Transforming the Future of Real Estate: The 7th Annual DCRE Conference

In July 2025, more than 400 professionals, 70+ speakers, and some of the nation’s leading financial institutions gathered at Columbia University in New York City for the 7th Annual DCRE Conference, powered by Avant-Garde Network.

Recognized as one of the nation’s foremost gatherings driving inclusion and access in the commercial real estate industry, the 2025 DCRE Conference built on years of progress toward a more equitable landscape for developers, investors, and professionals of color.

Through the leadership of Adeola Adejobi, Esq., Founder and CEO of Avant-Garde Network and DCRE, the conference once again served as a catalyst for connection—empowering emerging developers, fostering capital access, and cultivating collaboration among top industry leaders and corporate partners.

“This conference is about empowering emerging developers and advancing recruitment, retention, and impact,” said Adeola. “DCRE fosters partnerships, inspires deals, propels projects, and helps professionals access capital and career opportunities.”

Building a National Movement in Commercial Real Estate

The 2025 conference brought together representatives from J.P. Morgan, U.S. Bank Impact Finance, Community Preservation Corporation, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Enterprise Community Development, Genworth, Akerman LLP, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, FCP, Adler & Stachenfeld LLP, and more.

These organizations joined forces with academic institutions like Columbia University’s Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and the NYU Shack Institute of Real Estate to advance the shared mission of equity and opportunity within the sector.

Speakers such as Craig Livingston (Exact Capital Group), Vince Toye and Lionel Lynch (J.P. Morgan), Michelle Kennedy (U.S. Bank Impact Finance), Wilhelmena Norman-Hernandez (Community Preservation Corporation), Amanda Benjamin-Smith (Genworth), Naheem J. Harris (Akerman LLP), London Kemp Boykin (Amazon), and Karim Hutson (Genesis Companies) led dynamic sessions on building wealth, navigating capital markets, and developing inclusive real estate ecosystems.

Throughout the four-day event, attendees participated in masterclasses, fireside chats, and networking sessions designed to strengthen connections, expand access to financing, and accelerate the growth of diverse-led projects nationwide.

Real Impact, Real Change

Beyond the sessions and panels, DCRE 2025 continued to demonstrate how meaningful relationships and resources can transform careers and communities.

Each year, DCRE’s growing national community, now spanning more than 5,000 real estate professionals, entrepreneurs, and developers, collaborates on projects and partnerships sparked through conference connections. Many attendees have gone on to secure investments, form joint ventures, and launch development projects after meeting through DCRE.

Stories like Ali Semir’s, a developer who built an affordable housing project with an investor he met through the conference, exemplify the tangible outcomes DCRE helps to make possible.

A Continued Commitment to Equity and Excellence

The Avant-Garde Network Foundation (AGNF) is proud to power the DCRE Conference as part of its mission to advance equity and opportunity across industries. Through conferences, real estate tours, workshops, and professional development programs, AGNF continues to build pipelines that connect diverse talent to capital, partnerships, and leadership pathways.

The DCRE Conference stands as a testament to what’s possible when access meets action—and when community-driven initiatives are backed by corporate partners committed to meaningful, measurable impact..