Southern Methodist University, Bachelor's in Political Science
Nick was part of the founding Open Realty team. He executed rollouts for retailers like Apple, J. Crew, RH, Michael Kors, and Lululemon. Before Open Realty, he was the Senior VP of Leasing for the O'Connor Group. In 2012, Nick and Brett founded RetailUnion. Nick works with various clients, including Capital One Café, Purple, Verge and H&M. When he's not getting deals done, he's golfing, fishing, or grilling.
Southern Methodist University, Bachelor's in Political Science
Brett’s successful career in the national retail industry began 30 years ago at Open Realty where he advised on multiple accounts including Apple, Sunglass Hut, RH, and Colorado Pen Company. In 2000, Brett joined Chico's FAS as their Director of National Site Selection, leading the company's expansion to over 500 locations. He later worked at Continental Retail Development as Vice President of Development. In 2012, Brett co-founded RetailUnion with Nick, where he brings his expertise to bear on behalf of clients such as Amazon, Purple, Chubbies, and H&M. When he's not working, Brett enjoys spending time with his two dogs and playing golf.
University of Mississippi and Adams State University, Bachelor’s in History
Bennett spent almost ten years with Open Realty Advisors, where he got his start in the business working with Apple on all aspects of their real estate needs. While at ORA, he was a crucial partner in the site selection, market analysis, and lease negotiations on all clients, including L'Occitane en Provence, J. Crew, Madewell, J Crew Mercantile, Restoration Hardware, Spanx, Tesla, Apple, Warby Parker. Bennett was then a Senior Vice President at Retail Connection and a Partner at Rue. As a Partner at RetailUnion, he currently leads the national expansion of brands such as Todd Snyder, Bonobos, Chubbies, and Little Words Project. Bennett prides himself on staying current on market trends, the evolution of retailers, and the changing retail landscape across the United States. When he's not out touring shopping centers with clients, he's spending time with his wife and two kids.
Trinity University, Bachelor’s in Finance & Texas Christian University, MBA
Before joining RetailUnion in 2021, Barrett was the Director of Strategy for AT&T, where he worked in various functions, including pricing, go-to-market strategy, technology development, and new market development. At RetailUnion, Barrett keeps the machine running, continuously improving operational efficiencies and leading various internal and external strategic initiatives. When he’s not in the office, he’s mostly running around chasing his three boys.
DePauw University, Bachelor’s in Economics and Spanish
Amanda joined the RetailUnion team in November 2021. Most recently, she was the Head of Property for the Northern Hemisphere for the Australian brand Lovisa, growing their business in North America and Europe. She previously ran H&M’s entire real estate and development business in Australia and New Zealand, and before that, H&M’s expansion and portfolio management in North America. She has also worked for Ashkenazys Acquisition Corporation and Simon Property Group. At RetailUnion, Amanda oversees clients like Rowan, Little Words Project, and Waterdrop. When she isn’t traveling the country on behalf of RetailUnion, Amanda loves traveling for herself, eating great food, and taking a spin class.
The University of British Columbia, Bachelor’s in International Business
Brin is the sole member of our team based in Toronto, Canada. Before joining RetailUnion in the summer of 2022, she consulted brands like Interior Define and Google's Sidewalk Labs on various real estate strategy initiatives. Brin previously worked for WeWork in San Francisco as the Senior Lead of Real Estate Strategy and Operations for North America, responsible for internal and site selection strategy and leasing out WeWork's retail space to F&B tenants. Before that, she was at Bonobos in New York as their Associate of Real Estate and Retail Finance. When Brin isn't building expansion strategies for our clients, she's writing retail articles for Forbes, taking her dog on hikes, or reading the latest non-fiction book.
Texas Tech University, Bachelors and Masters in Geography and GIS.
