At a Crossroads: Affordable Housing and Social Impact
2:50 PM - 3:40 PM | Klarman Hall | Breakout Session
Panel Directors: Ace Kang, MRE ‘25, Kaylah Paras, HLS ‘26
This panel explores the intersection of housing, equity, and innovation, bringing together leaders across design, policy, investment, and development to discuss the future of affordable housing. Panelists will share diverse approaches to addressing the housing crisis—from leveraging capital and compliance technology to advancing public policy and inclusive design. Discussions will highlight how sustainable, community-centered strategies can drive both social impact and long-term value. Whether through public service, private enterprise, or grassroots innovation, the conversation will explore how to build housing that meets urgent needs while fostering dignity, equity, and resilience in our communities.
Moderator
Dana White
Assistant Professor of Urban Design, GSD | Co-founder, enFOLD Collective
Dana McKinney White is a licensed architect, urban planner, and educator, and is an outspoken advocate for social justice and equity through design. She contextualizes people and their broader communities throughout her work. Her academic and professional work integrates wellness, progressive public policy, and inclusive economics into innovative design solutions to benefit the most vulnerable populations. Dana currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Urban Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) in the Department of Urban Planning and Design. She is also the Co-founder of enFOLD Collective, an interdisciplinary architecture, planning, and design practice, which positions community voices at the center of its projects and is the Founder of Studio KINN, a consulting practice that advises on design and planning considerations of social justice, equity, and alternatives to incarceration.
While completing her graduate work at the GSD, Dana co-founded the inaugural Black in Design Conference.
Panelists
Larry Curtis
President | WinnDevelopment
Lawrence H. Curtis, the President and Managing Partner of WinnDevelopment and a member of the Board of Directors, has led a full range of real estate development and acquisition activities for more than 37 years. He has been instrumental in helping the company grow from 3,000 units in 1986 to more than 119,000 units, which Winn currently has under management in 27 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Mr. Curtis’ primary focus has been on the creation of affordable housing and historic rehabilitation developments. He is a past president of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NH&RA), a member of the Board of Directors for the National Multi-Housing Council, and a Trustee Emeritus of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Board of Trustees.
Mr. Curtis served as the 2006 chairman of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB) and as co-chair of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies’ annual campaign in 2008. He has also received numerous awards, including the Paul E. Tsongas Award from Preservation Massachusetts.
In addition, Mr. Curtis co-founded New Lease, a Boston-based nonprofit that provides a clearinghouse of affordable housing units for families staying in state-funded shelters and motels throughout Massachusetts.
Mr. Curtis received a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York and a master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from Harvard University, where he is a Lecturer in the Master’s of Real Estate Program, teaching its Affordable Housing and Community Development class. He is a licensed architect in Massachusetts with national NCARB certification.
Jeremy Bronfman
CEO | Lincoln Avenue Communities
Jeremy is the CEO and Founder of Lincoln Avenue Communities (LAC), a leading acquirer and developer of affordable housing. Under Jeremy’s leadership, LAC has established a presence in 28 states with a portfolio of 170+ properties, comprising 30,500+ units housing over 80,000 residents.
A mission-driven company, LAC provides high-quality, sustainable, and affordable homes for lowincome individuals, seniors, and families. As CEO, Jeremy leads the company’s efforts to innovate and advance solutions that strengthen communities and maximize value for all stakeholders.
Before founding Lincoln Avenue Communities, Jeremy served as CEO of Enigma Technologies Inc., a software company with major Fortune 500 investors. Jeremy holds a B.A. from Stanford University and an MBA with distinction from Harvard University.
Brendan McCarthy
Executive Director | Morgan Stanley | Head of Real Estate Responsible Investment
Brendan is the lead Real Estate analyst at Calvert Research and Management, conducting deep proprietary research, leveraging the Calvert Principles for Responsible Investment framework. His team’s coverage is global and focused on identifying on emerging opportunities and risk mitigants for corporates in the built environment. Analyzing real asset owners, developers, homebuilders and related service providers, the team develops investment frameworks and strategies to capitalize on the climate transition, human capital management and corporate governance approaches to drive long term value creation.
Brendan began his career in the investment management industry in 2007 at Wells Fargo Bank, in the Commercial Real Estate Group (CRE) and the Special Situations Group (SSG). He later worked for the Gladstone Companies advising its REIT, Gladstone Commercial, and served as Investment Manager for The Earth Partners, an environmental markets private equity firm. Brendan earned a B.A. in economics from Kenyon College and an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Christine Wendell
Co-founder & CEO | Pronto Housing
Principal | Dure Investment Group
Christine Wendell is the co-founder and CEO of Pronto Housing, and a Principal at Dure Investment Group. Pronto is an affordable housing leasing and compliance software and service solution with customers in more than 20 states. DIG provides bridge capital for affordable housing preservation in development. To date, the company has facilitated over 1,000 units of affordable housing through mezzanine debt and preferred equity investments.
She began her career in real estate with Wells Fargo Bank's credit training program. Christine then went on to hold notable positions in multifamily asset management at RXR Realty and Megalith Capital Management. Christine holds a BA in Economics and English from Kenyon College and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She was named one of Business Insider’s 2021 Rising Stars of Real Estate, and on GlobeSt.com's Women of Influence list in 2022.
Ruthzee Louijeune
City Councilor At-Large, Boston City Council President
Ruthzee Louijeune is serving her second term as Boston City Councilor At-Large and was unanimously elected City Council President. A lifelong Bostonian raised in Mattapan and Hyde Park by Haitian immigrant parents, she has long championed justice and equity. Her public service began early, from leading neighborhood tours with MYTOWN to helping redesign Boston's student assignment system. A graduate of Columbia, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School, she brings deep academic and lived experience to her work.
As a lawyer, Ruthzee fought for families facing eviction, defended voting rights before the U.S. Supreme Court, and served as senior attorney for Senator Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign. A strong housing advocate, she helped secure millions for first-generation homeowners and has led efforts on the Council to support returning citizens, immigrant communities, and LGBTQ+ rights. She also led Boston’s redistricting process and played a key role in expanding access to affordable housing and equitable public services.
Ruthzee is the first Haitian American elected to Boston municipal government and the first to serve as Council President. Fluent in French, Haitian Creole, and conversational Spanish, she brings a multifaceted and inclusive perspective to her leadership. Her advocacy continues to shape a more just, equitable, and resilient Boston.