Join the Wharton Real Estate Affinity Group (WREI) for an evening with Joel Breitkopf and Brian Ray of Alchemy Properties and Alchemy-ABR Investment Partners.
The panelists will discuss their current projects and the recent resurgence of the NYC market. They will touch on areas of growth and asset classes that have not recovered and why. Moderated by Nick Petkoff.
Speakers:
Joel Breitkopf - Co-Founder, Partner and Principal of Alchemy Properties
Joel has been in the real estate industry his entire professional career. Joel is involved in all aspects of Alchemy’s developments and investments including acquisition, finance, design, construction, marketing and strategic planning and is a principal of Alchemy – ABR Investment Partners which acquires existing commercial buildings in select major markets. He joined Alchemy in 1993. Previously, he was an executive at Commercial Bank of New York and was Vice President of Acquisitions and Finance for Himmel+Meringoff Properties. In this capacity he oversaw opportunistic acquisitions and structured bank workouts in the early 1990’s. Joel was also a real estate loan officer at Chemical Bank Realty and, prior to that, an analyst at LaSalle Partners, a national real estate advisor.
In 2013, Joel started a music therapy program for Veterans with PTSD, called Healing our Heroes, at the Music Conservatory of Westchester where he is now the President of the Board of Trustees. He was also President of B’nai B’rith Real Estate, and has been affiliated with numerous other industry groups and charities. Joel has financed well over $2 Billion in real estate transactions and has acquired over 3,500,000 square feet of real estate during his career. He has lectured at the Yale University School of Architecture, the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton Graduate School of Business, Cornell University and has been an Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Master’s Program in Real Estate. Joel is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics.
Brian Ray - Co-Founder, Managing Partner and Principal of Alchemy-ABR Investment Partners as well as ABR Partners, LLC, his family holding company.
Brian is responsible for overseeing the company’s day-to-day acquisition, development and operating activities including sourcing deals, capital raising, financing, and joint venture structuring, as well as asset and project management. Throughout his twenty plus year career, Brian has acquired, developed, and managed properties with a value exceeding $3B.
Prior to founding ABR Partners in 2006, Brian spent more than a decade working with a variety of New York City real estate companies including RFR Holding, Tishman Speyer, and Inlet Capital.
At RFR Holding, Brian was actively involved in the acquisition, development, and asset management of a wide range of projects including 40 Bond Street, 25 Fifth Avenue, 122 Greenwich Avenue, Gramercy Park Hotel & Condos, Lever House, Seagram’s Building, Empire Condominium, 125 Fifth Avenue, Charter Oak Partners Portfolio, Miracle Mile Shops Las Vegas, 95 & 99 Wall Street, 980 Madison Avenue, W South Beach, Bank of America Plaza SC, White Birch Paper, 67 Vestry Street, and Emerald Dunes Country Club, West Palm Beach, FL. At Inlet Capital, an affiliate of RFR, Brian represented the interests of developers in matters involving senior and junior mortgage debt, corporate mezzanine and subordinated capital, corporate financing, private equity and asset management. His efforts also included asset management, underwriting and financial analysis for the NYLIM-GCR mezzanine fund. At Tishman Speyer, Brian oversaw property and asset management for various Class A Manhattan office properties including One Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Center’s British & French Buildings, 600 Fifth Avenue, 375 Hudson Street, 300 Park Avenue and 237 Park Avenue. He also actively participated in the pre-development of the Hearst Tower, 222 East 41st Street and 101 West End Avenue; the acquisitions of Rockefeller Center, Chrysler Center, 300 Park Avenue and 666 Fifth Avenue; and the repositioning and redevelopments of the Rockefeller Center retail complex as well as the disposition of Gateway Center in NJ.
Brian is an alumnus of George Washington University and holds a Master of Science degree in Real Estate Finance and Development from New York University where he was a recipient of NYU’s 2002 Lambda Alpha International Service Award for his contributions to the community, university, and program. He currently serves on the Advisory Boards for both the George Washington University Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis and the New York University Schack Real Estate Institute, where he was an Adjunct Professor of finance and development. Brian is actively involved in professional and charitable endeavors including REBNY, ICSC, ULI, UJA, and State of Israel Bonds. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Allison, their daughter Sammie and son Max.
Moderator:
Nick Petkoff - President, ANG Real Estate and Better Brokers, LLC
Click HERE to learn more about the Wharton Real Estate Investment Group (WREI). Please contact us with any questions at wrei@whartonny.com.
We look forward to seeing you there!
When:
Monday, November 10, 2025
6:00 PM ET - 8:00 PM ET
Where:
Midtown location (Note: Address will be sent via email to all registered guests 24-48 hours prior to the event to the "Primary Email" address listed in your profile. Please review your profile to confirm that the email address listed is correct.)
Cost:
WCNY Supporting Members - $20 (WCNY supporting membership costs $95/yr at Join/Renew Membership)
Other Wharton Alumni & Alumni Guests - $40
Gold & Benefactor Members - $0
Pre-registration is required. Please register early as events can and do sell out quickly.
Registration is subject to availability and will close on Monday, November 10th at 9:00am.
Cancellations must be made at least 48-hours (business day) prior to the event date by sending an email to Gabriela Sanchez. Refunds or credits for future events are not available for any no-shows or late cancellations. Click here for full details.
