A recent Grove Impact study found that Black and Hispanic real estate developers make up less than 1 percent of all private developers nationwide.
The organization’s research specifically determined that Black developers represent 0.40 percent of the commercial real estate industry, and Hispanic developers represent 0.16 percent.
ULI’s Real Estate Diversity Initiative, or REDI, program aims to change those statistics—not only by expanding access to the industry but also by addressing longer-term disparities in compensation and opportunity.
Rachel Keenan, manager at ULI Minnesota, says REDI was created at ULI Colorado during the 2008 recession, in response to a growing recognition of the gulf that women and people of color encounter between themselves and the rest of the commercial real estate industry.
“For our chapter, it has become a really important, inclusive space for belonging and honesty and learning and education,” Keenan says. Working toward filling the talent gap of women and people of color in the industry is of paramount importance to ULI Minnesota’s REDI program.
Scaling a National Real Estate Development Training Model
Roughly eight years ago, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided instrumental funding that helped the program grow, according to Gina Allen, ULI’s director of District Council Programs. Since then, the program has expanded to 13 District Councils nationwide.
Interested participants in each city apply through a competitive selection process. The curriculum runs for several weeks—varying by District Council—and combines core instruction in commercial real estate development with insights from guest speakers and experienced real estate mentors.
Participants also work in teams to gain hands-on development experience and apply what they’ve learned through real-world projects that explore the fundamentals of bringing together a successful development. These projects are judged at the conclusion of the program.
Participant Outcomes: Building Careers, Confidence, and Credibility
Keeya Clayton, a participant in ULI Central Florida’s REDI program and its co-chair for the past three years, says that the program has multiple benefits. “ULI’s REDI is making a tangible difference in shaping the future of developers and the communities they serve,” Clayton says. “Much like UrbanPlan, there is something truly powerful about watching minds light up as people begin to grasp the realities, opportunities, and responsibility that come with real estate development.”
La-Tisha Pirtle, a REDI participant and now a member of ULI Indianapolis, is cofounder and president of MVGeneral Construction Services. She says that her District Council’s 15-week program strengthened both her professional network and her ability to guide clients through complex development work.
“The REDI training helps me walk developers—nonprofit and for-profit—through the full arc of development, from concept and site design to infrastructure, foundations, and vertical construction,” Pirtle says. “I don’t know if I would have the confidence to do that without that training.”
How REDI Is Changing Local ULI Membership—and Community Trust
Jennifer Mitchen, director of the ULI Indiana District Council, says that the state’s REDI program has gained traction each year by drawing a growing number of applications from an increasingly accomplished pool of candidates. The program also diversified ULI Indianapolis’ membership “for the better,” she says.
“Indianapolis is a very diverse city, and there are populations missing from the industry,” Mitchen says. “We say out loud that one of the goals of our REDI program is to change the complexion of the real estate industry.”
REDI also helped raise ULI’s profile in New Orleans. In the years after Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority had little engagement with the local ULI chapter, according to Nicole DePietro, executive director of ULI Louisiana. Since then, REDI connected the organization with partners it had historically been unable to reach.
REDI helped “build bridges with organizations and people who don’t always engage with ULI broadly but do engage with REDI because it’s meaningful to them,” DePietro says. “It helps open doors for us.”
As interest in the program grew, the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority provided a site for REDI during the past decade. Demand made the program more selective; DePietro says that this year marked the first time some applicants were turned away due to limited space.
Growing Demand—and the Future of the REDI Program
REDI participant Andre Alexander—pastor of The Tabernacle Church in St. Louis and founder of the Hub, a community resource center—says that he was drawn to the program because he had never encountered an initiative focused on supporting minorities interested in commercial real estate. He valued exposure to the “full process of real estate development—getting in a room with people who can walk you through the steps, exchange ideas, and build a network of potential partners.”
Recent cohorts reflected a wide range of professional backgrounds. In St. Louis, participants included pharmacists, whereas ULI Cincinnati had city council members and even a vice mayor complete the program. According to ULI Cincinnati’s executive director, Kim Fantaci, participation expanded significantly after the first city council member joined a cohort.
REDI also benefits from instructors who are active ULI members, though continued membership after the program is not guaranteed. “We don’t have a real issue getting graduates engaged, but it’s hard to get them to join,” Fantaci says, noting that the cost of ULI membership can be a barrier for some alumni—a challenge echoed by other District Councils.
Even so, participants and organizers agree that the program delivers lasting value. “REDI is a very well-respected program in our market,” Pirtle says. “Being a REDI scholar lends automatic credibility. It signals that you’ve completed rigorous, meaningful coursework—and that cachet is worth its weight in gold.”
