The Intelligent Developers

In this episode of The Intelligent Developers Podcast, we sit down with Ed Poteat for a powerful conversation on entrepreneurship, affordable housing development, capital relationships, and navigating multiple real estate cycles in New York City.

Ed shares his journey growing up in Harlem during the 1980s, studying economics at Yale University, spending time on Wall Street at JPMorgan Chase, and ultimately leaving corporate America at just 26 years old to pursue real estate entrepreneurship full-time.

The conversation explores how New York City once empowered small local developers to revitalize distressed neighborhoods, how Ed and his team scaled into major affordable housing development projects, and the hard lessons learned during the Great Recession around leverage, capital structure, and profitability.

This episode is a masterclass in resilience, affordable housing development, and building long-term success in one of the toughest real estate markets in the world.

In this episode of The Intelligent Developers, Jerrod Delaine and Andre Bueno sit down with Yvette Brissett-Andre, Executive Director of Unique People Services, to explore the intersection of real estate development and social impact through supportive housing.

Yvette shares her journey from accounting into affordable housing development, offering a candid look at how mission-driven organizations can partner with private developers to deliver high-quality housing for vulnerable populations.

The group also unpacks the development of award-winning projects like 2050 Grand Concourse, highlighting how thoughtful design, strong partnerships, and disciplined execution can elevate supportive housing to institutional-grade real estate. Along the way, Yvette provides practical insights on navigating capital stacks, integrating services into development, and building resilient project teams.

The episode delivers a masterclass on relationship-building—revealing how long-term trust, strategic networking, and understanding true decision-makers can unlock opportunities and accelerate execution in complex real estate environments.

This conversation is essential listening for developers, investors, and policymakers looking to scale impact while delivering high-quality housing solutions.

In this episode of The Intelligent Developers, we sit down with Robin Zeigler, Founder and CEO of Mural Real Estate Partners, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, capital, and the future of community-driven development.

Robin shares her journey from an accounting graduate at Florida A&M University to becoming a senior executive at publicly traded REITs, including her experience managing millions of square feet of retail and mixed-use assets across the country. She reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped her career—from navigating early challenges in corporate America to discovering real estate through REIT accounting—and how those experiences ultimately led her to launch Mural.

The discussion explores the structural inefficiencies in real estate capital markets that have contributed to the nation’s housing gap, particularly the “missing middle” between subsidized affordable housing and luxury product. Robin offers a compelling framework for addressing these challenges through mixed-income, mixed-use development strategies rooted in public-private partnerships.

Robin’s perspective is both strategic and deeply personal—grounded in  years of institutional experience while focused on building equitable, vibrant neighborhoods in underinvested communities.

This conversation is a masterclass for developers, investors, and operators seeking to understand where real estate is headed—and how to lead within it.

 In this episode of The Intelligent Developers, hosts Jerrod Delaine and Andre Bueno sit down with Justin Smith, Founder of Relequity, for a wide-ranging conversation on the realities of building, scaling, and sustaining a career in real estate development.

Justin shares how his journey into development began not with intention, but with observation—watching his West Oakland neighborhood transform in real time. What started as frustration evolved into a lifelong pursuit: the ability to take raw land and create meaningful, community-oriented development.

The discussion explores Justin’s evolution from hands-on builder to strategic developer, emphasizing the importance of systems thinking, disciplined execution, and the transition from “doing with your hands” to “doing with your mind.” He provides a candid perspective on education, including the real return on investment of an MBA, and the critical distinction between understanding finance and actually accessing capital.

Drawing from his experience delivering over $700 million in development across the western United States—including large-scale student housing projects—Justin breaks down what it takes to execute at scale, meet tight timelines, and operate with institutional rigor.

This episode is a masterclass in real estate development as both craft and strategy—blending technical execution, capital markets insight, and a long-term vision for community impact.

