You're invited! Please join us:

Date & Time
February 19, 2026 from 7:30AM to 4PM CST
Location
Urban Ecology Center - Washington Park
1859 N 40th St
Milwaukee, WI 53208

Hope Community Capital is convening a cross-sector workshop focused on the full landscape of community development financing, including public tools, private capital, and the partnerships required to move projects from vision to execution. If you work at the intersection of community, capital, and vision, and want to strengthen how high impact projects get financed and delivered, we would love to have you in the room. Space is limited: please RSVP by February 8.

Claim your spot now

Event Ended

RSVPs are no longer available.

Grand re-operning of the Urban Ecology Center, Washington Park, February 2025

Urban Ecology Center - Washington Park

The UEC is a remarkable example of the power that New Markets Tax Credits can have on a community. By leveraging NMTCs, the UEC expanded it's programming in support of both environmental education and community revitalization in a historically underserved neighborhood, aligning investment in green space, youth engagement, and economic development. We will gather at this one-of-a-kind space on February 19, 2026.

Agenda

  • Thursday, February 19, 2026

  • 7:30 - 8:30 AM

    Check-in & Breakfast

  • 8:30 - 9:00 AM

    Welcome & Program

    • Welcome from Jen Hense, Executive Director, Urban Ecology Center
    • Lafayette L. Crump, JD, City of Milwaukee Commissioner of City Development
    • Keynote from Carrie Sanders, CEO & Founder, Hope Community Capital

    • 9:00 - 10:30 AM

      Panel 1: Public Financing Tools for Community Development

      • Shreedhar Ranabhat, Business Development Officer, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA)
      • Tracy Luber, Regional Economic Development Director, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)
      • Erick Shambarger, Environmental Sustainability Director,

        • Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO), City of Milwaukee

      • 10:30 - 10:45 AM

        Networking Break

      • 10:45 AM -12:15 PM

        Panel 2: Private Financing Tools for Community Development 

        • Darian Luckett, Director of Lending (WI, MN, IA), IFF
        • Jamie Lutton, Manager, Community Outreach & Engagement, Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago
        • Eduardo Aldana, Vice President, Wintrust
        • Moiz Dawoodbhai, Senior Director, Northwestern Mutual

        • 12:30 - 1:15 PM

          Lunch & Networking

        • 1:15 PM -1:30 PM

          Remarks from Mayor Cavalier Johnson

        • 1:45 - 3:00 PM

          Breakout Sessions (Concurrent)

          1. Everything You Need to Know About NMTC: learn how to access and structure NMTC for your project

          • Traci Vaine, CEO, CEI Capital Management, LLC (CCML)
          • Robert Beach, Chief Operating Officer, Forward Community Investments (FCI)
          • Del Wilson, former managing partner at Uihlein-Wilson Architects, Milwaukee

          2. Unlocking Capital for Affordable Housing: Tax Incentives, Grants, and Beyond

          • William Schmitt, Executive Director, Rooted & Rising
          • Frank Martinez, Deputy Director, Community Development Alliance (CDA)
          • Christopher Laurent, President, Cinnaire Solutions

          3. Church Property Redevelopment: Revitalization for Community Impact

            • Rev. Dr. Patrick G. Duggan, Chief Divisional Operating Officer, UCC Church Building & Loan Fund
            • Rev. Sarah Lyn Jones — Program Director, Church Property Resource Hub (ELCA)
            • Faith Fehlen, former Director of The Grove Regional Community Center

        • 3:00 - 4:00 PM

          Final Remarks & Closing Networking

        Urban Ecology Center Parking Map

        Parking Information

        Upon arrival, please park in the lower lot (highlighted in yellow) and follow the sidewalk up to the UEC. Do not park along the driveway up to the entrance; this will put you at risk of being ticketed or towed.

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