Steve Bass is a real estate investment professional with 25 years of experience in the major North Asian Markets, including extensive portfolio management, investment, and operational experience in Japan. Currently, he is Senior Director and Portfolio Manager at Nuveen Real Estate, where he is managing the firm's Japan Alternatives Living Fund. Previously, Steve led investment teams and served on investment committees for real estate managers including CBRE IM, AEW, and Orion Partners (acquired by Abdrn). Steve graduated with a B.A. in economics from Vassar College in New York and a Ph.D. in Urban Planning from UCLA. He studied economics at Gakushuin University in Tokyo on a scholarship from the Japanese Ministry of Education and is fluent in Japanese. Recently, Steve has been working on applications of data science and AI to real estate and has completed multiple certifications in this field. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute's APAC Housing Council and Japan Council.