Rethink Real Estate. For Good.

For Chris Miller, it's all about community capital. Chris is chair and one of the founding board members of the National Coalition for Community Capital - or NC3.  They are leading the charge to strengthen local economies by empowering ordinary citizens through community investment and ownership. Chris has been working on community, economic, and entrepreneur development in Michigan for nearly 20 years,  in roles as varied as city official, board chair and Innovation Fellow.  As the City of Adrian's economic developer he secured millions of grant dollars and matching private investments.  But he also developed a local investor group and championed Michigan's MILE – an investment crowdfunding exemption that served as a national model. It's all about community capital for Chris. If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

Early in her career, very early, Katie McCamant visited Copenhagen.  She was an architecture student studying abroad.  In Copenhagen she learned of a new housing model called co-housing -- a small intentional community of private homes clustered around a shared space. Common space usually includes a large kitchen, dining area and other common facilities, but will vary depending on each communities' wants and needs. This was a brand new concept with just 8 projects built in Copenhagen and nowhere else in the world. Katie was wowed.  She was interested in housing in architecture and this model made so much sense to her.  So she wrote a couple of books and built a career on helping people build their own cohousing community, advising them from soup to nuts. If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

As mayor of Salt Lake County a decade ago, Ben McAdams was frustrated that there wasn't $500,000 in a $1.3 billion annual budget for a promising early childhood education program. Not one to permit defeat, he decided to map the value of the city's underutilized real estate.  And that  yielded an impressive number: All of a sudden the city had $45 billion on its balance sheet. "I found out there is actually money under our mattress," Ben says. "It's real estate that is just forgotten." Since then Ben has spent time in politics as mayor, senator and congressman. But now he's launched an incubator to help cities map their public assets, much like he did a decade ago, providing a path to solve issues that need money - like affordable housing and homelessness. Every city should listen in. If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

This is a long one.  But I couldn't help myself.  You'll soon see why. Enrique Penalosa is an exuberant lover of cities.  Equitable cities. He served as Mayor of Bogota, Colombia not once, but twice, profoundly transforming his city from one with no self-esteem into an international model. As Mayor, Enrique launched TransMilenio, a bus mass transit system, which today moves 2.4 million passengers daily. He also built an extensive bicycle network at a time when only a few northern European cities had one, along with greenways, hundreds of parks, sports and cultural centers, large libraries, 67 schools and a radical 33-hectare redevelopment in the heart of Bogota, previously controlled by drug dealers. This required demolishing more than 1200 buildings. Recently he published a new book called Equality and the City.  Look for it on Amazon. Of course, the accolades are too numerous to mention here. Enrique's work is considered significant and influential by many and the list of awards is long.  There's a lot to learn here.  More than an hour of podcasting can hold. If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

Lyneir Richardson is building Black wealth through community-owned shopping centers. He has an audacious plan to buy 16 community shopping centers and invite 1,000 small investors to co-own them with his company, Chicago TREND.  He's made a sizable dent in this goal with over 340 investors, and five shopping centers in his portfolio. This will be #6. To accomplish this, Lyneir and his team have developed a rigorous set of criteria for finding and buying shopping centers in majority Black Demographics that are on the cusp of change that might offer added value over a time. His plan is to empower Black entrepreneurs and community residents to have a meaningful ownership stake in the revitalization and continued vibrancy of commercial corridors and Black shopping districts. But there's so much more! Lyneir wants every neighbor to be able to say "We Own This". If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

Kirk Sykes is Managing Director of Accordia Partners, a Boston-based real estate investment and development company. Accordia develops large public-private real estate projects. Kirk was previously the head of Urban Strategy America Fund, perhaps one of the first urban real estate equity funds focused on the triple bottom line. And that brings us to this podcast.  Kirk has had a highly successful career, but that is not enough for him.  He has always given back, and for Kirk that means helping the Black community he is part of access capital and investment opportunities that have historically been unavailable to them.  Listen in to learn more! If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

In real estate development, envisioning how future societies will live can often feel like masterminding a high-tech work of science fiction.  Just outside of Houston, a new development of the future is emerging. But instead of flying cars and sky-scraping utopias, this version of Tomorrowland has its roots firmly and sustainably planted in days gone by. Indigo, a 235-acre community, is being developed by Scott Snodgrass and his partner Clayton Garrett, both farmers. They have thoughtfully gone against the norm in every aspect of this project, focusing first and foremost on people and a human-scale to encourage interaction.  Downsized lots and homes, a working farm, the integration of small businesses, careful attention paid to embracing everyone, all make this project one worth watching. If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.  

