equipped to accelerate
housing innovation.
The Team
We are a small team supercharged by a big purpose. Our experts provide Catalyst with a wealth of knowledge and experiences spanning multifamily investment, capital markets, property management, asset operations, housing policy, technology systems, process automation, data science, and more.
Ali Nazar
President
Ali is a technology-focused executive with a 25 year career spent scaling organizations that sit at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds. A Bay Area native and UC Davis grad, Ali has been involved in 5 startups dating back to the birth of the internet, using his unique skillset to disrupt several industries while helping take multiple companies to successful IPOs. Prior to joining Catalyst, Ali was President and COO of Mynd, a leading tech-enabled property manager with properties in 26 markets across the nation. Prior to Mynd, Ali served as Chief Product and Technology Officer of Waypoint Homes (which is now a part of Invitation Homes NYSE: INVH), where he built a first-of-its-kind technology platform that leveraged mobile and cloud computing to unlock the ability to purchase and manage single family rentals at scale.
Allison Arnold
Director
Housing Policy
Allison manages the intersection of Catalyst's housing innovations and public policy. She oversees the development and execution of Catalyst's policy agenda, manages government affairs efforts, and partners with asset management teams to ensure compliance in an ever-changing legislative landscape. Allison brings seven years of experience to Catalyst, having previously worked at a government relations and community outreach consulting firm focused on delivering results to clients spanning the business, nonprofit, development, and technology sectors.
Annie Koo
Chief Operating Officer
Annie oversees company operations and growth strategy. Prior to Catalyst, Annie led the housing vertical at Sidewalk Labs, the former real estate technology arm of Alphabet. She has worked on housing and affordability topics at McKinsey, NYC Dept of Housing Preservation and Development, and as a Fulbright Fellow in Singapore. Annie received her MBA from Columbia and studied architecture at Brown.
Ayelet Lebovicz
General Counsel
Ayelet serves as Catalyst's General Counsel. Ayelet was previously Director of Legal at Sidewalk Labs, where she worked on real estate and technology issues for Alphabet’s urban innovation and development platform. Prior to Sidewalk, Ayelet served as Vice President with an NYC-based real estate investor and developer, and as an attorney at Fried Frank, where she represented private equity funds, REITs, investment banks, and developers in all aspects of commercial real estate and other corporate transactions.
Caitlin Garrison
Managing Director
Marketing and Consumer
Caitlin oversees asset-level marketing and is responsible for the prospects and resident journey across the Catalyst portfolio. She has over 12 years of experience in marketing, 10 within the multifamily industry specifically, executing marketing strategy nationally and building brand identities for all asset types.
Chichi Anyoku
Director
Business Operations
Chichi wears multiple hats across the Catalyst ecosystem and currently manages Catalyst’s impact and sustainability strategy. Before joining Catalyst, Chichi focused on real estate debt and equity investments at Goldman Sachs. She has also structured and advised real estate development projects with New York City Economic Development Corporation and Brown University after starting her career in management consulting. Chichi received her joint MBA/MPP from Harvard and an undergraduate degree from Brown University.
Darius Livingston
Associate
Acquisitions and Development
Darius joined Catalyst to focus on acquisitions, spearheading evaluation efforts around acquisition and development opportunities and supporting the asset operations team on financial analysis. After graduating from the University of California, Davis, with a degree in psychology, Darius worked as a Program Manager for Project Destined, an organization working to produce the nation’s largest number of minority real estate owners.
Dave Denslow
Managing Director
Building Systems
Dave oversees building systems at Catalyst, including ESG, smart buildings, construction, and maintenance. Dave has been active in the multifamily industry since 1998 and has overseen all aspects of maintenance operations, construction services, renovations, policies, and procedures. He has overseen various groups in his career, including Maintenance, Construction, Training, Sustainability, Innovation-Building Systems, and Telecom. Dave has an engineering degree from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy.
Jennifer Walker
Controller
Jennifer oversees all property and entity accounting operations at Catalyst. She is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in multi-family and student housing. Throughout her career, she has worked at both Greystar and Aspen Heights, developing a strong foundation in accounting and software. With her extensive experience, Jennifer has successfully streamlined financial processes, leveraging her expertise to optimize operations and drive efficiency.
