Lara Burns Boyda | Urbanspace

Lara Burns Boyda is the Chief Operating Officer of Urbanspace, a full-service real estate, development, interiors, and hospitality firm based in Downtown Austin. With over two decades of experience, she has helped shape the city’s skyline as part of the development team for The Modern Austin Residences, a 56-story condo tower set to deliver this summer in the Rainey Street District.

Lara has played a central role in the sales and marketing of some of Austin’s most iconic condominium projects, including Seaholm Residences, The Independent, 44 East Ave, and The Modern Austin Residences. A longtime advocate for women in real estate, was a founding member of the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI)  Steering Committee and served as Chair from 2023-2025. She is also a member of the Urban Local Member Council.

Beyond ULI, Lara is a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, Chair of the Ice Ball Gala, and a Long Center Trustee. Recognized for her leadership and civic engagement, Lara was named a Rising Star by the Real Estate Council of Austin and honored in the Austin Business Journal’s Profiles of Power Women under 30. She lives in downtown Austin with her husband, Matthew, sons, Boone & Baer, and two dogs, Sansa & Biscuit.

Abby Shaver | MWM DesignGroup

With over 15 years of experience in the AEC industry, Abby Shaver is a seasoned leader in business development, client relations, and strategic marketing. She currently serves as the Director of Client Relations at MWM DesignGroup, where she oversees the firm’s marketing and business development initiatives, helping drive growth and build lasting partnerships across both public and private sectors.

She has been actively involved with ULI for over a decade and is passionate about creating vibrant, sustainable communities. Her leadership roles within ULI currently include co-chair of the Placemaking Local Member Council, which she helped organize and launch and participation on the Membership Committee, Marketplace Committee, ULI NEXT Steering Committee, and the Impact Awards Committee. Through these roles, she works to connect professionals, share knowledge, and advance thoughtful development practices across Central Texas.

In addition to her work with ULI, she serves on the board of Keep Austin Beautiful, supporting environmental stewardship and community engagement. She is also a board member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), where she serves as Programs Director, curating educational and networking opportunities for AEC professionals. She is known for her collaborative approach, industry insight, and dedication to building better communities.

Tricia Williamson | Kimley-Horn

Tricia Williamson has been involved with ULI Austin for nearly 15 years. She considers ULI the premier organization for the AEC industry in Central Texas and has supported it through numerous events and participation in a Technical Assistance Panel.

With a strong focus on education and training throughout her career, Tricia became involved with UrbanPlan nearly a decade ago. She trained to become one of the first UrbanPlan instructors and has remained actively engaged, helping the program grow into a thriving initiative that promotes community engagement and education across Central Texas.

In 2023, she assumed the role of ULI Austin Education Chair, overseeing all ULI Austin education initiatives, including the Hines Student Competition and Building Industry Leaders (BIL).

Anastasia Megdanis

Anastasia Megdanis began her involvement in ULI as a graduate student in the Texas A&M University Master of Real Estate program at Mays Business School. She continued her involvement when she moved to Austin in 2020 to begin her career in development at RedLeaf Partners, a P3 Development firm, specialized in large scale mixed-use developments. Megdanis is currently in pursuit of her next career opportunity.

Anastasia served on the Membership Committee for two years, was a member of the Public Private Partnership (P3) Local Membership Council for two sessions, and participated in the Young Leaders Mentorship Forum in the Class of 2023-24. She remains involved in Young Leaders events and the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) events within ULI.

Anastasia’s primary focus within ULI is serving as Chair of the Building Industry Leaders (BIL) program, a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area. BIL introduces middle school students to the commercial real estate industry through mentorship and a hands-on case competition. She began as a mentor in the program’s inaugural year in 2021, became Co-Chair for the 2023–24, served as Chair for 2024–25, and will serve her final term as Chair for the 2025–26 program year. Under her leadership and the support of ULI staff, sponsors, and dedicated mentors, the program has continued to grow and was recently recognized by the ULI Americas Showcase of Excellence Awards as the “Best Program for Engaging the Next Generation of Diverse Leaders.”

Al Pool | Manhard Consulting

Al Pool is a Project Manager at Manhard Consulting with seven years of experience in the civil engineering and land development industry. He provides comprehensive services including site development design, permitting support, and coordination with multidisciplinary teams. His project portfolio spans single-family and multifamily residential, commercial developments, and industrial warehousing, with a focus on Central Texas and other regions across the country.

A ULI member since 2023, Al is a valued contributor to the Young Leaders Steering Committee as well as the Communications Committee. He participated in the Young Leaders Mentorship Forum Class of 2023–24, served as a group leader for the Class of 2024–25, and will now be leading as the Class of 2025-26 as  YL MF Chair. Additionally, he organizes a monthly industry coffee meet-up and coordinated an industry team for the Maudie’s Moonlight Run, benefiting The Trail Conservancy. His dedication and enthusiasm have made a strong impact on the YL community.

