P3 Roxbury

Rev. Brown is a nationally recognized leader and expert in gang, youth and urban violence reduction and coalition building and the founder of My City At Peace. He founded MyCAP in 2015 as a real estate and programmatic initiative that develops real estate and targets distressed communities to help bridge the racial wealth gap that exists in our country. He also founded RECAP (Rebuilding Every Community Around Peace), an international initiative organized to assist cities build better partnerships between the faith-based community, government, and law enforcement agencies in an effort to reduce gang violence. Brown was one of the architects of the “Boston Miracle”, a process where the city experienced a 29-month period of zero juvenile homicides in the 1990s, and has spawned countless urban collaborative efforts in subsequent years that followed the Boston Ceasefire and faith-based model. Rev. Brown has been a pastor or interim pastor in the area for over 26 years, and is currently an Associate Pastor of the historic Twelfth Baptist Church on Warren St. In Nubian Square. He is the subject of a popular Harvard Business School case study on his efforts and delivered a TED Talk that has over one million views. Rev. Brown is the recipient of numerous local and national awards and citations. He is the author of a forthcoming book, titled The Courage To Listen, and Paramount Pictures has teamed with actor/writer Chadwick Boseman and Logan Coles on a feature film based on his experiences. A resident of the Dorchester area of Boston, MA, Rev. Brown has three grown children.

Tom is the Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer of The HYM Investment Group. He previously served as a Managing Partner for JPI, a national owner of multifamily communities, and as a Managing Director in Boston and New York for Tishman Speyer. Tom also led the Boston Redevelopment Authority as its Director and Chief of Staff, overseeing the development of over 12 million SF of projects from 1994 to 2000. Tom served as the General Counsel and Director of Finance at the Massachusetts Industrial Finance Agency from 1989 to 1994. In 2011, the Governor appointed Tom to the Board of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency. Tom is a graduate of Brown University and Suffolk University Law School and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association

Leslie became the CEO of MPDC in 2019. Prior to that she had been MPDC’s VP of Programs and brings over 20 years of prior experience in real estate and community development. Leslie’s extensive resume includes direct development experience at multiple Boston CDCs, as well as a background as a Loan Officer at the Massachusetts Housing Partnership Fund. In addition, Leslie sits on multiple nonprofit and public boards and commissions in the Boston area

Greg is originally from Mandeville, Jamaica. He moved to the U.S. in 1999 and earned dual Master’s degrees in Architecture and Infrastructure Planning at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Prior to founding DREAM Collaborative, Greg was project architect for a number of award-winning building and urban renewal projects while working at the Bostonbased firm Elkus Manfredi Architects. Greg is a member of BosNOMA and was the 2021 President of the Boston Society for Architecture. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees for Hearth, Inc. and has been appointed to the ULI Boston Housing and Economic Development Council. He is regularly invited to speak on issues in design, sustainability, equity, diversity, inclusion, and urban development. The AIA has recognized Greg’s significant contributions to more livable communities and better-connected neighborhoods.

Ms. Smart studied (pre)law at University of Massachusetts and most recently served as an Administrator to Lani Guinier and Yochai Benkler, at Harvard Law School. Her experience with executing operational strategy and delivering results included employers such as Deloitte & Touche LLP, The Gillette Company, American Express, Andersen Consulting and the Ritz Carlton (Atlanta, GA). Mrs. Smart has served for over 20 years in the community, assisting small businesses with resources & services e.g., business plans creation. Pivoting her business strategy, she pivoted into real estate while purchasing her own home in Roxbury. Early in her career, it became increasingly aware that there were a large number of Boston homeowners who were “intestate”, a civil probate process which took 1-2 years (on average and depending on the case) to transfer ownership. In an effort to educate homeowners with Annette Green, Esq (The Law Offices of Donald E Green) who together created an estate planning series for local Roxbury residents., Ms. Smart has collaborated with General Air partnership through the acquisition & Development of 4-6 Townhomes in Dorchester, MA, as well as the Condominiums located at 101 Heath Street and other local projects. Ms. Smart is a newly appointed member of Mayor Wu’s Advisory Council on Rent Stabilization, Builders of Color Coalition and All Inclusive Boston, an engaging grass-roots initiative sponsored by, Get Konnected & spearheaded by Media Maven, Collette Phillips and Michael Benezra. While a missionary in Belo Horizonte Brazil, Mrs. Smart learned to speak fluent Portuguese.