Jordan Moss
Founder and CEO
Jordan is Catalyst’s founder and obsesses daily over the firm’s vision, strategy, impact, innovation, and capital formation. He has spent the past two decades actively engaged in the investment, acquisition, development, financing, and management of more than $4 billion of institutional multifamily transactions. Jordan graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in Economics, and was a member of the men’s basketball team.
Laine Gomez
Managing Director
Asset Management
Laine oversees asset management at Catalyst, where she oversees the day-to-day operations and execution of the core business with a focus on innovation, resident retention, and expense control. She brings 20+ years of property management experience across California, Oregon, and Washington in market-rate, BMR, affordable, and mixed-use for suburban and urban markets. Prior to Catalyst, she held executive roles at Riverstone Residential Group and Greystar, where her team oversaw 9,400 units in Northern California.
Matt Rickards
Director
Business Operations
Matt sits at the intersection of operations and technology, leveraging data and product to help scale processes, deliver strategic insights, and provide innovative experiences. Matt previously led finance and operations teams at Mynd, a real estate investment platform that grew from 20 to 1,000+ employees in his 5 years there.
Mick Barbee
Managing Director
Multifamily Acquisitions
Mick leads acquisitions for Catalyst, focused on sourcing and underwriting multifamily transactions in California. As an experienced multifamily investment executive, he brings a track record across all aspects of the acquisition and investment lifecycle. Before joining Catalyst, Mick was Vice President, Investments at Carmel Partners in Southern California, covering acquisitions, dispositions, rehab, and development of over $1.7 billion of multifamily units.
Rodney Torrentes
Associate
Operations
Rodney is a people-first operator dedicated to leveraging the synergies of people, process, and technology to create impactful customer experiences that foster growth and sustainability. He brings 10+ years of experience in leading, developing, and scaling teams within operations and people development. Before Catalyst he spent six years at Mynd, where he held roles across several business functions, including spearheading operations, process improvement initiatives, and people development strategies. During his time, Mynd experienced exponential growth, expanding from a single market in California to 26 markets spanning 12 states coast-to-coast.
Srijan Nirgun
Director
Data and Automation
Srijan oversees the data and automation platform at Catalyst. He brings over 8 years of experience in creating data-driven, innovative technical solutions. At Catalyst, Srijan focuses on understanding business needs and market gaps to align them with the Catalyst roadmap and build products and solutions that can impact customers. Srijan received his MBA and MS in Analytics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
TC Ostrander
Partner
Catalyst Innovation Lab
TC leads PropTech venture investing for the Catalyst Innovation Lab, Catalyst's investment and advisory practice. TC has spent most of his career in private equity and venture capital, starting at Blum Capital in San Francisco. Before Blum, TC was an advisor to United States Senator Dianne Feinstein for economic policy issues in her Washington, D.C. office. TC graduated from Stanford University, where he was a quarterback and captain of the football team.
Will Silverstone
Director
Strategic Finance
Will oversees portfolio management for Catalyst, focused on maintaining fiscal and program performance for all assets under management. Prior to Catalyst, Will worked in transactions and FP&A at Farmland Partners, a publicly traded agricultural REIT. He has also worked on real estate acquisition, redevelopment, and restructuring initiatives at Aimco after starting his career in financial analysis. Will holds an MS in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver and a BBA from Colorado State University, with a concentration in Finance.
Ali is a technology-focused executive with a 25 year career spent scaling organizations that sit at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds. A Bay Area native and UC Davis grad, Ali has been involved in 5 startups dating back to the birth of the internet, using his unique skillset to disrupt several industries while helping take multiple companies to successful IPOs. Prior to joining Catalyst, Ali was President and COO of Mynd, a leading tech-enabled property manager with properties in 26 markets across the nation. Prior to Mynd, Ali served as Chief Product and Technology Officer of Waypoint Homes (which is now a part of Invitation Homes NYSE: INVH), where he built a first-of-its-kind technology platform that leveraged mobile and cloud computing to unlock the ability to purchase and manage single family rentals at scale.
