Thesis Driven Leader Series

Retail as Remedy: Jodie McLean on Solving Loneliness Through Community-Centered Development

Jodie McLean is the CEO of EDENS, one of the largest and most influential private retail real estate owners and developers in the U.S., with a $6.6 billion portfolio spanning over 100 open-air centers. A 30-year industry veteran and pioneer of community-focused development, McLean has redefined retail not as a commodity transaction but as a human experience. At the helm of EDENS, she’s driven a bold thesis: combat isolation by designing emotionally resonant, walkable centers that serve as the modern public square. In this conversation, McLean shares how she’s positioning retail as a critical social infrastructure, discusses the data behind dwell time and emotional attachment, and explores how human connection—not just tech innovation—will define the future of the built environment. We also explore EDENS' approach to leasing, design, KPIs, and how retail can be both high-performing and deeply human. The Thesis Driven Leader Series is made possible with the support of Neutral. Neutral is redefining multifamily real estate with a focus on sustainability, resident health and well-being. For example, Neutral is building the tallest mass timber and Passive House residential building in the U.S with a state-of-art wellness club in Milwaukee. Beyond environmental impact, Neutral offers investors access to substantial sustainable tax credits and deductions. Accredited investors can explore available opportunities at invest.neutral.us [http://invest.neutral.us] or connect directly with their team to learn more.

Sue Yannaccone on the Future of Brokerage, MLS Disruption, and Why Agents Aren’t Going Anywhere

Sue Yannaccone is the President & CEO of Anywhere Brands, the residential real estate powerhouse behind Coldwell Banker, Sotheby’s International Realty, Century 21, Corcoran, and Better Homes and Gardens. With over 350,000 agents in its network, Anywhere is the largest brokerage platform in the U.S.—giving Yannaccone a front-row seat to the biggest shifts reshaping housing. In this episode, Brad Hargreaves sits down with Sue to unpack the post–NAR settlement landscape, the future of buyer-side commissions, and why Clear Cooperation is under fire. They explore how agents are adapting, the realistic role of AI in residential transactions, and the operational challenges of managing tech adoption across a sprawling franchise network. Sue also shares her long-term bet: that streamlined, integrated transactions—not bots—will define the next chapter of real estate. For anyone navigating the messy convergence of policy, tech, and consumer trust in residential brokerage, this is essential listening. The Thesis Driven Leader Series is made possible with the support of Neutral [https://www.neutral.us/?utm_campaign=9736795-Sponsored%20Podcasts&utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email%20Announcements&utm_content=Thesis%20Driven%20Podcast]. Neutral is redefining multifamily real estate with a focus on sustainability, resident health and well-being. For example, Neutral is building the tallest mass timber and Passive House residential building in the U.S with a state-of-art wellness club in Milwaukee. Beyond environmental impact, Neutral offers investors access to substantial sustainable tax credits and deductions. Accredited investors can explore available opportunities at invest.neutral.us [https://hubs.li/Q03bsbxs0] or connect directly [https://hubs.li/Q03bsbyx0] with their team to learn more.

Elise AI's Minna Song on Building the Artificial Intelligence OS for Housing—and Why Leasing Is Just the Start

Minna Song is the co-founder and CEO of EliseAI, a company using advanced natural language processing to automate communication across the multifamily industry—and beyond. Originally launched as MeetElise, the company powers AI leasing agents for over 350 customers, including 70% of the 50 largest rental housing operators in the U.S., but Song’s vision goes far beyond leasing. In this episode, she sits down with Brad Hargreaves to unpack the evolution of EliseAI, from a chatbot into an enterprise-grade operating system for housing. They talk about the gap between software teams and site teams, how operators misjudge AI timelines, and what it really takes to earn the trust of institutional clients. Song also shares her thoughts on VC fundraising, breaking into healthcare, and why she thinks real estate is finally waking up to first-principles product design. If you care about the future of operations, automation, or AI-native infrastructure, this episode is essential listening. The Thesis Driven Leader Series is made possible with the support of Neutral [https://www.neutral.us/?utm_campaign=9736795-Sponsored%20Podcasts&utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email%20Announcements&utm_content=Thesis%20Driven%20Podcast]. Neutral is redefining multifamily real estate with a focus on sustainability, resident health and well-being. For example, Neutral is building the tallest mass timber and Passive House residential building in the U.S with a state-of-art wellness club in Milwaukee. Beyond environmental impact, Neutral offers investors access to substantial sustainable tax credits and deductions. Accredited investors can explore available opportunities at invest.neutral.us [https://hubs.li/Q03bsbxs0] or connect directly [https://hubs.li/Q03bsbyx0] with their team to learn more.

Why Amazon, De Niro, and Michelin Chefs All Work With Adam Gordon

Adam Gordon doesn’t build what’s trending—he builds what’s missing. A fourth-generation New Yorker and founder of Wildflower Ltd., Gordon has spent three decades solving real estate puzzles most developers ignore: building Amazon’s first NYC e-commerce warehouse, redefining urban luxury townhouses, and now launching a vertical film studio in Queens with Robert De Niro and Bjarke Ingels. In this episode, Brad Hargreaves talks with Adam about his narrative-first approach to development, the creative patience required to succeed in New York, and why great projects often begin with the question: “What shouldn’t exist—but must?” They cover the future of industrial space, how Wildflower Studios rewrites what a sound stage can be, and why serious developers should spend 25% of their time learning. This one’s for anyone who builds with curiosity—and thinks beyond the blueprint. The Thesis Driven Leader Series is made possible with the support of Neutral [https://www.neutral.us/?utm_campaign=9736795-Sponsored%20Podcasts&utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email%20Announcements&utm_content=Thesis%20Driven%20Podcast]. Neutral is redefining multifamily real estate with a focus on sustainability, resident health and well-being. For example, Neutral is building the tallest mass timber and Passive House residential building in the U.S with a state-of-art wellness club in Milwaukee. Beyond environmental impact, Neutral offers investors access to substantial sustainable tax credits and deductions. Accredited investors can explore available opportunities at invest.neutral.us [https://hubs.li/Q03bsbxs0] or connect directly [https://hubs.li/Q03bsbyx0] with their team to learn more.

CBRE's $800M Office Bet: Industrious' Jamie Hodari on the Future of Work

Jamie Hodari led Industrious through the category’s volatile boom to a landmark $800M acquisition by CBRE—without ever calling it “co-working.” In this episode, Jamie joins Brad to reflect on the real reasons Industrious outlasted and outperformed WeWork and others, how venture capital incentives broke office operators, and why management contracts—not leases—were the quiet revolution. Now serving as CEO of Building Operations & Experience at CBRE, Hodari shares how he’s redefining Class A space, what hybrid tenants really want, and why Disney should be your model for office experience. You’ll also hear why neighborhood locations are outperforming central business districts, what the Yale Club taught him about proximity, and how he’d reposition a struggling Midtown tower today. The Thesis Driven Leader Series is made possible with the support of Neutral [https://www.neutral.us/?utm_campaign=9736795-Sponsored%20Podcasts&utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email%20Announcements&utm_content=Thesis%20Driven%20Podcast]. Neutral is redefining multifamily real estate with a focus on sustainability, resident health and well-being. For example, Neutral is building the tallest mass timber and Passive House residential building in the U.S with a state-of-art wellness club in Milwaukee. Beyond environmental impact, Neutral offers investors access to substantial sustainable tax credits and deductions. Accredited investors can explore available opportunities at invest.neutral.us [https://hubs.li/Q03bsbxs0] or connect directly [https://hubs.li/Q03bsbyx0] with their team to learn more.