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2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Maxwell Baum, Pickard Chilton
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? My interest in commercial real estate originates with my passion for architecture. Working as an architect professionally has afforded me the experience of seeing how well-built buildings and careful design planning can create long-lasting,
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Jonathan Viruet, Pioneer CRE
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? I grew up in construction with my father at a very young age. Upon graduating college and returning to the family business, I found that Real Estate was the next step to building an illustrious career alongside my previous knowledge.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Jessica Bardi, Robinson+Cole
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? My career path is rooted in a lifelong passion for the ocean and the natural environment, which grew from years spent sailing and later studying marine biology and environmental conservation.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Cade Ziegler, Structis Construction
April 24, 2026
What accomplishment or project so far in your career are you most proud of? One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of was taking over a contract to support a project that we were not originally contracted for. The situation called for immediate manpower and materials, requiring my crew and me to be on site 24/7, Friday through Monday,
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Matthew Oliva, Wendel Companies
April 24, 2026
What accomplishment or project so far in your career are you most proud of? Two projects that stand out are adaptive reuse mill conversions into housing: the North Armory Apartments in Hartford and the Ellis Block Apartments in New Britain. While in school, I admired how historic buildings could be reimagined for modern life, and it was rewarding to later help bring that vision to reality.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Neve Cushman, Margulies Perruzzi
April 24, 2026
What accomplishment or project so far in your career are you most proud of? I am most proud of my role as Interior Designer on the new ZoomInfo office in Waltham, MA – my largest project to date. It was a pleasure to help bring the client’s vision to life, creating a distinctive and sophisticated space they are proud to call home. The process was highly collaborative, working closely with the broader team to ensure a cohesive and thoughtfully designed space.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Alexandra Kielty, Columbia
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? I grew up watching my dad complete projects around our house, which inspired me to pursue a bachelor’s degree in architecture at Wentworth Institute of Technology. During my first summer at Wentworth, I completed a coop with a nonprofit called Homes For Our Troops.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Kerri Burke, Barsh and Cohen, P.C.
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? My path into commercial real estate evolved naturally from my construction-focused legal practice. I regularly work with developers and contractors operating in the commercial space, and many of our residential clients also have business and commercial property needs.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Marissa Gropman, TotalOffice Interiors
April 24, 2026
Who has been a mentor or influential figure in your career, and what is the most valuable advice they have shared with you? An influential mentor in my career has been Caren Jenkins, who emphasized that long-term success is built on authentic relationships and consistency.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Connor Gill, NAI | Parsons Commercial Group | Boston
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? After graduating from Babson College, I began my career in sales at Dell EMC, building a strong foundation in client service and deal strategy. I transitioned into commercial real estate to work in a more relationship-driven, asset-based industry. I started at Cummings Properties in property management, managing a portfolio of over 100 clients spanning office, retail, medical, and lab space.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Jen Stevenson Zepeda, ReVision Energy
April 24, 2026
>What accomplishment or project so far in your career are you most proud of? One project I’m especially excited to see coming online this year is the Franklin Cummings Tech solar project. Having a solar installation on the roof of a technical school gives students real, handson exposure to the kinds of careers they’re training for and we can always use more folks in this field.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Tal Hartstein, Saunders Real Estate
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? I grew up immersed in commercial real estate, watching my grandfather and mother build careers in a business that is fast paced, strategic, and deeply relationship driven. It always felt exciting and naturally drew me in. While I knew I would join our family company, I took time to explore marketing and law, which helped shape my perspective and values.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Brendan Kacmarcik, JJ Welch
April 24, 2026
What accomplishment or project so far in your career are you most proud of? I am proud to have successfully led my first job through completion for one of our longtime clients, Just Salad, in Chestnut Hill, MA. At the midpoint of the schedule, I was informed that owner-supplied HVAC equipment would be delayed by two weeks.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Thomas Perry, Corderman & Company, Inc.
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? I studied architecture and economics in college. After graduating, I obtained my real estate license and worked as a residential agent but found myself increasingly drawn to the composition of the buildings themselves
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Kelley O’Donnell, Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? My early experiences as a counselor for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and as a mental health worker supporting adult psychiatric patients shaped my passion for advocacy and problem solving, making the transition to law a natural fit.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Anna Loc, JGE Architecture + Design
April 24, 2026
What accomplishment or project so far in your career are you most proud of? I’m most proud of completing 10 Stonley Rd./Brookley Flats in Jamaica Plain, a 45-unit, 100% affordable, Passive House-certified development. Charged with a “surgical” redesign, we reimagined the façade and refined interiors for long-term homeowners.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Jay Bliefnick, ACENTECH
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? My career path was a bit circuitous, as after high school I was truly passionate about pursuing a life in the music industry. I was in multiple bands as a bassist/guitarist and also broke into live and studio music production.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Brooke Foster, Bernkopf
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? Going into law school, I wanted to pursue criminal law. With the guidance of a fantastic mentor in my business classes, I discovered my analytical skills and developed an interest in business law.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Steven Altmann, Hinckley Allen
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? I was drawn to commercial real estate law because the work is tangible. Every deal is tied to a building, a neighborhood, a community, and there is real satisfaction in driving past a project I helped bring to life.
2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Andrew Bourque, Pariseault Builders
April 24, 2026
What inspired you to pursue a career in this industry, and what path brought you to your current role? After graduating college with a degree in business, I started working as a laborer and worked my way up at a custom home builder in Montana. I enjoyed being outside and working physically and learning on the job skills.