Rich Rogers is an urban planner and attorney in Buffalo, New York. In his practice he focuses on tax credit financing and on creative problem-solving to help public and private sector projects work from concept into financing and implementation.  Rich is also a real estate developer, with a project in lease-up on Buffalo's main street.  There he's put his knowledge to good use, converting a 30,000 s.f. Historic building into modern retail and affordable housing units, and employing every trick in his book to build his super-complicated capital stack, which of course, includes tax credits. If that's not enough, Rich has a crowdfunding platform called Common Owner focused on real estate and, you guessed it, crowdfunding tax credits as well. There's a lot to learn here.  You'll enjoy listening in. If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to  RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

Adriana Abizadeh is the executive director of the Kensington Corridor Trust (KCT) in Philadelphia. You might wonder what that is and why it exists. Kensington was once known as the Workshop of the World with booming manufacturing and a well-employed neighborhood. Then, Kensington Avenue was a bustling local business corridor. Now there is a lack of economic investment and everything that comes with it.  58% of Kensington residents live below the federal poverty line and the average household annual income is just over $20,000. Formed in 2020, the trust is tasked with reclaiming control of the corridor. They do this through the purchase of property which is placed in trust and governed by the neighborhood. Neighborhood trusts are fairly new but if Adriana has her way, they will become mainstream.  Listen in to learn more! If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

As we embark on a new year, we're all thinking about fixing things.  I bumped this podcast up on my list, because Tracy Hadden Loh has a much bigger and more inspiring fix list than most of us do. Tracy is bi-racial and has experienced inequity first hand.  Even as a young child she knew something was wrong.  Her career has been a purposeful exploration of how to fix things. As a Fellow with the Center for Transformative Placemaking at Brookings Metro, a branch within the Brookings institution, Tracy focuses on cities, downtown metropolitan areas, placemaking, diversity in cities and reinventing cities post-pandemic.  And of course, fixing things.   If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

After a successful career in architecture and design in New York City, Mark Winkelman purchased a 300,000  s.f. historic Pajama factory. Once the largest pajama factory in the country, the buildings sat vacant in a small town in central Pennsylvania with a population of just 114,000   They set about filling it, one corner at a time, with a vision for an affordable and thriving creative hub. 16 years later, and  60% complete, the stunning buildings are coming back to life but there is still more to do.   What was Mark's motivation?  And his thesis?  And how has it played out? If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

It's been 4 years since I first interviewed Lorenzo Perez and I love his work every bit as much as I did then. Lorenzo advocates for LOCAL community, culture and commerce in his real estate projects, and for crafting, artistic, one-of-a-kind environments and experiences.  He and his company, Venue, put that passion to work throughout the Metro Phoenix market. This approach helped them to weather the last four years, pandemic and all.  Lorenzo was about to open his first hotel project right after everyone was sent home … and yet.  Well, I'm not going to say more because that would make me a spoiler. You'll have to listen in! If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

Atif Qadir is a serial entrepreneur, but that's not where he started. Trained as an architect and urban planner, Atif decided pretty early on that he wanted to work his way up the ladder, from servicing developers as an architect or builder, to being one!   So he started developing his own small properties, and as his frustrations with finding project financing grew, so did his entrepreneurial ideas.  He launched Commonplace, a fintech platform,  with a mind to create a marketplace for emerging developers and investors.  Dating for development projects. In amongst all of this and in partnership with the Office of Michael Graves, Atif hosts a podcast show called American Building. If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

