Spend quality time with a mentor! Our Mentor Program offers students the opportunity to meet one-on-one with an industry leader for a full-day, in-person, immersive experience.
Below is our list of current Indianapolis area mentors. You can filter the list to find real estate professionals who match your needs.
If you are looking for a virtual career counseling session or requesting an in-person mentorship day in the Chicago area – click here to browse and select from those mentors.
Mr. Alerding graduated from Wabash College and began his appraisal career shortly after. Over the years, he has appraised a remarkable range of properties — from historic courthouses to the Electric Works Campus in Fort Wayne, the Bottleworks Campus in Indianapolis, a hydroelectric plant in the western United States, the Gary RailCats baseball stadium, and, of course even as simple, the local coffee shop he visits far too often.
In addition to financing appraisals, Mr. Alerding specializes in valuing real property for U.S. GAAP reporting purposes. His clients include many of Indiana’s larger municipalities, as well as brokers, developers, educational institutions, and right-of-way projects.
Valbridge Property Advisors is the largest independent valuation firm in the United States, with appraisers covering the entire country. Mr. Alerding is licensed in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, and Georgia.
What Mr. Alerding enjoys most about appraising is that no two projects are alike — every assignment brings its own nuances and uncovering them keeps the work endlessly varied. Just as importantly, appraising has allowed him to prioritize what matters most: his family. When he’s not working, you’ll find him coaching in the community, fly fishing on a river or lake, following the local sports teams, and spending as much time as possible with the people he loves.
Vincent Ash is a real estate development and economic development executive focused on creating projects that generate long-term economic growth, strengthen communities, and attract private investment. Throughout his career in both the public and private sectors, he has led strategic initiatives involving complex commercial real estate development, public-private partnerships, incentive negotiations, and community redevelopment. His work has spanned advanced manufacturing, industrial, mixed-use, multifamily, sports, and commercial projects, with an emphasis on aligning public priorities with private investment to create lasting economic impact.
Vincent currently serves as the SVP of Development & Operations with Lauth Group, where he helps drive business development, strategic initiatives, and development opportunities. In previous roles, Vincent has also worked at Simon Property Group, held leadership roles in economic development at both the City of Indianapolis and as Chief of Staff at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
Vincent lives by three core values servitude, humility, and community. He currently serves on the boards of Elevate Indianapolis and YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. A firm believer that leadership carries a responsibility to invest in others, Vincent is passionate about developing the next generation of commercial real estate professionals. His approach to mentorship centers on servant leadership, relationship-building, and providing practical guidance that helps emerging leaders navigate the industry with confidence and integrity. Vincent’s first priority is his family, he is a loving husband and father of four.
Jeff Cartwright is a Senior Vice President and Regional Manager at First Financial Bank, where he has served since 2017. First Financial Bank is a regional bank headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio with approximately $23 Billion in Assets. An Indiana University graduate, Jeff provides regional leadership in commercial real estate financing with a focus on client relationships, team development, and business growth.
Throughout his career, Jeff has helped commercial real estate developers, REITs, investors, and other key stakeholders access flexible and innovative debt solutions tailored to their needs across a diverse range of property types and through multiple real estate cycles. He brings extensive commercial real estate experience and a practical, relationship-driven approach to helping clients achieve their goals.
Being different has helped Jonathan Hardy all throughout his career. Jonathan has spent more than 30 years engaged in a wide variety of real estate transactions, development deals, financing, consulting as well as education within the IU Real Estate sphere. Jonathan’s clients say he can be a lot sometimes, but they greatly appreciate that he is their “Swiss army knife” in all facets of commercial real estate when they need him.
Staying client focused and understanding he is unable to be all things to all people, has allowed Jonathan to focus on the relationships he builds — and the real estate practice becomes somewhat secondary. Jonathan is a deal junkie and loves difficult, detailed and time-consuming engagements, but the trust of his clients and the mutual appreciation they share drives them as a team.