Shabnam Mashmasarmi is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of OnyxGroup Development and Realty. Shabnam is also the owner and founder of Mashmasarmi Law, P.C., a Massachusetts based law firm with offices in New York and Florida. She dedicates her life to helping families build wealth by representing sellers and buyers, who are first time homebuyers, investors, wholesalers and/or developers. As part of her mission to encourage and assist families to build generational wealth, she educates her clients and communities on asset protection and estate planning techniques. Shabnam believes property ownership is not just about acquiring it but protecting and sustaining it for years to come. Shabnam is committed to ensure black communities have access and opportunities to real estate development and ownership, and to ensure Black women and those disproportionately impacted by the existing barriers be part of the conversations. In 2014, Shabnam partnered with Suffolk University Center for Real Estate as Program Consultant and developed five certificate courses. Shortly after, Shabnam entered the commercial space, representing local developers acquiring off market properties and partnering with local developers such as Castillo & Company, Contemporary Home Remodeling, JJ Companies, LLC and L&M Real Estate Investments, LLC to provide quality & affordable homes, commercial and retail spaces. Shabnam has been consistently recognized since 2014 as a "Rising Star" as published in Boston Magazine and New England Super Lawyers. Shabnam received her undergraduate degree from Boston College, her Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. Additionally, Shabnam was designated to serve as a Foreclosure Commissioner for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Carlos is involved in a variety of real estate services including but not limited to construction management & consulting, redevelopment, real estate sales, financing, and property management. Carlos was born in Roxbury and grew up in Dorchester. His passion for real estate was cultivated at an early age from working with his father renovating homes in Dorchester. Carlos attended Tufts University where he majored in International Relations and Entrepreneurship. While at Tufts, Carlos began his real estate career by partnering to buy a 23,000 square foot building in Lawrence Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, Carlos took an interest in the mortgage and construction aspects of the industry. After spending time originating loans, Carlos switched careers when he was offered the opportunity to work for a commercial construction manager, Commodore Builders, where he spent 5 years renovating commercial spaces as large as 90,000 square feet of high-end commercial tenant fit outs for clients such as The Boston Consulting Group, Prince Lobel Golvksi and Tye, Acadian Asset Management, and Shire Pharmaceutical. Carlos has managed budgets and contracts as small as $20,000.00 to as high as $9,000,000.00. Today, Carlos continues to manage construction projects with a focus on multi-family homes and mixed-use properties in Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury – acquiring, renovating, and renting. After Commodore Builders Carlos worked for Highland Development building out of the ground up developments for United Cerebral Palsy in Watertown and Cambridge Community Television new headquarters in an MIT building on 438 Mass Ave. Carlos is a licensed real estate broker, licensed construction supervisor, and a LEED accredited professional. In addition to graduating from Tufts University 2004, Carlos has also completed a Construction Certificate program at Wentworth Institute for Technology 2006 and holds Certificates in Commercial Real Estate and Real Estate Finance from Boston University 2011. Carlos has been the treasurer for Dudley Square Main Street in Roxbury for the past 8 years and sits on the board for Bowdoin Geneva Main Street in Dorchester. Carlos recently completed his two-year term on the Board of Trustees for The Park School in Brookline MA. Carlos is passionate about transforming Roxbury’s Nubian Square without displacing or gentrifying current residents.