Danielle Smyth | Marx|Okubo Associates

Danielle Smyth is a licensed architect and a valued Associate at Marx|Okubo Associates, where she contributes owner’s representation, design, and construction consulting expertise and services, leveraging her work experience combined with her master’s degrees in architecture and business administration from Texas Tech University.

In 2019–2020, Danielle served as Chair/Co-Chair of AIA Austin’s Emerging Professionals Committee. Since 2021, Danielle has been an active member of ULI Austin and has participated on the Young Leaders Steering Committee, recently completing her two-year term as Chair. From 2022 to 2023, she also served as a group leader in the Young Leaders Mentorship Forum.

As Chair of the Steering Committee, she organized the first joint event with AIA Austin Emerging Professionals to promote cross-industry collaboration and established a fun new tradition—the Young Leaders Oktoberfest Social. She also volunteers with UrbanPlan and helped recruit six inspiring real estate mentors for students at Houston Tillotson University, and recently joined the Commercial Local Member Council. Danielle’s leadership reflects her commitment to mentorship, innovation, and community engagement in the construction and real estate industries.

Fei Dai

Fei Dai is a seasoned real estate development professional with nearly two decades of experience. Until recently, Fei was Vice President at Catellus Development, where she specialized in executing complex public-private partnerships (P3) with municipalities and institutions. Her expertise spans valuation, acquisition, development, financing, and asset management, with a strong focus on aligning project objectives with successful execution and delivery. Throughout her career, Fei has played a pivotal role in a wide range of development projects, including entitlement processes, builder and developer selection, public and private financing, and affordable housing initiatives.

An active leader in ULI Austin since 2005, Fei is committed to advancing education, research, and leadership within the real estate industry. She has served on ULI Austin’s Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) Steering Committee since 2018, spearheading efforts to engage female leaders and foster industry dialogue.

Her mentorship contributions extend to the Young Leaders Mentorship Forum, where she has guided emerging professionals, and she has played a key role in ULI Austin’s Creative Culture Strategic Council and Public-Private Partnership (P3) Local Member Council. Recognized for her leadership and industry expertise, Fei was appointed to ULI Austin’s Advisory Board in 2024 and continues to shape Austin’s built environment through strategic insight and collaboration.

Jim Susman | STG Design

Jim Susman is a Founder and the CEO of STG Design, an architecture, interior design, and planning firm with offices in Austin, Houston, Nashville, and Phoenix. As the firm’s director on complex office and corporate campus projects, he has led teams on numerous high-profile developments, including those for Dell, Oracle, Google, and Seaholm.

Jim has played a significant role in shaping Austin’s evolving business landscape through his active involvement in the Urban Land Institute and in civic leadership. He currently serves as Chair of the Built Environment Committee at the Downtown Austin Alliance, as well as Chair of the Policy and Planning Committee at Waterloo Greenway Conservancy. He has also contributed at both the city and state levels with the AIA.

Within the Urban Land Institute, Jim serves on the ULI Advisory Board and has been an active member of both the Programs Committee and the UrbanPlan Committee—two of ULI’s most outward-facing initiatives. The Programs Committee brings Knowledge Leaders into conversations around Central Texas’ most pressing real estate and development issues, while the UrbanPlan Committee introduces the development process to public-sector leaders, young professionals, and students. His work with these committees reflects ULI’s mission to elevate and leverage its members’ diverse expertise and impact throughout the community.

Jim’s extensive community service includes board or advisory roles with AIA Austin, the Texas Society of Architects, Austin PBS, the Thinkery, the UT School of Architecture, Helping Hand Home, St. Andrew’s School, and the Seaholm Residences HOA.

Michael Wilt | Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation

Michael Wilt is the Senior Manager of External Relations for the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation. He directs government and peer organization relations, leads capacity-building initiatives for nonprofits and housing developers, and supports communications and media efforts. With over 15 years of housing and land use policy experience, his background includes representing a prominent real estate industry organization, working in both chambers of the Texas Capitol, and serving under former Mayor Gavin Newsom. He sits on the Board of Equidad ATX, the Executive Committee of the Austin Housing Coalition, and the Advisory Board for ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing. Michael holds a J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law and a B.A. in Government and Latin from the University of Texas at Austin. He is also an avid distance runner and a proud father to his daughter, Nova.

A ULI member since 2012, Michael began as a Young Leader and has been deeply involved with ULI Austin over the years. He served on the Housing Local Member Council from 2016 to 2021, chaired the council in 2017–18, and led the production of a 2018 white paper on Community Land Trusts. He participated in the 2017–18 ULI NEXT flight and has been a member of the Affordability Strategic Council since 2018, now serving as its Chair. He joined the ULI Austin Advisory Board in FY19 and is a trained UrbanPlan volunteer. Michael was a strong advocate for bringing the ULI Terwilliger Housing Opportunity Conference to Austin in February 2024 and played a key role in organizing sessions and recruiting speakers.