Advertise on podcast: Create the Village

Access to capital, powerful networks and seasoned mentors often determine who gets to build and who gets sidelined. In the Season 3 finale of Create the Village, Integral’s Daryl Jones sits down with Brandon Rule, founder of Rule Enterprises, for a candid look at what it really takes to transform an opportunity into a viable deal. Brandon shares his journey from quitting his banking job at 23 to launching his own firm, a path marked by lean years, hard lessons and generous mentors. Together they dissect the difference between an aspiring, emerging and established developer, talk through the hidden costs of partnerships and guarantor requirements, and explore why technical assistance is just as important as financing. Along the way, Brandon reveals his audacious goal to own a professional sports team, not for the glamour, but to reinvest in the surrounding community and build generational wealth. What you’ll hear Why representation is still so low in real‑estate development and how structural barriers like capital access and networks contribute to a talent drain. The importance of mentorship in discerning a viable deal from an enticing but risky “opportunity.” A framework for understanding the three stages of a developer’s journey and the kind of support each one needs. How guarantor requirements, fee splits and partnership structures can either empower or exploit emerging developers. A vision for building generational wealth by investing in communities, including Brandon’s dream of becoming a billionaire and owning a sports team. About our guest Brandon Rule is the founder and CEO of Rule Enterprises, a full‑service real‑estate asset and investment management firm that develops mixed‑income, mixed‑use communities. An entrepreneur, speaker and philanthropist, he left his banking job at 23 to pursue community development and uses commercial real estate as a tool to transform urban neighborhoods. SUBSCRIBE: Create the Village is a podcast with bold conversations about innovation, leadership, and community development in real estate. Visit our official website to listen: https://integral-online.com/create-the-village-podcast/ and subscribe with your favorite podcast app.

America is aging, and fast. In just a few years, millions will enter their 80s, many without the resources or support systems to age with dignity. Yet affordable assisted living remains misunderstood, underfunded, and dangerously overlooked. In this episode of Create the Village, Daryl Jones (President, Real Estate Acquisitions) sits down with Julie Simpkins, co-CEO of Gardant Management Solutions, one of the largest assisted living providers in the country. Together, they explore why assisted living has been treated as an afterthought in public policy, and why that must change. What you’ll hear in this episode: Why the lack of affordable assisted living is a national crisis The “missing middle” and the hidden costs of isolation How smarter Medicaid policy could save billions, and lives The workforce crisis reshaping senior care post-COVID What it means to design communities where seniors can truly age in place About Our Guest: Julie Simpkins is the co-CEO of Gardant Management Solutions, where she has spent more than three decades advancing senior housing across the country. She is a national leader in affordable assisted living, a frequent voice in policy conversations, and a passionate advocate for dignity, community, and purpose in aging. SUBSCRIBE: Create the Village is a podcast with bold conversations about innovation, leadership, and community development in real estate. Visit our official website to listen: https://integral-online.com/create-the-village-podcast/ and subscribe with your favorite podcast app.

Essential workers are the backbone of our communities, yet too many are being priced out of safe, attainable housing near where they work. Rents have climbed faster than wages for years, creating an unsustainable gap that leaves millions of teachers, nurses, first responders, and other essential workers stuck in the “missing middle.” They earn too much to qualify for subsidies yet not enough to afford market-rate housing. In this episode of Create the Village, guest host Eric Pinckney sits down with Sameer Bhargava to explore how innovative financing can help bridge this divide, strengthen communities, and ensure the people who sustain our cities can continue to call them home. What you’ll hear: Why rents are rising faster than wages and what that means for working families How the “missing middle” is reshaping conversations about housing policy The role of innovative finance in creating attainable housing solutions Why attainable housing is critical to attracting and retaining essential workers About the Guest Sameer Bhargava is an accomplished executive with deep experience in real estate, capital markets, and corporate strategy. He has held senior leadership roles guiding innovation, risk management, and development enterprises, and previously worked in investment and advisory roles at The Carlyle Group, Bain Capital, Advent International, and McKinsey & Company. Sameer holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with honors from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He serves on the board of StubHub, is chair of the board of The Potomac School, and is a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. SUBSCRIBE: Create the Village is a podcast with bold conversations about innovation, leadership, and community development in real estate. Visit our official website to listen: https://integral-online.com/create-the-village-podcast/ and subscribe with your favorite podcast app.

