Laurence Weiner is the Chair of 56 Maple and co-founder of Marc Realty, one of Chicago’s longstanding commercial real estate firms. He founded Marc Realty in 1976 with his brother, Elliot Weiner, and helped build the company into a diversified real estate platform with a portfolio spanning office, retail, multifamily, and mixed-use assets. A graduate with honors from the University of Illinois in Accountancy, Mr. Weiner also earned his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago, combining accounting discipline, legal training, and entrepreneurial judgment into a career defined by patient investment and long-term ownership.

From the beginning, Mr. Weiner approached business with a simple philosophy: work hard, live modestly, honor partnerships, and focus on buying well. That discipline helped Marc Realty build a reputation for creativity and durability across multiple market cycles. Over the course of his career, he has worked with large publicly traded institutions, private investors, local entrepreneurs, lenders, brokers, tenants, and family-owned businesses, treating each relationship with the same level of respect and seriousness. Whether investing in equity, debt, or structured opportunities across the capital stack, his focus has remained consistent: identify good assets, good partners, and sound risk-adjusted value.

Beyond Marc Realty, Mr. Weiner has supported entrepreneurs in real estate and other industries through 56 Maple and his broader investment platform. He helped co-found Chicago Athletic Clubs and has advised, backed, and mentored business builders across a range of sectors. Through these efforts, Mr. Weiner has remained deeply committed to Chicago’s commercial life, supporting the businesses, neighborhoods, and civic fabric that allow people to live, work, gather, and build lasting communities. His background in accounting, law, real estate, and operating has shaped a practical and disciplined investment style, one rooted less in financial engineering and more in judgment, relationships, and an understanding of how businesses endure.

Of all that Mr. Weiner has helped build, he is especially proud of the community that grew around Marc Realty. The company has been home to multiple generations of employees and their families, including grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren. Employees have built careers, gotten married, started families, and grown alongside the business. That sense of loyalty and continuity is central to how he measures success.

A true family business, Marc Realty and the broader family platform now include the next generation. Today, Mr. Weiner works alongside his son, Joshua Weiner, his nephew, Solomon Weiner, and other family members, who will continue to carry forward the values of hard work, partnership, loyalty, and long-term stewardship that have defined his career.