More than 1.2 million new residents moved to DFW over the last decade. As streets of new houses sprawl over what used to be countryside and old shopping areas are discarded in favor of new and trendy spots, real estate entrepreneurs are aiming to keep neighborhoods vibrant.

The TCU Alumni Association and TCU Magazine hosted a virtual panel about the real estate opportunities that come with changing demographics amid a population boom.

Tracy Williams ’04 (MS ’08), president of TCU Alumni Association, will moderate a discussion about the need to reinvent physical spaces in a metroplex that grew 20 percent over the last decade.

Joining Williams are three real estate experts who are working to revitalize already developed areas and advise future real estate entrepreneurs:

Terrence Maiden ’00 is the CEO of Russell Glen, a commercial real estate company in Dallas. He is working to redevelop the former Red Bird Mall in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas.

Susan Miller Gruppi ’08 is co-founder and co-president of M2G Ventures, a real estate investment and development team in Fort Worth she started with her twin sister in 2014.

Leslie Purvis ’97 (MBA ’15) is the associate director of TCU’s Center for Real Estate. She is also a professor of real estate and finance for TCU’s Neeley School of Business.

Quotes From the Panel

“DFW is well-positioned for the next several years for growth. The amount of people moving to this metroplex is astounding. And they’re so culturally diverse. There’s something for everyone to get plugged into,” said panelist Terrence Maiden.

“We’re typically developing in a way where we can meet the community where it is … we don’t try to prove against what the community wants,” said panelist Susan Gruppi.

“We have to go through iterations of what we don’t like before we learn what we really want to know. Real estate has something for everyone: sales, supply chain, business information systems, accounting etc.,” said Leslie Purvis on building a successful career.