Recent Projects

John is a transformational leader and accomplished financial executive with over 30 years of experience working with large and most iconic brands in the hospitality industry, with significant global operating experience in omni-channel businesses. John’s career reflects a demonstrated record in leading successful large-scale transformation initiatives, optimizing economic management processes in complex, global business environments, and executing M&A transactions across the deal lifecycle in domestic and global markets. He also brings deep corporate governance experience through his work with corporate boards, including audit and compliance committees and is qualified to serve on audit committees as a financial expert.

John spent over 20 years in numerous financial leadership roles at Seminole Gaming and Seminole Hard Rock Holdings LLC. Including EVP & CFO of both organizations. During his tenure, he has been instrumental in growing the company’s EBITDA 10x. Over the years, he has overseen M&A transactions for multiple casinos, both existing and green field projects. Additionally, John led the creation of a shared services organization for Seminole Gaming/Seminole/Hard Rock while harmonizing financial systems, banking, insurance, benefits, and staffing. Furthermore, he was instrumental in implementing the design of the 401k plans, health insurance benefits, property and casualty programs and general ledger/reporting.

John was responsible for overseeing the corporate finance and risk management teams, along with membership in numerous committees - compensation, benefits, information technology, credit, and investment. He was responsible for investor relations and has extensive experience in the financial markets, raising over $10 billion in debt, acquisitions of $1.5 billion and maintaining investment grade ratings with all three credit rating agencies. John worked directly with the board, audit, and compliance committees on a quarterly basis. He presented regularly on financial and operating results, financial transactions, compensation studies and the annual company valuation.

John started his career in public accounting with Coopers & Lybrand. Thereafter, he started his hospitality career at Walt Disney World and adding casino/gaming while working at Kerzner International Hotels.

John received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Eastern Michigan University and Master’s degree from the University of Florida. He is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in the state of Pennsylvania.

Evan Weiner serves as Chief Legal Office at Dreamscape Companies. Evan was formerly the General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer of Imperial Companies LLC, a real estate private equity investment firm founded by Michael Fascitelli, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Vornado Realty Trust, and Dreamscape’s Founder and CEO, Eric Birnbaum.

Prior to his time at Imperial, Evan was a partner in the Corporate Practice Group at Davis & Gilbert LLP in New York where he focused on mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, financings and other transactional matters. Prior to joining Davis & Gilbert in 2001, Mr. Weiner was a corporate attorney at O’Melveny & Myers in New York.

Evan lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with his wife and two children. Evan holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and JD from the Fordham University School of Law.

Tom Ellis has worked with Eric Birnbaum since 2003. Immediately prior to joining Dreamscape, Tom was Vice-President at Imperial Companies from 2014 to 2019, and before that worked at ELB Holdings and Vornado Realty Trust. Prior to joining Vornado in 2003, Tom worked for Bank of America Securities (now Bank of America/Merrill Lynch). Over his career, Tom has played an integral role in buying, selling and structuring both residential, retail, hospitality and gaming assets. Tom has been involved in over $6 billion of capital deployment since 2003. While at Vornado, Tom closed over $3 billion of acquisitions and re-financings of office, retail, apartment and industrial properties in New York City, Washington DC, San Francisco, Texas and Mexico.

Tom is a native Virginian that now calls Manhattan’s Yorkville neighborhood home. In New York City, Tom’s favorite restaurants are The Writing Room, City Winery and Legacy Records (along with anywhere that’s broadcasting Arsenal F.C. English Premier League matches). When not in Yorkville, Tom likes to visit the Jersey Shore, Long Island’s North Fork and his brother in Los Angeles.

Tom holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.

Scott Broder oversees Dreamscape’s hospitality group. Prior to joining Dreamscape, Scott was the Head of Hotel Investments at The Witkoff Group, where he oversaw all aspects of hotel acquisitions, dispositions and asset management. The hotel portfolio at The Witkoff Group included several prominent locations including the EDITION West Hollywood and the Park Lane Hotel and PUBLIC Hotel in New York City. Before Witkoff, Scott was the Director of Acquisitions at Sunstone Hotel Investors (NYSE:SHO). Over Scott’s career, he has completed over $2 billion in hotel transactions, including the acquisitions of Boston Park Plaza, Hyatt Regency San Francisco, the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Maui.

