Graduates Present Their Innovative Ideas to Shark Tank Panel of Experts
On Sunday, at the academy’s closing session, participants, many of whom are already real estate professionals, presented their innovative ideas in a Shark Tank environment, where a panel of esteemed judges critiqued their work. The proposed projects are designed to increase housing supply, revitalize neighborhoods, enhance quality of life, and create sustainable, inclusive living spaces.
“We witnessed groundbreaking proposals that will have a significant impact on communities,” said NAREB President Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose, who made launching the Academy one of her top priorities during her two-year reign as NAREB’s president. “The next step is for these brilliant entrepreneurs to obtain funding for their enterprises. We are calling on philanthropic, private sector, and government leaders to support these developments that will enhance the quality of life for families and individuals struggling to find safe and affordable housing.”
Evaluating the proposals were Gina Nisbeth, 9th&Clinton Strategic Advisory Firm; Paul MacFarlane, MacFarlane Partners; Tamara Newman, Everland Solutions; Tiara Henderson, Managing Director, Corporate and Investment Banking, Wells Fargo; David Bowers, Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Market, Enterprise Community Partners; Patrick Jordan, Herron Consulting; Tammy Wilson, TSW Consulting; and George Johnson, George E. Johnson Development, Inc.
The Academy is a transformative initiative that is reshaping the real estate development industry. It addresses the pressing need for increased representation from community-based planners and builders, offering new housing opportunities for underserved communities. With only 447 Black development firms out of 112,000 in the United States, less than half of 1%, the Academy is a catalyst for change. Moreover, a Grove Impact report identifies the hurdles faced by community-based estate developers, including revenue gaps and cliffs, and the Academy is stepping up to bridge these gaps.
Dr. Rose asserted that by equipping aspiring professionals with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities to become developers, the Academy fosters economic equity, increases homeownership rates, and uplifts underserved communities. Through a rigorous curriculum, strategic partnerships, and a community-focused approach, the Academy is creating a sustainable pipeline of real estate developers poised to make a lasting impact.
“At a time when communities across the country face an urgent housing crisis, we need all hands on deck to build more affordable housing,” said Bowers, of Enterprise Community Partners, a non-profit working to increase housing supply and build resilience and upward mobility for families and individuals.
“That's why Enterprise is so proud to team up with NAREB once again--this time reaching more than 200 Realtists nationwide,” said Bowers. “From training the trainers for the NAREB Developers Academy to working directly with the LA cohort formed in response to the devastating fires, this collaboration is about more than education for Enterprise. It's about attracting more mission-driven developers to the field, thereby strengthening communities and the industry as a whole. We salute NAREB’s service-oriented leadership and our training partner Heron Consulting for this impactful work together.”
Dr. Rose said NAREB is also expanding the ecosystem for community-based developers by launching the NAREB Development Fund, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). These financial institutions are mission-driven entities that create economic opportunities for individuals and small businesses, affordable housing, and essential community services. The NAREB CDFI will be a reliable partner for developers, providing the necessary support to bring meaningful projects to fruition.
In celebrating the importance of developers, during its 77th Annual Conference at the JW Marriott Hotel in LA Live this week, NAREB is awarding its 2025 Impact award to renowned developer Victor MacFarlane, the executive chairman of MacFarlane Partners, a major LA-based development and investment firm. As an investment management firm, MacFarlane Partners acquires, develops, and manages real estate assets on behalf of some of the world’s largest pension plans and institutions. Their projects are located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and many other areas.
Graduating from the NAREB Developers Academy will be:
Cohort 1
Amber Epperson Lucy Newton
Andre Walker Lynette Scott
Arica Miller S. Dave Hudson
Camille Moman Tayo Woolford
Cynthia Conover Vanessa Latimore
Gary Williams Veronica Woods
Gloria Besley Vonn Jennings
Kenneth Engram Zionna Adamolekun
Kescha Vaughn Darlene Meekins
Kimberly Durant Tesha Bivens
Cohort 2
Avery Headley Latrenda Perry
Ayana Barber Marcel Brantley
Clara Llyons DeVaughn Merrill Adams
Corey Fowlers Natasha Davis
Danielle Lewis-McLaurin Ryan Benn
Eileen Lambert Shelly Bryant
Erika King Shianna Parton
Fareeda Stokes Taurean Davis
Felicia Yearwood Thomas Walker
Ira Bethea Verona E Cruz
Irene Henry Vonetta Hawkins
Kilimanjaro Toussaint Janay Malloy
Cohort 3
Aleshia Burns Paushaun Julien
Bianca Blakely Quandra Speights
Briana Reid RaySean Reaves
Darrell Anthony Rebecca Finney
Deanna Hodges Rhonda Jones
Delicia Lacy Siobhan Robinson
Dr. Stephanie Myers-Lewis Terrell Walls
Ebonye Reed Tiffany Gaji
Ericca Willis TJ Ojehomon
Gwendolene Newton Toyin Oduwole
Johvon Holmes Wonda McGowan
Juanita Charles Robert' Mack' McEwen
LaTonya Martin Sidney Martin
Monica Hale E. Andreal Hoosman
Cohort 4
Andrew Miller Kendra Taft
Asa Fleming Kinsley Mickle
Carlton Stephenson Michael Lighter
Charisse Callendar-Scott Niki Stanley
Felice Mitchell Noria Namaz
Fre Little Rita Lee
Guy Allen Sheryl Merritt
JACQUELINE Miller Stephen Kohn
James Taylor Taletha Dixon
Jay Johnson Tya Kennedy
Jeremy Smith Robin Spivey
Joetta Talford A. Denise Franklin
Cohort 5
Brian Cox Kimberly Zilton
Albert Allen Leslie Smith
Ashton Pickett Jones Lora Washington
Baldwin Cross Madge Day
Brandee Harrington Shanisha Greer
Carolyn Guillory Shelia Lucas
Chadrick Odie Tanya Redic
DeAnna Green Terrance Williams
Deidra Carr Jones Tonya Dangerfield
Jason Hyman Mathew Thompson
Joe Austin Bill Pitre
Jonna LaGrone-Haynes Mary Thomas
Kamesha West
Cohort 6
Alexandria Brazelton LaToya Nicole Griffin
Andreda Randelson Linda Chambers
Archie Emerson MARVETTA Bozeman
Bilal Sherrif Mellisa Service
Chris Brown Monifa Taylor
Dana O Johnson Rodney Richardson
Danielle Andrews Ronna Muhammad
Darah Cotton Sharvon Green
Hakeem Muhammad Shaundra Williams
Ike Iregbulem Tamisha Darling-Roberson
Jamie Grier Terri Copeland
Jeanine Searcy Towannah Smith
Jessyca McKnight Tracy Smith
Joyce Broadwater Yolanda Black
LaToshia Hall Karen Johnson
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE BROKERS
NAREB was formed in 1947 to secure equal housing opportunities regardless of race, creed, or color. NAREB has advocated for legislation and supported or instigated legal challenges that ensure fair housing, sustainable homeownership, and access to credit for Black Americans. Simultaneously, NAREB advocates for and promotes access to business opportunities for Black real estate professionals in each real estate discipline. From the past to the present, NAREB remains an association that is proud of its history, dedicated to its chosen struggle, and unrelenting in its pursuit of the REALTIST®’s mission/vision embedded goal, “Democracy in Housing.”
Michael K. Frisby
Frisby & Associates
+1 202-625-4328
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