In 2023, LISC NY has positioned itself for another significant year in facilitating a more equitable, diverse, and accessible business community throughout the Empire State. Through Valerie White’s leadership, LISC NY plays an essential role for hundreds of minority-owned small businesses and countless New Yorkers that they engage with within their communities – meeting partners where they are, listening, and observing to find meaningful ways to sustain civic impact for New Yorkers.
Jumaane Williams
Public Advocate, Office of the Public Advocate
Jumaane D. Williams is the Public Advocate of the City of New York. Previously, he served on the New York City Council representing the 45th District.
Barika Williams
Executive Director, The Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development
Barika X. Williams is the executive director of ANHD, a leading nonprofit focused on ensuring affordable housing and economic justice for all New Yorkers. She is a leader in community development in marginalized communities that advance racial justice. Barika serves on the US Treasury’s Advisory Committee on Racial Equity and previously served as the Assistant Secretary for Housing for the State of New York, worked at the Urban Institute, and in development in Washington, D.C.
What led you to get involved in the real estate industry?
I found my way to real estate because I wanted to enact the large-scale shifts in place and community that hopefully transform our neighborhoods and lives for the better. Our current systems have and continue to fail communities of color that need and deserve something different. At ANHD, I found an organization where we work toward transformational shifts where marginalized communities are powerful, valuable, and vibrant.
What’s your favorite neighborhood in NYC?
Weeksville, Crown Heights, Brooklyn. I love Weeksville because of its rich Black history and what it means and could be for NYC and Brooklyn. Weeksville was a Black neighborhood founded by freed slaves and grew to be one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America.
Describe a recent project you’ve enjoyed working on.
ANHD has joined forces with the Urban Design Forum to launch a new initiative to enable community groups to activate local public spaces to share culture and encourage belonging in their neighborhood. We want to create pathways for our public spaces – streets, plazas, parks, and community gathering spaces – to reflect under-acknowledged and marginalized histories, celebrate diverse cultural identities, and build powerful community connections that encourage belonging.
Zach Winick
Co-President, New York Region, The Howard Hughes Corporation
With more than 15 years of real estate experience across a variety of asset classes, Zach Winick is leading the next phase of growth and revitalization for the Seaport. Joining HHC in 2017, he previously served as an SVP, responsible for the day-to-day operations at the Seaport with oversight of leasing, hospitality, and financial management. Winick holds a B.A. from the University of Delaware and a J.D. from New York Law School.
What’s your favorite neighborhood in NYC?
A passion for shaping the city’s built environment and driving economic opportunity, I have always sought to work in places that make New York City a better place to live. Whether you’re breathing new life into an old building, or developing a site from the ground up, there is no better feeling than walking into a property you helped develop and seeing it put to use by the people it was designed to serve.
Describe a recent project you’ve enjoyed working on.
In September, we opened the Tin Building by Jean-Georges—a 53,000-square-foot culinary marketplace featuring an extensive array of locally-sourced food and dining experiences at an iconic waterfront location. The project brings more than 700 new jobs and significant economic benefit to the area, but it also represents a remarkable development feat. After more than eight years of meticulous restoration, the landmarked institution is entering a new chapter as New York’s culinary epicenter.
James Yolles
Managing Director, Risa Heller Communications
James is managing director at Risa Heller Communications and runs its real estate practice. He leads communications on numerous residential projects, including for clients Alloy, Camber Property Group, Domain Companies, the Howard Hughes Corporation, Hudson Companies, L+M Development Partners, MSquared, Phipps Houses, and the Real Estate Board of New York, along with other development, cultural, and civic accounts. He earned an M.S. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
