Each year, the ULI Young Leaders Exchange (YLX) selects a dynamic city as the backdrop for an immersive exploration of urban development. It brings together the most promising minds in real estate, planning, and design across the Americas—not simply to observe but also to engage, collaborate, and shape the industry’s future.
To that end, in April, “YLX 2025 Orlando Unbound—The Space Between” welcomed 51 registered attendees representing 22 District Councils, including three returning participants from past exchanges. Led by YLG Central Florida chairs Matt Morris and RJ Immerman, this year’s Exchange was about placemaking, urban transformation, and connection. From in-depth panels and neighborhood tours to group dinners and late-night conversations, every moment was designed to bring people closer to the region, to its leaders, and to one another.
“Backing our young leaders at the Exchange has real returns—new contacts, tested engagement formats, and clearer thinking about what scales,” one employer sponsor said. Participants agreed: The structured, cross-market sessions helped translate lessons into local impact. That shared value proposition lets the Exchange keep gaining traction. Among the connection spots: Lake Nona Wave Hotel, where sculptor Jefrë led a walking tour of his large-scale installations throughout the Lake Nona area—demonstrating how iconic art can anchor placemaking in emerging communities. That evening’s opening reception and roundtable dinner featured regional leaders David Crabtree, principal of HiveWorkshop, and Samia Singleton, manager of Community Redevelopment Agency for City of Kissimmee, in a discussion about Orlando’s evolving development landscape, followed by an informal social hour that quickly turned into the first of several nightly after-party networking events.
Main Streets bus tour
Day two began next morning, with a bus tour of Orlando’s primary corridors. Ryan Young, CEO at Interstruct Design + Build, hosted everyone at his Parramore office, where he led an interactive discussion on small-scale, high-impact revitalization, inviting questions that sparked peer-to-peer dialogue on community engagement, downtown revitalization, and more impactful infill development.
The tour then proceeded to East End Market, where developer and owner John Rife described how the market’s redevelopment has catalyzed neighborhood growth while highlighting his incubator-style support for local entrepreneurs. Rife cited Gideon’s Cookies’ rise from a corridor vendor to a Disney Springs tenant as an example.
As the group passed through Baldwin Park—a nationally recognized master-planned community known for walkability—participants exchanged notes on best practices. The tour wound into the Ivanhoe neighborhood, eventually landing at The Packing District, a mixed-use project developed by the Dr. Phillips Foundation. There, dinner and a lively networking reception allowed attendees to debrief and build new connections before heading to that night’s after-party.
Day three shifted to hospitality placemaking, starting with Universal’s CityWalk, where an open Q&A revealed how entertainment-driven design integrates with Orlando’s economy. Boats then carried guests to the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel for a collaborative session on how hospitality anchors can support adjacent theme-park growth. Back at Lake Nona, an affordable and workforce housing panel—moderated by Adriannis Suarez, director of land acquisition at Birdsong Housing Partners, with insights from Ryan von Weller, COO of Wendover Housing Partners—opened up into an interactive forum before officially closing YLX 2025.
The Exchange’s influence extends far beyond our region—it strengthens the ULI network across cities and generations, weaving a foundation of shared experience that will shape the future of urban development.
From conversations to collaborations: forging lasting connections
From the outset, the Central Florida Young Leaders Group set out to make this year’s Exchange more than just a visit to sunny Orlando. It had to be deeper than a tour, more profound than a standard industry gathering. YLX is about more than surface-level learning—it’s about fostering the future of urban development through authentic connection.
Opportunities to engage with the next generation of leaders who will shape the cities of tomorrow are rare. Those opportunities make YLX extraordinary. Success wasn’t just about showcasing Orlando’s evolution; it was also about creating a deeply experiential event that brought people together in a meaningful way.
In April 2025, that vision came to life. Over the course of a few days, strangers became allies, colleagues became collaborators. What stayed with attendees wasn’t just what they saw—it was what they felt. The moments of insight, shared laughter, and quiet conversations forged bonds that will endure long after this gathering. As Dallas–Fort Worth YLG leader Isaac Manning Jr. put it, “I knew Orlando would be fun, and I expected to see incredible projects. But what I didn’t anticipate was forming such meaningful connections.”
YLX thrives on diversity—of thought, background, expertise, and vision. Every moment—whether on the bus, during meals, in tours, or amid late-night hotel conversations—was an opportunity to engage and collaborate. As Manning, a development associate with Trinity Works, reflected, “My network now spans the continent after YLX. ULI attracts the most diverse and interesting people . . . . I can’t wait to [work] on exciting projects down the road with my new contacts.”
Building the blueprint: strengthening skills for impact
The power of the Exchange lies in its dual impact: it educates, and it connects.
At YLX 2025, professional development wasn’t limited to absorbing insights—it came alive through experience. For instance, in discussions on Main Streets, attendees compared attributes of successful main streets to their home regions. In another, attendees debated what elements of hospitality from CityWalk at Universal and Disney Springs could go into placemaking for retail assets nationwide.