In this episode of The Intelligent Developers, Jerrod Delaine and Andre Bueno sit down with Randall and Roland Powell of Infinite Horizons to discuss their path from construction, urban planning, and public service into entrepreneurial real estate development. The brothers share how they built their platform through persistence, public-private partnerships, community relationships, and a long-term commitment to ownership and impact. The conversation covers affordable homeownership, RAD conversions, scaling from small projects to large portfolios, and how technology and sustainability are shaping the future of development.

In this episode, we sit down with Shaun Belle of CMC Development Group for a practical conversation about what it actually takes to build and operate a real estate development platform that performs across market cycles.

A core theme of the conversation is investing through changing economic environments. Shaun explains how disciplined operators adjust underwriting assumptions, capital structures, and project selection during expansions and contractions — and why long-term developers think in cycles rather than deals.

The episode also explores how CMC Development Group is integrating AI into its operating platform — using technology to improve underwriting speed, scenario analysis, documentation, and decision preparation — while emphasizing that judgment and experience still determine outcomes. AI, in his view, strengthens developer discipline rather than replacing it.

This episode is a practical discussion on judgment — the skill that sits between analysis and action — and how developers build trust with communities, investors, and partners over time.

In this episode, Jerrod Delaine and Andre Bueno sit down with Richard Roberts for a wide-ranging discussion on leadership, public-private problem solving, and the realities of scaling impact in affordable housing.

Richard walks through his professional trajectory—from growing up in Akron, Ohio and attending Yale College and Yale Law School, to serving in New York City government, including senior leadership at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). He offers a grounded, operator’s view of how large public agencies function, describing HPD’s three-part mandate and the responsibility of leading at scale early in one’s career.

The conversation then turns to Richard’s transition into institutional finance at Goldman Sachs’ Urban Investment Group, where he developed an investor mindset and gained exposure to private equity decision-making and risk evaluation. He later assumed a leadership role at Redstone, a national real estate investment firm that deploys capital nationwide across more than 40 states to finance both new construction and the preservation of affordable housing. He explains why affordable housing investing is structured yet highly judgment-based—equal parts art and science—requiring an understanding of policy, local context, and partner credibility in addition to the project’s numbers.

The episode closes with a candid conversation on self-awareness and professional development: Richard shares what he learned when he attempted to become a developer, what roles best fit different skill sets, and what advice he would give his younger self about leaning into discomfort and strengthening weaknesses rather than working around them.

In this episode of The Intelligent Developers, Jerrod Delaine and Andre Bueno sit down with Keith Gordon, founder of NCV Capital, for a candid conversation on building an institutional real estate platform—without losing sight of execution fundamentals. Keith traces his path from Howard University to JP Morgan/Chase investment banking (M&A) and Harvard Business School, and how those experiences shaped his decision-making framework, work ethic, and approach to partnerships. He shares how early personal investments in Harlem and Bed-Stuy became the training ground for larger-scale development.

In this episode of The Intelligent Developers, we are joined by Rodger Brown, a visionary leader in mission-based real estate development. Together, we dive into the unique challenges and opportunities of investing from a nonprofit development perspective. Rodger shares his approach to transforming neighborhoods through projects that align with community needs, creating long-term value and impact. Whether you're a developer, investor, or someone passionate about the intersection of real estate and social good, this conversation offers insights into how to drive meaningful change through thoughtful development strategies.

In this episode of The Intelligent Developers podcast, we are joined by Vernon Beckford. Vernon shares his journey, beginning with his experiences at New Rochelle High School, Columbia University, and earning his MBA from Harvard. He reflects on his time on Wall Street, his entrepreneurial aspirations, and his passion for comics, including his fondness for Batman.

Vernon dives deep into the art of entrepreneurship, discussing the creation of a platform for originating and syndicating loans. He offers valuable advice on crafting the story of your deal and the expertise required of sponsors to succeed. Additionally, he shares how he is highlighting the journeys of other successful entrepreneurs through his platform.