2026 Rice Business Real Estate Networking Reception
Join us for our annual Real Estate Networking Reception and connect with current MBA students interested in real estate and alumni and other professionals working in real estate.
Hosted by the Rice Business Real Estate Initiative, the Career Development Office, and the MBA Real Estate Student Association, this event brings together industry leaders, alumni, and current students for an evening of connection and conversation.
Registration includes hors d'oeuvres, beer, and wine. A special thanks to this year’s sponsors, CoreNET Houston, CBRE, and Affinius Capital.
The evening will begin with a brief update on the real estate curriculum and faculty at Rice Business from Jefferson Duarte, Gerald D. Hines Associate Professor of Real Estate Finance. Then, our distinguished guest speaker, Philip Croker ’02, Senior Managing Director at the Rockefeller Group, will share insights on the current state of the real estate development cycle. The rest of the evening will be dedicated to networking, providing a valuable opportunity to connect with fellow professionals, Rice Business alumni, and current students.
Our Organizing Host Committee includes:
- Sandy Aron (Hunington)
- Ric Campo (Camden Living)
- Philip Croker ‘02 (Rockefeller Group)
- Matt Damborsky ‘07 (Skanska)
- Jeremy Garner ‘03 (Trammell Crow)
- Kate Good (Hunington)
- Manu Gupta (Indus Communities)
- Burdette Huffman ‘06 (Lamb Communities)
- Ken Jett ‘01 (Rice Real Estate)
- Christine Mastandrea (Whitestone REIT)
- Santiago Minon '23 (Affinius Capital)
- Andrew Zeplain ‘26 (CBRE)
The Host Committee is in formation. For questions, contact Stefanie Engels.
About Our Guest Speaker
Philip Croker is Senior Managing Director for Rockefeller Group and heads the company’s new Southwest Region based in Houston, Texas. In this role, Mr. Croker is responsible for Rockefeller Group’s real estate acquisitions, new developments and operations in the Southwest, specifically Texas and Arizona.
Mr. Croker was previously Senior Managing Director for Hines, responsible for the analysis and execution of acquisitions and new development projects in the Southwest Region, specifically Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. He joined Hines in 2005 and contributed to the development of more than 5 million square feet of commercial office space including projects such as BG Group Place, the Hilcorp Headquarters, 609 Main at Texas, Texas Tower, and T3 Eastside. He also successfully secured new business pursuits in Houston and Austin, including the 500,000-square-foot Marathon Headquarters project.
Mr. Croker is very active in NAIOP Houston, currently sitting on the organization’s Board of Directors. He is also on the Boards of several charitable and civic organizations, including New Hope Housing, the Memorial Park Conservancy, and Bike Houston. Mr. Croker holds a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Rice University.
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: McNair Hall, Anderson Family Commons (AFC)
Ticket Pricing
Alumni & Guests: $15
Current Rice Business Students: Register in 12twenty.