Why We Created Vertical Futures & Our Invitation to the Industry

Vertical Futures: A TULU Original Series

Vertical Futures is a TULU original series exploring how visionary leaders are reimagining the way we live, work, and build cities. Hosted by Yael Shemer, TULU’s Co-Founder, each conversation offers grounded insights for developers, landlords, and investors shaping the next generation of urban living.


Why We Created Vertical Futures

Welcome to Vertical Futures, where we explore the future of living through bold conversations with industry leaders.

I’m Yael Shemer, Co-Founder of TULU – a company elevating the way we live by giving residents on-demand access to the products they need, right in their building.

Buildings are no longer just four walls – they’re becoming curated experiences. Join me as I talk with the visionaries transforming how we live, exploring the innovations and challenges shaping this new era.

When we started TULU, our goal was simple: to make city living smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable. But as we grew, one thing became clear – innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens through conversation.

Vertical Futures was born from that belief – to bring together the voices driving change across real estate, technology, and design. These are the people asking the hard questions: How do we build better communities? What does “home” mean in an age of constant mobility? And how can technology elevate – not replace – the human experience?

Because buildings today are no longer just physical spaces; they are living ecosystems designed around experience, creativity, and community. This series is our invitation to pause, listen, and learn from the leaders transforming how we live – and to uncover the ideas, challenges, and human stories shaping this new era of real estate.


Some of the Leaders We’ve Featured So Far

  • RXR’s Jarrod Whitaker on hospitality as the new infrastructure of real estate.
  • Greystar’s Selam Egzeabher on turning operations into award-winning experiences.
  • RPM Living’s Amanda Kitts on scaling care and performance together.
  • Grand Peaks’ Aimée Duplessie on being first to market and leading through change.
  • The Preiss Company’s Whitney Kidd on AI, robotics, and the next evolution of resident experience.

Our Invitation

Vertical Futures is an open invitation to reimagine the way we live in buildings. To our partners, collaborators, and peers – we invite you to join the conversation, share your perspective, and help us shape what comes next.

Together, we can make our cities more human, more connected, and more intelligent.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Listen to the full series on Spotify →

Vertical Futures is a TULU original conversation series exploring how visionary leaders are reimagining the way we live, work, and build cities. Hosted by Yael Shemer, TULU’s Co-Founder, each conversation offers grounded insights for developers, landlords, and investors shaping the next generation of urban living.

Related Blogs

Whitney Kidd is reshaping the future of multifamily through innovation that serves people first. From AI to humanoid robotics, she shares how The Preiss Company is redefining property management by empowering teams and transforming the resident experience.
From music to multifamily, RXR’s Jarrod Whitaker brings creativity, strategy, and heart to every project. He discusses how design, technology, and hospitality intersect to create homes that balance efficiency with warmth — and communities that truly feel like home.
With a background in hospitality and nearly 20 years of experience, Selam Egzeabher has turned Philadelphia’s East Market into a model of excellence. In this episode, she shares how measurable operations, resident listening, and creative service design define the next generation of multifamily leadership.