A native of New York City, Scott likes to eat regularly at Bar Pitti, J.G. Melon and Peter Luger Steakhouse. Scott has lived in London, Chicago, and Southern California, though he now calls New York City home once again. Scott loves to travel and live an active lifestyle, regularly playing in a Sunday morning basketball game. When he is not in the Big Apple, Scott enjoys spending time in Sag Harbor playing golf or visiting the beach with family and friends. He’s also a classic car enthusiast.

Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.

Joshua Strauss is Co-President of Retail and Entertainment at Dreamscape. He brings over 25 years of industry experience specializing in landlord and tenant representation. Strauss will lead the company’s efforts in immersive retail experiences, traditional retail, and food and beverage within its portfolio, and continue to represent a wide array of Tenants and Landlords in their U.S. and international retail real estate endeavors.

Prior to joining Dreamscape Companies, Strauss served as an Executive Managing Director at Newmark, where he represented major national and international retail, entertainment and real estate companies including Netflix, Sony, Theory, FedEx, NBCUniversal, Pret A Manger, Zadig et Voltaire, Citibank, Equinox Fitness and many others. His storied career boasts many accomplishments including assisting in NBCUniversal’s first foray into Las Vegas with the leasing of a 120,000 square-foot stand-alone building off the Las Vegas Strip, Sony’s Wonderverse in 83,000 square feet at Oakbrook Mall outside of Chicago, IL, representing Howard Hughes in the repositioning and leasing of 150,000 square-feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space at The Seaport District in New York City and representing AFI USA in the repositioning and leasing of more than 180,000 square-feet of retail space at the Times Square Building in New York City, with the latter earning him the Real Estate Board of New York’s (REBNY) Most Creative Retail Deal of the Year Award.

As part of Dreamscape Companies’ redevelopment of the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Strauss’ extensive experience and knowledge will serve an integral role in breathing new life to the 200,000 square-feet Masquerade Village space.

Marc Finkel is Co-President of Retail and Entertainment at Dreamscape. He's a retail leasing specialist with a focus in hospitality and emerging brands. Previously at RKF and Newmark Knight Frank, Marc brings over twenty years of expertise in finding and executing brand strategy from infancy to fruition across all real estate platforms.

Marc has represented tenants including Hatch Collection, Eggslut, Bluestone Lane, The Chobani Company, American Apparel, The Tao Group, The H’Wood Group, 1933 Hospitality, and The Madera Group to match their needs with specific properties. Marc brings an understanding of what works for different usage types while always employing an outside-the-box mentality. He handles the leasing strategy for major projects in Santa Monica, New York City and Miami.

Marc holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

Patrick Miller boasts over 28 years in the gaming and hospitality industry, notably serving as Senior Vice President of Hospitality at MGM Resorts International. His tenure at MGM included overseeing iconic Las Vegas properties such as MGM Grand, New York-New York, and Excalibur, alongside innovative projects such as revamping guest contact strategies and gaming telemarketing divisions.

Beginning his career at The Mirage after graduating from The University of Notre Dame, Miller had various roles throughout his tenure, including Vice President of Slots and Vice President of Marketing at Mandalay Bay.

Recognized for his leadership, he assumed roles as General Manager and ultimately President and COO of Monte Carlo, spearheading its transformation into Park MGM & Nomad Hotel —a half-billion-dollar endeavor lauded for its innovative brand concept and employee culture.

Patrick is a native of Las Vegas, a proud father of four children, and husband of 25 years to his wife, Jennifer. He enjoys hunting, fishing and mountain biking and competes throughout the year. He is an active community member serving as a board member of several Las Vegas most recognizable philanthropies.

Don Purdue brings more than 35 years of experience in Construction and Land Development. He has extensive experience in the development of Master Planned Communities, Golf Courses, and has worked for several notable Fortune 500 companies in senior leadership roles. For the past six years he served as the Vice President of Development, spearheading the remodel of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

As a native of Las Vegas and third-generation Nevadan, Don is a dedicated member of the community. In 2011, he co-founded Project 150, a local non-profit serving displaced and disadvantaged high school students. He and his wife, Laurie, have raised four grown children in the valley. He is an avid mountain biker, hiker and Golden Knights fan.