Ayelet serves as Catalyst's General Counsel. Ayelet was previously Director of Legal at Sidewalk Labs, where she worked on real estate and technology issues for Alphabet’s urban innovation and development platform. Prior to Sidewalk, Ayelet served as Vice President with an NYC-based real estate investor and developer, and as an attorney at Fried Frank, where she represented private equity funds, REITs, investment banks, and developers in all aspects of commercial real estate and other corporate transactions.
Darius joined Catalyst to focus on acquisitions, spearheading evaluation efforts around acquisition and development opportunities and supporting the asset operations team on financial analysis. After graduating from the University of California, Davis, with a degree in psychology, Darius worked as a Program Manager for Project Destined, an organization working to produce the nation’s largest number of minority real estate owners.
Jennifer oversees all property and entity accounting operations at Catalyst. She is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in multi-family and student housing. Throughout her career, she has worked at both Greystar and Aspen Heights, developing a strong foundation in accounting and software. With her extensive experience, Jennifer has successfully streamlined financial processes, leveraging her expertise to optimize operations and drive efficiency.
Matt sits at the intersection of operations and technology, leveraging data and product to help scale processes, deliver strategic insights, and provide innovative experiences. Matt previously led finance and operations teams at Mynd, a real estate investment platform that grew from 20 to 1,000+ employees in his 5 years there.
Srijan oversees the data and automation platform at Catalyst. He brings over 8 years of experience in creating data-driven, innovative technical solutions. At Catalyst, Srijan focuses on understanding business needs and market gaps to align them with the Catalyst roadmap and build products and solutions that can impact customers. Srijan received his MBA and MS in Analytics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Allison manages the intersection of Catalyst's housing innovations and public policy. She oversees the development and execution of Catalyst's policy agenda, manages government affairs efforts, and partners with asset management teams to ensure compliance in an ever-changing legislative landscape. Allison brings seven years of experience to Catalyst, having previously worked at a government relations and community outreach consulting firm focused on delivering results to clients spanning the business, nonprofit, development, and technology sectors.
Caitlin oversees asset-level marketing and is responsible for the prospects and resident journey across the Catalyst portfolio. She has over 12 years of experience in marketing, 10 within the multifamily industry specifically, executing marketing strategy nationally and building brand identities for all asset types.
Dave oversees building systems at Catalyst, including ESG, smart buildings, construction, and maintenance. Dave has been active in the multifamily industry since 1998 and has overseen all aspects of maintenance operations, construction services, renovations, policies, and procedures. He has overseen various groups in his career, including Maintenance, Construction, Training, Sustainability, Innovation-Building Systems, and Telecom. Dave has an engineering degree from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy.
Jordan is Catalyst’s founder and obsesses daily over the firm’s vision, strategy, impact, innovation, and capital formation. He has spent the past two decades actively engaged in the investment, acquisition, development, financing, and management of more than $4 billion of institutional multifamily transactions. Jordan graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in Economics, and was a member of the men’s basketball team.
Mick leads acquisitions for Catalyst, focused on sourcing and underwriting multifamily transactions in California. As an experienced multifamily investment executive, he brings a track record across all aspects of the acquisition and investment lifecycle. Before joining Catalyst, Mick was Vice President, Investments at Carmel Partners in Southern California, covering acquisitions, dispositions, rehab, and development of over $1.7 billion of multifamily units.
TC leads PropTech venture investing for the Catalyst Innovation Lab, Catalyst's investment and advisory practice. TC has spent most of his career in private equity and venture capital, starting at Blum Capital in San Francisco. Before Blum, TC was an advisor to United States Senator Dianne Feinstein for economic policy issues in her Washington, D.C. office. TC graduated from Stanford University, where he was a quarterback and captain of the football team.
Annie oversees company operations and growth strategy. Prior to Catalyst, Annie led the housing vertical at Sidewalk Labs, the former real estate technology arm of Alphabet. She has worked on housing and affordability topics at McKinsey, NYC Dept of Housing Preservation and Development, and as a Fulbright Fellow in Singapore. Annie received her MBA from Columbia and studied architecture at Brown.
