Miami Real Estate Forum 2026

Erik Rutter serves as the managing partner of Oak Row Equities. He has over 15 years of experience in real estate ownership, development, capital raising, finance and asset management. Mr. Rutter has been involved in over $5B of real estate transactions, acquisitions, special situations, and financings. Prior to founding ORE, Mr. Rutter worked at Tishman Speyer, where he worked in the NY acquisitions, the Brazil portfolio management, and the NY asset management groups. Notably, he oversaw the redevelopment efforts at Rockefeller Center. Beyond his professional commitments, Mr. Rutter currently serves as the Chairman and Founder of the NextGen board of Next Autism. Mr. Rutter is a graduate of Georgetown University, holding a B.A. degree in English and History. He resides with his wife in both Miami and New York City.

Donna Abood is Vice Chairman and Co-Head for Savills Florida. With over 40 years of experience and expertise, Donna’s primary goal is to protect the interests of clients, whether as a tenant or landlord representative. She not only negotiates office transactions on behalf of her clients but also serves as a valuable business resource with her extensive market knowledge and relationships developed throughout her successful career. Prior to joining Savills, Donna held various C-suite-level positions at commercial real estate companies across South Florida. Most recently, she was Principal and Managing Director for Avison Young, Miami. In the role, Donna oversaw client servicing, business development, recruitment, and the tenant and landlord representation services of the leasing division across Miami-Dade County. Throughout her career, she has leased over 80 million square feet of office buildings on behalf of local and institutional ownerships, including completing countless transactions on behalf of tenants she has represented. For decades, Donna was the acting principal and owner of Abood & Associates prior to being acquired in 2014 by Avison Young where she was the company’s first female director. Awards, Achievements and Activities Donna has achieved significant recognition for her successful career and community work. In addition to her professional achievements, Abood I has been actively involved in several organizations and boards, including Miami Dade Beacon Council where she served as Chairman of that Board. Additionally, she now serves as Chairman of the Board of the Governors of the College of Business at Florida State University. Her past Boards include Actors Playhouse of Miracle Mile, Miami Lighthouse For the Blind and Visually Impaired and Florida State University’s Foundation Board. Abood’s numerous accolades include being inducted into Florida State University’s College Business Hall of Fame and the Real Estate Forum’s National Women of Influence Hall of Fame. In 2023, she was honored as one of Bisnow’s South Florida Women Leading Real Estate, and every years since 2019 has been named to the South Florida Business Journal’s 250 Power Leaders. She has also been recognized as an “Ultimate CEO” by the South Florida Business Journal and received the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year Award in 2016. Education Florida State University, Bachelors, Business, Management & Marketing

Edgardo Defortuna is President, CEO and Founder of Fortune International Group, a Miami-based full-service real estate firm recognized throughout South Florida, Latin America and Europe as a leader in high-end luxury real estate. He oversees all of the company’s activities across all of its business units. Mr. Defortuna brings 40 years of experience in the real estate industry and is considered a visionary and a driving force in South Florida real estate. Since its launch in 1983, Fortune International Group has been a preeminent leader in real estate sales, management, and development, successfully operating and building in South Florida’s best neighborhoods including Brickell, Key Biscayne, Coral Gables, Miami Beach, Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach. Today, Fortune International Group maintains 20 offices worldwide with nearly 1,000 agents. In addition, its prestigious development portfolio includes many of the most prominent residential properties in South Florida including Jade Signature, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Pompano Beach, The St. Regis Residences, Sunny Isles Beach, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sunny Isles Beach, Auberge Beach Residences and Spa Fort Lauderdale, Jade Residences Brickell, Jade Beach, Jade Ocean, and Hyde Resort & Residences Hollywood. Fortune International Group is well-known around the world, with a strong presence in Latin America. The company has also penetrated the European and Asian market at full speed, with a special focus on Spain, Britain, France, Turkey and Russia. Through his company’s success, Mr. Defortuna is widely recognized for having made a significant contribution to the internationalization of Miami and its reputation as a global business, trade and vacation hub. A pioneer in many areas, Mr Defortuna can be credited for being of the first Miami developers to align with international “starchitects” to bring his vision to fruition. Fortune International Group has worked with the very best in the world including Herzog & De Meuron, Pierre Yves Rochon, Michele Bonan, Arquitectonica, Carlos Ott and others. According to Mr. Defortuna, “the keys to successful residential real estate development include market knowledge, construction experience and access to plenty of capital. Equally important are ambition and reputation.” Mr. Defortuna holds a Bachelors Degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Argentina and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Miami (1982). He is fully fluent in English and Spanish, and is a member of the Mayor of Miami’s International Council and serves as Director of the Board of the Argentine-U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Miami. Defortuna is a major benefactor of PAMM (Perez Art Museum Miami), is a member of the University of Miami Advisory Board, and is active in a number of philanthropic endeavors. On the personal front, Mr. Defortuna is married to Ana Cristina and has three children- Andres, Alexander and Edgardo. He is an avid lover of sports, as a participant as well as a spectator. He is passionate about traveling the world, and often intermingles his love for that with his business activities. Always looking at things from a global perspective and reach, Fortune International Group became an affiliate of Savills, which is one of the top three largest real estate companies in the world.