For Suarez, one of those moments came when she was invited to moderate an affordable housing panel for the first time. “Public speaking is one of those tasks that pushes me out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Moderating the event felt a little shaky at first, but as I looked around the room, I [recognized] the opportunity in front of me—to help educate and engage young professionals on the critical issue of affordable housing.”
The moment transcended technical knowledge. It required composure, clarity, and the courage to guide a room through a complex subject with real-world stakes. “That realization allowed me to take a deep breath, refocus, and push through the initial nerves,” she said. “By the end of the discussion, I had not only contributed to an important conversation but also taken a meaningful step forward in both my professional development and personal growth.”
That dual transformation—gaining knowledge while stepping into new leadership—is what sets YLX apart. The Exchange was designed to bring out the potential within people. And it did so, not by making things easy but by making them meaningful.
Whether speaking publicly, moderating panels, or engaging in small-group tours, attendees practiced articulating ideas under pressure (in Suarez’s case, on affordable housing)—skills that stretch far beyond real estate. Participants were pushed to understand the industry better, to express it better, to lead within it.
Suarez credits this culture of support with giving her the confidence to grow: “I owe this opportunity to the welcoming experience and unwavering support that the ULI Central Florida Young Leaders . . . provided. Their encouragement and inclusive environment have played a big part in helping me grow, take on new challenges, and feel empowered to make an impact.”
Unscripted lessons: mentorship in unexpected moments
A core strength of YLX 2025 was its ability to create real access. The event was intentionally structured to foster interaction among students, early-career professionals, and established leaders—not through isolated programs but, instead, through shared experiences such as panel presentations with open debates and tours that included active discussions with developers.
That structure gave participants at the beginning of their careers a clearer view into the decision-making, strategy, and responsibility that define the built environment. Students from all over attended, including members of the University of Central Florida’s Real Estate Society. For many of them, it marked a meaningful shift in how they understood the industry and their potential role in it.
Joshua Parker, president of the University of Central Florida Real Estate Society, described the experience: “As I transition into my career, YLX [offers] a powerful reminder that real estate is about more than buildings—it’s about people and impact. The conversations around intentional development, especially from speakers [including] Ryan Young, reshaped how I think about community-focused design. Plus, the opportunity to network with the next generation of commercial real estate leaders nationwide was invaluable.”
Parker’s reflection highlights a broader theme from this year’s Exchange: Mentorship and exposure don’t need to be formalized to be effective. The most valuable takeaways often came from brief conversations, behind-the-scenes walkthroughs, and candid moments of explanation during a tour or panel.
Going beyond
Event programming emphasized clarity and context over titles or hierarchy. Whether it was a student speaking with a panelist after a session or a project executive giving background on a development during a walking tour, the focus was on practical, real-time learning.
This year’s Exchange also reinforced that ULI’s work extends beyond traditional development. Many of the conversations focused not only on the mechanics of projects but also on questions of long-term impact—how projects affect neighborhoods, affordability, mobility, and resilience. That broader lens helped new participants see how their interests and values could align with the work.
By designing for access and interaction at every level, YLX 2025 provided more than exposure—it created momentum. For students and early-career professionals, it offered clarity on what’s possible. For more experienced leaders, it offered a reminder of why investing in the next generation matters.
The Central Florida Young Leaders Group is honored to have hosted the 2025 ULI Young Leaders Exchange, sharing our city’s story with the next generation of industry leaders from across the Americas.
In Central Florida, it became clear that what unites us is more than a passion for land use and the built environment—it’s a collective belief in stronger communities, better leadership, and a future driven by innovation and collaboration.
YLX embodies something beyond professional development; it is the invisible thread that binds emerging leaders across industries, cities, and backgrounds. The individuals who gathered here won’t just design spaces—they will also shape legacies, as well as one another.
The growth in attendance (more than 50 participants) and longevity (continued annual occurrence) of this YLG Exchange program reflect its value across the ULI network. The first known Exchange traces back to the founding of the Young Leaders Group in Houston, where members planned a trip to Denver and Breckenridge. That early gathering planted the seed for what would become the Young Leaders Exchange. Over the years, the program has grown into a core offering of the Americas Young Leaders Group, evolving from an informal peer-led initiative into a structured experience that emphasizes shared learning, leadership development, and cross-regional collaboration. Today, the Exchange continues to inspire new models, including the launch of regional Exchanges hosted by District Councils across the Americas, thus expanding its reach and reinforcing its impact throughout the network.
The 2026 Young Leaders Exchange RFP is launching today. District Councils that would you be interested in hosting this great event are encouraged to complete it by the deadline of Friday, November 28, 2025. They are hoping to select a different host site for each of the next 3 years so DCs are encouraged to submit for any year that they would be willing to host the group.
Selected sites will be notified and announced on Friday, December 12, 2025!
