Kimber Lanning is dedicated to making Arizona a world class destination and is fiercely proud of the culture of the region. Specifically, Kimber hates injustice. She wants to leave Arizona a better and more just place than she found it. To this end, Kimber founded both Local First Arizona and Local First Arizona Foundation, two statewide organizations that work together to … [Read more...] about Striving for justice in Arizona.
Community
Share the wealth.
Brian Beckon believes we should share the wealth. Brian is an attorney with over twenty-five years of experience working for nonprofits, start-ups, and publicly-traded companies. When he was starting out as a young attorney, he wanted to find a way to make the world better. Now, as principal at Cutting Edge Capital, he focuses on strategies for raising capital for communities … [Read more...] about Share the wealth.
Let’s change our mindset.
Sandy Wiggins works at the intersection of three movements – green building, new economies, and thriving resilient communities. His company, Consilience, is a national consultancy with a mission to build environmentally, socially and economically sustainable buildings and communities. After decades as a traditional and highly successful developer, Sandy reinvented himself … [Read more...] about Let’s change our mindset.
Looking past the bottom line.
The worlds of property development and environmental sustainability are becoming inextricably linked. Historically, developers and environmental advocates were at odds with each other. They fought (and still fight) over hot-button issues like preserving wildlife habitat, pollution and waste, density, and a whole host of other social, environmental, and political concerns … [Read more...] about Looking past the bottom line.
Why community capital matters.
When discussing why underserved communities tend to stay that way, insufficient access to capital is the elephant in the room. Traditionally, to secure funding for say, a multifamily apartment building, or a new retail shopping center, one would have to go through conventional lenders, private equity firms, venture capital groups, or independent angel investors. What all of … [Read more...] about Why community capital matters.