Ricardo Louis founded Privé Parking in 2012. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and working in finance, Ricardo saw an opportunity to have a profound impact on the valet parking industry. With a focus on the customer experience, Ricardo offers and identifies parking solutions to a variety of clients. He is driven by the mission to leave the best “first and last” impression for every customer. From your local neighborhood restaurant to car dealerships, Ricardo’s dedication to his customers and his craft is an undeniable value added to your business

JocCole “JC” Burton, LEED AP BD+C is an accomplished Boston, MA. based business leader and entrepreneur who has spent her 25+-year career in general commercial real estate and all aspects of the building life cycle. As a successful developer and general contractor, JC is highly regarded construction professional with a slant towards the future of construction. At the core, JC is a builder. A builder of teams and processes always driving results tor clients through her leadership. Over her career, she has worked on diligently on the delivery of high performing projects while striving for inclusion and equity. Her firm has built world class facilities, including some of the first LEED platinum projects in the United States which includes more than 50 LEED projects, three Net-Zero projects. Under her leadership Maven has grown from a start-up company into a multimillion-dollar company. During the 2020 economic downturn, JC’s team newly adjusted consumer demands through the rapid construction of quick service restaurants, retailers and grocery stores in communities and neighborhoods. In addition to maintaining fiscal responsibility and vision for Maven, JC has been a thought partner to non-profit organizations, municipalities, corporate campuses and neighborhood development corporations to drive industry equity, district scale sustainability tools, workforce engagement and renewable energy incentives for low-income low-access communities. JC’s work has been recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change: Clean Energy. A well sought-after leader, JC is the first Black woman to hold a mayoral appointment with Boston’s Construction Licensing Board, which is part of the city’s Board of Examiners and is responsible for issuing Boston Builders Licenses to qualified individuals who complete the application process and pass the examination. JC serves on the Boston Employment Commission, Interim Chair; Boston Planning & Development Committee and a Director of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA); the advisory board of Ben Franklin Institute of Technology, Construction Management department, TRILLFIT and Browning the Green Space, a non-profit organization driving inclusion in the renewable energy sector. JC is the mother of one elementary aged daughter. In her spare time, you can find JC with her daughter, cooking and advocating for better food access for under-resourced children and mentoring young interested in STEM careers.

Imari Paris Jeffries is the Executive Director of King Boston, where he is leading a citywide racial equity transformation through the Embrace Memorial, the Embrace Center, and community organizing efforts. Imari brings a wealth of experience from the nonprofit management, racial equity, community activism, education reform, and social justice sectors and has served in executive roles at Parenting Journey, Jumpstart, Boston Rising, and Friends of The Children. He currently serves as a Trustee of the UMass System, Mass Humanities, Mass Budget, Policy Center, the United South End Settlement Houses, and Governor Baker's Black Advisory Commission.

Most recently was the Executive Director of Parenting Journey with other leadership stints as Chief Executive Officer of the Italian Home for Children, Chief Operating Officer of Jumpstart, interim CEO of Boston Rising, and Executive Director of Friends of the Children-Boston. Imari has extensive professional experience in public, national, and nonprofit leadership and has supplemented his work with volunteer service on boards. These have included Jumpstart, the African American Federation of Greater Boston, Save the Harbor, Save the Bay, the Elizabeth Peabody House, the Massachusetts Mentoring Partnership, the Edward Brooke Charter School, The Providers Council, and Third Sector New England.

Imari has been named one of Boston’s most Influential Bostonians by Boston Magazine and the Boston Business Journals Power 50. He is a three-time graduate of UMass Boston and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. through UMass Boston's Higher Education Program. An Army veteran, Imari served from 1991-1996. He currently lives in Hyde Park with his family.

Gretchen Cook-Anderson is an award-winning marketing/communications executive with over 28 years promoting the sciences (life sciences, biotech, aerospace and Earth science), global education, political candidates and major household products.

In her current role as inaugural Executive Director at Cambridge, MA-based nonprofit Ignite, Gretchen Cook-Anderson is leading efforts at the first-and-only- of-its-kind platform that’s addressing systemic racial, gender and other underrepresentation in talent across the life sciences and the biotech industry – from labs to leadership, and from the STEM student pipeline to the entrepreneurs advancing life-changing innovations. Ignite was launched in early 2021 by LabCentral, a preeminent early-stage biotech startup accelerator, as a forward- thinking, equity-driven way to support the workforce needs of the industry.

Gretchen was honored in October 2020 among the inaugural 50 Most Influential Businesspersons of Color by the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce (MetroWest region). She was also recognized in February 2021 by the Massachusetts Legislature as a Black Excellence on The Hill honoree.

