Josh McManus is a problem-solver working in post-industrial cities with entrepreneurs, corporations, and foundations to help people positively transform the places that they love. Josh’s experience spans 20 years as a serial social and business entrepreneur. An innovator in entrepreneurial ecosystems, creative economic development and combating population loss, Josh is obsessed … [Read more...] about How to leave places better than you find them.
Crowdfunding
The democratization of finance.
Throughout history finance has been the province of emperors and kings. Later it included the merchant classes and the new aristocracy born of the Industrial Revolution. Your average Joe only really got involved in investing during the stock craze of the 1920s. Even today the average investor holds assets in a small subset of classes - primarily stocks, mutual funds, and bonds. … [Read more...] about The democratization of finance.
Lead by example.
Jonathan Tate leads by example. I met Jonathan through my crowdfunding platform Small Change, where he raised funds for several of his project in New Orleans. With his New Orleans architectural practice, Jonathan focuses on architecture, planning and odd opportunities such as what to do with odd-shaped lots that no-one knows what to do with. I find that immensely appealing … [Read more...] about Lead by example.
Investing in nature.
The natural environment and real estate investment When it comes to housing, for many years, concerns about the natural environment were low on the list of priorities for developers. Community-builders saw the natural environment as a backdrop for their projects rather than a critical element in their design and function. Think gated developments set within lush valleys or … [Read more...] about Investing in nature.
Development as art.
Real estate development as art When you think of art, you probably think of Picasso or Matisse, not property developers like Mill Creek Residential or Greystar Real Estate Partners. Despite popular perception, real estate development is an inherently artistic endeavor. Some of the greatest artists in human history, people like Brunelleschi, Michaelangelo, and Da Vinci, all … [Read more...] about Development as art.