Equity crowdfunding is changing the real estate development landscape. Importantly, beyond raising equity, crowdfunding can help build support within communities that may otherwise hold neutral or even hostile feelings towards the building of a new real estate project. Micro-investments via crowdfunding platforms give community residents and stakeholders the opportunity to … [Read more...] about Bite-sized investments.
Community
Connecting impact and creativity.
Laura Callanan is connecting impact investing to the creative economy. To accomplish this, she founded Upstart Co-Lab. Upstart Co-Lab's goal is to show impact investors that the arts can be a powerful economic driver in communities. Laura brings a powerful background to Upstart Co-Lab. Before launching Upstart Co-Lab, Laura was senior deputy chair of the … [Read more...] about Connecting impact and creativity.
The contrarian developer.
Scott Choppin is the founder of the Urban Pacific Group of Companies, a Long Beach, CA based real estate development company. Founded in 2000, Urban Pacific focuses exclusively on urban infill and affordable housing communities throughout California and the western US. Over the last 18 years, the company has developed nearly 1,700 units of unique to market urban housing … [Read more...] about The contrarian developer.
Making allies, not opponents.
Impact investing is a relatively new phenomenon. Community-minded entrepreneurs who strive to be socially responsible are independently coming up with innovative solutions to solve or alleviate problems across the country. They are tackling issues like housing insecurity, the deleterious effects of suburban sprawl and environmental concerns related to housing. While every … [Read more...] about Making allies, not opponents.
Investors as educators.
Most people have some familiarity with the process of buying real estate, either through popular media or their own experiences purchasing a home. But when you enter the world of commercial property development and investment, there is a "lingua franca" that is unique to the real estate business. While there may be a justifiable need for this "secret language" between real … [Read more...] about Investors as educators.