Greg was inspired by New York City design and the downtown art scene in the ‘70s and ‘80s, when he accompanied his artist mother to her SoHo gallery openings as a child. He was frequently involved in construction projects as a young man, spending summers and weekends building furniture and running a small renovations and exterior projects business. 

Mr. Sharp is also, the founder and principal of Gregory Sharp Architect, PC and Case Development, Inc. For more than 20 years, he has designed and built a range of residential, commercial, hospitality and municipal spaces, incorporating one-of-a-kind architecture, furniture and interior details. Having grown up in Connecticut, an architecturally significant part of the country, Greg employs modern materials and creative solutions in his designs.

Gregory Sharp Architect, PC (GSA), is a licensed architecture firm that provides professional architectural design, general site planning and owner representation services. The sophisticated architecture emphasizes modernism and efficiency while referencing traditional design elements. Great design is not limited by style, size or budget. GSA’s creativity and experience produce stunning results, whether our clients are renovating an apartment, building a new home, creating a special office, repurposing an existing facility or constructing a condominium building.

Case Development, the New York-based company, provides development consulting, construction management, creative consulting and custom interiors services and handles all aspects of project development, construction supervision and project management for private clients and commercial developers.

Greg received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tulane School of Architecture in New Orleans. He and his wife currently live in Dobbs Ferry, New York with their 2 young children.

Justin Shapiro joined Ward Hospitality as the Director of Operations in early 2018, bringing along an extensive background and expertise in restaurant and bar management. As a Chicago native, Justin was born into a world of editorial entertainment and 1st Amendment rights. He learned early in life about the importance of treating everyone equally, fairly and with compassion. Transferring those important life lessons to the nightlife of Chicago’s bustling culinary and craft cocktail scene, Justin honed his management and operational skills under the tutelage of several Chicago industry veterans. In 2008, two New York bar veterans approached Justin and his business partner to be the majority investors in what would become the world-renowned Mayahuel NYC. Originally the majority investor, Justin became Mayahuel’s operational partner in 2010 and lead the bar to countless awards (including the prestigious Best New Cocktail Bar in the World from Tales of the Cocktails), above-industry average profitability, and a sustained run of almost 10-years. During his tenure at Mayahuel, and while consulting on several projects across the country, Justin also opened Ebanos Crossing, a boutique cocktail lounge in Downtown Los Angeles. Says Justin about his experiences, “it was an amazing learning opportunity that when being an owner/operator, there really is no substitute for being on-premises regularly. The opportunities to interact with our guests is what I covet most.” Having wrapped up the LA venture in 2016 and Mayahuel in 2017, Justin has now found his new home developing the Palo Vivo franchise under the Ward Hospitality group. He looks forward to bringing his operational expertise and passion for hospitality to this new venture. Justin is also a world traveler, founder of JustRight Consulting LLC and holds degrees from both Lincoln College and the College of Charleston.