The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Cincinnati is proud to celebrate the graduates of the Real Estate Accelerator Lab (REAL) 6.0 – an intensive, cohort-based program designed to develop emerging leaders in real estate development, design, and planning.

REAL’s mission is to equip a diverse pool of professionals with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to thrive in the real estate industry. Over the course of several months, participants engaged in a series of hands-on sessions led by industry experts and practitioners, covering a full development lifecycle—from site selection and zoning to financing, construction, and community engagement.

This year’s cohort brought together professionals from architecture, planning, finance, nonprofit development, law, and government. Working in teams, participants developed and presented a full development proposal for a real-world site, by selecting a property in the Hamilton County Landbank, incorporating market analysis, design considerations, capital stack planning, and stakeholder alignment.

The graduates of REAL 6.0 demonstrated outstanding collaboration, innovation, and commitment to inclusive growth in the Cincinnati region. Their final group presentations reflected the energy and creativity they will continue to bring to the field and their futures. As a culminating experience, members of the REAL 6.0 cohort delivered capstone presentations reflecting on their individual journeys through the program. Each capstone answered three prompts: the professional challenge that motivated them to apply, the key lessons gained through REAL, and how they plan to apply what they’ve learned moving forward. Together, these reflections offered a powerful snapshot of personal growth, renewed confidence, and a clear commitment to action—whether launching a new project, more clearly defining their goals and paths, stepping into leadership, or driving more equitable development in their communities.

We extend a heartfelt congratulations to the REAL 6.0 graduates. Their dedication and hard work have earned each a place among the next generation of leaders transforming our built environment. They joined graduates of REAL 1.0 thru 5.0, bringing this exclusive group to 171 members strong!

• Terana Boyd
• Phillip Brandon, Brandon Homes
• Rachel Brown, RAD Cincinnati
• Ashley Feist, Price Hill Will
• Sydney Franklin, The Cincinnati Enquirer
• Julie Garcia
• Sydney Geckler, The Port
• Cameron Gunnels, Gunnels Realty
• Rasaan Henderson, Procter & Gamble
• David Hornberger, Robert Louis Group
• Tony Jackson, Restorative Real Estate Development
• Shannon Jenkins, Winston Management Group
• Jonathan Johnson, SDR Construction
• Danny Jones, City of Cincinnati
• Kyairah Jones, Monopoly Men Construction + Real Estate Firm
• Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, Vice Mayor, City of Cincinnati
• Amber Kelly, Extended Properties
• Sarah Kleiner, Envisage Architecture LLC
• McKinlee Miller, Paragon Realty Partners
• Shakeita Moore, Evanston Community Council
• Ki-Afi Ra Moyo, Malone Apartment Homes
• Christopher Nalls, Nalls Davis Attorneys at Law and Companion Title
• Jake Nelson, Neyer Properties, Inc.
• Clifford Norton, Greater Cincinnati Realtist Organization
• Kevin Phifer
• Kameron Smith, Bayer Becker
• Regis Solomon, Solid Foundation Homes llc
• Nyemah Stark, City of Cincinnati
• Lawrence Taylor II, City of Cincinnati
• Edouard Tende, Zoe Consulting, Inc.
• Breanna White, City of Cincinnati
• Andre Williams, The AMW Group
• Brandon Williams, Corryville Community Development Corporation
• Alexus Wimbish, HomeBase Cincinnati

Stay tuned for updates on their next steps. In the meantime, applications are open for REAL 7.0 with a deadline of June 30.