PHOENIX, ARIZ. (April 15, 2026) – The 13th REIAC/Rockefeller Group Challenge on May 6 again offers a cash prize to a winning team of graduating Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) students from Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business.
Competing teams of graduating ASU MRED students will each present their response to a request for development for approximately 247.4 acres of land comprised of six separate tax parcels at Turf Paradise in Phoenix. Presentations will be evaluated by four celebrity judges, with audience members invited to ask questions alongside the judges.
Following the presentations, the judges will caucus privately while the audience casts live votes via Slido, with results displayed in real time. The audience vote will serve as a fifth vote and be included in the judges’ final decision to determine the winning team.
Team presentations will be limited to 10 minutes. Each member of the winning team receives a check for $1,000 from REIAC and Rockefeller Group.
The event is at Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, Adobe Bar & Grille, 2400 Biltmore Estates Drive, in Phoenix. Registration and networking begin at 3:30 p.m. The presentations are from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. with voting and announcement of the winning team shortly after. A networking mixer will be held after the announcement.
“Our REIAC chapter deeply values the collaboration with Arizona State University, as it allows us to mentor and support the next wave of talented developers in Arizona,” said Cindy Hammond, REIAC Southwest President and Owner of Churchill Commercial Capital. “These remarkable young individuals are shaping the future of our industry, and we are proud to play a part in their journey.”
Mark Stapp, Executive Director of the MRED program, described the students’ thesis as “a culminating experience that demands the application of everything students have learned. These projects present wicked problems that push the boundaries of students’ knowledge and would pose a challenge even for the most seasoned professionals.”
“The Rockefeller Group is honored to participate in what has become an annual tradition that has provided additional motivation for MRED students to be selected as one of the top three teams to compete in the Challenge,” said Mark Singerman, Past President of the REIAC Southwest Chapter and Vice President/Regional Director-Arizona for The Rockefeller Group, the event’s title sponsor.
“The inspiring and creative solutions the teams have presented at the Challenge over the years demonstrate what a fabulous job Mark Stapp and his staff have done in preparing the students for careers in real estate development and investment,” Singerman said.
Registration is required for the event. Registration fee is $30 for non-members; students will be admitted free. Register here.
PHOTO CAPTION: The 2025 REIAC/Rockefeller Group Challenge went to Tidewalk Partners. Posing with the check are (left to right) judges Sharon Harper, Plaza Companies; John Graham, Sunbelt Holdings; winning team members Hassan Akinbiyi, Kevin Lima, Josh Henig, Jamie Naudi; and judges Heather Personne, Evolve Ventures; and Charley Freericks, Howard Hughes Holdings, Inc.