Chichi wears multiple hats across the Catalyst ecosystem and currently manages Catalyst’s impact and sustainability strategy. Before joining Catalyst, Chichi focused on real estate debt and equity investments at Goldman Sachs. She has also structured and advised real estate development projects with New York City Economic Development Corporation and Brown University after starting her career in management consulting. Chichi received her joint MBA/MPP from Harvard and an undergraduate degree from Brown University.
Emy joins Catalyst as an Operations Associate. Prior to Catalyst, Emy spent 5 years at Mynd. She led the Onboarding Team, leveraging technology to optimize workflows, enhance efficiency, and scale operations from three to 26+ markets.
Laine oversees asset management at Catalyst, where she oversees the day-to-day operations and execution of the core business with a focus on innovation, resident retention, and expense control. She brings 20+ years of property management experience across California, Oregon, and Washington in market-rate, BMR, affordable, and mixed-use for suburban and urban markets. Prior to Catalyst, she held executive roles at Riverstone Residential Group and Greystar, where her team oversaw 9,400 units in Northern California.
Rodney is a people-first operator dedicated to leveraging the synergies of people, process, and technology to create impactful customer experiences that foster growth and sustainability. He brings 10+ years of experience in leading, developing, and scaling teams within operations and people development. Before Catalyst he spent six years at Mynd, where he held roles across several business functions, including spearheading operations, process improvement initiatives, and people development strategies. During his time, Mynd experienced exponential growth, expanding from a single market in California to 26 markets spanning 12 states coast-to-coast.
Will oversees portfolio management for Catalyst, focused on maintaining fiscal and program performance for all assets under management. Prior to Catalyst, Will worked in transactions and FP&A at Farmland Partners, a publicly traded agricultural REIT. He has also worked on real estate acquisition, redevelopment, and restructuring initiatives at Aimco after starting his career in financial analysis. Will holds an MS in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver and a BBA from Colorado State University, with a concentration in Finance.
Our advisory board comprises national leaders representing the entire spectrum of housing expertise from affordable housing, homelessness prevention, infrastructure, technology, economic policy, philanthropy, and real estate finance.
Gloria Bruce
Crankstart Foundation
Gloria is the Program Director of Housing Security and Public/Private Partnerships at Crankstart Foundation, overseeing grantmaking and investments to address homelessness and housing affordability in the San Francisco area. Before joining Crankstart in 2023, Gloria was Executive Director of East Bay Housing Organizations, a leading local advocacy coalition promoting affordable housing. A long-time Oakland resident, Gloria has over 20 years of experience in social justice and community development in the Bay Area, Boston, and Washington, D.C.
Toussaint Bailey
Uplifting Capital
Toussaint Bailey is the founder of Uplifting Capital, a platform empowering personalized impact through private investing for financial advisors and their clients. Before founding Uplifting Capital, Toussaint was CEO of Enso Wealth Management, a private wealth firm, overseeing its growth to nearly $2 billion. Before financial services, Toussaint spent over a decade as a practicing attorney. He serves in several advisory and board capacities, including for RIA Institute, Financial Advisor IQ, Alternative & Direct Investment Securities Association, Raphael House of San Francisco, Alliance for Safety and Justice, and Saint Mary’s College of California, among others. He has a JD from UCLA Law and a BSE from St. Mary’s College of CA.
Cedric Bobo
Project Destined
Cedric Bobo is the CEO and Co-founder of Project Destined. This social impact vehicle trains urban youth and military veterans to be owners and stakeholders in the communities where they live, work, and play. Before founding Project Destined, Cedric spent over 20 years as an investor and an investment banker, including over ten years at The Carlyle Group, where he committed over $2 billion of equity capital. Cedric received his MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSME, summa cum laude, from the University of Tennessee.
Sam Cobbs
Tipping Point Community
Sam Cobbs is the CEO of Tipping Point Community, a leading philanthropic organization that finds, funds, and strengthens the most promising poverty-fighting solutions in the Bay Area. Since being at the helm, Sam has expanded Tipping Point’s approach by pairing effective direct service grant-making with policy work to disrupt the conditions that hold poverty in place. Prior to joining Tipping Point, Sam served as Chief Executive Officer of First Place for Youth, where under his leadership, the organization’s impact increased significantly—from serving approximately 600 youth in one location in 2006 to being a national program operating throughout the state of California and four other states. Sam graduated from California State University, East Bay, with a degree in psychology and a master's in counseling with an emphasis in organizational development.
