Sara comes to THRIVE from the Urban Land Institute where she worked as part of the Building Healthy Places Initiative, developing content and programs focused on improving public health, sustainability, and social equity through changes to the built environment. Sara has spoken about how real estate development can improve health outcomes and the role of developers and other land use professionals in improving health and sustainability at several national conferences. Sara holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.S. in Industrial Operations and Engineering from the University of Michigan. She has served on the Ann Arbor City Planning Commission since 2019.

Mandy Lee is the manager for the Centering Equity in the Sustainable Building Sector (CESBS) Initiative, launched originally by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as other collaborative, multi-stakeholder efforts for environmental and climate justice. In this capacity, she helps convene, connect, and support more than 600 NAACP and other frontline community organizers, and sustainability and building professionals. Mandy is deeply passionate about community-driven climate, food, and environmental justice initiatives and the infrastructure and policy that allows them to thrive.

As a Senior Director at L+M Development Partners, Sara brings over 15 years of experience in affordable and mixed-income housing development. In her role she oversees the development of over a billion dollars in investments across several new construction, mixed-use, affordable housing projects including the development of the first net zero community in New York City. She leads several of L+M’s new construction efforts in the NYC metro area including the company’s investments in the Rockaways where developing resilient, climate solutions, and sustainably are project priorities. Prior to joining L+M Development Partners, Sara led the Real Estate Development Services practice at Jack Jaffa & Associates, where she structured and successfully implemented development and financing strategies for complex mixed-income real estate transactions. Previously, Sara held several positions in the Office of Development at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, where most recently she was the Director of the City’s Inclusionary Housing Program. She was also recently named to City & State New York Queens Power 100. Sara brings a diverse skill set that spans city planning, zoning, design, and finance (inclusive of both publicly and commercially financed transactions). Sara holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Clark University in Geography and Sociology, a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University, and a Certificate in Real Estate Finance and Investment from New York University.

Mr. Derrick L. Tillman is CEO and President of Bridging the Gap. He is a thought leader, forging ahead to create new opportunities for community development. He leads BTG in its mission to rebuild healthy and sustainable communities through residential and commercial development. As a successful developer, Derrick leads the industry by example. Through numerous successful community development projects, Derrick is working to cultivate generational wealth in the Black community, and end the cycle of institutional racism that prevents Black home ownership.

As a sought-after social impact leader, economic development practitioner, and anti-racism advocate, from community organizing to managing multi-billion-dollar projects (totaling over $16B), Morgan's career has amplified one common goal – impact. Known for her aptitude in building, fixing, and restructuring systems and initiatives, Morgan is a skilled strategist and consistent figure in Chicago’s neighborhood and economic development sphere. With a passion for international development and global equity, Morgan has expanded her mission to scale social impact initiatives from global to local and local to global. Morgan lives by the mantra, "Eliminating a culture of can’t, amplifying a culture of DO, one day at a time." Morgan is a 2020 Crain’s Business Chicago ‘20 in their 20s’ honoree. In August of 2020, Morgan was profiled by Forbes.