Urban Land Institute San Francisco Bay Area Developers of Color Cohort

Urban Land Institute San Francisco (ULI SF) and City and County of San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) Bay Area Developers of Color Cohort was launched in October 2022 and renewed for a second year in 2023. This cohort program was designed to create opportunities for seasoned mid- to senior-level real estate developers of color in the Bay Area.

Following two successful cohorts funded through the Partnership for the Bay’s Future Policy Grant from the San Francisco Foundation, ULI SF is continuing the cohort program for a third year. The third-year program will again offer mid-to-senior level professionals monthly sessions aimed to deepen their understanding of housing development and consider community-based development throughout the Bay Area. The third-year cohort program is funded by ULI SF with support of a San Francisco Foundation Programs Grant.

Candidates are from multicultural/minority backgrounds, typically underrepresented in the real estate industry and defined as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and Middle Eastern descent, and have a particular interest in multi-family housing.

Program Description

ULI SF, with its network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use experts, modeled this cohort program after other nationally recognized ULI programs including Pathways to Inclusion and Real Estate Development Initiative (REDI).

Those selected for this cohort program should be prepared to commit 8 to 10 hours per month (between October 2024 – May 2025) to this program: this will include preparations for sessions, in-person monthly sessions, and meetings with buddies and with cohort project teams.

Cohort participants will meet in-person 3 hours per month (held during the lunch hour or late afternoon), complete pre-reads for sessions, and participate in networking happy hours, tours, etc.

Why Apply?

This program provides a unique opportunity for the selected cohort member to participate in the following programs, including, but not limited to:

• Complimentary year of ULI associate-level membership;
• Stipend to attend ULI SF events;
• Networking with senior leaders in the San Francisco Bay Area real estate industry, other cohort participants, and leaders throughout the Bay Area real estate and land use industries;
• Engaging in shared learning and a customized curriculum to increase knowledge, build skills, and learn about Bay Area real estate development;
• Developing professional relationships and a community of real estate professionals for ongoing business development; and
• Serving as experts and provide support to their team members on current project challenges.

We can offer this program at no cost to the cohort participants (approximate program value is $5,000 per person)