Matt Regan
Bay Area Council
Matt Regan is Senior Vice President of Public Policy at the Bay Area Council. He currently oversees the Council’s work on Housing, Workforce Development, and Early Childhood Education as well as the Government Relations function. Matt holds an LLB from Middlesex University School of Law in London and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the University of Ulster School of Business.
Jonathan Logan
JDL Strategies
Johnathan Logan, Jr. is the founder and managing principal of JDL Strategies, LLC—a nimble firm providing community development, real estate, management, finance, and community engagement consulting services to nonprofits, foundations, public agencies, and businesses. Prior to venturing out on his own, Johnathan was the Vice President for Community Engagement at the Marin Community Foundation (MCF) where he was responsible for leading strategy and grantmaking for the $1B Buck Family Fund of MCF and overseeing the foundation’s CommunityFirst social impact lending portfolio. Before that, he led the Marin City Community Services District where he designed and implemented various community development and policy initiatives. He has a Masters of Public Administration degree from City University of New York, Baruch College and a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management from Oral Roberts University. He is also a proud National Urban Fellow and has served on various nonprofit, academic, and government boards and commissions.
Steve Lefkovits
Joshua Tree Consulting and Joshua Tree Conference Group
Steve is President and CEO of Joshua Tree Consulting and Joshua Tree Conference Group. He is also a partner at RealtyCom Partners LLC, the apartment industry’s leading asset manager of telecom marketing rights on behalf of property owners. Steve previously served as Senior Vice President of BRE Properties, Inc. and as Vice President of the National Multi Housing Council. He started in multifamily as a Vice President of the New York State Housing Finance Agency, and served briefly as an associate at Prudential Securities in New York. Steve has a BA from Yale University and a MPA from Princeton University.
Ahmad Thomas
Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Ahmad Thomas is the CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the region’s most dynamic business association. As a change agent and next-generation business leader, Thomas partners with 350+ member companies to promote entrepreneurial solutions to strengthen Silicon Valley's business competitiveness, bolster its innovation ecosystem, and create shared economic value throughout the greater Bay Area. Thomas holds a B.S. from Cornell University, a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Lola Woetzel
McKinsey & Company
Dr. Lola Woetzel is a senior partner of McKinsey & Company. She is the global leader of its Cities Special Initiative and the Asia-based director of the McKinsey Global Institute. She has also led McKinsey’s Energy and Materials practice in Asia and was the Founder and co-Chair of the Urban China Initiative. Dr. Woetzel has extensive experience developing strategies and organizations for companies and government institutions to promote sustainable, inclusive economic growth. Industries of particular interest include real estate, energy, mining, and infrastructure. She holds a BA, MA and a Ph.D. in Political Science and Government from the University of Southern California.
Ben Metcalf
UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation
Ben Metcalf leads the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation as well its sister organization Terner Housing Innovation Labs. He is also on the faculty of UC Berkeley's Department of City and Regional Planning. Previously, Ben was appointed by former Governor Jerry Brown to lead California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and he has worked in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., including as an appointee of President Obama in the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary overseeing HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs.
Yusef Freeman
The Vistria Group
Yusef Freeman is a Partner at The Vistria Group in Real Estate. Prior to joining Vistria, Yusef served as the Sr. Managing Director of California for the Jonathan Rose Companies, leading ground-up development and acquisitions on the West Coast. He served as a Vice President of Investments in the transactions group at PGIM Real Estate, sourcing investment opportunities for the real estate private equity funds of the company. He was previously Managing Director for McCormack Baron Salazar and a Graduate Program lecturer in the City and Regional Planning Department at the University of California, Berkeley. Freeman holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MPA from New York University.
Linda Mandolini
Eden Housing
Linda is a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing development and housing policy. For the past 20 years, she has served as CEO of Eden Housing, one of California's oldest and most successful non-profit housing development organizations. Linda has served on the boards of a wide range of housing policy organizations at the local, regional, state, and national levels. Currently, she chairs the National Housing Conference, the policy committee for the California Housing Consortium, and the steering committee for the International Housing Partnership Exchange.
