Karen Zabarsky

Founder and Principal, Ground Up

She has built a career spearheading ground-up projects. Prior to founding Ground Up, Zabarsky spent six years as the Head of Design and Branding for Kushner, one of the largest real estate development and management firms in the country. She was named one of 2021 Crain’s New York Top Marketing and Public Relations Professionals, and was recently published on Propmodo and 6sqft. She is on the steering committee for ULI Americas Young Leaders Group. In 2015, Zabarsky co-founded a pro bono advocacy proposal, the Tanks at Bushwick Inlet Park. She assembled and led a world-renowned design team, and drove design direction and community outreach. Prior, Zabarsky cut her teeth on the business development teams for architecture firms SHoP Architects and STUDIO V Architecture. Zabarsky was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and raised in Dallas, Texas.

Ari Chernikoff

Director, Development & Construction, American Real Estate Partners (AREP)

As Director of Development & Construction, Ari serves a pivotal role in driving AREP’s success through its core philosophy to identify opportunities, manage risk, and create value. He leads construction and repositioning projects totaling over $30 million, and his responsibilities encompass over two million SF, about 20 percent of the company’s 10 million SF portfolio. Ari’s management style builds consensus to align capital partners, designers, and AREP team members on design and budget decisions to ensure projects run smoothly and efficiently. Prior to coming to AREP, Ari managed multi-family construction projects with for D|Watts Construction, where he served as an assistant Project Manager and was responsible for due diligence and pricing support, among other responsibilities. Philanthropic stewardship is a critical part of Ari’s life both personally and professionally. Ari is an active participant and fundraiser for the JDRF Real Estate Games and a former site supervisor for AmeriCorps, where he taught volunteers and worked on the St. Bernard Project in New Orleans to rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Ari has also worked with Habitat for Humanity to create residences where families find their future. He finds the greatest reward in building something impactful and sustainable and draws satisfaction from the satisfaction of clients and others. Ari holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Go Badgers!

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