Congratulations to the ULI Cleveland 2025 Real Estate Diversity Initiative Program Participants!

August 22, 2025

The ULI Cleveland Real Estate Diversity Initiative (REDI) helps emerging developers learn what it takes to put together a successful development. The fifth cohort began on August 19, containing 24 participants with the program running on Tuesday’s from 6:00-9:00 pm. During these weekly classes, participants are taught by a volunteer faculty of experienced, multi-disciplinary, top-tier practicing real estate professionals in addition to receiving mentorship from architects and developers who share market-based knowledge and the wisdom of their experience.

The REDI program takes place annually and applications for the 2026 cohort will be available in the Spring of 2026. Interested in learning more? Email [email protected].

Program Mentors

REDI participants are broken out into teams led by one architect and one developer or construction management mentor.

Architect mentors include:

• Mentor Liaison: Randy Hoover, Senior Project Manager, CBRE | Turner & Townsend
• Hayden Erdman, AIA, Associate, Bostwick Design
• Gabriel Fey, AIA, NCARB, Principal, HSB Architect
• Joshua Gonsalves, RA, AIA, WELL AP, Project Architect, Vocon
• Sally Levine, AIA, LEED AP, Levine Architecture and Design
• Brian Meng, RA, LEED, AP, Bialosky

Developer or Construction Management mentors include:

• Mentor Liaison: Josh Herman, Construction Consultant and Project Manager, Venvidici Ltd.
• Phil Fogarty, MPRE, Director of Preconstruction, Marous Brothers Construction
• Chris Garland, Community Development Manager, National Community Stabilization Trust
• Brandon Gency, Director of Preconstruction, Independence Construction
• Tyler Patton, Director, Special Projects Group, Independence Construction
• William Sanderson, Principal, TEAM WS, LLC

2025 Program Participants

• Grace Axlund, Community Infrastructure Liaison, Wade Trim
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• Emily Bischoff, Director of Community Involvement, Northwest Neighborhoods CDC
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• Kelsea Bourns, Project Environmental Engineer, SMEUSA
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• Andrew Braxton, East Cleveland City Schools
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• Kiyla Cooper, Technical Project Manager, Data Dimensions
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• Jazmine Couch, CAO, the AKA Team
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• Catrina Covino, Floodplain Management Specialist, Michael Baker International
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• Ashleigh Fletcher, Research Manager, Case Western Reserve University
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• Morgan Ford, Planning Coordinator, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
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• Elise Gallant, Project Administrator, This is a Performance School
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• Sillerstean Harris, President, Comfort Ease Home Care
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• Allison Hennie, Master Plans Examiner, City of Cleveland
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• Dionta James, VP of Development, HCSC-CDC
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• Donyae James, President, International Construction Solutions
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• Diane Kavalchek
• John Kirkwood, CEO, Kirkwood Consortium
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• Anthony C Ligon, Entrepreneur, Ligon Insurance Agency
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• Laura Mendez Ortiz, Planner, Cuyahoga County Planning Commission
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• Dr. Tamika L Rashid, COO, Burton, Bell and Carr Development.
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• Antoinette Teasley
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• Derrick Thomas, Branch Manager, PNC
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• Brianae Tuck
• Demetrius Williams, Financial Analyst II, University Hospitals
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• Dameon Willis, Production and Inventory Control Manager, Victors Home Solutions
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