AREPA Speaker Panel & Networking Event

Overview:

Join us on July 15, 2026, from 4:30–7:30 PM at CohnReznick’s office at One Post Office Square for an engaging discussion on “The Intelligent Market: AI, Automation, and the Future of Capital Markets – Investment Management & Operations.” This event will explore how emerging technologies are reshaping investment strategies, operational efficiency, and decision-making across the capital markets landscape. Attendees will gain valuable insights and have the opportunity to network with industry professionals in a dynamic and forward-looking environment.

This event is generously sponsored by CohnReznick. Home - CohnReznick

Confirmed Speakers:

Moderator:

Paul Jhung, CPA, Partner, CRE Industry Leader – Northeast of CohnReznick.

Panelists:

Silvia Chen, Co-Founder & CEO of Bilrost.

Sherry Li, Founder & CEO of PaiBox.

Wan Li Zhu, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Suffolk Technologies.

Agenda:

4:30 - 5:30 PM: Registration, Reception, Networking

5:30 - 6:00 PM: Opening Remarks

6:00 - 7:00 PM: Panel Discussion & Q&A

7:00 - 7:30 PM: Networking

Admission:

AREPA Members: Free

Non-Members: $50

Panelist Overview:

Silvia Chen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bilrost, which focuses on AI-powered CRE and business-purpose loan processing. From Bridgewater to Head of Product to founding and exiting startups, her journey has been rooted in a principled, analytical mindset and a strong bias for execution. She has led lean product launches that unlocked over $1B in liquidity, scaled trading volume 30x, and drove 9-figure revenue.

Silvia's work spans product, AI, and investment. Today, she is building bilrost— bringing efficiency to long-overdue commercial real estate financing. Done right, it will drive significant real-world impact, from smarter capital strategies to affordable housing and disaster recovery.

Outside of building, Silvia angel invests, kitesurfs, trains jiu-jitsu, hits Barry’s, sips tea, meditates, paints, and reads.

Sherry Li is the Founder & CEO of PaiBox, an AI Agent platform transforming home repair and property management. She brings over 16 years of global real estate investment and management experience, including leadership roles at top institutions such as a $1.1 trillion sovereign wealth fund. In 2018, she founded C-STAR, a $120 million real estate fund focused on single-family, multifamily, and private debt investments.

Sherry, also an active Pianist & Singer, has performed in concerts and charity music events at Carnegie Hall, Harvard University, and MIT, among other venues. Ms. Li holds a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Urban Planning from Peking University. She is currently enrolled in the OPM Executive Education program at Harvard Business School.

In recognition of her leadership and innovation in the PropTech sector, Sherry Li was named one of GlobeSt.’s 2025 ELITE Women of Influence.

Wan Li Zhu is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Suffolk Technologies, a venture capital firm investing in and partnering with startups transforming the built environment. Suffolk Technologies has backed over 50 startups in construction, real estate, and physical infrastructure, focused on improving productivity, affordability, and sustainability. Wan Li is an experienced technology investor and was previously a Partner at Fairhaven Capital, a Boston-based VC firm that invested over $430M in enterprise software and deep tech companies. Wan Li also founded and runs MIT Alumni Angels, which has backed over 100 MIT-affiliated startups in technology and life sciences.

Prior to venture capital, Wan Li led enterprise software product development and marketing organizations at Microsoft in Dynamics CRM, which became the fastest-growing business in the company’s history. Wan Li has also spent time at Google in online advertising, at Morgan Stanley in investment banking, and at Merrill Lynch in IT. Wan Li holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, where he completed research in knowledge acquisition for artificial general intelligence at the MIT Media Lab and in applying AI to financial markets analysis at the MIT Lab for Financial Engineering. Wan Li has served as Chairman of the Board at MIT Enterprise Forum and as the Executive Chairman of the New England Venture Network.

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