Kishore Varanasi is an urban designer, strategist, and educator who specializes in developing authentic design solutions for cities at all scales that address human connection, social equity, and climate resilience. For 25 years, Kishore has worked to shape cities and communities globally through sustainable and holistic solutions in both the public and private sectors. Kishore’s innovative contributions to communities stem from his ability to inspire creative collaborations among individuals, governments, and businesses while simultaneously creating fresh perspectives and approaches to sustainable city-building and living. As a principal and Director of Urban Design at Boston-based CBT, his recent work includes the Masdar City Master Plan, Lincoln Yards in Chicago, the Blueway at the New England Aquarium, Cambridge Crossing, Boston University Master Plan, Suffolk Downs Master Plan, Hudayriyat Island Master Plan, Bhavani Islands Master Plan, The Riverline in Buffalo, NY, and Abu Dhabi Climate Interventions. Kishore is a regular critic and teacher at various institutions including MIT, Harvard University, Yale University and the Boston Architectural College (BAC). He serves on the Van Alen Institute Climate Council, BAC and Boston Harbor Now Board of Trustees, and Emerald Network Board of Advisors. Kishore's work has been recognized by various awards and organizations including the American Institute of Architects, Rethinking the Future, World Architecture News and Urban Land Institute. He holds a Master of Science in Urbanism from MIT; a Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and received his Bachelor of Architecture from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad, India.

As Managing Director of DivcoWest Real Estate Investments, Mark Roopenian leads all leasing and marketing initiatives of the Company’s Cambridge Crossing development, a 45-acre, 4.5 million square-foot mixed-use project located in the cities of Cambridge, Somerville and Boston, MA. Mark joined DivcoWest in 2015 bringing over 30 years of ground-up development and leasing experience having played significant roles in projects such as One International Place, John Hancock Tower, and Trip Advisor’s world headquarters. Mark has been deeply involved in all aspects of planning and permitting of Cambridge Crossing and is focused on attracting world-class tenants to this one-of-a-kind project and city. Prior to joining DivcoWest, Mark was a Principal with Normandy Real Estate Partners, a leading real estate operator and investment manager, overseeing all leasing and development activities for the Greater Boston and Los Angeles markets. Prior to that Mark oversaw all leasing and suburban development activities for the Chiofaro Company, a Boston area real estate development firm. Mark graduated from Boston College with a degree in Marketing and was a defensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League prior to starting his real estate career. A Boston native, Mark is active in numerous local community and charitable organizations including CASPAR, Cambridge Family & Children Services, East End House, and is a board member of the Kendall Square Association. He currently lives in Sudbury, MA with his wife and has 3 grown children.