Possibly the largest conference in the nation dedicated to real estate operators and developers of color, the recent 2023 DCRE Diversity in Real Estate Conference in NYC drew 650 in-person and online attendees representing 31 states. Now in its fifth year, the conference has reached new levels of mainstream recognition, with a broad coalition of corporate sponsors from banks to real estate service providers and Fortune 500 corporations. 

The topic of diversity in real estate couldn't be timelier given the recent Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutionality of affirmative action and its potentially far-reaching implications. Even before the ruling, widespread uneasiness amongst diverse sponsors was already palpable. In the wake of George Floyd's murder, many corporations and investment firms had committed to funding BIPOC real estate companies to address structural racial inequities. And yet, three years later, many of such commitments have either fallen short of original goals or failed to materialize. So, the tone of the conference was one of impatience and urgency.

DCRE founder and social visionary Adeola Adejobi, CEO of the Avant Garde Network (AGN), knows how to set a stage. Panels covering a diverse array of topics, from how to structure JVs to raising an investment fund to spotting development opportunities in the current market were not only relevant, but stacked by industry veterans, all but guaranteeing an impactful exchange of ideas.