Manager Labs – technology for (visionary) property & facility people.

Linda Day Harrison, CPM, CCIM

Linda is a seasoned property management veteran, a graduate of DePaul University and is also a CPM (Certified Property Manager) and CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member), along with holding an Illinois real estate license.

Linda has managed such assignments as the National Association of Realtors building in Chicago along with heading up a local Chicago real estate firm, in which Linda was key in revamping the accounting, technology, administrative and property management departments with her keen sense of processes and systems and their relationship to technology and automation. As a visionary strategist Linda has earned an outstanding reputation as an exceptional professional service provider who has raised the bar among colleagues and peers.

Linda’s other interests include the development of a rooftop garden website that includes an online rooftop garden database. Linda is aiming to make http://www.rooftopgarden.com the most extensive inventory of rooftop garden data, with hopes to help property and facility managers navigate the rooftop greening discipline, by detailing all aspects of each project, including construction team, designers and plant suppliers and maintenance firms.

Linda has online presence with her formation and management of several online communities at LinkedIn.com:

(PFMI) Property and Facility Management Innovators (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1858850)
(PFMC) Property and Facility Management Companies (subgroup of PFMI)
(VBLb) Vendor Bidding Lab beta (subgroup of PFMI)

The CPM Group (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=138868)

The Rooftop Garden Group (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=143300)

midVentures

midVentures is comprised of two main players, Geoff Domoracki and Brian Mayer. midVentures tech guys and their related entourage of other tech guys, are the reason why Linda is involved in making technology for property and facility managers a reality. With a programmer in hand the midVentures guys found Linda and got her invovled as an industry expert to assist in the evaluation of a potential online property manager web application. Soon after their first few meetings, it was obvious that the need for technology in property and facility management was in extreme demand. Since Geoff and Brian were already committed to other midVentures paths and directions, Linda made the decision to form Manager Labs, keeping midVentures as a partner, which Linda having full-charge rein over the Manager Labs, beta projects and project management aspects of creating much-needed property and facility management SaaS applications. When techy stuff comes up, Linda turns to the guys for support, programmers and all things tech related. Currently committed to providing technology and innovation services to the Chicago community, midVentures has a number of projects under way ranging from web 2.0 charity apps for funding microscholarships for students in India, all the way to a social network for corporations to publish reports, and ipad health care apps. Geoff and Brian are always very interested to talk about where the next Groupon will come from in Chicago.

Advisors

Advisors are crucial to our success and we are proud of the Advisors who have agreed to support our efforts and assist us in our process to develop Manager Labs. Here is our Advisor list which we are very pround of.

Matthew Bigham – Inland Real Estate

Manager Labs participated with, Matthew, who was the key member of the University of Chicago, New Venture Challenge 2009, team. Matthew was instrumental in writing the business plan and model for T1Track a midVentures product which was nominated to be an entry into this illustrious competition. Matthew is a VP at Inland Real Estate and is a current University of Chicago, Booth Business School candidate. Matthew has a key sense of financial analysis ability and has a strong command of the bottom line issues, today’s properties are facing.

Richard P. LeBrun, CPM, CCIM – NAI Hiffman

Rich and Linda have been in the PM arena together since 1983 and their roots go deep. Rich was Linda’s mentor over her entire career and both Linda and Rich have tremendous admiration and respect for each other. Rich will provide straight talk about his experience during any beta he provides feedback for and Rich will offer creative and powerful feedback necessary to make Manager Labs a success.

Paul Brockmeyer, CTO & Cofounder – Catylist

Paul will be able to provide strategic insight into the best approaches to take with respect to forming alliances or partnerships with some of the largest real estate trade organizations in the country. Paul was intimately involved with the partnership between the CCIM Institute and Catylist, which was the entire impetus for the Catylist brand and product being formed. The alliance with the CCIM Institute has ended, yet Catylist has been able to continue providing the CIE Exchange to the commercial real estate industry. Paul’s insight will be a pipeline to the do and don’ts of the various issues we will face forming our partnerships and alliance.

