About Us

David is President of Empire Group NYC, a construction and real estate development firm based in New York City. David’s disciplined approach is rooted in his years of service in the United States Marine Corps. As a Marine, David gained the skills necessary to lead teams, projects and organizations. His 20 years of construction experience includes successful projects with prestigious clients such as Badgley Mischka, Ralph Lauren, East RIver Partners, Urban Health, Tishman Speyer and SL Green. David started his construction career in the plan room for York Hunter, where he cut his teeth on complex projects by working for the best and brightest in building construction. He quickly worked his way up from Assistant PM to Project Superintendent and Project Manager, managing projects in both NY and NJ. He ran large projects for York Hunter’s School Construction Authority program, reporting directly to the EVP. Attention to detail has been the hallmark of David’s success and to Empire Group’s stellar reputation. David’s clients have come to trust in his organization’s ability to execute, and his team’s ability to solve problems and deliver excellence.

Sanjay’s career continues to be about creating value by leveraging strengths in finance, marketing, and business development. His business leadership experience has been defined by entrepreneurship and has informed his determination to forge and manage relationships with investors, partners, and stakeholders. His early marketing experience was gained by establishing and running a start-up branded consumer in India. He leveraged lessons gained by early practical experience in working in a family-run engineering/manufacturing business. This experience combined with a passion to view business opportunities from the prism of marketing, and value enhancement, enabled Sanjay to understand the levers which drive long-term business success. Following the success of his enterprise in India, Sanjay worked for technology start-ups in the U.S., where he received insight into the speed of execution and the role that marketing plays in driving value. That insight has guided his real estate asset management career and has enabled his ability to unearth opportunities in real estate investments and fund management. The successful conversion of these opportunities has been the result of teamwork to assess financial, operational, and business risks associated with medium and long-term investments in distressed assets. It has been founded upon the continuous evaluation of real estate market conditions to identify potentially undervalued investment opportunities. Sanjay has used use his skills and experience as a thought leader by working as an adjunct professor at NYU/Tandon School of Engineering, teaching courses in marketing and business strategy. He credits the start of his professional journey to his undergraduate studies; he earned a B.S. in Engineering and Marketing at Clarkson University.

Katie Nilsen – Director, Development & Strategy for E-J Electric Installation Co. Effectiveness comes from those qualitative things that give you the ability to network, communicate and lead people toward an outcome they can’t see -Lynn Good, CEO, Duke Energy As a director of business development and strategy for E-J Electric Installation Co., Katie Nilsen has followed this quote throughout her career. Katie is a communicator-turned-business developer passionate about bringing likeminded people together to achieve a common goal. At E-J, an electrical contracting firm established in 1899, Katie is responsible for pursuing and creating strategic opportunities by cultivating partnerships and enhancing collaboration among all project team members. As a certified Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Associate, Katie focuses on design-build and alternative project delivery methods across all of E-J’s nine divisions. These divisions span from healthcare and commercial high-rise to transportation and infrastructure. Katie consistently contributes to the company’s 30% increase in annual revenue through her passion for people and progress.

Industry Associations

American Institute of Architects (AIA) American Society Civil Engineers (ASCE) Building Owners Management Association (BOMA) Design Build Institute of American (DBIA) New York Building Congress (NYBC) NYC Builds Bio+ Professional Women in Construction (PWC) Women in Transportations Systems (WTS)

Renu Dalessandro has spent much of her 20-year career in financial services working with both national and international banks, predominantly in the Marketing space. She was also afforded the opportunity to head marketing for a London-based fin-tech in 2015 which gave her exposure to branch modelling in Europe, the Middle East and in the Asia-pacific territories. She was a key player in leading the ongoing transformation of the digital bank concept, its branches and its marketing approach. Renu is currently the chief marketing officer at Jovia Financial Credit Union, where she oversees all aspects of the Westbury-based credit union’s marketing, community programs and member-focused initiatives and experiences. In addition, she oversees Retail Banking, Call Center and Member Experience areas within the Credit Union. She is a graduate of St. John’s University and is proud to call Long Island her home.

Aparna Bhatia, Board Advisor Engineer in Training (E.I.T.) and Certified Engineering Technologist (C.E.T.) Aparna is a Structural Engineer specializing in architectural, structural, and manufacturing projects with 10+ years of experience in the implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM). She has experience working on projects for various engineering and design consulting firms in both Canada and the US. Aparna has worked as a Senior BIM Technologist and BIM Manager, responsible for the strategic BIM implementation for global companies. Aparna has a broad range of experience and knowledge in various construction sectors, including the manufacturing of factory-built housing (at Katerra), architecture, structure, and civil engineering. After completing her Bachelors in Technology in Civil Engineering and Infrastructure, she has worked first as a Structural Engineering Technologist at Entuitive, and then proceeded to Stantec followed by Katerra. She has assistedmultidisciplinary firms solve complex project workflow problems. She was also involved in change management andthe introduction of innovative digital technologies to improve efficiency within modular product environments.

Arijit Banerjee is an award-winning creative marketer and martech specialist. A natural leader, Ari founded Consumer51 in 2011, a new type of marketing agency driven by a consumer-centric philosophy. He has distinguished his company by challenging his team to come from the heart, say more with less, and create experiences that matter. From digital marketing to prototype development and multicultural messaging, Consumer51 has been a growth catalyst for businesses of all sizes, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 clients. His transformative leadership was instrumental in helping Ascensus, an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company, emerge as a marketing powerhouse in the U.S. financial industry. During his tenure at Ascensus, Ari shaped the company’s brand and the creative process leading the marketing team to win over 60 design awards. Ari is also known for developing a thought-leadership program for Ascensus, with the company’s trends report titled “Inside America’s Retirement Plan.” Ari was a featured speaker at the Plan Advisor National Conference in 2016 and has presented his work on retirement trends at multiple conferences. Ari is considered one of the pioneers in the field of multicultural marketing. He has created commercials targeting Indians and Asians in the U.S. for major brands, including Walmart, McDonald’s, and Lexus. Ari holds a master’s degree in media management from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; a master’s degree in mass communication and media arts from Symbiosis, Pune; and a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from Nagpur University.