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 deals
• Built large-scale projects from day one (288 units as her first deal)
• Created Project Community Capital® to fix the “we tried to hire locally” problem
• Uses social capital to plug residents into jobs and careers—not just temp work
• Works with CDFIs and institutions like Goldman Sachs & Morgan Stanley to fund community-rooted deals
• Bridges the gap between trauma, mental health, and job readiness
• Pushes back on stereotypes about “people from the projects” and missed potential
• Shows up as her full, authentic self in boardrooms, government meetings, and community rooms—no more code-switching to be accepted

If 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 Merritt

• Project Community Capital® → projectcommunitycapital.net
• WFL Collective → wflcollective.org
• Dr. Gina Merritt → drginamerritt.net
• LinkedIn → 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.

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