"The men and women who have served this country deserve more than ceremony — they deserve action. Day of Gratitude is a rare opportunity for business leaders and community members to come together and provide genuine, lasting support for veterans and their families."
For Alex Samoylovich, the decision to back Day of Gratitude was instinctive. His approach to real estate development has always been predicated on the conviction that investment in a place means investment in the people who live there. Through CEDARst Companies, he and his partners have delivered more than $4 billion in multifamily and mixed-use development across Chicago, San Diego, Portland, Minneapolis, and Cleveland — work that is explicitly designed to strengthen neighborhoods, not just occupy them. That same principle, applied to a national audience, points squarely toward the men and women who have served the country that makes all of it possible.
The 2026 program includes a special awards ceremony, live music and entertainment, family-friendly activities, on-site access to vital support services and resources for veterans and military families, and gratitude gifts distributed to every attending family. A dedicated tribute will honor the veterans of World War II — the Greatest Generation — whose resilience and sacrifice at Normandy and across every theater of the war preserved the freedoms still exercised today. Peter Palivos, Chairman of Voice of the Veteran, has called this event the culmination of a long-held vision, one catalyzed by a visit to the beaches of Normandy and the realization that the debt owed to those who fought there has never fully been paid in public life.
Wendell Vinson, co-founder and CEO of CityServe, framed the purpose of the event with directness: “The greatest act of love is to lay down one’s life for another. That is exactly what our service members and veterans have been willing to do for our nation. Day of Gratitude exists so that we, the beneficiaries of their sacrifice, can pause and publicly honor them with gratitude, dignity, and tangible support.” That word — tangible — matters to Alex Samoylovich. The logistics of supporting military families are real and complex, from healthcare navigation to housing stability to mental health resources. Day of Gratitude meets people where they are, on-site and in person, and sends them home with something in hand.
Alex Samoylovich’s philanthropic engagement is best understood as an extension of the same long-term, community-centered thinking that characterizes his work in real estate and technology. He is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of Proper, a national residential property management platform built to bring operational excellence and consistent resident experience to communities across the country, and the Founder of Livly, a multifamily operating system designed to centralize resident experience, operations, and ancillary revenue. Both companies reflect a belief that the built environment — the places where people sleep, raise children, and build lives — deserves more than transactional management. It deserves care.
Veterans and military families represent one of the starkest examples of a community that has given enormously and, too often, received too little in return. Day of Gratitude is one of the few initiatives in the country operating at the scale and intentionality required to change that — and Alex Samoylovich’s support for it is a statement about what leadership looks like beyond the balance sheet.
Alex Samoylovich
Alex Samoylovich is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of CEDARst Companies, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Livly, and Executive Chairman of Proper. He was named to Crain's Chicago Business 40 Under 40 in 2016.
Who is Alex Samoylovich?
Alex Samoylovich is a Chicago-based real estate executive and entrepreneur. He is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of CEDARst Companies, a national multifamily developer with a portfolio exceeding $4 billion and 10,000 units across Chicago, San Diego, Portland, Minneapolis, and Cleveland. He is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of Proper, a national property management platform, and the Founder of Livly, a multifamily operating system. Alex was named to Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40” in 2016.