Six Warrington alumni named to 2024 40 Gators Under 40

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Multiple real estate professionals, a leader on Wall Street, a philanthropic specialist, an experienced trial attorney and a federal prosecutor are the Warrington College of Business representatives on this year’s list of outstanding alumni named to the 40 Gators Under 40 by the University of Florida Alumni Association.

The 40 Gators Under 40 honors alumni who are going greater in their communities and professions, continuing the tradition of the Outstanding Young Alumni event, which honored alumni achievements that positively impacted The Gator Nation from 2006-2018.

Of the Warrington alumni named to the list, five earned a bachelor’s degree from the Heavener School of Business, and three are Double Gators, earning master’s degrees in real estate and finance from the Hough Graduate School of Business. 

Read more about the outstanding alumni representing the Warrington College of Business on the 2024 40 Gators Under 40 list.

Daniel Burkhardt (BSBA ’11, MSRE ‘12)

Burkhardt is a Partner at NAI Hallmark, a full service commercial real estate firm headquartered in Jacksonville. Burkhardt specializes in the acquisition and disposition of commercial real estate investment properties, specifically office, retail and industrial. Since 2012, he has represented clients in more than 200 transactions totaling over $500 million in value, many of which have brought new investment capital to the Jacksonville area. Burkhardt also oversees brokerage operations and assists with recruitment, training and management of the NAI Hallmark brokerage team.

Outside of his position at NAI Hallmark, Burkhardt has a passion for serving as a role model and positively impacting the youth of the Jacksonville Community.  He is a current Member of the Board of Directors for Dreams Come True and is a former President of the Dreams Come True Horizon Board in 2014. He also served as an Assistant Coach for the Boys Varsity Basketball Team at Assumption Catholic School from 2012 to 2020.

Burkhardt is actively involved in several commercial real estate business organizations, including currently serving as the SIOR NE Florida Regional Director, and previous leadership positions such as the 2020 CCIM North District of Florida President and several board chair positions for NAIOP of Northeast Florida. He is a graduate of the Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2023 and JAX Chamber Hightower Emerging Leaders Fellowship.

Prior to working for NAI Hallmark, Burkhardt worked for the University of Florida Men’s Basketball Team for Head Coach Billy Donovan from 2009-2011, while obtaining his undergraduate degree in finance from the UF Warrington College of Business. Shortly thereafter he enrolled in the Nathan S. Collier Master of Science in Real Estate.

Burkhardt is a resident of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, golfing, and spending time with his wife (Janine), golden doodle (Hooper), family and friends.

Dan Drotos (BSBA ’09, MBC ’11, MSRE ‘12)

Drotos currently serves at the Senior Vice President of Colliers in Gainesville, FL. Colliers is a publicly traded international full-service commercial real estate firm with over 18,000 brokers in 66 countries. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Drotos’ journey in Gainesville began as an undergraduate student where he achieved a Bachelor of Science in Business with a major in finance along with minors in real estate and urban and regional planning. Upon graduation in 2009, Drotos decided to stay at UF and pursue a double master’s degree in building construction and real estate.

After graduation, he transitioned to his new role in commercial real estate at BRS Commercial with his partner and mentor, Mike Ryals. Over the next 8 years, Drotos earned the prestigious CCIM & SIOR designations and has held a significant number of board positions in various philanthropic, industry, and civic organizations.

He is most proud of his accomplishments as one of the initial founders of the Small Business Leadership Council through the United Way and his pivotal time on the board at Ronald McDonald House as they executed a capital campaign to move into a new house. He has also stayed engaged with UF as a frequent guest speaker and mentor for various students throughout the years.

Drotos has been awarded several local, regional and even international awards for his achievements in commercial real estate. In 2019, he was tasked with opening a new office for Colliers in Gainesville, which has proven to be a tremendous success. Drotos is widely considered a market leader and expert and has served as a broker, advisor and consultant on thousands of transactions in Alachua County, facilitating the growth of the region. Drotos has been married to his wife Maggie since 2018 and they have two children, Daniel Jr. (4) and Emily (2). In his free time, he enjoys Gator football, golf, inshore fishing, and hiking with his family and their golden retriever, Hazel.

Julia Furnari (BSBA ’15, BS Psychology ‘15)

Furnari is the Executive Director of the Tapestry Foundation and Coach Foundation at Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE: TPR), a New York-based house of modern luxury lifestyle brands including Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman. In her role, she leads the company’s multi-brand global social impact strategy with a focus on impact investing for the company’s private Foundations totaling over $120 million in philanthropic assets.

During her time at Tapestry Inc., Furnari has executed philanthropic donations exceeding $200 million, led the company’s worldwide Covid-19 philanthropic response through impactful public-private partnerships with the City of New York, and pioneered the establishment of the $50 million Tapestry Foundation.

