David Baum is a leading figure in Chicago's real estate development and retail leasing communities. Since co-founding Baum Development, LLC in 1989 and Baum Realty Group, Inc. in 1991 with his brother Douglas, David has cultivated the business from a two-person start-up company into an award-winning commercial and residential development firm and Chicago's leading retail brokerage firm.

Baum Development has received seven Chicago Association of Realtors Good Neighbor Awards and a Preservation Excellence Award from the City of Chicago for work in adaptive reuse and historic preservation. David has successfully led Baum in the development of more than 80 residential, retail, office and mixed-use developments throughout the Chicago area and the Western United States.

Chicago-based Baum Realty Group (BRG) is one of the nation's premier retail brokerage firms. For the past fifteen years, theproviding award-winning company has provided comprehensive real estate services for a diversified clientele of top property

owners as well as national, regional and local retailers such as Starbuck's Coffee, FedEx Kinko's, Panera Bread, Washington Mutual, Morton's Steakhouse, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Jared's Jewelers and many others.

David is an advisor for the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), a non-profit organization serving underdeveloped communities. David is also a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, The Economic Club of Chicago and U.S. Green Business Council. He is often a featured speaker for real estate and business groups and forums and was named one of Crain's Chicago Business' "40 Under 40" leaders and was featured in Real Estate Chicago's "40 Under 40" edition as well.

David is a past President and current advisory board member of the Board of Directors for the acclaimed Suzuki-Orff School for Young Musicians. He also serves as a mentor for students at DePaul University's School of Real Estate, of which Baum Realty Group is a founding sponsor. In addition, he coaches two AYSO soccer teams and is a Park District softball coach.