She is active as a board/advisory member for several organizations including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, WorldBoston, Facing History & Ourselves, and the Japan-US Friendship Commission, and independent schools (Belmont Hill School & Dana Hall School), cares deeply about social justice, equity, and inclusion, and speaks publicly and consults on related themes dozens of times locally and globally each year.

Gretchen is an alumna of Spelman College (BA), of The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (dual MA), and of Harvard University’s Executive Education Leading Difference for High Performance program.

Attorney Joseph D. Feaster, Jr. has been practicing law for over 45 years, during which time he has developed an expertise in numerous areas of the law, including corporate, employment and labor, real estate, contract, licensing and zoning, and probate. He soon will be joining Dain Torpy Le Ray Wiest & Garner PC. as Of Counsel.

Previously, he served as the court-appointed Receiver for Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center for 9 years, and as the Interim Town Manager of the Town of Stoughton. Prior to joining McKenzie & Associates, P.C. as Of Counsel in 1998, Attorney Feaster was Of Counsel to the firm of Wynn & Wynn, P.C. Attorney Feaster is also President of Feaster Enterprises, a strategic planning, organizational development, and community outreach consulting firm.

Attorney Feaster previously served as President of the Massachusetts Community and Banking Council (MCBC), Acting Director of Real Estate for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, Interim Administrator of the Boston Housing Authority, one of the largest public housing authorities in the country, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel in the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Administration and Finance, Associate Counsel in Prudential Insurance Company’s Northeast Home Office, and as an attorney at the National Labor Relations Board’s Boston Regional Office. His professional affiliations are numerous, as his expertise is sought within the City of Boston and nationally. Such affiliations and service include serving as a mediator for the Suffolk County (MA) Superior Court Mediation program, as a registered lobbyist in Massachusetts, and as chairman and member of the City of Boston Board of Appeal. He currently serves as chairman of the board of directors of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM); as an Executive Committee member of the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Inc. (MAMH); and as an Advisory Board Member of the Samaritan, Inc. He previously served as President of the Boston Branch NAACP, as vice chairman and board member of Neighborhood Health Plan (NHP), as Speaker of the House of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), as a board member of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (MLCHC), as a board member of Dimock Community Health Center, which tenure included serving as board chairman and as the Center’s Interim President, and on the Executive Council of the Massachusetts AARP. Attorney Feaster was also a former board member of the National Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, former board member of the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Boston, a gubernatorial appointee to the Commonwealth’s Workforce Investment Board, past president of Northeastern University School of Law Alumni Association, past president of Northeastern University School of Law Black American Law Student Association (BALSA); past president of Combined Boston BALSA, past chairman of the Boston Enhanced Enterprise Community Advisory Board, and past co-chair of the Greater Boston Civil Rights Coalition.

Attorney Feaster previously served as the Senior Vice President of Victory Group, a government and community relations firm, as an adjunct professor in Northeastern University’s Master in Public Administration program, and as a research associate at the William Monroe Trotter Institute at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Attorney Feaster received his Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law. He has also completed programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Real Estate Development and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Attorney Feaster is admitted to practice before the courts in Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Peter Kochansky is a real estate development and public law and policy lawyer. In his real estate development work, Peter specializes in securing land use approvals for complex, mixed-use projects in the city of Boston. Peter's expertise involves all aspects of zoning compliance and other public approvals, environmental impact reviews, and regulatory compliance. He assists clients from the conceptual stages of complex projects through to the issuance of building permits, project completion, and occupancy

Samira Ahmadi is the Founding Principal of enviENERGY Studio LLC, an energy and sustainability consulting firm, serving regional and national clients looking for sustainable solutions in the built environment. Her practice focuses on sustainability and energy performance analyses for new construction and existing building retrofit projects that are pursuing LEED certification and energy upgrades, occupant’s health and comfort in the built environment, and post-occupancy evaluation, and measurement and verification. Prior to establishing the firm, Samira served as the Director of Energy Services at AHA Consulting Engineers, where she managed over 30 LEED projects. She is an advocate of sustainability and energy efficiency in the built environment and has served on the USGBC Massachusetts Chapter Board of Directors

Gina Ford is a landscape architect, co-founder and principal of Agency Landscape + Planning. Underpinning her two decades of practice are a commitment to the design and planning of public places and the perpetuation of the value of landscape architecture via thought leadership, teaching, writing, and lecturing. Her work has received awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Architects, among others.