Community development isn’t just about bricks and mortar. It’s about people, honoring legacy, addressing structural inequities, and building trust block by block, relationship by relationship. Few places reflect that truth more than Atlanta’s historic Westside. In this episode of Create the Village, guest host Shannon Judd, President of Integral Property Management, sits down with Rachel Carey, Chief Real Estate Officer at Westside Future Fund. Together they explore how one mission-driven organization is reimagining community development as a vehicle for justice, inclusion, and long-term stewardship. From tackling heirs’ property challenges to pioneering anti-displacement strategies, Westside Future Fund is demonstrating what it means to build with the community, not just in it. What you’ll hear: How Westside Future Fund’s Anti-Displacement Tax Fund is helping legacy homeowners remain rooted in their neighborhoods. Why heirs’ property and tangled titles are critical barriers to generational wealth — and how to resolve them. The role of partnerships in delivering 1,500 units of deeply affordable housing while fostering mixed-income communities. Why community trust, patience, and consistency are the foundations of durable revitalization. A blueprint for belonging: development that protects cultural identity and ensures residents have the choice to stay. About Our Guest: Rachel Carey is the Chief Real Estate Officer at Westside Future Fund, where she leads efforts to revitalize Atlanta’s historic Westside through affordable housing, anti-displacement initiatives, and community stewardship. With more than a decade of experience in real estate and public-private partnerships, she is committed to ensuring that revitalization happens with, not at the expense of, longtime residents. SUBSCRIBE: Create the Village is a podcast with bold conversations about innovation, leadership, and community development in real estate. Visit our official website to listen: https://integral-online.com/create-the-village-podcast/ and subscribe with your favorite podcast app.

In Atlanta, the racial wealth gap is staggering. The average white household holds 46 times more wealth than the average Black household. One major reason is homeownership, and who gets to buy a home. If we want cities that are truly inclusive and resilient, bold new approaches are needed to help families build wealth and stay in place. This episode explores one such solution: permanently affordable homeownership that keeps longtime residents rooted in their community even as neighborhoods change. Host Ade Sanusi sits down with Amanda Rhein, Executive Director of the Atlanta Land Trust, to discuss how the community land trust model is bridging the gap between renting and owning. They explore how taking land out of the speculative market can stabilize neighborhoods and create permanently affordable homes for first-generation homebuyers. You’ll learn how Amanda and her team are making it possible for families who have shaped Atlanta to remain rooted as the city grows, building equity through homeownership without fear of displacement. What you’ll hear: Why homeownership is key to closing Atlanta’s 46:1 racial wealth gap. How the community land trust model permanently locks in affordability by placing land in community control. How Atlanta Land Trust serves as a stepping stone from renting to owning, so families aren’t displaced by rising housing costs. What it takes to scale this model, leveraging public incentives and partnerships to keep housing affordable for generations. The real-world impact: families using affordable homeownership to pursue education and build generational wealth. About Our Guest: Amanda Rhein is the Executive Director of the Atlanta Land Trust, a nonprofit creating permanently affordable housing near the Atlanta BeltLine and throughout the city. A seasoned real estate professional with extensive experience in public-private partnerships and community development, she previously served as Senior Director of Transit-Oriented Development at MARTA, where she helped build transit-connected communities and promote equitable growth. Amanda also spent a decade at Invest Atlanta, focusing on revitalizing the city’s most underserved neighborhoods. SUBSCRIBE: Create the Village is a podcast with bold conversations about innovation, leadership, and community development in real estate. Visit our official website to listen: https://integral-online.com/create-the-village-podcast/ and subscribe with your favorite podcast app.