Alan Edgar, Assoc. AIA, Director of Technology – Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate-OSCRE International, Ltd.

Mr. Edgar holds a Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture from Kansas State University. He has 31 years experience in professional architecture/engineering/construction/ownership & operations (AECOO) processes, and facilities information management technology. He is an experienced FM technology implementer and developer of open building/real estate information & interface standards. He has served as Project Architect and Director of Architectural Information Systems for architecture and engineering firms, Project Director and Senior Consultant to private, institutional and government organizations, served as Executive Committee Chair for the National Building Information Standards (NBIMS) Committee, and is currently a Director with The Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate (OSCRE International, Ltd.). Mr. Edgar has written numerous educational and scholarly articles and presents regularly at professional and industry conferences on the subjects of:
• Best practice in integrated information management and services delivery for Real Property, Building Design and Construction, and Facility Management & Operations,
• Technology strategies and tactics for Building Information Modeling (BIM), Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS), Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM), Capital Asset Planning, and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).
• Interoperability standards and practices for real property asset commerce, management and operations.

Jonathan Salk, former CEO – CCIM Institute

Jonathan will be a strong advocate for one of the Manager Labs leaders, Linda Day Harrison, as Jonathan was the EVP for the largest commercial investment organization in the world, of which Linda is a highly regarded member. Jonathan led a highly political organization of evolving leadership and will be able to contribute information related to what the commercial real estate members are asking for. Jonathan will be able to impart knowledge that only insiders of a large, influential trade organization will be aware of with respect to what is next.

Scott Brandwein, Senior VP – CBRE

Scott is an icon in the commercial real estate industry as a long-time deal maker and partner of one of the most highly respected real estate firms in the Chicago market, Frain, Camins and Swartchild, which is where Scott and Linda formed their longstanding business relationship. As the President of FC&S, Scott was a leader who saw his three partner brokerage firm grow to over 11,000,000 sf under management and over 35 commercial real estate brokers. The firm was sold three times since Scott led this firm. This firm has now become another merger under the CBRE name. Scott is a Senior VP now of CBRE. Scott will be an advocate and entry into the executive levels in the Chicago market for Manager Labs.

Karen May, Property Manager – Chicago Board of Trade/CME Group/Chicago Mercantile Exchange

Karen is an astute facility manager for one of the largest financial institutions in the world. Karen will provide insight into the highly polictical arena of facility management. Karen will also offer intuitive feedback and access to inside information about the needs of facility managers in such high profile environments.

Christine Spasoff, CPM, RPA, FMA, Property Manager – Alter Asset Management Group

Christine has offered her services with respect to providing beta insight on the various Manager Labs projects. As a highly astute Chicago, class A property manager, Christine will bring the quality viewpoints that will contribute to all Manager Labs projects. Christine is eager to utilize the various Manager Labs applications and get invovled with the creation of systems and automation that will help her and provide even greater services to her valued ownership and tenants.

Debra J. Derdzinski, Communications & PR Dept – CME Group/Chicago Mercantile Exchange

Debra is part of the largest financial organization in the country and is part of the communication group. Debra’s savvy relationship skills will provide us with insight into how we can better communicate our message to the industry. We will tap Debra for her profound networking abilities and success she has in her business and charitable life. Debra is a mover and shaker in the area of Chicago charitable whos who and truly demonstrates the power of networking and connecting people.

Stacey Stockman, Strategic Initiatives – Synergistic Solutions

Stacey is a self-made success story and her roots were actually in Property Management. She evolved into an exclusive and high level recruiter in the technology industry. Stacey has utilized her natural creative ability to promote her firm and herself in an exceptional fashion. Stacey will be tapped to assist us in the marketing and promotional side of growing ML. Stacy is also a high level technology expert who understands PM and the need for database cohesiveness first hand.