PORTFOLIO COMPANIES
With a 115 years of experience, The Shapolsky Family created a platform with which they diversify their portfolio in Prime Manhattan retail, office, mixed-use, and luxury residential investment and development. The partners have owned, developed and managed real estate across various asset classes and are consistently “boots to the ground" in their process of acquiring off-market prime assets. The team synergy creates a buzz of constant deal flow with the necessary pedigree and track record forming a combined skill set allowing them to compete in any climate in any market in any part of the globe. Our international investor base is strong - spanning the globe and growing by the day. Success led to the Whitney Museum in Meatpacking (Chelsea) Manhattan. This permanent traveling exhibit in the Whitney Museum documents the ownership and control of urban space of the first generation of Shapolsky real estate development in Manhattan. The work highlights the properties and transactions of Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, which in 1971 represented the biggest concentration of real estate in New York under one group, and continues to be an active corporation and family today. The properties of the group were found primarily in the Lower East Side and Harlem. The information was culled from New York City public records and covered approximately twenty years prior to 1971. The exhibit lists about 200 properties that were purchased, owned and managed by the Shapolsky Family and has seen the inside of international Whitney Museums and The New Museum in November 2019.
STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS
Dan Choi is an award-winning AIA licensed architect and a LEED AP BD+C certified real estate developer with 20 years of experience. He is the founder of Logos Development, a real estate development firm. Prior to establishing Logos Development, Dan was a development manager at Douglaston Development where he oversaw the development of large-scale mixed-use towers in NYC. Dan also was the Director of Development for Sugar Hill Capital Partners, where he oversaw the renovation of many multifamily buildings in NYC. He is registered with the NYC Department of Buildings as a licensed architect, special inspector, and expeditor. He has the authority of self-certify the construction of his development projects. Dan was working some of the world's most famous towers on billionaires' row on West 57th and was involved in the Burj Khalifa.
Dan received his Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University and his Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell University. Previously, he was an adjunct assistant professor, teaching a core course at Columbia University’s real estate graduate program. He is currently on the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Task Force, Advisory Board for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), Asian Real Estate Assoc. of America (AREAA), and Committee Chair for FIABCI.
The Cornerstone Group assists businesses in aligning their capabilities with client needs in the federal, commercial and international marketplaces; gaining valuable insights into client operations and opportunities; identifying the ideal entry point into the client’s organization; and identifying potential teaming partners for market penetration and growth. At The Cornerstone Group, we aim to establish long-term and adaptable relationships that result in opportunities, sustainable growth and increased shareholder wealth. We focus on: Government Contracting / Small Business / Innovative Thinking / Commercial Real Estate Development / Raising Capital / Renewable Energy / Problem Solving / Cash Flow / Advocacy / Global Strategies.
John Hale III – Leadership Profile:
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The Cornerstone Group – Chief Executive Officer
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FSC First – Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and serve on the Finance and Compliance Committee
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NextEnergy – Member of the Board of Directors and serve on the Audit & Finance Committee
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U.S. Department of Energy – former Director (SES) of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. (Direct report to Energy Secretary)
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U.S. Small Business Administration – former Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access
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Chief Financial Officer and Chief Restructuring Officer – formerly serviced underperforming middle-market companies
Akash Nandi
Consultant ( Market Intelligence & Applied Mathematical Strategies)
Akash Nandi was born in New York in 1996. During his childhood Nandi quickly realized that he was passionate about sports, music, public service, and science. He attended St. Anthony's High School in Melville, NY, and while there he became the first student in the school's history to receive a perfect score on both the SAT and the ACT. Nandi spent two years at St. Anthonys, having managed to complete the school's curriculum early. Prior to entering college, he worked as an AmeriCorps member for the public service organization City Year, where he spent a year serving as an academic tutor, behavior coach, and role model in an under-resourced public school in Queens, New York. During his time working for City Year, Nandi developed a strong enthusiasm for mentoring.
Following his year of public service, Nandi attended Harvard College, where he graduated with a 4.0 GPA and Summa Cum Laude in Applied Mathematics, and was the only Applied Math major in his class to achieve this honor. In addition, he won a number of prestigious scholarships and awards during his time in college, some of which include the John Harvard Scholarship and the Detur Book Prize. Moreover, while in college Nandi discovered a passion for economics, which motivated him to apply to Harvard's Economics Ph.D. program during his senior year, to which he was admitted with a full scholarship and funding package.
Nandi has received his Master's degree in Economics from Harvard and is currently in the final stages of completing his Ph.D. In his free time, he enjoys performing quantitative freelance work and has worked on projects spanning a wide variety of fields. Moreover, he continues to keep up with his childhood passions for sports and music, being an avid basketball player, drummer, bass player, and guitar player. Lastly, Nandi continues to be heavily involved in mentoring, having had numerous mentees throughout the last few years.
