POWER CONNECTIONS

Saber is the Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Wireless Vision. Wireless Vision is a family owned business established in 2004 and is T-Mobile’s largest branded partner in the country with over 450 locations in 30 states. He has more than 35 years of operating experience in multi-unit retail. His entrepreneurial drive has led him to start and invest several businesses, most of them retail oriented. Saber serves on multiple private boards and is an operating partner for Gauge Capital. Through Saber’s family office, Ammori Equity Partners recently has made a purchase in the Car wash business with the acquisition of 19 Zax Locations.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree from Northwood University and a Master’s Degree in Management from Walsh College.

Workforce: More than 4,000

Community Involvement: Saber is active in many community give back partnerships and finds his passion in mentoring and leadership programs.

Downtime: He enjoys spending time with his wife, Jeanine and their five boys.

Don Barnes III is the transformative president and “Chief Tire Guy” at Belle Tire, guiding the company to significant growth since joining in 2008. With over 15 years of experience, his expertise spans operations, finance, sales, marketing, and business development. Under his leadership, Belle Tire has expanded to over 180 locations across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, becoming Michigan’s largest tire dealer and ranking 9th in the nation. Don’s dynamic leadership style is marked by high energy and collaboration, resulting in teams that consistently deliver top-tier results. His strategic vision has not only propelled Belle Tire’s market expansion but also enhanced its suite of auto services. Holding an MBA and BBA in Marketing from Michigan State University, Don’s academic background complements his extensive professional achievements, making him a key figure in the automotive service industry’s landscape.

Sam Beznos

CEO, PARTNER

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• In charge of all management, asset management, development, construction and rehabilitation of existing apartment and retail portfolios throughout the country
• Oversees all new acquisitions and development opportunities for Beztak

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERTISE

• Specializes in land development and property rezoning and finance
• Strategic planning and risk evaluation • Experienced in financial modeling and valuation analysis

EDUCATION

• Master of Science in Real Estate with Distinction, New York University
• Bachelor of Arts with Distinction, University of Michigan

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS/AWARDS

• Licensed Real Estate Broker:
  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee

Mike Duggan is the 75th mayor of the City of Detroit.  He has been in office since January 2014 and currently is serving his third four-year term, which will expire at the end of 2025. Born in Detroit, Duggan has spent his entire career working in the city to solve some of the most complex issues facing Detroiters, including crime, blight, transportation, health care and access to jobs.

When he was first elected, Detroit was in the midst of bankruptcy and could not deliver the most basic services due to broken processes and loss of tax base. It also was faced with more than 40,000 abandoned homes dragging down neighborhoods.  Under Mayor Duggan’s leadership so far, 35,000 of the vacant homes have been removed or renovated, City services are reliable, and the City’s strong financial stewardship has brought the City’s credit rating to within one notch of investment grade.  

In recent years, the Mayor’s success in landing major employers, such as Stellantis’ new Jeep assembly -plant, GM’s Factory Zero, Ford’s Michigan Central campus and a new 4-million-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center, helped drive down Detroit’s unemployment rate to its lowest level (4.8%) in recorded history.  Through Duggan’s workforce development program, Detroit At Work, and President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act, Detroiters now have access to $100 million in job readiness programs to help make them eligible for the abundant job opportunities in the city.

In his third term, Mayor Duggan has shifted the City’s focus from removing blight to creating beauty through more than 160 renovated parks, hundreds of City-sponsored public murals and the conversion of miles of largely abandoned railroad lines as part of the 26-mile recreational loop, the Joe Louis Greenway.  

Mayor Duggan married Dr. Sonia Hassan in 2021 and has four adult children.

