From the Ground Up with Marc Weller

On this episode of From the Ground Up, Marc Weller and Matt Rienzo welcome Shane Omar, the newest Partner for Weller Development. They discuss the latest trends in real estate development, construction and the bright future ahead!

In this episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller, we take a closer look at how Weller Development and Six Senses are working together in Grand Bahama and Napa Valley. Their partnership brings together the best of both worlds, the luxury real estate development expertise of Weller Development and the sustainable luxury hospitality experience of Six Senses. Six Senses is a global leader in sustainable luxury hospitality. Their resorts and hotels, which are located in some of the most beautiful and remote places on earth, are known for their focus on wellness, sustainability, and community. Together, Weller Development and Six Senses are setting a new standard for sustainable living and luxury real estate. By combining cutting-edge technology and design with a deep commitment to the environment, they are creating communities and spaces that are not only beautiful but also responsible and restorative. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of sustainable living and luxury real estate. Listeners will get to hear about the details of this exciting collaboration and the innovative ideas behind these projects, as well as how they are setting new standards in the luxury and sustainable real estate industry.

Part 2 of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller’s interview with Rupert Hayward of Blue Action Lab dives into environmental sustainability in Grand Bahama. Working with Six Senses to boost local tourism, development, and investment on the island, Rupert brings a lifetime of experience and knowledge on environmental revitalization to the Weller Development team for the project. Tune in to listen to Rupert’s expert vision on environmental sustainability, global warming, and how Weller Development’s triple-bottom-line approach to real estate development will help bring the next iteration of sustainable development to Grand Bahama. Listeners will also learn more about Rupert’s background, his childhood in Grand Bahama, current sustainability projects, and their impact on the local economy and the environment. Rupert dives deeper into Blue Action Lab, what it does, and its efforts to create climate resilience for the planet’s future.

On this episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller, Matt Rienzo and Marc Weller discuss Grand Bahama with Rupert Hayward, Founder and President of Blue Action Lab and Blue Action Ventures, Director of the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation, Board Member of The Bahamas Protected Areas Fund, and an advisor to the University of The Bahamas on climate and resilience. A Bahamian, former merchant banker, and real estate developer with more than 20 years of international investment experience, Rupert has devoted his focus to his nonprofit, Blue Action Lab. This Bahamian non-profit organization develops strategies to combat climate change and build a resilient and sustainable future for climate-threatened communities. Marc, Matt, and Rupert talk about their experience working together on development projects in Grand Bahama and their plans for sustaining its natural ecosystems and communities in part one of this two-part series.

In this episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller, Marc Weller and Matt Rienzo sit down with former Baltimore Orioles shortstop legend, 19-time All-Star, two-time American League Most Valuable Player, and philanthropist whose nonprofit has impacted the lives of millions of people, Cal Ripken, Jr. Cal discusses his childhood and early career, tips for raising athletes and the benefit of exposing your kids to sports, the importance of building partnerships, honoring his father’s legacy with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, and more. To learn more about the Foundation and all it does to bring sports and education to communities across the nation, visit https://www.ripkenfoundation.org/.

On this episode of From The Ground Up with Marc Weller, Matt Rienzo and Marc Weller discuss sports, parenting, business, and the importance of putting “mission” before “profession” with special guest Malcolm Johnson, former NFL wide receiver turned real-estate entrepreneur and CEO of Langdon Park Capital.

Recorded from Weller Development’s new office in downtown Bethesda, this anniversary episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller celebrates the podcast’s first year around the sun. Marc Weller and Matt Rienzo insightfully unpack your questions submitted for this episode’s Q&A and reflect on some of their most influential former guests. Topics include the inspiration behind the podcast, how to advance your career in commercial real estate, the importance of building relationships, how to work with communities successfully, and more. Tune in to join the celebration and hear your questions answered by top leaders in real estate.

