Matthew Fogel, 28

Despite the shadow of the pandemic, Matthew Fogel hit the gas on his career during his senior year at the University of South Carolina and earned his real estate license so he could jump into the market right away.

Taking that early interest in the then up-and-coming KSR would serve him well. It put him in touch with brands making a big splash in the New York City retail market, such as Unapologetic Foods, Crumbl Cookies and Pura Vida. 

“It’s been a tremendous six years now for me,” Fogel said. “I went to KSR right after college, and I’ve had the opportunity to grow with the company alongside it. I started six months before the pandemic, and I navigated my way through it, and I saw the retail landscape change. A lot of headlines had gloom written all over them, but things are just changing, and that’s the way business works. Everyone has to adapt.”

Fogel helped Unapologetic Foods, the famed Indian food brand, secure a 3,600-square-foot lease at 107 First Avenue in July 2024, where it would channel the success of its other New York City restaurants such as Dhamaka and the Michelin-starred Semma (which was named the No. 1 restaurant in Gotham recently by The New York Times). 

Another brand Fogel helped in its expansion on a non-exclusive basis is Playa Bowls, which greatly expanded its store count as retail made a comeback from the pandemic.

Originally pursuing a psychology degree to enter the same field as his father, Fogel instead chose real estate after deciding that there’s more than one way to help people — namely through philanthropy and sharing business knowledge with the less fortunate. “I figured I could do a lot greater things in the world from a charitable philanthropy aspect,” Fogel said.

Most recently, Fogel worked with a charter school program in the Bronx giving students the opportunity to learn how the commercial real estate industry works and what kind of options they have for career opportunities