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:
- Kazuko Morgan - Executive Vice Chairman, Cushman & Wakefield
- Nicholas Bicardo - Vice Chairman, Head of Retail Capital Markets Northern California, Newmark
- Marc Panzer - Senior Vice President, Real Estate & Store Development at Williams-Sonoma
- Christie Donnelly - Vice President of Development at BGRE (formerly Brookfield Properties)
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Christie Donnelly
Vice 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.
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Catherine Minor
Senior 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.
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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.