In this episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller, Marc Weller and Matt Rienzo continue their conversation with Ryan Kuehl, former NFL lineman and current Managing Partner at Chainable Corp. Ryan talks about his role as managing partner, aspects of the company, building his team, and assisting the development of the Q-Collar - a highly successful consumer product that is changing the game for the safety of athletes and military professionals. Ryan, Marc, and Matt also discuss the need for more accessibility to sports fields for youth teams and their ideas for solving this issue in communities. Marc asks Ryan questions about the culture of the NFL, including his favorite NFL story. Ryan's answer is about a game against the Cowboys that became a meaningful professional experience equivalent to "the hero's journey." Listen to hear more of Ryan Kuehl's perspective as they discuss sports culture and reflect on memories and crucial personal insights.

In this episode of From the Ground Up, Marc Weller and Matt Rienzo sit down with retired NFL lineman and businessman, Ryan Kuehl. From being told he was “too big for football” in high school, to playing at the University of Virginia, Ryan explains how it resulted in a 12-year career in the NFL. He stresses the importance of knowing your abilities, honesty, and the power of willing success to get to the top. Preparing for the transition to traditional work life, Ryan talks about getting his MBA during the NFL offseason and job insecurity. As a former Senior VP of Global Sports Marketing at Under Armour, Ryan describes his experiences of signing world-renowned athletes, like Jordan Spieth, and his current position as a Managing Partner of Chainable Corp. Stay tuned for part two of Ryan's story where the guys discuss what it’s like parenting athletes, the youth sports market, and more.

In this episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller, Scott Plank discusses the Reston National Golf Course and the synergy between it and the surrounding Reston community. Scott and his team, along with Cornerstones and the Reston Community Center, work hard to make it more than just a golf course. Today, it has become a natural greenspace that provides many other opportunities for people, such as the newly launched Environmental Internship Program. Tune in to hear Scott talk about his experience in urban development and his dedication to upholding Bob Simon’s 7 Principles, both of which have shaped his understanding of how green spaces can be utilized to go beyond expectations by conserving natural habitats and ecosystems, improving people’s quality of life, and meeting the community’s needs.

This episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller features award-winning interior designer Patrick Sutton. Patrick is the mastermind behind the interior of the beautiful Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, named the #1 Hotel in America by Conde Nast Reader’s Choice 2018, and he’s crafted some of the region's top fine-dining restaurants, including Maximon, Rye Street Tavern, Monarque, Perennial, and Tagliata. His work, known for capturing the unique beauty and authenticity of culture, is celebrated internationally and published in magazines like Travel & Leisure and Elle Decor. In every space Patrick designs, he creates an experience that touches each person who enters it. Follow along to this episode as Patrick takes us through a personal timeline of his journey from childhood to now, explains how his experiences in life have shaped him into the visual storyteller he is today and offers an in-depth look into the mind and eyes of one of Baltimore’s greatest interior designers.

In this episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller, Matt Rienzo sits down with Steve Siegel and Marc Weller to discuss the exciting developments within the company, their proudest moments from Port Covington, and upcoming projects on the horizon. They explain the company’s recent expansion of its development team, their plans to finalize the Port Covington project in the next year, and the process of transitioning the project into the hands of new developers. Marc Weller describes his excitement to progress the company forward into its next phase and thanks his team and its partners, who played an essential role in the development of Port Covington. Listen to learn more about new projects, including one in Grand Bahama, and Marc’s goals to invest in the community, create experiences, nurture partnerships, and continue to deliver on promises made for many years to come.

This episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller brings you an inside look at the life and career of Baltimore restauranteur, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Alex Smith. Owner of some of Baltimore’s trendiest and most well-known fine-dining restaurants, Smith has an impressive repertoire of lifetime achievements, lessons, and insights to pass on to those interested in the business of hospitality. Among the restaurants his company owns are Loch Bar, Bygone, Maximón, The Choptank, and Ouzo Bay. Smith discusses his experiences creating and maintaining a successful business in Baltimore, why to build a strong team, and how every aspect of a restaurant’s design is so crucial to its success. Smith takes us through his Rising Tide Moment: his quarterly city-wide clean-up with hundreds of Atlas Group members and employees to impact the city positively, and the programs he creates for hospitality students to experience working a summer at an Atlas Group restaurant.

