Michigan has a long tradition of engagement with commercial real estate, shaped by alumni, faculty, students, and partners whose work has influenced development, investment, design, and civic life. This page highlights several alumni whose careers and philanthropy are part of that broader history.
Alfred Taubman was a pioneering force in American retail development. Born in Pontiac, Michigan, in 1924, he studied architecture at the University of Michigan and founded Taubman Company in 1950. Inspired by architect Victor Gruen, he helped establish the modern enclosed shopping mall and built a nationwide portfolio of retail properties that changed how Americans experienced shopping.
Taubman was a major benefactor of education, health care, and the arts, including the University of Michigan. He also supported civil rights attorney Damon Keith and helped Rosa Parks secure safe housing after she was attacked in 1994. He died on April 17, 2015, at the age of 91.
Stephen M. Ross is the Chairman and Founder of Related Companies and the Owner of the Miami Dolphins. Related identifies him as Founder and Non-Executive Chairman of Related Companies and Chairman and CEO of Related Ross. Through real estate, sports, and philanthropy, Ross has built an influential career connecting business leadership with major civic and cultural institutions.
A University of Michigan alumnus and major benefactor, Ross has supported education, health care, urban sustainability, and the arts. He established the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, helped support the Ross School of Business, and committed more than half of his estate to philanthropy through the Giving Pledge. In 2004, the University renamed its business school the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, and in 2011 awarded him an honorary degree.
Jeff T. Blau is the Chief Executive Officer and a partner of Related Companies. He joined Related in 1990 and was named CEO in 2012 by founder Stephen Ross. He has helped guide the company’s growth across residential, office, retail, and mixed-use development, including landmark projects such as Hudson Yards.
Blau is also Chairman and Founding Partner of energyRe, a clean-energy infrastructure company. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan and contributes to civic and nonprofit organizations including the Robin Hood Foundation, Lincoln Center, and the University of Michigan.
Ambassador Ron Weiser was elected to the University of Michigan Board of Regents in 2016 and completed his service at the end of 2024; he is now Regent Emeritus. He founded McKinley Associates Inc. in 1968 and served as its chairman and chief executive officer until 2001. From 2001–05, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the Slovak Republic, where he helped strengthen U.S.–Slovak relations and supported Slovakia’s path toward NATO and the European Union.
Weiser has been a major supporter of the University of Michigan, helping establish the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies, the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia, and the Weiser Diplomacy Center. His legacy combines real-estate leadership, public service, international diplomacy, and sustained philanthropy.
Sam Zell was a transformative force in real estate and one of the architects of the modern REIT era. Born in Chicago in 1941, he began managing student apartments while studying at the University of Michigan, launching a career that reshaped real estate investing. His bold, contrarian approach became a defining feature of his public reputation.
Zell founded and chaired several prominent REITs, including Equity Residential, Equity LifeStyle Properties, Equity Commonwealth, and Equity Office Properties Trust. He also supported entrepreneurial education through the Zell Lurie Institute at the University of Michigan and other institutions. He died on May 18, 2023, at the age of 81.
