Ari M. Shalam

Ari M. Shalam serves as a Lecturer in Real Estate Entrepreneurship at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where he has earned the Wharton Teaching Excellence Award annually from 2020-2021 through 2024-2025. He concurrently operates as Founder and Managing Partner of RWN Real Estate Partners LLC, a New York City-based private equity firm specializing in middle-market real estate joint ventures across multiple U.S. regions and Puerto Rico.

His academic foundation includes:

• BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (cum laude)
• MBA from Harvard Business School

Shalam's expertise centers on practical real estate deal-making processes, investment lifecycle management, and entrepreneurial strategy in property markets. His professional trajectory—spanning $2.5 billion in executed real estate transactions—directly informs his pedagogical approach, emphasizing granular financial modeling, legal documentation, and resource-constrained negotiation tactics applicable across economic cycles. This industry-academia nexus defines his contributions to real estate education.

• Wharton Teaching Excellence Award, 2024-2025
• Wharton Teaching Excellence Award, 2023-2024
• Wharton Teaching Excellence Award, 2022-2023
• Wharton Teaching Excellence Award, 2021-2022
• Wharton Teaching Excellence Award, 2020-2021

As founder of RWN Real Estate Partners LLC, Shalam leads deal sourcing, capital formation, and asset management operations targeting diverse property types. His prior executive roles—including President of Enterprise Asset Management (2009-2011) and Senior Partner/Director of Acquisitions at Taconic Investment Partners (2003-2009)—demonstrate sustained leadership in New York City-focused development and investment. These experiences directly shape his REAL 3960/8910 course curriculum, which equips students with technical deal tools rather than theoretical surveys.

Shalam chairs Voxx International Corporation's board (NASDAQ: VOXX) and previously contributed to the Penn Institute of Urban Research advisory board, Good+ Foundation, and Trinity School trusteeship, reflecting his integration of academic, corporate, and civic leadership spheres.