Jill Ferrari has 27 years of experience in urban redevelopment.  Her background includes private real estate acquisition and development, legal practice, consulting, and community development. In 2019, Jill co-founded Renovare Development, a majority woman-owned commercial real estate development company focused on transformational projects that serve a deep community need, currently with over 100 million in the development pipeline. Renovare Development was named one of the “Top 20 Entrepreneurs Disrupting their Industry in 2023” by Disruptors Magazine. Jill is the current Chair of Mission Advancement for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Michigan District Council, where she co-founded the Women’s Leadership Initiative and the Young Leader Group. Jill was nominated for the DBusiness Commercial Real Estate Awards “Pioneer Award” in 2023. She was named a Crain’s Detroit “Notable Executive in Real Estate” in 2021, a GlobeST Magazine “Woman of Influence” in 2021, a 2017 “Woman of Distinction” by the Wayne State University Council on the Status of Women and a 2016 winner of the Melvin Simon Award from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Foundation.  She is a founding board member of the Women’s Sustainable Development Initiative, supporting emerging women developers.

John Hindo serves as President of Boji Group. With more than several decades of experience as a private practice attorney with a concentration on real estate and commercial transactions, John applies his considerable knowledge and background toward representing clients in all facets of business and real estate including real estate development, leasing, drafting and negotiating buy-sell agreements, corporate formation and securing financing.

Also, a licensed real estate broker, John’s extensive legal expertise in private-public partnerships, as well as municipal and corporate transaction structures, provide an ideal fit for the mission of Boji Group to create a bridge between private and public entities to better achieve project goals and outcomes. Serving appointments to the Wayne County Building Authority Board of Directors, the Commerce Township Board of Trustees and Commerce Township Planning Commission has provided John with a unique perspective on the benefits and storied achievements that private-public partnerships in development can provide to a community. He specializes in highly complex transactions, effectively communicating and achieving client goals.

Outside of Boji Group, John is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Chaldean American Bar Association, Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, and Metropolitan Consolidated Association of Realtors.

John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Wayne State University in 2000 and was awarded a Juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy Law School in 2003. He is admitted to practice in the State Courts of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western District of Michigan.

Arie Leibovitz has devoted his entire business life to the acquisition, development and management of real estate investment properties. After several years of learning the real estate business from the ground up, Mr. Leibovitz founded Ari-El Enterprises in 1979. Ari-El Enterprises was established to take advantage of Mr. Leibovitz’s skills in maximizing real estate asset values. Today, the company is an agile enterprise that is poised to act quickly on profitable investment opportunities of any scope.

 Mr. Leibovitz and his dedicated staff of professionals currently operate a diverse portfolio comprised of more than three and a half million square feet of high-quality industrial, office, retail and apartment communities.  He is a real estate broker licensed to practice in Michigan.

While maintaining a long-term point of view, Arie Leibovitz’s keen instincts and entrepreneurial spirit are carefully balanced with his knowledge of how to minimize risk for partners, investors, and lenders.

Matthew B. Lester graduated from the University of Michigan in 1987 with a bachelor degree and in 1990 obtained a law degree from the University of Southern California.

In 1994, Mr. Lester established Princeton Enterprises, a privately held real estate investment company based in Southfield, Michigan that owns and operates an investment portfolio consisting of multifamily housing, storage, light industrial, and other commercial facilities located throughout the Midwest and Southeast. Mr. Lester and his various partners have acquired over 200 properties with an aggregate value of $1 billion.

Princeton employs nearly 800 people and has expertise in real estate acquisitions, development, property management, construction, and maintenance. As chief executive officer, Mr. Lester oversees the company and is responsible for the management of each property. He is involved in the daily responsibilities of property management and employs an experienced and talented staff responsible for executing the strategic vision of the company.

Raji Uppal is Vice President/Principal of DTN Management Co. as well as Chief Executive Officer of DTN Asset Management & Development, LLC and Stellar Broadband, DTN affiliates. Raji also serves on the board of directors of DTN Management Co. and oversees company acquisitions, asset management and IT functions. He is an IREM Certified Property Manager which enables DTN to be an IREM Accredited Management Organization. Before joining DTN, Raji was a project manager focusing on business development for Hughes Communications in El Segundo CA, where he assisted in the creation of businesses such as DirecTV and XM radio. Using the skills learned at Hughes, Raji founded Stellar Broadband, a fiber-optic based internet and cable television business. Raji is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and El Camino College of Los Angeles with an Associate’s Degree in Real Estate. He also is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Michigan.