Impact investors provide the last dollars to unlock attainable housing. Many promising housing projects get close to the finish line and then stall because the last dollars aren’t there. This episode looks at a practical fix: bring mission-minded funders and public partners to the table to cover the remaining costs so homes can actually get built. Host Ade Sanusi, Vice President, Asset & Investment Management, The Integral Group, talks with Marc Pollack, President & Board Chairman, EQ Housing Advisors, about why he started a nonprofit to strengthen the housing ecosystem, how communities can add the missing piece without waste, and simple guardrails that keep results for families front and center. They also dig into when preserving existing homes beats starting from scratch, and how to repeat what works at scale across metro Atlanta and beyond. What you’ll hear Why “almost ready” projects stall—and how to close the remaining costs How foundations, donors, and city partners work with builders to move more homes forward When preservation delivers faster, more affordable results than new construction Straightforward accountability so everyone does their part and communities benefit About Our Guest Marc Pollack is President & Board Chairman of EQ Housing Advisors and Senior Advisor & Chairman Emeritus of RangeWater Real Estate. With 35+ years in multifamily, he has led the development, acquisition, and disposition of 30,000+ housing units valued at over $4B across the Sunbelt. In 2020 he co-founded the Atlanta Affordable Housing Fund to help create and preserve affordable homes with flexible, low-interest financing. A frequent national speaker and longtime Atlantan, Marc brings a practical, partnership-first approach informed by award-winning mixed-use work, including The Battery Atlanta. 𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗘:  Create the Village is a podcast with bold conversations about innovation, leadership, and community development in real estate.  Visit our official website to listen: https://integral-online.com/create-the-village-podcast/ and subscribe with your favorite podcast app.

Developers don’t just need better plans, they need workflows that line up from plan to permit. Homebuilding still runs on disconnected files and manual redlines. Design changes don’t reach sales, purchasing, or the field in time, creating RFIs, delays, and budget creep. Host Jordan Jones, Principal – Integral Carolinas and Marc Minor, Co-Founder & CEO, Higharc, unpack a design-to-build approach that centralizes data and automates plan sets, options, pricing, and documents. One change updates everywhere. The payoff: fewer surprises, cleaner submittals, faster approvals, and projects that pencil, so communities see attainable housing delivered on schedule. CEO of The Integral Group, Egbert Perry, closes with why modernization is a community development strategy, not just a tech upgrade. About Our Guest Marc Minor is Co-Founder & CEO of Higharc, the homebuilding cloud that connects design, sales, and construction for production builders. Before Higharc, Marc launched Carbon and Desktop Metal out of stealth to unicorn scale, leading their market debuts. He brings manufacturing-grade rigor to residential delivery—standardizing what counts and personalizing where it matters. 𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗘:  Create the Village is a podcast with bold conversations about innovation, leadership, and community development in real estate.  Visit our official website to listen: https://integral-online.com/create-the-village-podcast/ and subscribe with your favorite podcast app.