Michelle works closely with each client to develop site selection strategies by collecting and analyzing various data points and mapping those findings. Before working at RetailUnion, she worked at CBRE, using her knowledge of GIS, market demographics, and client criteria to determine site suitability. She's worked with national retail clients for over six years, including Apple, Lowe's, Sephora, Victoria's Secret, and STUDS, in addition to F&B clients like Michael Mina Restaurant Group, Cava, Sixty Vines, Barcelona Wine Bar, and BarTaco. Michelle has both a Bachelors's and Master's in GIS, and in her graduate program, she was a GIS Teaching Assistant. When she's not in the office building geographic visualizations and strategies for clients, she's at home with her two rescue dogs and two cats or visiting family in the Plano area.
University of Texas at Dallas, Bachelor's in Psychology
Erin has over 20 years of diverse, client-focused experience in retail leasing, landlord services & student housing. Most recently, Erin worked for CBRE as a Client Service Coordinator, where she integrated & managed a comprehensive lease processing policy for a national platform. Before CBRE, Erin worked for 5 years in retail leasing with Brookfield Properties & Rouse Properties as a Senior Leasing Coordinator. Erin also spent 10 years in student housing with University Partners and The Utley Foundation, working up from part-time leasing consultant to Community Manager of a 700-unit community at UTD. When she's not working, Erin enjoys reading, eating Tex-Mex, and spending time with her husband and 4 kids.
Morgan is a Dallas native who, before joining RetailUnion in 2020, worked for a start-up called Feed Me Pronto. At RetailUnion, Morgan manages deals for Pressed Roots, Rowan, and Little Words Project. At home, she has a dog named Coco, loves spending time with friends and family, and is always looking for her next travel adventure.
Texas A&M University, Bachelor's of Business Administration in Finance
Payton joined Retail Union in May 2024 upon graduating from Texas A&M University. As a Real Estate Analyst, he helps develop comprehensive real estate strategies for clients and provides support by creating pro formas, revenue models, and various ad-hoc analyses. During his time at college, he served as a Sales Assistant at a new home builder and contributed over three years to a residential real estate brokerage's listing team. He also earned his Texas Real Estate License at the age of 19. As a result of these experiences, he possesses a considerable understanding of the intricacies of the real estate market. Outside of work, Payton finds joy in maintaining a healthy lifestyle through gym sessions and running, going on walks with his dog, Nalah, watching a good movie, and spending quality time with family.
Baylor University, Bachelor's in Marketing and Management
Olivia Gabriel recently graduated from Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business with majors in marketing and management. Olivia runs the RetailUnion social media accounts as well as manages our website. In addition, Olivia enjoys activities such as running, cooking, and spending quality time with friends and family.
In 2019, Clay Mote teamed up with long-time friend, Brett Robinson, and joined RetailUnion Partners. He began his real estate career at the Weitzman Group where he was rookie of the year in 1996. He left Weitzman in April 2000 and partnered with Mike Geisler and Ken Reimer as they started Venture Commercial Real Estate. Throughout his career, Clay has been involved in large-scale rollouts and tenant representation assignments, as the master broker for Gander Mountain in eight states, Orchard Supply in Florida, and with his current client, Northern Tool, across the United States for more than 10 years. In addition, Clay has been successful in large and junior box dispositions for Albertsons, Office Depot, Toys-R-Us and over 10 Sears Department and Auto stores throughout Texas. Clay spends his free time traveling with family and friends.
Baylor University, Bachelor’s in Finance and Real Estate
Bryan Cornelius joined RetailUnion as a Principal in June 2019. With over 26 years of real estate experience, Bryan’s focus is on tenant representation, specializing in the implementation of retailers’ market strategies for expansion in DFW and nationally. His clients include Starbucks, rue21, Payless Shoe Source, GNC, Foot Locker, Sola Salon Studios and Sprouts. Prior to working in commercial real estate, Bryan spent 10 years in corporate real estate with Radio Shack, Payless Shoe Source and FedEx Kinko’s.
Larry Leon joined Retail Union in 2021 as a specialist in entertainment and hospitality real estate. He is the national master broker for Pinstripes; Bistro, Bowling and Bocce, and also nationally represents Supercharged Entertainment, the largest entertainment venue of its kind in the U.S.