In this episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller, we’re back with hosts Marc Weller and Matt Rienzo kicking it off with entrepreneur, environmentalist, and philanthropist, Scott Plank. Plank takes us through the evolution of his influential career, from his beginnings at Freddie Mac, where he started out digging ditches and swinging hammers, to managing a $1.3 billion portfolio as an asset manager in five years. After graduating from business school in the late 90s, he transitioned to Under Armour, founded by brother Kevin Plank, and helped grow the company into the robust global retailer it is today. Now, he start-ups and invests in various companies that focus on strengthening communities. Plank discusses one of his current companies, MissionGo, and the unmanned aircraft technology it manufactures to improve supply chain issues, avoid environmental threats, increase safety and sustainability, and more. From developing commercial real estate and public service programs with War Horse Cities to his focus on some of Baltimore's most significant community enhancement projects, Plank’s remarkable work leaves an imprint on the world that will be utilized for generations. Tune in for some of his favorite projects in Baltimore and the insights he’s gained.

Today's episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller is Part 2 of Development 101. Your hosts are Matt Rienzo and Steve Siegel with guest Jeff Baker, Managing Director of Development at Weller Development Company. If you're a young professional interested in or beginning a career in real estate development, listen up. Matt, Steve, and Jeff continue their discussion about the phases of development. They take a deep dive into topics such as the pre-development stage, the design process, price-checking, conceptualizing a building's idea, bidding with contractors, phases of construction, and more.

Today's episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller is Part 1 of an educational series called Development 101. Your hosts are Matt Rienzo and Steve Siegel with guest Jeff Baker, Managing Director of Development at Weller Development Company. If you're a young professional interested or just starting out in a career in real estate development, this series is for you. This episode is chock-full of detailed information with direct examples from the Port Covington Development experience. Listen in to hear some of Baltimore's leading professionals in commercial real estate discuss each exciting and challenging phase of development, such as the decisions they face in the pipeline process of landing a deal, acquisitions, navigating the due-diligence period, gaining approval, the design and construction process, leasing, and more. Stay tuned for part 2.

Matt Rienzo and guest-host Steve Siegel interview Marc Broady in the first episode of an educational series focusing on hot topics in the real estate industry. Today, they talk about affordable housing and why cities need to invest in them, how they get developed, and the impact affordable housing has on communities and families. Marc Broady, a West Baltimore native, talks about the challenges of rent for low-income single families and takes listeners through his time working as an attorney with Congressman Elijah Cummings on housing issues on national, state, and local levels that sparked his interest in starting a career in affordable housing development. Also in this episode, Steve Siegel gives insight into how he brought his experience in Washington D.C. development over to Baltimore and provides crucial knowledge about what affordable housing really is, how it began, how it works, and who benefits. Both Broady and Siegel tie their backgrounds and knowledge into how and why Port Covington is bringing affordable housing to Baltimore. Tune in to hear their perspective on how affordable housing aims to tackle issues of inequality and maintain the character of America’s great cities.

This week, Matt and Marc sit down with Tim Regan, the President and CEO of Whiting-Turner, one of the country's largest and most reputable construction companies. Tim and his team have worked with Weller Development on various successful projects, including Sagamore Pendry, and currently with Port Covington. Tim stays loyal to his values, which enabled him to carve out his path at Whiting-Turner. Raised in a blue-collar household in Northeast Baltimore, Tim learned the importance of humility and treating every day as a gift. His primary source of strength is his family, and he firmly believes the majority of his career's success stems from building it around his loved ones. His “rising tide” moment is to advise young professionals passionate about forming a successful career to show up, stay focused, make connections, and not be afraid to ask questions.