Jackie Khor
Impact Investing Advisor
Jackie Khor is an independent consultant who works with foundations, family offices and mission-driven intermediaries to develop and implement impact investment strategies that further social and environmental goals and generate financial returns. She is currently a Strategy Consultant for the MacArthur Foundation and a family office. She was most recently a Senior Advisor for Possibility Labs, an early-stage fiscal and donor-advised funds sponsor that is seeking to democratize access to philanthropy and impact-driven capital for solidarity economy communities, including historically underinvested communities of color. Jackie was also a Vice President and then Senior Advsor at Social Finance, a nonprofit impact finance and advisory organization. She has been an Investment Advisor to the California Wellness Foundation’s Investment Committee since January 2021. Her other advisory board roles include Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s Integrated Capital Strategy. Jackie’s background includes almost 30 years of experience across the financial, impact investing, and philanthropic sectors. She was Vice President for Programs at College Futures Foundation, a $500 million private foundation headquartered in Oakland, CA. Before that, just as the term impact investing was being coined around 2008, Jackie co-founded San Francisco-based Imprint Capital Advisors, one of the early impact investing firms that worked with foundations and family offices to develop and implement impact investment strategies and portfolios. Imprint was acquired by Goldman Sachs in 2015. Jackie has also served as Associate Director at the Rockefeller Foundation, Director of Employment Programs for the New York City Partnership, and Vice President within Lehman Brothers’ Public Finance Division. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley, and her master’s degree in public and private management from the Yale School of Management.
Bryant Jenkins
Sperry Capital
Bryant Jenkins is Managing Principal at Sperry Capital, a full-service infrastructure advisory firm offering financial, strategic, and commercial advisory services to state and local government agencies, private sector organizations, and non-profit corporations. Bryant has over 20 years of experience advising public and private sector clients on developing infrastructure projects, including workforce housing, transportation projects, water and sewer utilities, schools, and hospitals. He holds a BA in Economics from Columbia University and an MBA from Stanford University.
Linda Assante
Uplifting Capital
Linda Assante is currently Chief Investment Officer of Uplifting Capital, a private markets impact investment manager. She serves as a senior advisor and working equity partner with Azimuth Capital Management, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the James Campbell Company, Mountain View Clean Energy, The Swig Company, Terreno Realty Corporation, Urban Alliance, and the Pension Real Estate Association Foundation. Linda is also Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for Lafayette College. Previously, Linda was a Managing Partner with Jasper Ridge Partners, a discretionary investment management firm serving prominent families, foundations, and global institutions, where she led the real assets team and was a member of the firm’s investment, portfolio construction, and valuation committees. She also held roles at The Townsend Group and J.P. Morgan. Linda has a BA in Economics and Business from Lafayette College.
Sean Kline
ideas42
Sean Kline is a social innovator and social sector leader with a breadth of U.S. and international experience designing innovations to address poverty, economic insecurity and exclusion. Currently he advises the organization ideas42, a non-profit that uses insights from behavioral science to improve lives, build better systems and policies, and drive social change. Prior to this, he directed the Stanford Basic Income Lab, RSA’s US policy and innovation practice, and the city of San Francisco’s Office of Financial Empowerment, where he was a leading voice for municipal innovation and equity-driven policies that improve people’s lives and inspire replication. Sean is a published thought leader on poverty and social policy and has been quoted in a variety of media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, American Banker, Christian Science Monitor, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and The Guardian.
Ahmad Thomas is the CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the region’s most dynamic business association. As a change agent and next-generation business leader, Thomas partners with 350+ member companies to promote entrepreneurial solutions to strengthen Silicon Valley's business competitiveness, bolster its innovation ecosystem, and create shared economic value throughout the greater Bay Area. Thomas holds a B.S. from Cornell University, a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Cedric Bobo is the CEO and Co-founder of Project Destined. This social impact vehicle trains urban youth and military veterans to be owners and stakeholders in the communities where they live, work, and play. Before founding Project Destined, Cedric spent over 20 years as an investor and an investment banker, including over ten years at The Carlyle Group, where he committed over $2 billion of equity capital. Cedric received his MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSME, summa cum laude, from the University of Tennessee.
