
Data Center Development & Infrastructure Agenda
Tuesday, October 6th, 2026
8:00 AM: Registration & Networking Breakfast
8:50 AM: Market Report & Outlook
Speakers

jeff moerdler
Partner | Chair – Data Centers and Digital Infrastructure Practice Group
Haynes Boone
9:00 AM: Real Estate Meets AI: Investing in the Future of Digital Infrastructure
As AI becomes a defining economic driver, investors and developers are repositioning assets to capture the digital infrastructure boom. This panel examines where capital is flowing in the NY/NJ region, which submarkets are best positioned for data center development, and how investors are underwriting projects amid rising construction and power costs. From REITs and institutional investors to private equity and infrastructure funds, hear where the next wave of opportunity lies.
Speakers

amir abdu
Managing Director
BGO, U.S. Investments Team

Peter c. Lewis
Founder, Chairman
Wharton Equity Partners

Sam Stockdale
Managing Director, Power & Infrastructure
Link Logistics

MODERATOR
michael j. vardaro
Managing Partner
Zetlin & De Chiara LLP
9:45 AM: The Life of a Deal: Following the Data Center Transaction Lifecycle
The AI revolution is consuming compute power; and with it, commercial real estate. Developers, operators, and investors are racing to meet the explosive demand for high-performance data centers capable of supporting AI’s massive processing loads. This session breaks down just how large this demand really is, what differentiates an AI-ready data center from a traditional one, and what the major opportunities and roadblocks for data center development are in 2026 and beyond.
Speakers

andrew bernardin
Senior Vice President
Starwood Capital Group

gavin flynn
Principal
Blue Owl Capital

jack sordoni
Co-Founder
4-3 Consulting

james nemeroff
Director
Ackman-Ziff

MODERATOR
nicole fenton
Partner
HSF Kramer
10:20 AM: Networking Break
10:35 AM: The Geographic Markets Leveraging Data Centers as an Economic Engine
This session shifts the focus to the national landscape, analyzing how data center development creates meaningful pathways for inclusive economic advancement. This panel explores the broader economic footprint of the digital infrastructure boom, focusing on how firms can align on initiatives that prioritize workforce development and local job creation. We will showcase successful models of inclusive growth and discuss how these massive capital investments are being transformed into tangible community opportunities, providing a roadmap for firms committed to social and economic impact.
Speakers

terence deneny
Senior Vice President
STO Mission Critical

John hawkins
Global Data Center Real Estate Lead
IBM

aidan hayes
MD Strategic Development
Cedar Investment Group

bella warwick
Director
Greysteel

MODERATOR
sean t. scuderi
Partner
Tarter Krinsky & Drogin
11:10 AM: The AI Resource Equation: Power, Water & Community Impact
Behind every AI data center lies an enormous appetite for both electricity and water; resources increasingly under pressure. How can developers, utilities, and municipalities balance the needs of innovation with environmental stewardship and community impact? This panel explores strategies for securing sustainable resources, mitigating strain on local infrastructure, and building transparency with the communities where these facilities operate.
Speakers

Justin manaster
Principal
Conversant Capital LLC

Eric Rosenthal
Co-Founder Managing Partner
Machine Investment Group

md sakib
Director of Strategy & Transformation
National Grid

brian schafer
Principal
Highland Associates

andrew warin
Executive Managing Director
Newmark

MODERATOR
gregory H. jaske
Partner
Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP
11:45 AM: Fireside Chat
Speakers

patrick demarco
Executive Director of Mission Critical
Holt Construction

jerry martin
COO & Co-Founder
fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty, LLC.

MODERATOR
John hawkins
Global Data Center Real Estate Lead
IBM
12:00 PM: Event Concludes
Presenting Sponsor
VIP Breakfast Sponsor
Sponsors

Haynes Boone is among the fastest-growing Am Law 100 firms, providing full-service, Chambers-ranked counsel across sectors, including corporate, energy, financial services, real estate, restructuring, litigation, intellectual property and specialty transactions. Companies at all stages rely on Haynes Boone, whether they’re in the Fortune 500 and/or S&P 500, well-funded, exchange-listed, privately held or in emerging-growth mode. More than 750 lawyers practice across 20 global offices in California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai.

