ULI SF, in partnership with the City and County of San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) launched its 2022-2023 Bay Area Developers of Color Cohort Program in October and held its first program in November. This opportunity is designed to provide participants with a deep knowledge and understanding of the affordable housing development process within the City and County of San Francisco. Guided by ULI SF and SF MOHCD, participants will exit the program equipped with the tools and skills to access development opportunities in San Francisco. The program is funded by a Partnership for the Bay’s Future Policy Grant from the San Francisco Foundation to accelerate work focused on advancing equitable housing policies and supporting developers of color in San Francisco.

ULI SF and MOHCD received over 40 applications, and 20 participants were selected for this year’s program. The 20 participants represent a diverse group of developers of color:

• 50% identify as female and 50% as male
• 55% work for a for-profit organization and 45% for a non-profit organization
• 35% identify as Black or African American, 35% as Hispanic or Latino/a/x, 30% as Asian, and the remainder as Native American, Puerto Rican, or multicultural

This year’s participants are (in alphabetical order by last name):

Kris Adhikari, Project Manager, RED, Santa Clara County Housing Authority
Monica Almendral, Project Manager, Young Community Developers
Randolph Belle, Director, Government and Community Relations, Creative Development Partners, LLC
Alberto Benejam, Senior Project Manager, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC)
Zaheen Chowdhury, Project Manager, Related California
Detra L. Harris, Principal, Strive Real Estate LLC
Jabari J. Herbert, CEO, Pacific Housing West (PHW)
Edwina Jean-Louis, AIA, LEED AP, Principal/Owner, EJL Atelier
Daniel Jimenez, Director of Housing, PHW
Jessica Kane, Director of Real Estate, The Michaels Organization
Samarth Kohli, Project Developer – Acquisition and Development, Eden Housing
Alexis Laing, President and CEO, Laing Companies
Colleen Ma, Senior Project Manager, TNDC
Roxana Macovei, Development Director, FORMA
Teron McGrew, President & CEO, McGrew & Associates
Vy Pham, Vice President – Development, Lowe
Warren Ritter, Senior Project Manager, EAH Housing
April Talley, Senior Project Manager, BRIDGE Housing Corporation
Jesse Tejeda, Vice President, Acquisitions & Development, Lowe
Feliciano D. Vera, Managing Member, Praxis Group, LLC

The participants will meet throughout the year focusing on enhancing their skill sets, sharing knowledge, and expanding their network and pipeline of development opportunities. Concurrently, the participants will team up to respond to a mock Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and culminate their program with Shark Tank-like final presentations. We look forward to a successful and enriching year ahead. To learn more about our Cohort program, please reach out to Joy Woo.