This article was originally published on Emory News Center.
Though their paths at Emory were different, two alumni found common ground through conversation and ultimately real estate.
The old adage in real estate is location, location, and location. For Bernard Clevens 22MBA, the story is more about connection, connection, and connection.
What began as a conversation between two Emory alumni focused on establishing the Emory Goizueta Real Estate Conference has evolved into something far more meaningful: mentorship, friendship and ultimately a business partnership.
Today, Clevens, founder and principal of Thematic Capital Group, and Chris Dray 87C, co-managing partner of Silver Street Capital and principal owner of Dray Investments, speak multiple times a week. They trade advice, celebrate family milestones, swap stories about parenting and life, and, as of last year, own real estate together.
“When we talk, it’s always relationship first,” says Clevens. “Rarely do we just jump straight into business.”
Their connection began in 2022, when Clevens helped spearhead the inaugural real estate conference. Dray, an active volunteer and longtime supporter of the university, saw the conference as an opportunity to stay involved while helping cultivate future real estate leaders.
At first, the relationship was what many would recognize as a traditional mentor-mentee dynamic. Dray offered guidance as Clevens transitioned from the institutional real estate world into entrepreneurship.
Despite graduating from different corners of Emory and living and working in different time zones, they found common ground in family, business, and a belief in helping others succeed. Conversations about deals naturally expanded into conversations about life, career, and the challenges of balancing it all.
“We are in two different places in life,” says Dray. “But at the same time, we’re living so many parallels.”
“Relationship First”
“Relationship first” is a phrase both men return to often. It is the principle that has shaped every stage of their connection. Long before they discussed partnering on a deal, they had built trust through years of honest conversations, encouragement, and mutual respect.
That foundation paved the way for a new chapter in 2025 when they partnered on a $30 million industrial real estate acquisition in Texas. The 16-building Dallas portfolio was more than a business deal. It was a testament to the trust they had built through years of conversation and collaboration, as well as the unique strengths each brought to the partnership.
Both instantly knew the collaboration would work, with Dray highlighting, “We have some different skill sets, and it’s very interesting how we mesh very well.”
What started as one alumnus offering guidance to another became proof that some of the most meaningful opportunities emerge when alumni invest in one another.
While their mentor-mentee relationship began organically, which Clevens said is key, both champion the strong connections Emory alumni can forge with one another.
Alumni mentorship can be a catalyst for creating those opportunities. An Emory-exclusive network of alumni sharing deals, raising capital, and exchanging industry insights is one example of how fellow graduates can support one another’s success, shares Clevens.
“Our networks haven’t explored mentorship in the ways that they should,” says Dray. “This is a call to action to alumni to get out and do more.”
As the Emory real estate community continues to grow, stories like theirs demonstrate what can happen when those connections are nurtured.
Building Atlanta’s Real Estate Future
Goizueta Business School has seen strong momentum through its annual Real Estate Conference. In 2025, the school also received a substantial gift from alumnus Billy Harbert 09MBA to establish the BL Harbert Real Estate Center, whose inaugural executive director is Joel Murphy.
“Chris and Bernard came together when working on a shared interest to help advance the Emory Goizueta Real Estate Conference in its early years and built a personal, mentoring, and now business relationship from it,” says Murphy. “Their story is a prime example of where a center for real estate can fulfill one of its most important purposes — bringing industry people together in ways that create lasting professional relationships and opportunities.”
With a growing real estate presence in Atlanta and Emory having a deep bench of industry professionals on faculty, the center is in a prime position to be a hub of activity for future developers, capital providers, investors, and advisors.
The center will prepare students for careers in real estate through practical applied learning, relationship building, and industry partnerships. Alongside the conference, Clevens believes it provides the foundation for Emory to become a preeminent hub for real estate education and industry engagement by 2030.
“Ultimately, we want Emory students to have access to the best opportunities and hiring outcomes possible,” he says.
Sometimes mentorship opens a door. Sometimes it creates a career opportunity. And sometimes, as it did for Dray and Clevens, it becomes a friendship that enhances every part of life.
Emory’s Advancement & Alumni Engagement team spotlights members of the Emory community who embody the university’s mission and honors the supporters whose generosity makes it possible. Know someone we should write about? Tell us.
Want to hear more about what’s next for Atlanta real estate? Join Goizueta’s BL Harbert Real Estate Center on November 12 for a conversation with industry leaders shaping the region’s future. Tickets are now available—reserve your seat today.