Johnathan Logan, Jr. is the founder and managing principal of JDL Strategies, LLC—a nimble firm providing community development, real estate, management, finance, and community engagement consulting services to nonprofits, foundations, public agencies, and businesses. Prior to venturing out on his own, Johnathan was the Vice President for Community Engagement at the Marin Community Foundation (MCF) where he was responsible for leading strategy and grantmaking for the $1B Buck Family Fund of MCF and overseeing the foundation’s CommunityFirst social impact lending portfolio. Before that, he led the Marin City Community Services District where he designed and implemented various community development and policy initiatives. He has a Masters of Public Administration degree from City University of New York, Baruch College and a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management from Oral Roberts University. He is also a proud National Urban Fellow and has served on various nonprofit, academic, and government boards and commissions.
Dr. Lola Woetzel is a senior partner of McKinsey & Company. She is the global leader of its Cities Special Initiative and the Asia-based director of the McKinsey Global Institute. She has also led McKinsey’s Energy and Materials practice in Asia and was the Founder and co-Chair of the Urban China Initiative. Dr. Woetzel has extensive experience developing strategies and organizations for companies and government institutions to promote sustainable, inclusive economic growth. Industries of particular interest include real estate, energy, mining, and infrastructure. She holds a BA, MA and a Ph.D. in Political Science and Government from the University of Southern California.
Sean Kline is a social innovator and social sector leader with a breadth of U.S. and international experience designing innovations to address poverty, economic insecurity and exclusion. Currently he advises the organization ideas42, a non-profit that uses insights from behavioral science to improve lives, build better systems and policies, and drive social change. Prior to this, he directed the Stanford Basic Income Lab, RSA’s US policy and innovation practice, and the city of San Francisco’s Office of Financial Empowerment, where he was a leading voice for municipal innovation and equity-driven policies that improve people’s lives and inspire replication. Sean is a published thought leader on poverty and social policy and has been quoted in a variety of media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, American Banker, Christian Science Monitor, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and The Guardian.
Yusef Freeman is a Partner at The Vistria Group in Real Estate. Prior to joining Vistria, Yusef served as the Sr. Managing Director of California for the Jonathan Rose Companies, leading ground-up development and acquisitions on the West Coast. He served as a Vice President of Investments in the transactions group at PGIM Real Estate, sourcing investment opportunities for the real estate private equity funds of the company. He was previously Managing Director for McCormack Baron Salazar and a Graduate Program lecturer in the City and Regional Planning Department at the University of California, Berkeley. Freeman holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MPA from New York University.
Ben Metcalf leads the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation as well its sister organization Terner Housing Innovation Labs. He is also on the faculty of UC Berkeley's Department of City and Regional Planning. Previously, Ben was appointed by former Governor Jerry Brown to lead California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and he has worked in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., including as an appointee of President Obama in the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary overseeing HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs.
Gloria is the Program Director of Housing Security and Public/Private Partnerships at Crankstart Foundation, overseeing grantmaking and investments to address homelessness and housing affordability in the San Francisco area. Before joining Crankstart in 2023, Gloria was Executive Director of East Bay Housing Organizations, a leading local advocacy coalition promoting affordable housing. A long-time Oakland resident, Gloria has over 20 years of experience in social justice and community development in the Bay Area, Boston, and Washington, D.C.
Linda Assante is currently Chief Investment Officer of Uplifting Capital, a private markets impact investment manager. She serves as a senior advisor and working equity partner with Azimuth Capital Management, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the James Campbell Company, Mountain View Clean Energy, The Swig Company, Terreno Realty Corporation, Urban Alliance, and the Pension Real Estate Association Foundation. Linda is also Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for Lafayette College. Previously, Linda was a Managing Partner with Jasper Ridge Partners, a discretionary investment management firm serving prominent families, foundations, and global institutions, where she led the real assets team and was a member of the firm’s investment, portfolio construction, and valuation committees. She also held roles at The Townsend Group and J.P. Morgan. Linda has a BA in Economics and Business from Lafayette College.
Matt Regan is Senior Vice President of Public Policy at the Bay Area Council. He currently oversees the Council’s work on Housing, Workforce Development, and Early Childhood Education as well as the Government Relations function. Matt holds an LLB from Middlesex University School of Law in London and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the University of Ulster School of Business.