This is my second podcast interview with Brian Murray.  But time has passed, and his business (and expertise) have grown.  Brian came to real estate as a non-real estate guy. Always interested in impact, he wanted to find a way to address poverty and real estate presented a tangible path.  And so he launched SHIFT Capital, an impact urban real estate group focused on mission-oriented real estate  strategies in underserved communities. Simply put, at  Shift, Brian works on uncovering  better solutions to  society's most difficult urban challenges - intergenerational poverty, urban revitalization, access to opportunity, and community displacement.  If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

From Wall Street to mortgage banking to real estate developer. Joel Miller has focused his career with clarity and purpose. And now he's taking it one step further by raising money for his next real estate project, through crowdfunding.    Joel wants to bring others up behind him.  He wants to give others the opportunities he's been given. And one small way to do that is to provide an opportunity for everyone to invest in his latest project. Early on in his career, Joel realized that his goal to lead an organization might not happen if he waited for an opportunity.  So he made his own.  He started his own company, Wall Street Capital Partners, specializing in sourcing and arranging debt and equity for acquisitions and development of real estate.  And of course, over time he started to build his own real estate portfolio. If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

Joyous disruption. This is Jonathan Dodson's goal with each and every real estate project he develops. Jonathan pivoted from an early career as a banker to real estate developer, aptly calling the firm he co-founded, Pivot Projects. He had developed an interest in urban neighborhoods and redevelopment initiatives, and when given an opportunity to co-partner on a project, he grabbed it. Now he leads the Pivot Team, navigating tough conversations and decisions to create the best outcomes for his teammates, partners and tenants. And for Jonathan, the best outcomes are not traditional ones.  If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

Lindsey Scannapieco is an urbanist and an artist in every sense of the word. While living and studying in the UK, Lindsey worked on projects such as activating an underutilized subterranean crossing alongside Westminster Council, supporting Tech Shop in their global expansion, and developing a community led design project that reconsiders traditional construction hoardings in South Kilburn. All of this led her to found Scout, an urban design and development practice that focuses on the activation of underutilized space. Not one to think little, Lindsey submitted a proposal to purchase a 340,000 square foot vocational school building from the city of Philadelphia. Much to her surprise, she won the bid. Eight years later, BOK, as it is called, is a thriving and creative mix of makers, small businesses, and nonprofits, and 100% full. The building is a testament to Lindsey's staying power. If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co, where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

Liz Dunn is a real estate artist. After spending the early years of her career as a software developer at Microsoft, Liz made a hard pivot and launched her own Seattle company in a completely different field: real estate.    The last 20+ years have been filled with people and buildings for Liz. Of her 35 or so retail tenants, all are local and over half are minorities or women.  Fascinating names like Chophouse Row, the Agnes Lofts and Melrose Market label even more fascinating spaces. And then there is the Cloud Room.  It's a Culture club, lounge and bar packaged as a coworking space and located inside one of her buildings. Liz runs two affiliated businesses as well:  Cloud Studios, a practice facility for musicians; and the Overcast Room, a podcast-recording studio. These businesses add a vibrant dimension to already fascinating buildings.  With an organic but masterful style, there's lots to learn from Liz, so listen in! If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co, where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

Franchell Abdalla is a minority in every sense of the word. She is black, a woman and a real estate developer. But that's not stopping her. Not for one little moment. Franchell only recently launched her development company, Be Good Development, and yet she has her sights set on incredibly complex and rich real estate projects.  She assembled an astounding team to win a significant Request for Proposals issued by the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma. She won and has been grappling with a 100,000 s.f. Foundry building, planning its repurposed life and working on the legal and financial structure.  There are plenty of setbacks, as there always are, but to Franchell it is all a joyful challenge. There is lots to love in my conversation with Franchell. Please listen in! If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co, where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.

Charles Marohn is a recovering engineer. He used to build roads. Charles followed all the rules he learned while studying to become an engineer. But in 2008, well into his engineering career, he became disenchanted with the notion that more roads lead to prosperity. So, Charles started blogging his thoughts. He advocated for a new approach to land use and warned about the dangers of suburban sprawl. With each blog, Charles gained readers until the blog converted into a non profit organization called Strong Towns. Today, Strong Towns has millions of followers. If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast and go to RethinkRealEstateForGood.co, where you can subscribe to be the first to hear about my podcasts, blog posts and other goodies.