Don graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Bachelor of Science in Finance.

Marty Millman has been with Dreamscape since its founding. He previously served as Vice-President of Construction and Development at Imperial Companies from 2014 to 2019. Before joining Imperial, Marty worked with Eric Birnbaum at ELB Holdings and earlier as Global Account Director at Sefaira, a startup software company with the mission to promote more sustainable buildings by providing the design and development community with innovative web-based energy efficiency analysis software. In that role, he worked closely with some of the biggest architecture firms in the world. Marty also served previously as Senior Project Manager at Colgate Development, where he represented owners and equity partners on The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte (LEED Gold), W Hollywood Hotel and Condominiums (LEED Silver), and various Extell Development projects in New York City.

Marty’s love of food, music, and travel takes him often to New Orleans, his favorite U.S. city. He loves to re-read John D. MacDonald novels, never fails to complete The New York Times Crossword Puzzle, and tries out for Jeopardy every year but has yet to make the cut. Marty lives with his wife and their two boys in Summit, New Jersey.

Marty holds a Bachelor of Arts in Design of the Environment and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Structural Building Systems from University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Architecture from University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School.

Ryan joined Dreamscape in 2021 and is responsible for sourcing and managing hospitality and gaming opportunities. Ryan previously worked for The Blackstone Group within the Tactical Opportunities asset management and Private Equity groups, where he was responsible for managing portfolio companies on key strategic and operating initiatives. During his tenure, Ryan worked extensively with The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on key casino development projects. Prior to joining Blackstone, Ryan worked in the Transaction Services consulting group at PwC, where he advised clients on complex transaction and deal-related solutions.

Ryan is a native New Yorker and has also lived in Las Vegas and Washington DC. He currently resides in Manhattan’s West Village, and enjoys exploring the city in search for the best coffee shop, attending New York Giants games, sparring at boxing classes and playing pickup basketball games. Ryan also is a mentor for the SEO Scholars program, which helps high school students navigate both college aspirations and their future careers.

Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Providence College and holds a CPA license in the State of New York.

Tanner joined Dreamscape in the summer of 2022. He is responsible for both acquisition and asset management within the hospitality and gaming division at Dreamscape.

After graduating from college, Tanner spent five years working in the New York Deals team at PricewaterhouseCoopers. During this time, he specialized in valuation, working on dozens of deals across a variety of sectors. He also spent time in complex accounting advisory and pre-deal operational due diligence. After his time at PricewaterhouseCoopers, he spent a year playing competitive tennis down in Florida and then a year backpacking around the world. He returned to the States and, prior to joining Dreamscape, Tanner worked in wealth advisory and created a start-up centered around low-code mobile web applications focused on enhancing the guest and tenant experience at hotels and apartment communities.

Tanner is New Jersey born and raised and currently resides in New York City. He enjoys visiting his family in the burbs, playing tennis in Central Park, and creating ceramics on the wheel in the West Village.

Tanner earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Masters of Accountancy from Wake Forest University and holds a CPA license in the State of New York.

Scott Zinovoy is Vice President of Retail and Entertainment at Dreamscape where he will help direct the company’s efforts in immersive experiences, retail, and food & beverage. Additionally, he will continue to work with a variety of tenants/landlords in their real estate endeavors.

Prior to joining Dreamscape, Zinovoy served as a Director at Newmark where he represented many national/international entertainment brands and retailers--crafting expansion strategies, selecting precise locations, and negotiating both short and long-term transactions. Select clients include Sony, Amazon, Netflix, FedEx Office, Gordon Ramsay, GameStop, Razer and Malin+Goetz. Among his many accomplishments as a tenant representative, he assisted Sony in its leasing of 83,000 square feet in Oakbrook, Illinois; Rise NY in its leasing of 14,000 square feet at 1530 Broadway NYC; Netflix in its leasing of 6 stores throughout the U.S. and in Europe; Razer in its leasing of 10 locations throughout the U.S; and FedEx Office in its leasing of over 20 locations in NYC. Zinovoy has also worked on behalf of many prominent landlord clients, including in the leasing of 50,000 square feet to Lionsgate at 11 Times Square (where he also represented the tenant), and the leasing of 44,000 square feet to Whole Foods Market and 72,000 square feet to Life Time Fitness at ‪1 Wall Street, the latter of which earned the 2019 REBNY Most Ingenious Retail Deal of the Year Award.

