Opportunity Zones Podcast

How was the Opportunity Zones initiative created in the first place? And why is this program so radically different from previous place-based policies? John Lettieri is co-founder and president of the Economic Innovation Group, a Washington, DC-based public policy organization that created the Opportunity Zones legislation and continues to inform the rulemaking process. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

How can retail investors access alternative investments typically reserved for institutional investors? And where do Opportunity Zones fit into the universe of portfolio alternatives? Washington, DC-based Tony Chereso is president and CEO of the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives, a trade group tasked with advocating for awareness of portfolio diversifying investments (PDIs). Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Chicago is home to 133 opportunity zones. But which neighborhoods on Chicago’s West and South Sides have the greatest levels of redevelopment need? And what are some of the challenges of acquiring capital for building in low-income communities? Lennox Jackson is founder and CEO of Urban Equities, a Chicago-based real estate developer and advisor that specializes in residential, retail, and commercial projects. Note: this is Part 2 of my conversation with Lennox. If you missed it, go to the...

Lennox Jackson is founder and CEO of Urban Equities, a Chicago-based real estate developer and advisor that specializes in residential, retail, and commercial projects. Note: this is Part 1 of my conversation with Lennox. Listen to the next episode for Part 2, where we discuss Chicago's Opportunity Zone neighborhoods. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

What are some of the most common Opportunity Zones legal questions and issues when it comes to starting or investing in a Qualified Opportunity Fund? Attorney and accountant Steve Schneider is the head of the passthroughs law group at Baker McKenzie, the largest tax law firm in the United States. Show notes and transcript at OpportunityDb.com

What can the public sector do to magnify the impact of private investment in Opportunity Zones? And specifically, what policy levers is the Department of Housing and Urban Development able to pull? Beth Van Duyne is a former mayor of Irving, TX and currently serves as the regional administrator of HUD Region VI, which encompasses Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Nearly the entire island of Puerto Rico lies in an opportunity zone. But what are some additional taxpayer benefits to investing in Puerto Rico, now a year and a half removed from the destruction of Hurricane Maria? María de los Angeles Rivera is head of tax and international business center director at Kevane Grant Thornton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Tony Nitti is an Aspen-based real estate tax law expert, CPA, and tax services partner at RubinBrown. Additionally, he serves on the editorial advisory board for The Tax Adviser. And he’s also a regular contributor at Forbes.com, where his latest article addresses the 10 biggest questions that the second tranche of OZ guidance answers. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Chris Paganelli is a San Francisco Bay Area-based financial advisor at wealth management firm Stifel. He advises high net worth clients on tax strategy, wealth preservation, and portfolio management. Stifel launched a qualified opportunity fund earlier this month. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

The long awaited second tranche of IRS regulatory guidance on Qualified Opportunity Funds will produce a set of principles and safe harbors that will give investors the ability to move forward. The best part? One senior Treasury official has said that they want qualified opportunity zone businesses "to sell to the world." Daniel Kowalski is Counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury. He speaks regularly at Opportunity Zones conferences on behalf of the Treasury Department and is one of the...

Jill Homan is founder and president of Javelin 19 Investments, a Washington DC-based commercial real estate investor, developer, and Opportunity Zones advisor. She testified at the IRS hearing on Qualified Opportunity Funds in Washington earlier this year. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Former AirBNB executive Stefan Schimenes founded InvestReal last month with a mission to create the first data-driven real estate marketplace for Opportunity Zones, using AI to support investment decisions with data from numerous sources. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

John Cochrane is senior associate at the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, which recently created the Opportunity Zones Reporting Framework in partnership with the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Josh Burrell and Lane Campbell at Activated Capital have an opportunity zone fund that may become one of the first to make use of a security token offering utilizing blockchain technology. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Loren Schirber is project pipeline manager for Minnesota Opportunity Zone Advisors, which recently started raising capital for their DREAM Fund. DREAM stands for “Developing Real Estate in Emerging Areas of Minnesota.” The fund is a Qualified Opportunity Fund that targets community-driven economic, social, and environmental impact. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

The husband-wife team of CEO Chris Schultz and president Anne Driscoll are on a mission to create the world's strongest community of entrepreneurial workers. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Erin Gillespie is principal at economic development consulting firm Madison Street Strategies and former deputy chief of staff for Florida’s Department of Economic Development Opportunity. Show notes and transcript at OpportunityDb.com

Last Thursday, February 14, the IRS Auditorium in Washington DC was packed to capacity with over 200 attendees as stakeholders spoke during the public hearing on proposed regulations: “Investing in Qualified Opportunity Funds” (REG-115420-18). For the most part, hearing participants requested additional clarification on several aspects of proposed regulations and suggested improvements to the regulations that would allow for more flexibility. Full hearing recap on OpportunityDb.com Show...

It's been nearly four months since the Treasury Department published its initial set of proposed Opportunity Zones regulations. With a public hearing scheduled for February 14 and the second set of guidelines expected within weeks, what are some of the biggest regulatory issues still outstanding? Craig Bernstein is principal at OPZ Bernstein, which recently launched the OPZ Bernstein Opportunity Zone Fund. Craig has over 20 years of real estate experience, and is one of the leaders in the...

Real estate broker, developer, investor, and impact investing expert Thomas Morgan joins me today to discuss this topic and more. Note: this is Part 2 of my conversation with Thomas. If you missed it, go to the previous episode for Part 1, where we discuss the key similarities and differences between 1031 exchanges and Opportunity Zones. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com