Too many “community” projects check the box on hiring and never change anyone’s life.Dr. Gina Merritt does it differently.She’s a 30-year real estate veteran, principal of Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures, and founder of Project Community Capital® and WFL Collective—an ecosystem that connects underestimated residents to real jobs on real projects, with 94–98% retention on construction sites that once churned through local hires in days.In this episode of The Commercial Builders’ Network (TCBN), Dr. Merritt shares how she:Went from growing up in affordable housing to structuring $5B+ in real estate dealsBuilt large-scale projects from day one (288 units as her first deal)Created Project Community Capital® to fix the “we tried to hire locally” problemUses social capital to plug residents into jobs and careers—not just temp workWorks with CDFIs and institutions like Goldman Sachs & Morgan Stanley to fund community-rooted dealsBridges the gap between trauma, mental health, and job readinessPushes back on stereotypes about “people from the projects” and missed potentialShows up as her full, authentic self in boardrooms, government meetings, and community rooms—no more code-switching to be acceptedIf you’re a:🏗️ New or emerging real estate developer🧱 Contractor or GC trying to meet local hiring / CBA / Section 3 goals🏘️ Affordable housing or community development professional💼 Black/Brown builder who’s tired of being “invisible” in the system…this episode will change how you think about access, social capital, and truly inclusive development.🔗 Connect with Dr. Gina MerrittProject Community Capital® → projectcommunitycapital.netWFL Collective → wflcollective.orgDr. Gina Merritt → drginamerritt.netLinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gina-merritt-mba-7617ba6/🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with minority developers, lenders, brokers, and builders who are changing the face of commercial real estate and construction.#CommercialBuildersNetwork #DrGinaMerritt #ProjectCommunityCapital #AffordableHousing #CommunityDevelopment #SocialCapital #BlackWomenInRealEstate #RealEstateDevelopment #EconomicEmpowerment #CommunityWealthBuilding #CDFI #WorkforceDevelopment #CommercialRealEstate #LegacyBuilding #TCBNPodcast

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