Zinovoy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Larry Robinson joins Dreamscape as an Associate focused on hotel acquisitions and asset management. Prior to joining in 2021, Larry was at Pebblebrook Hotel Trust supporting the intensive asset management of more than 15 lifestyle hotels and resorts, including a number of major rebranding and repositioning projects. He also helped lead the integration of portfolio best practices as part of the $5-billion public REIT merger between Pebblebrook Hotel Trust and LaSalle Hotel Properties.

As a native of Philadelphia, Larry is an avid Philadelphia Eagles and Sixers fan. On weekends, you can find him playing tennis, traveling to a new destination or coordinating music jam sessions with friends at local studios.

Larry holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.

Matt joined Dreamscape in 2023 as an Associate focused on Gaming Acquisitions & Asset Management. Prior to joining in 2023, Matt was on the Leveraged & Sponsor Finance team at Citizens Bank where he underwrote financing to public and private companies across several industries, including over $150 million to gaming specific companies. Additionally, he managed a portfolio of twenty corporate companies with an aggregate credit exposure of over $700 million.

Matt is a native of Massachusetts and currently resides in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Outside of work, Matt enjoys watching Providence College basketball games, golfing, exploring new restaurants in the city, and traveling with family and friends.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Providence College.

Carter joined Dreamscape in 2023 as an Associate focused on hotel and gaming acquisitions and asset management. Carter previously worked for DiamondRock Hospitality (NYSE: DRH) as an analyst on the asset management and investments teams, as well as served on the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Committee.

A native of Washington, DC and first-time New York City resident, Carter enjoys exploring all the City has to offer, and is especially focused on finding the City’s best slice of pizza. On weekends, Carter enjoys traveling, watching DC and Syracuse sports, and playing golf. He is also a member of the Young Alumni Board at his high school alma mater, The Bullis School.

Carter holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Real Estate from Syracuse University.

Laura Chekowitz brings three decades of experience in Interior Design and Project Management. Her capabilities cover all aspects of large-scale interior design projects in the Hospitality, Gaming, Commercial, Retail, Corporate, Institutional and Residential sectors. Prior to Dreamscape, Laura has managed the interior design process for several venues at Resorts World Las Vegas, Sands Corporation/Venetian. For 11 years she served as Senior Designer at MGM Resorts International Design Group and Interior Design Manager with City Center.

Laura calls Las Vegas, Nevada home and has even watched it develop from dirt roads into the mega destination it is today. A lifelong hockey fan, she was elated when the Vegas Golden Knights were born. She enjoys all outdoor activities in the beautiful Las Vegas Valley and surrounding areas.

Laura is a Registered Interior Designer with the Nevada State Board of Architecture, Interior Design, & Residential Design. She's also a nationally certified Interior Designer by the National Council for Interior Design Qualifications. Laura holds an Associate Degree in Art and an Associate Degree in Business from the College of Southern Nevada.

Kat is the Executive Assistant to Eric Birnbaum, CEO and Founder of Dreamscape and serves as Manager of Operations. Kat was an Executive Assistant at Imperial Companies from 2018-20109 and prior to that she oversaw The Abraaj Group’s New York City-based flagship office while simultaneously serving as an Executive Assistant.

Before settling into the corporate world, Kat’s official first job in New York fulfilled her passion for health and wellness. She was a part of the founding team at The Fhitting Room, a high intensity workout studio. Her fitness routine has now changed from kettlebells and rowing machines to chasing around her toddler.

Kat holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Monmouth University.

Jacky Zhu has worked with Dreamscape since its establishment in 2019, and previously served as External Controller for Imperial Companies since 2014. Jacky has extensive professional experience in accounting and audit practices, providing an array of services for clients throughout the real estate industry. Through Yehezkel CPA, he works closely with real estate owners, managers, developers and investors that are involved in residential, commercial and retail properties.

Passionate about wellness, Jacky enjoys the peace and quiet of a long hike, the practice of daily meditation, and the atmosphere of a New York Yankees game.

Jacky holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Accounting from Baruch College.