured not only by the organizations she has led, but by the people she has inspired.
Join us as we celebrate Connie's extraordinary career and hear from the colleagues, friends, and industry leaders who know her best as they share the stories, relationships, and defining moments that shaped her remarkable career and enduring impact.
We look forward to welcoming you on October 1st, 2026 for another unforgettable evening celebrating the Berkeley Real Estate community.
SPONSORSHIP & TABLE OPPORTUNITIES
For organizations and groups wishing to attend together, reserved table purchases are now available. A variety of corporate sponsorship opportunities are available for those interested in supporting the Berkeley Real Estate community while receiving meaningful visibility and event recognition.
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities or to reserve a table, please contact Gala Chair Laura Cunningham or Sponsorship Chair Alex Waterbury. Current sponsorship opportunities are available in our 2026 Corporate Partnership Brochure.
Reserve your table and ensure your organization is in the room with the clients, peers, future partners and industry leaders who make an impact in real estate!
_____________________________________________
Special Thanks To Our Partners!
Table Sponsors
Berkeley Sponsor
