Guest Speakers
John Guitar
Managing Director & Vice Chairman, Blanca Commercial Real Estate
John Guitar is Managing Director, Vice Chairman of Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Inc., the leading independently owned commercial real estate services firm in Florida. With more than 22 years of market expertise, including extensive development and transactional experience, Mr. Guitar is leading the firm’s statewide expansion and is also an active broker sales associate.
Prior to joining Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Mr. Guitar served as Senior Vice President of Business Development at Florida East Coast Industries, where he oversaw transit-oriented development for All Aboard Florida, and leasing activities for the stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Before All Aboard, Mr. Guitar was Vice President at Flagler Development and responsible for real estate development and asset management for the company’s extensive asset portfolio.
Mr. Guitar received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rollins College and is a Certified Commercial Investment Member.
Arnaud Karsenti
Managing Principal, 13th Floor Investments
Arnaud Karsenti is the Managing Principal of 13th Floor Investments where his core focus is on management and growth of the firm. Mr. Karsenti is primarily responsible for the general direction of the firm’s investment strategy and overall capitalization. In this capacity, Mr. Karsenti’s role is one of new business origination, deal structuring and investor relations.
Mr. Karsenti has been active in the real estate business since 2003, when he began his real estate career assembling and developing land parcels in Miami’s urban cores. These initial one-off acquisitions led to the creation of 13th Floor in 2007, which has acquired, developed and managed over $1.5 billion in real asset value since inception. These transactions have ranged from property acquisitions to restructuring of distressed debt, fractured residential inventory, community district development bonds and a host of joint venture structures.
Prior to founding 13th Floor, Mr. Karsenti founded Collegeboxes, the nation’s leading college-based shipping and storage companies, which was acquired by U-Haul in 2004. Mr. Karsenti is an active member of the Young President’s Organization, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, and a variety of other local and national philanthropic organizations. Mr. Karsenti graduated cum laude from the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and holds an MBA from the Harvard School of Business.
Mika Mattingly
Executive Vice President, Colliers International
In 2016, Mika Mattingly joined the South Florida offices of Colliers International, launching the firm’s Urban Core division.
As co-leader of this group, Mattingly’s team specializes in urban renewal, off-market sales, and assemblages across core South Florida neighborhoods.
With a strong foundation of building-level market data and a knack for navigating the complexities of urban zoning and approvals, Mattingly has established herself as the premier real estate expert in the Downtown Miami area. She has been a driving force behind the market transformation from a neglected business corridor to a revitalized destination for real estate investing and community.
Through her perseverance and keen eye for highest and best use, Mattingly has sold many of these cherished historical buildings - some of which had been left unused for years and will now be reenergized with an influx of capital and urban renewal efforts. These landmark buildings include the Old Post Office, Dade Commonwealth Building, Thomas Center and Courthouse Tower.
Prior to Colliers, Mattingly was an instrumental player in major assemblages, including being the lead broker on behalf of investor Moishe Mana, who has acquired a major presence in downtown Miami. Since 2014, she brokered 53 transactions worth $306 million targeting commercial properties on East Flagler Street and surrounding areas.
Mattingly began her career in real estate in late 2006, learning the ropes on the tail end of Miami’s last boom. Always on the grind, she sold notes in the dry years that followed. When the market began to recover, she turned my attention to the emerging neighborhoods in Miami’s urban core. Mattingly became known for her keen intuition in pinpointing blighted areas that were poised for explosive growth, well before they were on the radar.
Nitin Motwani
Managing Principal, Miami Worldcenter Associates
Nitin Motwani has been the managing principal of Miami Worldcenter since 2006. He is responsible for everything from land acquisition, zoning, and entitlements to financing, joint ventures, and development. Mr. Motwani is also a managing director of Encore Capital Management, which currently has over $1 billion of investments across the country, including holdings in Florida, California, Texas, and Arizona. Earlier in his career, Mr. Motwani was the president of Merrimac Ventures.
Mr. Motwani is also actively involved in building the Miami community, through his roles as the chair of the Economic Development and Technology/Marketing and Communications Committees of Miami's Downtown Development Authority. Mr. Motwani is also a member of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Beacon Council. He is also a co-chair of the nonprofit Operation Hope for Haiti, which has helped Haiti position itself for a sustainable, long-term recovery tied to economic development, education, and health.