The panelists will discuss their current projects and the recent resurgence of the NYC market. They will touch on areas of growth and asset classes that have not recovered and why. Moderated by Nick Petkoff.
Speakers:
Joel Breitkopf - Co-Founder, Partner and Principal of Alchemy Properties
Joel has been in the real estate industry his entire professional career. Joel is involved in all aspects of Alchemy’s developments and investments including acquisition, finance, design, construction, marketing and strategic planning and is a principal of Alchemy – ABR Investment Partners which acquires existing commercial buildings in select major markets. He joined Alchemy in 1993. Previously, he was an executive at Commercial Bank of New York and was Vice President of Acquisitions and Finance for Himmel+Meringoff Properties. In this capacity he oversaw opportunistic acquisitions and structured bank workouts in the early 1990’s. Joel was also a real estate loan officer at Chemical Bank Realty and, prior to that, an analyst at LaSalle Partners, a national real estate advisor.
In 2013, Joel started a music therapy program for Veterans with PTSD, called Healing our Heroes, at the Music Conservatory of Westchester where he is now the President of the Board of Trustees. He was also President of B’nai B’rith Real Estate, and has been affiliated with numerous other industry groups and charities. Joel has financed well over $2 Billion in real estate transactions and has acquired over 3,500,000 square feet of real estate during his career. He has lectured at the Yale University School of Architecture, the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton Graduate School of Business, Cornell University and has been an Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Master’s Program in Real Estate. Joel is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics.
Brian Ray - Co-Founder, Managing Partner and Principal of Alchemy-ABR Investment Partners as well as ABR Partners, LLC, his family holding company.
Brian is responsible for overseeing the company’s day-to-day acquisition, development and operating activities including sourcing deals, capital raising, financing, and joint venture structuring, as well as asset and project management. Throughout his twenty plus year career, Brian has acquired, developed, and managed properties with a value exceeding $3B.
Prior to founding ABR Partners in 2006, Brian spent more than a decade working with a variety of New York City real estate companies including RFR Holding, Tishman Speyer, and Inlet Capital.
At RFR Holding, Brian was actively involved in the acquisition, development, and asset management of a wide range of projects including 40 Bond Street, 25 Fifth Avenue, 122 Greenwich Avenue, Gramercy Park Hotel & Condos, Lever House, Seagram’s Building, Empire Condominium, 125 Fifth Avenue, Charter Oak Partners Portfolio, Miracle Mile Shops Las Vegas, 95 & 99 Wall Street, 980 Madison Avenue, W South Beach, Bank of America Plaza SC, White Birch Paper, 67 Vestry Street, and Emerald Dunes Country Club, West Palm Beach, FL. At Inlet Capital, an affiliate of RFR, Brian represented the interests of developers in matters involving senior and junior mortgage debt, corporate mezzanine and subordinated capital, corporate financing, private equity and asset management. His efforts also included asset management, underwriting and financial analysis for the NYLIM-GCR mezzanine fund. At Tishman Speyer, Brian oversaw property and asset management for various Class A Manhattan office properties including One Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Center’s British & French Buildings, 600 Fifth Avenue, 375 Hudson Street, 300 Park Avenue and 237 Park Avenue. He also actively participated in the pre-development of the Hearst Tower, 222 East 41st Street and 101 West End Avenue; the acquisitions of Rockefeller Center, Chrysler Center, 300 Park Avenue and 666 Fifth Avenue; and the repositioning and redevelopments of the Rockefeller Center retail complex as well as the disposition of Gateway Center in NJ.
Brian is an alumnus of George Washington University and holds a Master of Science degree in Real Estate Finance and Development from New York University where he was a recipient of NYU’s 2002 Lambda Alpha International Service Award for his contributions to the community, university, and program. He currently serves on the Advisory Boards for both the George Washington University Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis and the New York University Schack Real Estate Institute, where he was an Adjunct Professor of finance and development. Brian is actively involved in professional and charitable endeavors including REBNY, ICSC, ULI, UJA, and State of Israel Bonds. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Allison, their daughter Sammie and son Max.
Moderator:
Nick Petkoff - President, ANG Real Estate and Better Brokers, LLC
Click HERE to learn more about the Wharton Real Estate Investment Group (WREI). Please contact us with any questions at wrei@whartonny.com.
We look forward to seeing you there!
When:
Monday, November 10, 2025
6:00 PM ET - 8:00 PM ET
Where:
Midtown location (Note: Address will be sent via email to all registered guests 24-48 hours prior to the event to the "Primary Email" address listed in your profile. Please review your profile to confirm that the email address listed is correct.)
Cost:
WCNY Supporting Members - $20 (WCNY supporting membership costs $95/yr at Join/Renew Membership)
Other Wharton Alumni & Alumni Guests - $40
Gold & Benefactor Members - $0
Pre-registration is required. Please register early as events can and do sell out quickly.
Registration is subject to availability and will close on Monday, November 10th at 9:00am.
Cancellations must be made at least 48-hours (business day) prior to the event date by sending an email to Gabriela Sanchez. Refunds or credits for future events are not available for any no-shows or late cancellations. Click here for full details.