Larry has over 40 years of experience in commercial real estate, ranging from the disposition of retail portfolios to sales of shopping centers, along with project leasing and tenant representation. Larry created the first retail tenant representation advisory firm in DFW and was a founding partner in United Commercial Realty. He later became a partner at Venture Commercial Real Estate, where he founded Venturetainment, specializing in Location Based Entertainment (LBE’s), and is considered one of the national authorities in that field. One of his favorite pastimes is “Ideation” and brainstorming inventive groundbreaking ideas which assist his clients in their success. A high point of Larry’s career was bringing Nebraska Furniture Mart to North Texas. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned retailer purchased 433 acres in The Colony for its fourth and largest store (1.9 million square feet), and includes the Grandscape retail, restaurant, and entertainment complex. Larry and his team provided an enormous amount of research and information to the client, requiring a team effort to do the assemblage and entice NFM to the area.
Todd Griffiths joined RetailUnion as a Senior Vice President in 2020 and was promoted to Partner in January 2022. He is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in both the restaurant industry and commercial real estate. With over 25 years of experience managing operations and openings of numerous restaurants, ranging from casual to fine dining, Todd brings a wealth of expertise to his role as Partner. Todd mainly focuses on tenant representation with restaurant and entertainment groups throughout the country. Notable clients include Pins Mechanical Co, Agave Bandido, Terry Black’s BB-Q, Back Yard Social, Wagamama, NOTO, Ruins Bar, Lava Cantina, and many others. Todd’s extensive knowledge and understanding of the industry make him an invaluable asset to his clients and a valuable contributor to RetailUnion.
Jim made a pivotal career transition in 2004 upon graduating from The University of Texas in Arlington. With a solid background in HVAC contracting, he embraced the realm of commercial brokerage at Venture Commercial. Drawing inspiration from his mother's success as a commercial broker, he immersed himself in the field, diligently refining his market expertise and cultivating robust relationships with brokerage firms, landlords, and developers. In 2019, Jim embarked on a new chapter in his career by joining RetailUnion as a partner. Throughout his 19-year career, he has fostered an impressive clientele comprising prominent national, regional, and local tenants such as Sprouts, Starbucks, T-Mobile, Dutch Bros Coffee, Bojangles, Foot Locker, Chilis, 7-Eleven, Arby's, Taco Bueno, Wingstop, Drybar, among others. Recognized for his unwavering tenacity in identifying prime trade areas and staying ahead of the curve in retail development, Jim has consistently earned recognition as one of DCEO magazine's foremost heavy hitters over the past decade.
University of North Texas, Bachelor’s in Real Estate
Gabi joined RetailUnion as a Vice President in 2023. She began her career in 2016 with Venture Commercial Real Estate, focusing on project leasing, including experience in ground-up development, high-profile urban core assets, neighborhood retail, and mixed-use projects. Before joining RetailUnion, Gabi was a Real Estate Manager for Brilliant Earth and focused on retail store growth across the United States. With a local and national background, Gabi has gained knowledge and insight to curate a unique experience for both the Landlord and Tenant. Gabi has worked with many landlords, including but not limited to Brixmor Property Group, Asana Partners, 42 Real Estate, Crescent Communities, ShopCore, Triten Real Estate Partners, and PREP Property Group. Her client list includes Dry Bar, Relive Health, Scenthound, Whiskey Hatchet, and other specialty retail and F&B.
Kim joined RetailUnion in January of 2022 as Director of Tenant Services. Her focus is on a broad range of tenant representation with an emphasis on entertainment and restaurant clients. Kim has over 20 years’ experience in the healthcare, nutrition and wellness arenas. She has a BA in Marketing from Purdue University and a nutrition certification (FNTP) from the Nutrition Therapy Association. In her time away from the office, Kim meets with nutrition clients, enjoys cooking and fitness, and spending time with her husband and pets.
Jake Cornelius joined RetailUnion as an Associate in August of 2019. In his time here, his focus has been on Tenant Representation for national, regional, and local tenants. Born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, Jake provides his own unique perspective on the market. His area of focus is the DFW Metroplex, as well as East, West, and Central Texas. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, skiing, traveling, and spending time with his wife Lauren and their daughter.
