DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Rula Abu-Rajab is a Global Associate Marketing Director for Oncology at Abbott Diagnostics who runs a $3.8B business with focus on China and Japan market. Rula is a board member for many humanitarian organization such as PCRF, BPFF, and Karam Foundation. She has participated in humanitarian missions as well as helped fund and organized major fundraising events. She is interested in creating social awareness for Building Together and fundraising.

DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Yael Amron is an executive and the Operations Lead at Heat Watch, a fast growing energy efficiency start up in NYC. At Heat Watch, Yael heads everything on the backend of the company, from growth strategy, to field operations. field operations. She believes strongly in the goal of the company, to help Landlords and building mangers throughout the US reduce their buildings’ energy consumption and carbon footprints.

Adam Belfer is a principal of H.I.G. Realty Partners and has been with the firm since 2007. Adam manages the west coast office based in Los Angeles, and is responsible for all aspects of the investment process, including sourcing, transaction structuring, financing, and post-closing execution.

BOARD CHAIRMAN

Ben is the founder of Building Together and is also the CEO of Robin Ruth North America, an apparel and accessories brand for tourists worldwide. Robin Ruth has more than 3,000 points of sale in North America through airports, national retailers, and gift shops.

BOARD MEMBER

Faisel Khan is senior vice president of finance for Sempra Energy, and chief financial officer of Sempra LNG. He has spent two decades working in the global energy industry.

Prior to working at Sempra Energy, he was a managing director for Citigroup in New York, covering the natural gas, power, pipeline, midstream, refining and integrated oil industries.

Khan holds bachelor’s degrees in engineering and economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

TREASURER

Howard Lev is the founder and Managing Member of Wheelhouse Property, LLC. Wheelhouse Property is a real estate investment, advisory and asset management firm focused on acquiring, operating and repositioning multi-family apartments in New York City and its environs.

BOARD SECRETARY

A seasoned philanthropic professional, Leah Molaiepour has many years of experience in CSR, development and fundraising, program management and research and evaluation, in both the public and private sectors. Currently, as Vice President, Philanthropic Initiatives at BNP Paribas, Leah heads the Bank’s grant-making, corporate philanthropy and employee engagement in the US.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Mahmud is a Principal at Energy Capital Partners. He is involved in the Firm’s credit and capital solutions investment activities. Mahmud earned a B.S. in Foreign Service from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University where he graduated from the Value Investing Program.

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

Kathy is CEO of Blue Access LLC, a New York City-based sustainable finance company promoting water security and quality through innovative water-related investments in underserved communities. Before joining Blue Access, she was a partner in a large law firm, where she co-headed the firm’s environmental practice, advised water districts, financial institutions, energy companies, and industry, and litigated water issues across the United States. She has co-founded a number of environmental non-profit organizations, serves on several environmental-related boards, and has taught courses on international environmental law and human rights.

DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Andrew has been a senior partner with The Wilshinsky Group at Morgan Stanley since his arrival at the firm in 1999 and focusses his practice on institutional Retirement Plan Consulting and Private Wealth Management. He sits on the board of the nonprofit organization American Friends of Hebrew University and works with a variety of other environmental charities.

PRESIDENT

Roland Lewis now the president of Building Together previously served thirteen years as the first president and CEO of the Waterfront Alliance, a coalition of more than 1,000 organizations with ties to the New York and New Jersey harbor and waterways. Internationally recognized, the Waterfront Alliance brought profound change to the region with improved harborside resiliency, access, water quality and jobs. Prior to taking the helm of the Waterfront Alliance in 2007, Roland was the executive director of Habitat for Humanity New York City for ten years, guiding it to become one of the top producers in the region and a nationally emulated model for Habitat for Humanity locations in other urban settings. A lifetime New Yorker, Roland is a graduate of Columbia University and earned both a Master of City and Regional Planning and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University.

INTERIM COO

Kian is a rising senior at Tufts University majoring in International Relations and minoring in Entrepreneurship and Philosophy. He is a graduate of Buckingham Browne and Nichols in Cambridge, MA. Prior to joining Building Together in 2020, Kian has gained valuable marketing and research experience working at the Peabody District Court under Judge Barretto, Representative Khan at the Massachusetts State House, the commercial real estate firm Bulfinch, and TripAdvisor. He strongly believes in the mission of Building Together.