Dan Mullen is a Detroit-based commercial real estate mogul whose innovative mind and creative expertise influenced Marc Weller and other real estate developers during a “meeting of the minds” that helped inspire Weller Development to bring Baltimore’s new Port Covington to fruition. Now the founder and CEO of Future & Main, a venture development group, Dan is adapting his company to the COVID-era workplace, expanding to new markets, and continuing his efforts to combine art, culture, and technology into public experiences. In this episode, Dan takes us through his extraordinary career journey, self growth, the impact he’s made in Detroit, and what drives his passion for creative development. His mission is to create experiences in cities that connect people to new opportunities, and describes his #RisingTide moment as always taking the initiative to help others and change lives through his work by creating access to jobs and seeing his employees thrive.

Steve “Monty” Montgomery is a renowned Mid-Atlantic restaurateur, a leader, and visionary on Delaware’s culinary coast. Whether he's in one of his bars or out in the community, Monty is an instantly recognizable and celebrated face. His restaurants and bars have become town staples, the most notable being the famed Starboard in Dewey Beach. As the owner of Nicks Fish House in Port Covington, Monty has become a close colleague of Marc Weller & Matt Rienzo. On this episode of From the Ground Up with Marc Weller, Monty joins to discuss core values, commitment to community, and what it takes to be successful in the restaurant industry. Take a trip to the seaside as Monty shares a few of his own “Rising Tide” moments.

David Manfredi is a legend when it comes to the architecture, design and master planning of real estate development projects. From The Grove in Los Angeles, to Boston’s revitalized Fenway neighborhood, work in Boston Landing, and The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, David’s projects are impactful, inventive, inclusive and sustainable. His firm, Elkus Manfredi Architects, specializes in mixed-use placemaking that fosters community and creative innovation, as well as strategic workplace solutions that engage users and enhance performance. Their mission, to create common ground that brings people and communities together, is one that resonates with Marc Weller. In this episode, Manfredi shares how he got his start, his outlook on what makes projects successful and the current state of cities, along with a bit of advice for young professionals. It’s a conversation that every real estate development pro will enjoy!

Adrian Fenty is currently a founding managing partner at MaC Venture Capital, a former advisor at Andreessen Horowitz, and served as the Mayor of Washington, D.C. from 2007-2011. During his tenure as Mayor, he took on special interests and teachers' unions, fought for accountability in government and greater opportunities for children while also overseeing a dramatic reduction in violent crime. His courage reshaped the direction of the city and is much needed in our nation today. Fenty provides his innovative approach regarding education and school systems as well as his thoughts on public housing and city revitalization. In this episode, you will truly feel Fenty's passion for politics and reform, and his #RisingTide moment is a national inspiration.

Episode 2 from The Ground Up with Marc Weller features our show's first guest, Marc Broady, Vice President of Community Affairs with Weller Development Company. Broady, a Baltimore native, has impressive experience in Community Affairs, having worked with the late Congressman Elijah Cummings and for Baltimore City Public Schools. Broady joined the Weller Development Company team in September 2019 and has been leading Port Covington's integration into the SB7, the coalition of South Baltimore neighborhoods working together on community initiatives. Broady catches us up on community efforts, and shares how his experience working with Elijah Cummings prepared him for this position. You also don't want to miss his own #RisingTideMoment.

We kick off From the Ground Up with Marc Weller with a deep dive on the man himself and how Weller Development Company was established. Matt Rienzo and Marc Weller dig into Marc's past of how the Buffalo native moved to the Baltimore area, his belief in the City, and the world-renowned projects he's worked on along the way. The team also discusses the narratives around Port Covington and the positive transformations the project is making in Baltimore City. Be sure to listen for our #RisingTideMoment to hear about the recent community-building successes.

Introducing a new podcast from Weller Development Company. With over 40 years of joint experience developing and building residential, commercial, and mixed-use real estate projects, real estate pros Marc Weller and Matt Rienzo offer a unique and powerful range of expertise for all phases of development. Put on your hard hats as Marc and Matt lead lively discussions on development trends and projects with guests from across the industry. Plus, listen in for a special segment called the #RisingTide Moment to hear real-world real estate examples that are truly lifting the industry and communities. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Weller Development is currently the lead developer of Port Covington, a 235-acre mixed-use redevelopment project in Baltimore City that is one of the largest urban renewal efforts in the United States.