Jade began her real estate career at Douglas Elliman over a decade ago, pioneering in the new development sector from the ground up starting as an administrator. This foundation gave her a unique vantage point and a deep understanding of the industry’s inner workings. Through hard work and determination, she advanced through multiple roles to ultimately become Director of Sales shattering expectations as one of the first to make this leap and paving the way for future leaders in the industry. Today, Jade manages a portfolio of more than $3 billion as Executive Sales Strategist at the iconic Waldorf Astoria Residences New York, while also serving as Senior Sales Manager at 53W53, the Jean Nouvel designed architectural landmark developed by Pontiac Land Group and Hines. Recognized in the Top 3% company-wide and awarded Douglas Elliman’s New Development Award for a decade of achievements, Jade has earned a reputation as one of the industry’s most trusted leaders, worldwide. Renowned for her professionalism, market knowledge, and relentless work ethic, she is equally valued for her intuition and ability to anticipate clients’ needs, an instinct sharpened by her understanding of culture, environment, and lifestyle influences. Beyond sales execution, Jade brings extensive expertise in pre-development, working closely with developers on concepting, design, and positioning strategies. With several high-profile projects in her pipeline, she continues to shape the future of luxury real estate in New York and beyond. Her track record includes record-breaking sales at The Mandarin Oriental Residences Fifth Avenue, 160 Leroy, 215 Chrystie, 601 Washington Street, One Vandam, 42 Crosby, and 37 East 12th Street. In addition to her work in new development, Jade has excelled in the secondary market across New York City, the Hamptons, Los Angeles, and South Florida.

Jeff T. Blau is CEO and a Partner of Related Companies where he is responsible for leading the company’s $70 billion portfolio of assets owned and under development, spanning virtually every sector of the real estate industry. As CEO, Mr. Blau sets the strategic direction for the company’s growth and expansion, including the pursuit of new business opportunities, corporate acquisitions and financing activities. Some of the firm’s signature accomplishments include the development of Deutsche Bank Center (formerly Time Warner Center) and Hudson Yards. Under Mr. Blau’s leadership, the firm remains deeply committed to its roots developing and preserving affordable housing. The company owns and manages more than 61,000 units of affordable housing and is currently developing Willets Point, the City’s largest all-affordable housing development in 40 years, and redeveloping NYCHA’s Fulton & Elliott Chelsea Houses. Mr. Blau is the Chairman and Founding Partner of energyRe, an energy company established in 2019 out of the firm’s sustainability practices that develops utility-scale transmission, generation, storage and distributed generation solutions. In early 2025, Mr. Blau unveiled Related Digital, which today is a leading vertically integrated data center development and investment platform with a $45 billion development pipeline of more than 6 GWs of near-term power. The firm currently has projects underway in Ontario, Wyoming, Michigan, and Missouri. Mr. Blau’s serves on the Board of Directors of Equinox Holdings, Inc., Sun Communities (NYSE: SUI), Robin Hood Foundation, The Wharton Graduate School, The University of Michigan, Lincoln Center, The Mount Sinai Medical Center, the New York City Partnership Fund and the Real Estate Roundtable.