Lasting change in communities starts with the right connections. In this week’s Create the Village, Kareem Brantley, Principal - Integral Florida, hosts a powerful conversation with two leaders driving equity and opportunity in real estate: Kenasha Paul, founder and CEO of the Black Professionals Network (BPN), and Chad Musgrove, Sr. Vice President at M&T Bank and President of the Black Real Estate Investment Council (BRIC).   Together, they share the vision behind BRIC and how it’s turning relationships into tangible, generational impact. From Kenasha’s mission to create an ecosystem of legacy builders, to Chad’s commitment to expanding access to capital, this episode dives into: Why real estate opportunity requires both the “who” and the “how” How BRIC leverages BPN’s infrastructure to accelerate collaboration and deal flow The importance of aligned values, intentional mentorship, and strategic partnerships How public policy, private capital, and community leadership intersect to create equitable growth   In the closing segment, Egbert Perry, CEO of The Integral Group, reflects on why infrastructure isn’t just about concrete and pipes, it’s about people and networks that create trust and unlock economic mobility. His insights underscore the real foundation for change: relationships that strengthen communities and open doors for the next generation. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Kenasha Paul is an attorney, entrepreneur, and community leader dedicated to connecting Black professionals across industries. As founder of BPN, she’s building a nationwide network designed to ensure the next generation has both access and opportunity. Chad Musgrove is Sr. Vice President at M&T Bank with expertise in multifamily lending and a passion for creating pathways for underrepresented developers. He is the President of BRIC and is passionate about BRIC’s mission to unite people, capital, and community impact. 𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗘:  Create the Village is a podcast with bold conversations about innovation, leadership, and community development in real estate.  Visit our official website to listen: https://integral-online.com/create-the-village-podcast/ and subscribe with your favorite podcast app.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲—𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀? In episode 2 of 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦, Jordan Jones, Principal – Integral Carolinas, talks with Hasier Larrea, CEO of Ori, to explore how rethinking square footage can unlock  attainable housing. They break down how Ori’s adaptable, tech-enabled designs - beds that rise, closets that flex, and walls that move - shrink unit footprints by 30-50% while multiplying functionality. From Fort Worth to Oakland, this model is delivering lower rents, higher returns, and a smaller environmental footprint. Integral CEO, Egbert Perry, closes the conversation with a powerful reminder that innovation doesn’t have to wait for policy, the private sector can design its way to better housing now. 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧: Hasier Larrea is an engineer, designer, and innovator passionate about reimagining small-space living.  Hasier has led Ori in developing adaptable furniture systems that transform apartments into multifunctional, flexible homes, showing how thoughtful design can make urban living more efficient, comfortable, and attainable.  𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗘:  Create the Village is a podcast with bold conversations about innovation, leadership, and community development in real estate.  Visit our official website to listen: https://integral-online.com/create-the-village-podcast/ and subscribe with your favorite podcast app.

Art and culture aren’t just creative expressions — they’re powerful tools for building communities that thrive. In this episode of Create the Village, renowned artist and scholar Dr. Fahamu Pecou explores how cultural spaces like the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA) preserve heritage, strengthen identity, and drive equitable development. From addressing the wealth gap to creating inclusive communities, Dr. Pecou shares why art and culture should lead — not follow — the process of community building. His perspective challenges the idea that value comes from outside a community, instead urging us to reflect and amplify the value that already exists. Whether you’re a policymaker, developer, or advocate for the arts, this conversation will inspire you to see culture as the foundation for stronger, more connected neighborhoods. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Dr. Fahamu Pecou is an interdisciplinary artist and scholar whose work explores the intersections of fine art and hip-hop. He is the founder of the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA). Learn more about ADAMA's mission: https://www.adamatl.org     𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗘: Create the Village is a podcast with bold conversations about innovation, leadership, and community development in real estate.  Visit our official website to listen: https://integral-online.com/create-the-village-podcast/ and subscribe with your favorite podcast app.

A year ago, we published an episode of Create the Village entitled, “Has ‘Infrastructure Week’ Finally Arrived?” There was plenty of conversation, rolling into a national election, that supported the idea that the time had finally come…that after years of neglect and procrastinating, Washington was ready to enact a massive program to address crumbling highways, a patchwork of high-speed internet access, and inadequate public transit systems. Twelve months later, we’re still waiting for the federal government to adopt and fund a massively overdue investment in our national infrastructure. This week’s episode is a conversation with David Leininger and Jack Wierzenski, executives with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit. David is DART’s Interim President and Chief Executive Officer Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and Jack is DART’s Director of Economic Development & Planning.

In the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Dr. Calvin Mackie was appointed to the 33-member board of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. In 2009, he was appointed to the Louisiana Council on the Social Status of Black Boys and Black Men. Recently, Mackie was appointed to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board. In 2014, Dr. Mackie founded STEM NOLA, a non-profit organization created to expose, inspire, and engage communities in the opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). To date, the non-profit has engaged more than 50,000 K-12 students in hands-on project-based STEM activities.

Sherri Powell founded the Rural America Chamber of Commerce in 2021. She's working to empower rural entrepreneurs and to advocate for their economies and communities, and she's not stopping there. Not afraid to dig into the real issues, she's helping them talk about things like racism in America.

Deidre Woollard, an Editor at Million Acres, a division of Motley Fool, returns to Create The Village to discuss the ongoing market confusion and looming problems facing the real estate and banking industries and local and state governments.

President and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, Lauren Koontz, discusses her leadership in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and period of national racial awareness.