July Lunch Program (Virtual)

Keeping it Real: What is Really Keeping POC Out of CRE?

Click here to register online.

The Takeaways:

This webinar will explore the reasons why there is a lack of diversity in the commercial real estate industry and will provide concrete action items for what we as a community can do to address this.

The Specifics:

CREW Portland’s Alisa Pyszka will coordinate this powerful conversation with two women of color, Tai Harden-Moore, Founder of Moore Consultants, LLC and Nita Shah, Executive Director of Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO). They will share their stories and present “keeping it real” perspectives on the CRE community opportunities for growth as well as challenge what a common understanding of a CRE deal looks like.

Tai Harden-Moore will open the discussion around why there is a lack of diversity in CRE. Her mini-coaching session will provide concrete action steps that develop strategies for achieving diverse, equitable and inclusive environments in organizations. What is the first step? Then what?

Nita Shah will educate us on the programs offered by MESO and their importance for the present and future. She will focus on how the CRE community can identify and deliver opportunities for people of color in ownership and development of commercial property.

Speakers:

Tai Harden-Moore, Founder/Facilitator and Equity Consultant, Moore Consultants, LLC

Tai Harden-Moore, Founder of Moore Consultants, LLC, is a dedicated diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion advocate.

While earning her Juris Doctor degree from Florida A&M University College of Law, Tai served as the Lieutenant Governor for NonTraditional Students for the American Bar Association Law Student Division, which afforded her the opportunity to work with and be an advocate for underserved student populations, particularly, students of color, women, LGBTQ students, and part-time law students in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Puerto Rico.

Since graduating from law school, Tai has demonstrated her commitment to diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion, social and economic justice and, racial equity, by being involved in and giving back to the community in various ways. Whether it be through her work as an equity trainer and facilitator, her service to local non-profit boards, her research concerning legal issues surrounding gentrification and displacement in North and Northeast Portland, her work as a Conversation Leader for Oregon Humanities, or using her voice to bring attention to social justice issues through articles published by Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Medium, Huffington Post, and The Skanner News; Tai has chosen to use her voice to effect change in our community.

Nita Shah, Executive Director, MESO (Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon)

Nita Shah, is one of the two founders and the current Executive Director of Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO) a leading microfinancing and technical assistance organization serving underserved entrepreneurs in Oregon and SW Washington. Her extensive background in owning and operating small businesses have enabled her to blend various theories of business development and coaching, providing a holistic program approach for entrepreneurial success in underserved communities. She established MESO as a Community Development Financial Institute (CDFI), and a Small Business Administration (SBA) microlender, providing nearly $7,000,000 in loans to credit challenged entrepreneurs with a default rate of less than 1%.

Alisa Pyszka, President, Bridge Economic Development

Alisa Pyszka, President of Bridge Economic Development, a Portland, Ore.-based consulting firm that works with cities, counties and regional organizations to deliver economic development strategies and action plans. She has over 20 years of experience in urban planning, real estate and economic development. Prior to her role at Bridge, she served as the VP of Recruitment for Greater Portland Inc, a regional nonprofit economic development organization that provides support and services to companies seeking to relocate or expand in the greater Portland area. As a manager of the economic development department for the city of Vancouver, Wash., she worked across multiple agencies to implement programs and projects to encourage private investment and grow the city’s economic base. Her real estate experience is grounded in eight years of entitlement project management for national retailers and regional commercial developers.
In addition to her consulting practice, she is an adjunct professor in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Kansas.