For Jonathan, giving back is not a one and done, or check a box; it is a way of being. Mentorship provides yet another opportunity to share what IU has given to him with students who are starving to excel in their field. Jonathan’s hope is that with his with more than 30 years of experience across multiple platforms, multiple markets with varying clientele creating unique value propositions, that students will see past the University and gain an understanding of what is yet to come.
Dee Headley is the Head of Receiverships for Cushman & Wakefield’s Distressed Asset Solutions Group, where she oversees the firm’s court-appointed receivership teams across the country.
During her career, she has been appointed receiver in more than 90 cases across three states and 24 jurisdictions, overseeing more than 8.3 million square feet of commercial real estate, including approximately 4.3 million square feet of office, 2.69 million square feet of retail, 1.29 million square feet of industrial, as well as numerous condominium and multifamily properties. She has executed receiverships on behalf of national and regional banks, insurance companies, debt funds, and special servicers managing CMBS defaults, bringing extensive expertise in court-appointed fiduciary services, complex asset oversight, financial reporting, and the foreclosure process.
In addition to her receivership experience, Dee has managed hundreds of commercial real estate assets and led multidisciplinary teams supporting more than 50 institutional and private clients. She holds both the Certified Property Manager (CPM) and Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designations and has served in numerous leadership positions with the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), the IREM Foundation, Indy CREW, and BOMA.
A licensed real estate broker in Indiana, Dee is recognized for her strategic leadership, operational expertise, and ability to navigate complex real estate challenges while delivering value for clients across a broad range of asset types.
John H. Holloway brings nearly two decades of specialized retail leasing expertise, with a rare depth of experience on both sides of the brokerage business — representing tenants in their site selection and expansion efforts while simultaneously partnering with landlords to strategically lease and maximize the value of their shopping center assets.
John began his commercial real estate career at Sandor Development & Sand Capital as Leasing Manager, where his primary responsibility was leasing shopping centers throughout the company’s Midwest portfolio. After developing a strong foundation in landlord leasing, John spent seven years as Director of Real Estate for The Cellular Connection (TCC) from 2011 to 2018, gaining valuable insight into the retailer’s perspective on site and market analysis and lease negotiations.
John’s practice encompasses two core areas of retail leasing. On the Tenant Representation side, John works directly with retailers to navigate site selection, market analysis, and lease negotiations — ensuring his clients secure locations that align with their growth strategies and operational objectives. On the Landlord Leasing side, John partners with shopping center owners to identify and attract the right tenant mix, with the ultimate goal of achieving a fully leased center that maximizes asset value and serves the surrounding community.
A lifelong Indiana resident, John earned a double major in Real Estate Finance and Entrepreneurship from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He is the co-founder and President of the IU Real Estate Alumni Network, an organization whose mission is to mentor current real estate students at IU Bloomington and IU Indianapolis, while providing networking opportunities through one of the preeminent real estate programs in the country.
Robert (Bob) Kort is the founder and CEO of Kort Builders, a commercial construction company he established in 1986. An entrepreneur from an early age, Bob started his first landscaping, painting, and construction business while still in high school before growing it into one of Central Indiana’s most respected commercial construction firms. Over the past four decades, he has led hundreds of projects across healthcare, office, retail, restaurant, industrial, and mixed-use markets while also investing in successful hospitality and retail ventures, including The District Tap and Cholita Tacos.
Beyond business, Bob is passionate about developing people and building lasting relationships. He believes success comes from hard work, integrity, and surrounding yourself with great people. A recipient of the Indianapolis Business Journal‘s 40 Under 40 award, Bob has also dedicated his time to numerous nonprofit and industry organizations, mentoring others and giving back to the Indianapolis community.
Drawing from nearly 40+ years of entrepreneurial experience and business ownership, Bob enjoys sharing practical lessons on leadership, calculated risk-taking, resilience, and building businesses that stand the test of time.