Steve is President and CEO of Joshua Tree Consulting and Joshua Tree Conference Group. He is also a partner at RealtyCom Partners LLC, the apartment industry’s leading asset manager of telecom marketing rights on behalf of property owners. Steve previously served as Senior Vice President of BRE Properties, Inc. and as Vice President of the National Multi Housing Council. He started in multifamily as a Vice President of the New York State Housing Finance Agency, and served briefly as an associate at Prudential Securities in New York. Steve has a BA from Yale University and a MPA from Princeton University.
Bryant Jenkins is Managing Principal at Sperry Capital, a full-service infrastructure advisory firm offering financial, strategic, and commercial advisory services to state and local government agencies, private sector organizations, and non-profit corporations. Bryant has over 20 years of experience advising public and private sector clients on developing infrastructure projects, including workforce housing, transportation projects, water and sewer utilities, schools, and hospitals. He holds a BA in Economics from Columbia University and an MBA from Stanford University.
Jackie Khor is an independent consultant who works with foundations, family offices and mission-driven intermediaries to develop and implement impact investment strategies that further social and environmental goals and generate financial returns. She is currently a Strategy Consultant for the MacArthur Foundation and a family office. She was most recently a Senior Advisor for Possibility Labs, an early-stage fiscal and donor-advised funds sponsor that is seeking to democratize access to philanthropy and impact-driven capital for solidarity economy communities, including historically underinvested communities of color. Jackie was also a Vice President and then Senior Advsor at Social Finance, a nonprofit impact finance and advisory organization. She has been an Investment Advisor to the California Wellness Foundation’s Investment Committee since January 2021. Her other advisory board roles include Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s Integrated Capital Strategy. Jackie’s background includes almost 30 years of experience across the financial, impact investing, and philanthropic sectors. She was Vice President for Programs at College Futures Foundation, a $500 million private foundation headquartered in Oakland, CA. Before that, just as the term impact investing was being coined around 2008, Jackie co-founded San Francisco-based Imprint Capital Advisors, one of the early impact investing firms that worked with foundations and family offices to develop and implement impact investment strategies and portfolios. Imprint was acquired by Goldman Sachs in 2015. Jackie has also served as Associate Director at the Rockefeller Foundation, Director of Employment Programs for the New York City Partnership, and Vice President within Lehman Brothers’ Public Finance Division. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley, and her master’s degree in public and private management from the Yale School of Management.
Linda is a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing development and housing policy. For the past 20 years, she has served as CEO of Eden Housing, one of California's oldest and most successful non-profit housing development organizations. Linda has served on the boards of a wide range of housing policy organizations at the local, regional, state, and national levels. Currently, she chairs the National Housing Conference, the policy committee for the California Housing Consortium, and the steering committee for the International Housing Partnership Exchange.
Sam Cobbs is the CEO of Tipping Point Community, a leading philanthropic organization that finds, funds, and strengthens the most promising poverty-fighting solutions in the Bay Area. Since being at the helm, Sam has expanded Tipping Point’s approach by pairing effective direct service grant-making with policy work to disrupt the conditions that hold poverty in place. Prior to joining Tipping Point, Sam served as Chief Executive Officer of First Place for Youth, where under his leadership, the organization’s impact increased significantly—from serving approximately 600 youth in one location in 2006 to being a national program operating throughout the state of California and four other states. Sam graduated from California State University, East Bay, with a degree in psychology and a master's in counseling with an emphasis in organizational development.
Toussaint Bailey is the founder of Uplifting Capital, a platform empowering personalized impact through private investing for financial advisors and their clients. Before founding Uplifting Capital, Toussaint was CEO of Enso Wealth Management, a private wealth firm, overseeing its growth to nearly $2 billion. Before financial services, Toussaint spent over a decade as a practicing attorney. He serves in several advisory and board capacities, including for RIA Institute, Financial Advisor IQ, Alternative & Direct Investment Securities Association, Raphael House of San Francisco, Alliance for Safety and Justice, and Saint Mary’s College of California, among others. He has a JD from UCLA Law and a BSE from St. Mary’s College of CA.