As CEO, Chris is involved in the initial preconstruction process providing cost, schedule, and constructability input. Additionally, Chris is charged with guiding firm policy and direction. He established the firm’s Virginia office in 2005. Chris takes an active role in determining preconstruction strategies as well as providing strategic oversight of the firm’s overall operations. He is further responsible for establishing the initial project schedule and logistics plan; overseeing the implementation of the construction plan; and facilitating communications among the construction team, design team and owner.

Denisha joined the MyCAP team in 2019 with the drive to be a fierce change agent in communities of color. With over fifteen years of teaching and real estate experience, Denisha fundamentally understands the importance of homeownership and strong financial habits to building wealth. She founded Our Village Initiative (OVI), a social impact platform committed to closing the racial wealth gap through real estate and financial education. Through strategic partnerships and intentional programming, OVI curates community benefits around real estate and financial empowerment. Her team has helped create over 58 affordable homeownership opportunities for families in Boston, provided scholarships to high school students, and successfully advocates for the creation of affordable homeownership inventory. Denisha has served as the Chair of Housing for the Boston NAACP, was a former member of the Mayor's Housing Taskforce, and has served on various committees. She is also the president of Thumbprint Realty, a minority-owned boutique real estate brokerage firm. Throughout her tenure with the brokerage, the company has doubled in size, serves 3 states and is now the next brokerage-to-watch as it continues to grow and expand its impact within Boston and beyond. Thumbprint Realty is built on family ideals, and we work to ensure our agents and clients feel confident and supported throughout the process. From affordable sales to luxury listings, we pride ourselves on our attention to detail and client experience

A member of the McNamara Salvia team for over 25 years, Mr. McCarthy possesses a detailed approach to structural design and project management. Adam is well-rounded in all aspects of complex structural systems, as well as respected throughout the industry for his experience and strong collaborative skills. In his spare time, he shares his expertise as a structural advisor to architectural thesis candidates at the Boston Architectural College.

Deb has 20 years of experience in the civil engineering field, with an emphasis on designing urban sites, coordinating projects, integrating sustainable site practices, and resolving permitting issues in the City of Boston. Her project experience includes mixed-use and commercial developments, transportation-related projects, academic facilities, and providing review services in Massachusetts. She is very experienced in managing multiple projects to provide innovative civil engineering design services and is able to combine her technical and communication skills to successfully serve a number of clients.

Deb is actively involved in the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts, where she currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Engineering Excellence Awards Committee. She is the 2010 recipient of the Boston Society for Civil Engineers Section (BSCES) Younger Member of the Year Award. Deb is also a member of Nitsch Engineering’s Board of Directors and worked to help establish Nitsch Engineering’s employee-resource group, Nitsch Cares, which functions as the philanthropic arm of Nitsch Engineering. Deb, along with a Nitsch Cares co-chair and committee, helps organize volunteer events for Nitsch Engineering employees and determines how the company distributes its annual charitable contributions to non-profits within the Nitsch Engineering offices communities. Deb is a downtown Boston resident and volunteers her time as one of the five members of her Condominium’s Board of Trustees for the 370-unit building. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new parts of Boston with her husband, hiking and snowboarding in New Hampshire, and entertaining friends and family.

Thomas leads our talented group of transportation planners and civil engineers in helping clients realize their visions. Being at the center of mobility and transportation in Boston for the past 30 years, Tom has a unique perspective on the merits and challenges facing development projects. Tom works with our exceptional team to deliver modern, sustainable development projects in a seamless manner. Tom was the longest serving Commissioner of the Boston Transportation Department in the City’s history and also served as MassDOT’s Highway Administrator. His leadership in rolling out the All-Electronic Tolling Conversion along the MassPike garnered him the American Public Works Association’s Professional Transportation Manager of the Year Award. Tom also recently received the Ray LaHood Award from the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) for his advocacy in advancing women in transportation.