Evens Charles is the founder and managing principal of Fronter Development & Hospitality Group LLC. A natve of Washington, D.C, Mr. Charles atended Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was a Big East Conference Division-I football athlete. During his five-year athletc tenure at Temple University, he earned a B.A. in Psychology and a Master of Educaton. Shortly thereafer, at the age of 25, Mr. Charles was inspired by his landlord to execute his first small transacton that required an out-of-pocket investment of $1,000 resultng in a $25K profit six months later. Mr. Charles organically grew over a ten-year period by executng several successful residental and mult-family acquisiton and development projects, then by the age of 36, made his first hotel investment. He has since grown Fronter to over a $250 million capitalized portolio of Hilton and Marriot Internatonally branded hotel assets across seven states, with another $1.1 billion of urban infill, commercial real estate development in its pipeline. Some of his recent accomplishments includes being recognized as a co-lead developer of Philadelphia’s 2023 Ben Franklin Parkway project award, which is a 850,000 square foot mixed-use project that will include a hotel, multfamily, retail and the development of the new African American Museum of Philadelphia, DMPED’s 2021 award of the Hill East Bundle II Project, which is 1.2 million square feet of waterfront, mixed-use development in Washington DC that consist of 1100 apartment units (65% affordable), hotel, retail, community park and 126 for sale units; The 2021 Business of the Year by Prince Georges County Bi-County Business; 2019 Black Enterprise largest 100 Black Owned Businesses in the naton and the 2019 Outstanding Entrepreneur Award by the Caribbean American Heritage. 2023 awarded President Joseph R. Biden’s Presidental Lifetme Achievement Award. Presented annually, to individuals who have a lifelong commitment to building a stronger naton through volunteer service. He has been featured in various publicatons including Hotel Business, Lodging Magazine, Black Enterprise & Business Journals across multple cites. He has an endowed scholarship in his name at Temple University targetng underserved students, supports many philanthropic causes and serves as a mentor to many. He is also a member of Temple University’s School of Hospitality & Tourism Board of Visitors, Executve board member of Experience Prince George’s, and a member of the Real Estate Executve Council (REEC), as well as industry organizatons such as the Natonal Alliance of African American Hotel Owners and the Asian American Hotel Owners Associaton.