BOSTON— Boston Real Estate Times, New England’s most read and watched real estate media outlet, announced today that it will host its 13th Annual Assisted Living & Senior Housing Summit on January 20, 2026, at the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA.
This year’s summit will feature an exceptional lineup of industry trailblazers:
• Tom Grape, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Benchmark Senior Living
• Wendy Nowokunski, Co-founder & President, The Northbridge Companies
• Walter Ramos, CEO, Rogerson Communities
• Brian Doherty, President & CEO, Massachusetts Assisted Living Association
“These four leaders represent the very best thinking in senior living today—from development and operations to regulation and policy,” said Upendra Mishra, Publisher of Boston Real Estate Times and Boston Life Sciences Times. “Their insights will help the region’s developers, investors, architects and planners understand what is truly shaping the next era of senior housing in New England.”
Mishra added, “As demand accelerates and the needs of older adults evolve, our goal is to convene the sector’s most influential voices so the real estate community can make informed, future-ready decisions. This summit has become the go-to annual forum for that conversation.”
Produced by Boston Real Estate Times, New England’s integrated online, print, and video real estate publication, the conference will run from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
To register, please click here.
Meet the 2026 Summit Panelists
Tom Grape
Founder, Chairman & CEO, Benchmark Senior Living
Nearly three decades after founding Benchmark Senior Living in a two-room office in Wellesley, MA, Tom Grape has built one of the largest and most respected senior housing companies in the United States, with nearly 70 communities and consistently top-ranked satisfaction scores.
A national leader in shaping policy and industry standards, Grape: Founded the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association (and served as Chair); Was instrumental in drafting Massachusetts’ assisted living legislation alongside former Gov. Charlie Baker; Is a founding board member and former Chair of Argentum; and Serves on the executive board of the American Seniors Housing Association
In 2019, he received Mass-ALA’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award. He continues to be a sought-after voice on development trends, workforce issues, and the importance of human connection in senior living.
Wendy Nowokunski
Co-founder & President, The Northbridge Companies
A recognized force in senior living for more than 30 years, Wendy Nowokunski has led the development, acquisition, and operation of over 80 communities spanning independent living, assisted living, memory care, CCRCs, and active adult.
Under her leadership, Northbridge has grown into one of New England’s most admired senior living organizations—serving over 1,500 residents and earning “Top Place to Work” honors from both USA Today and The Boston Globe.
She is a 2020 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Award winner and co-founder of the One Angel Foundation, a nonprofit supporting underserved children worldwide.
Brian Doherty
President & CEO, Massachusetts Assisted Living Association
Since 2018, Brian Doherty has led Mass-ALA, the statewide organization representing professionally operated assisted living residences. His advocacy and public education work have helped define assisted living as a model of healthy aging in Massachusetts.
Argentum named him a 2022 Champion of Seniors, recognizing his leadership on regulatory, legislative, and consumer-facing initiatives such as the annual Assisted Living Resource Guide.
Doherty previously served as CEO of the Northeast Association of REALTORS® and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Psychological Association. He is Immediate Past Chair of the New England Society of Association Executives.
Walter J. Ramos, JD
President & CEO, Rogerson Communities
Walter J. Ramos, JD, joined Rogerson Communities as President and CEO in 2018, bringing more than two decades of leadership experience in nonprofit healthcare and public-sector organizations. Prior to Rogerson, he served as President of Carney Hospital, where he oversaw strategic direction, operations, and organizational performance.
A respected healthcare administrator, Ramos has held senior roles across municipal agencies and mission-driven health organizations, consistently focusing on expanding access, improving outcomes, and strengthening community-based services. At Rogerson Communities, he leads one of Massachusetts’ most established nonprofit providers of housing and services for older adults and low-income individuals, guiding its mission to support dignity, stability, and wellness through innovative residential and supportive programs.
What Attendees Will Learn
The 2026 Summit will deliver a real estate–focused analysis of the evolving senior housing landscape, including:
• New England Development Pipeline – Where new assisted living and senior housing projects are emerging and how developers are navigating zoning reforms, land constraints, and shifting demand.
• Adaptive Reuse Strategies – Converting hotels, offices, retail properties, and aging campuses into viable, high-performance senior communities.
• Middle-Market Models – Right-sizing units, optimizing construction costs, and blending capital sources to serve the fast-growing middle-income senior segment.
• Next-Generation Facility Design – Hospitality-inspired amenities, wellness-forward programming, memory care innovations, and intergenerational community integration.
• Regulatory Impacts – How zoning changes, MBTA Communities requirements, and evolving care regulations affect site selection, entitlement, and development feasibility.
• Capital Markets Outlook – Financing trends, valuation shifts, and investor strategies amid higher costs and selective lending.
• Sustainability & Operational Efficiency – Reducing operating costs and boosting asset value through energy-efficient systems and technology-enabled infrastructure.
This event is produced annually by the Boston Real Estate Times.
To buy a ticket, please click here.
To sponsor the event, please email events@MishraGroup.com
with the subject line “Senior Housing Sponsorship.”