Don Potter serves as Vice President & Central Regional Manager for Shook Construction. In this role, he leads strategic planning, business development, and talent management across the company’s Central Region, which includes Indiana offices in Indianapolis, Kokomo, and Richmond.
With more than 20 years of experience leading complex projects and high-performing teams in commercial construction and development, Don offers deep industry expertise and a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence. He is a licensed professional engineer and earned a degree in civil engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Shook Construction is a commercial construction company committed to making a lasting impact on the people, communities, and clients it serves. Guided by its mission, To Dramatically Improve the Communities We Serve, the company builds schools, hospitals, industrial and aerospace facilities, and critical water infrastructure. With more than a century of experience, Shook helps communities thrive by creating places to learn, heal, work, and grow. Its culture is rooted in its core values – passionate, authentic, curious, and empowering – which shape every project, partnership, and team member experience.
Jeremy Rase is a commercial real estate professional with more than 25 years of experience in leasing, portfolio strategy, market analysis, and account management across the United States. He currently serves as a Real Estate Manager with Marathon Health, where he supports the company’s national real estate strategy by evaluating a portfolio of more than 170 health centers, identifying growth opportunities in new and existing markets, and partnering with clients to deliver healthcare locations that improve access to primary care.
Prior to joining Marathon Health, Jeremy spent 25 years with Simon Property Group, where he held roles in financial operations before transitioning into leasing. During his 12 years in leasing, he specialized in identifying and growing emerging retail concepts, with particular expertise in technology and electric vehicle brands. His experience spans financial analysis, lease negotiations, strategic planning, and cultivating long-term relationships with retailers, landlords, developers, and business partners nationwide.
Jeremy is a licensed Indiana Real Estate Broker and Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He is an active member of Innovating Commerce Serving Communities (ICSC), where he previously participated in the organization’s college mentoring program. Jeremy earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Ball State University in 1998 and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of commercial real estate professionals by sharing practical insights on career development, networking, and building lasting business relationships.
Marathon Health is a leading provider of employer-sponsored primary and advanced healthcare, serving more than 3 million members through a nationwide network of more than 600 health centers. By partnering with employers, municipalities, educational institutions, and labor organizations, Marathon Health delivers relationship-based care that improves health outcomes while helping clients manage healthcare costs.
As Chief Investment Officer at Scannell Properties, Ralph Shiley has over 35 years of experience in all aspects of capital markets, and extensive industry relationships. He directs the company’s underwriting, financing, acquisition, and disposition strategies, enabling Scannell to provide the most cost-effective solutions for its clients. Accomplishments include completing over $20 billion in transactions throughout his career.
Prior to joining Scannell, he worked with JLL as a director, and a vice president at KeyBank. He holds a Bachelor of Science, real estate/finance, Indiana, University.
Ralph is an active Board Member of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business Center for Real Estate Studies, the RJS Foundation, and an Indianapolis based Food Pantry
Michael Weishaar is a Vice Chair with Cushman & Wakefield’s Industrial Services group in Indianapolis, where he specializes in industrial sales and leasing, market information analysis, landlord and tenant representation, and investment and owner/occupier sales. With more than two decades of commercial real estate experience, Michael has represented many of the region’s leading developers, investors, and occupiers. As part of a team with nearly 100 years of combined experience, he helps clients identify strategic real estate solutions by combining market analytics, industry expertise, and a big-picture approach to complex industrial and logistics projects. Michael earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University and a Business Foundations Certificate from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.
Michael is actively involved in the commercial real estate industry through organizations including SIOR and NAIOP, where he has held leadership positions and served on advisory boards. In 2025, Michael and his team completed transactions totaling more than 17 million square feet, over $800 million in transaction volume, and more than 200 acres of land sales. A multiple-time recipient of industry awards, Michael is passionate about mentoring the next generation of real estate professionals and sharing the experience, problem-solving mindset, and client-focused approach that have contributed to his success.