Anna Acquistapace is a North Oakland–based housing operator and emerging infill developer with more than 15 years of experience owning and managing multifamily housing in the East Bay. Her work focuses on small-scale, design-conscious housing that adds gentle density to established neighborhoods. She is particularly interested in how thoughtful design and sustainable building methods can expand housing while strengthening communities.

Sarah Akkoush is a San Francisco-based real estate developer with a passion for architecture and design. After a corporate project management role, she began her own multifamily development work in the city, where she now focuses on low-density infill projects in walkable, transit-oriented locations. Sarah believes that constraint forces creativity, and is endlessly fascinated by the ways unique and challenging parameters can lead to incredibly special design outcomes. In her free time, Sarah is proud to participate in the Women's Development Collaborative (WDC), and also enjoys covering architecture and design stories as a contributing writer for Dwell Magazine.

Bridget Basham is an emerging real estate developer drawing on more than 25 years of experience as an architect and firm leader at Plenum Architecture. Her development trajectory builds on decades of guiding complex urban projects through feasibility, design, and entitlement, and she is now expanding that skillset toward full‑cycle small‑scale infill development. Bridget brings a practitioner’s understanding of site analysis, regulatory navigation, and multidisciplinary coordination, coupled with a growing focus on capital planning, pro forma literacy, and project delivery strategies. Her work reflects a commitment to creating high‑quality, community‑serving housing and to shaping pathways that make small‑scale development more accessible and achievable in the Bay Area.

Amber Cox is a supply chain professional and emerging developer with over a decade of experience in procurement and complex project logistics. Since 2019, she has served as an Executive Board Member for the Alliance for West Oakland Development, where she helps oversee affordable housing developments within the City of Oakland. Along with her board leadership, she is currently spearheading a residential redevelopment project focused on maximizing urban density through "missing middle" housing and ADU legalization.  As a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and an Alumni of the Emerging Developers Program, she is dedicated to leveraging her seat at the table to advocate for policy-driven housing solutions that serve both marginalized groups and middle-income residents. Through the HAC Developer Pathway Program, Amber aims to master the funding and legislative mechanisms required to scale inclusive housing throughout the Bay Area.

Anna Curry is a real estate broker, mortgage loan originator, and Director of Business Development at 4DIFY, a company specializing in 3D-printed concrete homes. She is the owner of Dreamerica Homes, a real estate development company focused on new construction and infill projects. Anna works with buyers, investors, and developers on real estate transactions, land acquisition, and construction financing, with a strong focus on innovative building technologies and scalable housing solutions.

Adam Garrett-Clark has spent over a decade proving that living "light on the land and light on the pocketbook" isn't just a concept—it's a highly achievable blueprint for the future. As the founder of Tiny Logic, a specialized consulting firm, Adam helps landowners, builders, and dreamers navigate the complex world of off-grid energy, water systems, ADU permitting, and tiny home community design across California.

Adam's drive for housing innovation is deeply personal, inspired by his own family's struggles to find affordable housing. In 2015, he channeled that motivation to co-found Neighborship, one of the longest-running, off-grid tiny home communities in Oakland. Built on resilience and permaculture principles—skills Adam honed while apprenticing with Biomimicry Architect Eugene Tssui and Permaculture co-originator David Holmgren in Australia—Neighborship quickly became a living model for sustainable, community-driven housing.

Adam believes that at the core of every successful human system is one word: Trust. Whether he is hosting the Tiny Logic podcast, consulting on property management, or partnering with municipalities to pioneer co-governed transitional housing, Adam brings a rare blend of on-the-ground grit, real estate savvy, and visionary design to everything he builds.

Dr. Mary Jean (MJ) Koontz is CEO of Inclusive Investments, an emerging developer focusing on  developing buyable duplex style homes designed from the ground up by and for people with visible and invisible disabilities. Her mission: make property ownership accessible to those historically excluded from the conversation.  

Dr. Koontz holds a Ph.D. in Marketing (Golden Gate University), an MBA (University of South Carolina), and a B.S. in Foreign Service (Georgetown). A licensed real estate agent and active tech and property investor, she is fluent in Japanese and draws on a career spanning DC lobbying, environmental consulting, ed-tech leadership, and university graduate and undergraduate teaching.

Cheryl Lima is the founder of Terra Nova Design Co., a residential design practice serving the San Francisco Bay Area. She works with homeowners, contractors, and investors to design and permit projects that unlock the potential of underutilized properties through ADUs, remodels, and infill housing. Cheryl is now expanding into architect-led development focused on creating thoughtfully designed, attainable housing in the region. 

Meris Ota is the founder of Menlo Project Partners LLC, which focuses on ground-up development and real estate project management services. At her core, Meris is someone who enjoys building environments and organizations that support people, purpose, and long‑term value.  Meris excels in shaping and delivering complex, large-scale projects, where she leads project teams throughout the entire development process. Her leadership experience extends beyond projects to include organizational management and executive operations. Prior to founding Menlo Project Partners LLC, Meris served as SVP with Trammell Crow Company where she diversified its Bay Area portfolio. Prior to TCC, Meris led the development of corporate and life science campuses, residential communities, and high-profile infrastructure projects at Project Management Advisors and Sares Regis Group of Northern California. Throughout her career, Meris has successfully delivered approximately 15 million square feet and has been recognized by the San Francisco Business Journal as a '40 Under 40' honoree.

Originally from the Big Island of Hawai‘i, Meris brings a grounded, community‑centered perspective to her work. In addition to her professional roles, she has served as President of the HIP Housing Board of Directors, leading initiatives that expand affordable housing solutions across San Mateo County. She also serves as a Director with Stanford Professionals in Real Estate (SPIRE), serving as a mentor and contributing to industry thought leadership.

Dalisa Porche is a Bay Area-Based, Real Estate Professional with 28 years of experience in real estate sales, bringing deep knowledge of property transactions, land value, and the Bay Area housing market. A glazier by trade and a former Assistant Project Manager in commercial construction development, she offers hands-on construction insight alongside her real estate expertise. Dalisa is a graduate of the Emerging Developers Program and is currently helping lead the planning of a 92-unit affordable housing development through her church. Her work is focused on expanding equitable housing opportunities and bridging real estate, construction, and community-driven development. 

Namit Raisurana is a real estate investor and developer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, focused on small scale urban infill housing including duplexes, condos, and other missing middle housing. After a twenty year career in the technology industry, he is transitioning full time into real estate development while exploring ways that technology and data can simplify the land development process. Namit is also working on new proptech concepts aimed at helping developers, cities, and land buyers better understand zoning, buildability, and development feasibility. 

Nelson Yuan is the founder and managing partner of Gentle Homes, an urban residential infill developer focused on building homes at attainable prices.  Gentle Homes seeks to alleviate our severe housing shortage by adding gentle density in well-resourced neighborhoods by partnering with existing homeowners and providing them an integrated design, finance, and build solution to transform their single family home into a high performance small multi-family property.  Prior to founding Gentle Homes, Nelson worked for 20 years in private credit and investment banking.  Nelson graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.  Nelson splits his time between the Bay Area and Orange County and enjoys relaxing with his partner, Ana, and their two dogs.