Olshan is a leading New York law firm representing clients ranging from public companies, hedge, venture capital, private equity and other investment funds to entrepreneurs and private companies. We have been consistently recognized for our expertise in corporate and securities law, shareholder activism, real estate, litigation, intellectual property, advertising and marketing, tax, and bankruptcy. In addition, we have significant practices dealing with employment matters and insurance coverage. Although based in New York, our lawyers represent clients nationally and internationally.
At Olshan, the mix of clients combined with the range of our practice groups and an extremely collegial atmosphere result in a tremendous advantage. Our attorneys work closely with each other and in teams to find solutions for our clients. We offer broad and specialized services for large clients while at the same time serving smaller clients effectively on business transactions and litigation.
Olshan attorneys and practices are nationally and internationally recognized by client and peer-reviewed by Chambers USA, Legal 500 U.S., Best Lawyers®, Best Law Firms®, Lawdragon, Super Lawyers and Martindale-Hubbell.
For more information please visit https://www.olshanlaw.com/.

Celebrating more than 25 years of legal services, Tarter Krinsky & Drogin has been a trusted partner to clients worldwide, providing strategic and practical legal solutions. With a bicoastal presence and a global network of over 100 independent law firms, we offer seamless, multidisciplinary services across more than 30 practice areas.
Our 140 lawyers, many of whom are multilingual, are dedicated to understanding our clients’ unique business needs and delivering creative, results-driven strategies and solutions.
Whether advising businesses of all sizes or navigating complex disputes, we pride ourselves on our commitment to innovative thinking, exceptional client service, and building strong, long-lasting collaborative relationships.

Cedar Investment Group is an infrastructure investment and development company that originates, finances and delivers complex infrastructure and real estate projects.
Our organization manages every stage of the project lifecycle, from origination and design through capital formation, delivery and long-term asset management.
Cedar is recognized as a leading specialist in the design and development of large-scale (>100MW) liquid-to-the-chip cooled data centers in North America. These technical facilities are focused on critical applications for the most demanding Artificial Intelligence and Hyperscale users.
The Cedar team has originated and capitalized over 1.6GW of US data center capacity since 2023.

Ackman-Ziff is the industry’s preeminent boutique real estate capital advisory firm. Ackman-Ziff offers a wide variety of cutting-edge commercial real estate capital markets financing solutions, including debt and mezzanine financing, preferred and joint venture equity, sponsor equity, and investment sales. In business for 100 years, the privately held company is headquartered in New York City. The firm is highly regarded in the industry for its integrity, creativity, and advocacy on behalf of its clients.
Ackman-Ziff has built a dedicated Infrastructure Group focused on raising debt and equity capital across the power and digital infrastructure sectors. The firm has closed over $500 million of capitalizations across a range of strategies, with an additional $1 billion+ under closing or being marketed. The team works with developers, sponsors, and operators across data centers, power generation, energy storage, aviation, and other infrastructure strategies, providing tailored capital solutions across all stages of development and operation.

Link Logistics is a leading operator of last-mile industrial real estate and warehouse properties.
Established by Blackstone in 2019, Link Logistics supports the delivery of essential goods
through a half-billion-square-foot portfolio of modern warehouses across the U.S. By connecting
consumption, technology and e-commerce, we play a vital role in how businesses reach their
customers. We leverage our scale, proprietary data, and focus on sustainability and power to
help customers run smarter operations and deliver value for stakeholders. At the same time, we prioritize our people and communities, making a positive difference where we live and work.

STO Mission Critical is a global team of experts who bring together the resources of the STO Building Group, providing our clients with the benefit of our collective experience, people, relationships, and expertise. For STO Mission Critical, each opportunity is bigger than the job at hand. The value that comes from building a relationship through a job well done cannot be measured.

Holt Construction is one of the nation’s leading construction management and general contracting firms. Formed in 1919, Holt is under the third generation of Holt family leadership and has grown into a multifaceted firm with a national industry presence. Headquartered in New York with regional offices throughout the country, Holt brings the resources, technical expertise, and experience while maintaining the personal approach and accountability of a family company. With an arsenal of lessons learned and proven best practices developed through more than two decades in mission critical construction, Holt’s team is equipped to execute complex projects while minimizing operational risk and maintaining the reliability these environments demand.
Holt’s Mission Critical Division is a national-level resource providing specialized expertise in the construction, expansion, maintenance, and decommissioning of mission critical environments and data centers. Holt’s capabilities span the full lifecycle of mission critical facilities, including decommissioning of network equipment, critical infrastructure decommissioning, data center consolidations, preconstruction services, site surveys and risk analysis, conceptual design and engineering, space planning and programming, efficiency analysis, design-build services, owner’s representation, end-of-life equipment replacement, data center expansions, and telecommunications maintenance contracts.