Furnari is at the forefront of the company’s efforts in addressing climate change and fostering equity through philanthropic commitments. She also leads disaster relief efforts on a global scale and oversees the company’s employee volunteerism and matching gift program. Notably, Furnari spearheaded a $3 million investment to create a first-of-its kind deforestation and conversion free tractability program in Brazil’s leather supply chain with the goal to combat deforestation in high-risk areas.

In her role leading the Coach Foundation, Furnari oversees a philanthropic portfolio in China, Japan, United States, and the United Kingdom and recently achieved the goal to provide 5,000 scholarships to underrepresented students around the world. Furnari joined Tapestry in 2017.

Furnari is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Florida, where she earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Marketing and Psychology. She further obtained a master’s degree from Columbia University in Nonprofit Management, specializing in Corporate Social Responsibility. She serves on the West Side Community Fund’s Grants Committee and is a member the Conference Board’s Philanthropy & Engagement Council as well as NationSwell.

Peter Gylfe (BSBA ’09, MSF ‘10)

Gylfe is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Millennium where he runs a fundamental equity team. Millennium is one of the largest Hedge Funds in the world with ~$58bn in assets. Gylfe runs a large team that invests substantial capital in the Industrials, Materials & Consumer sectors.

Prior to joining Millennium, he was a member of Citadel Global Equities. Prior to Citadel he founded Bay Street Capital Partners, a global long/short equity hedge fund. Prior to Bay Street, Gylfe was a Portfolio Manager at Hutchin Hill and prior to that worked at Balyasny and Millennium. He started his career in investment banking at Citi.

Gylfe graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a BSBA in Finance and an MS in Finance. Gylfe is a CFA charter holder, a member of the NYSSA (New York Society of Security Analysts), currently serves as a Board Member for GSIF (Gator Student Investment Fund) at the University of Florida. Gylfe was previously named to Institutional Investor’s Hedge Fund Rising Stars and Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Finance.

Laura Renstrom (BMUS ’09, MSM ’10, JD ’13)

Renstrom is an experienced trial attorney in Holland & Knight’s Jacksonville office. She concentrates her practice on high-stakes, complex civil litigation, including healthcare and product liability disputes, and class action defense in federal and state courts. Renstrom’s healthcare litigation experience includes matters involving antitrust issues and coverage disputes, along with actions involving ERISA, reimbursement, and contract issues.

Renstrom’s product liability experience includes defending negligence, fraud, unfair trade practices, and breach of contract claims. Renstrom has a substantial depth of class action experience, achieving final approval of a $40 million class action settlement on behalf of plaintiffs, and representing defendants in defeating class certification or obtaining dismissal of claims. Renstrom excels in managing litigation strategy and successfully navigating complex discovery issues. She regularly assists clients in employing methods to efficiently and effectively meet their electronic discovery obligations.

Beyond her legal practice, Renstrom is committed to the Jacksonville community. Renstrom has served as the President of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and as a Vice Chairman for THE PLAYERS Championship. She has served on the Board of the Sanctuary on 8th Street and is a dedicated member of the Chester Bedell Inn of Court. Renstrom was recently named a Jacksonville “Woman of Influence” and received the Jacksonville Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” honor for her commitment to these efforts. Renstrom is passionate about community involvement. She is a Vice Chair for THE PLAYERS Championship, one of the largest golf tournaments in the world, where she manages a team of over 2,000 volunteers. She is the President of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She served as a Board Member with the Sanctuary on 8th Street for five years.

Lisa Thelwell (BABA ’08, JD ’12)

Thelwell began her legal career as an Assistant State Attorney serving the citizens of Miami-Dade County, where she prosecuted cases in the felony, misdemeanor and juvenile divisions. After nearly four years of service, Thelwell relocated to Tampa to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, where she was assigned to the Special Victims Section and served as the district’s Human Trafficking Coordinator. She currently serves as a federal prosecutor with the Department of Justice’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section based in the nation’s capital.

Thelwell is passionate about seeking the truth, serving as a voice for victims and ensuring that justice prevails. Her desire is to be a catalyst for impact and change within the criminal justice system by zealously upholding the laws of this country while maintaining a spirit of honesty and integrity.

Having served as a prosecutor for the past 11 years, Thelwell has conducted over 40 jury trials and numerous bench trials in state and federal court. In 2022, the Florida Attorney General named Thelwell Florida’s human trafficking “Prosecutor of the Year”; and in 2019, the Florida Gang Investigators Association named Thelwell “Gang Prosecutor of the Year”.

A proud double Gator, Thelwell graduated cum laude from UF Levin College of Law, where she received a certificate in criminal justice, and from UF Warrington College of Business. In 2022, UF Law presented Thelwell with the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. Thelwell is dedicated to giving back to communities that have given so much to her.

She currently serves as the Membership Chair of the UF Law Alumni Council, VP of the National Black Prosecutors Association (NBPA) Foundation, VP of Communications of the NBPA, and is the Immediate Past President of the local Tampa Bay chapter. Thelwell is a dedicated member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. For fun, Thelwell enjoys spending her time exploring her new Washington, D.C. community, boxing and traveling.