Banch Abegaze is the founder and CEO of Amlak Music, a talent manager, attorney, film producer, and co-founder of Mamush Studios. Prior to launching Amlak Music and Mamush Studios, Banch served as Chief Operating Officer for Atom Factory. In that role, Banch served as one of the senior talent managers and was responsible for operational and strategic leadership of the organization, business development, business affairs, and asset acquisitions. While there, Banch was instrumental in growing the Atom Factory brand both inside and outside the entertainment industry, including its expansion into product development and tech investments.
Prior to joining Atom Factory, Banch was a litigation attorney at the international law firms of Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft LLP. Banch served on the founding Board of Directors for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation from 2002 to 2013, and is currently the Executive Chair of the Board of Directors for the Greater Leimert Park Village & Crenshaw Corridor Business Improvement District Inc.
Email: banch@amlakmusic.com
Amanda is a native of the San Bernardino County region of Southern California. She is dedicated to the success of the region and the community.
Amanda earned a degree in Policy, Planning, and Development from the University of Southern California, which gave her the opportunity to work for the Ways and Means Committee under Speaker Paul Ryan in Washington, D.C. Through the Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship, Amanda earned a graduate certificate in Applied Policy and Government while working for Assemblyman Tom Lackey at the California State Capitol. She is currently pursuing a Master's in Business Administration from California State University, San Bernardino.
She has spent numerous years working in local government, including experience in economic and community development, public affairs, human resources, building and safety, and planning. She is proudly an Accredited California Economic Developer through the CALED Advanced Institute.
Amanda currently manages economic development efforts for a local government agency, including site selection, coalition building, community engagement, and much more. In November 2020, she was elected to her first term as a Board Director at the Apple Valley Fire Protection District.
Amanda aims to use her experience in economic and community development along with the skills learned through this Ross program to help build a sustainable future for the San Bernardino County region.
Email: camandahernandez@gmail.com
Janae Hilliard is an Office Leasing Assistant for a multi-billion-dollar, industry-leading real estate manager, Brookfield Properties. She provides support to the Western Region Leasing team, whom focuses on Brookfield’s assets located in Downtown Los Angeles and West Los Angeles market. Janae’s responsibilities include oversight and maintenance of the leasing process, managing day-to-day operations, data input and monitoring in company CRM systems, generating financial analysis, and preparing correspondence for lease transactions.
Prior to joining Brookfield, Janae worked on the advisory side at CBRE, the “global leader in commercial real estate services.” While at CBRE she worked in both a brokerage and office operations capacity. She offers 8 plus years of corporate commercial real estate experience obtained from top ranking firms.
Janae holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the University of California Riverside and is a licensed Salesperson in the State of California. She is an active Board Member and Events Committee Lead for the Los Angeles Chapter, African American Real Estate Professionals group.
She is highly organized, detail-oriented, resourceful and works at a faster-than-average pace. She is driven to achieve operational efficiencies: thinks about what needs to be done and how it can be done as fast as possible while maintaining a high-quality outcome.
Janae is passionate about leasing, continuing to develop her quantitative skills and demonstrating professional leadership skills. Janae currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Desmond Jeffries, is a professional in government relations, policy, and public administration. Recently, he was the former Policy Director for the At-Large District City Council Office for the City of Oakland.
Prior to working for Oakland’s City Council, he was selected as a candidate in the highly competitive fellowship program as an SFO Fellow for San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with the City and County of San Francisco. Prior to this, Desmond worked as a Program Manager for Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency, a non-profit organization that provides social services, affordable and transitional housing within the Bay Area.
Desmond received his Bachelors in Political Science with a concentration in Public Administration and minor in Economics, from California State University, Los Angeles. In 2014, he attended Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy, then in 2015, he moved to the Bay Area to obtain his Masters in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco. Desmond’s areas of specialized expertise are in labor relations, policy and transportation planning.
Currently, Desmond is researching to draft legislation and revise policies, programs and use creative incremental financing to increase the supply of low-income and affordable housing throughout California. His upcoming project goal is to build a mixed-use African Resource Center in the Bay Area. This project will act as a one-stop service provider of county social services and as a live-work space for refugees and immigrants coming from Africa.
He is enrolling in the Ross Minority Program in Real Estate to build his skillset in real-estate acquisition, development and finance in order to make informed-decisions which best serve the public interests. Desmond currently lives in Oakland, California.
Email: desmond.i.jeffries@gmail.com
Conrad Kalkhurst is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California (USC) Sol Price School of Public Policy’s Executive Masters of Urban Planning (EMUP) Program having been enrolled from August 2020 to December 2021.
Over the duration of the program, Conrad took on a smaller role managing real estate assets for Cattencourt Limited, a family office based in Hong Kong. Conrad’s previous work through various roles from 2016 through 2019 had focused mainly on investments in agricultural land and early and mid-stage sustainable agricultural companies. In that time, Conrad had managed investments of a family office, co-founded a merchant bank, and co-founded a real asset management company all with the goal of enabling investments into the sustainable agricultural industry in the United States. Previous to this work, Conrad worked for companies in various industries in Hong Kong and China such as a large fashion retail company, a publicly listed flavour and fragrance manufacturer, and a digital animation studio.
In addition to the EMUP program, Conrad also completed a Certificate in Sustainable Policy and Planning in December 2021 from USC. Conrad also received his Bachelor of the Arts in International Relations from USC in 2009.
After completing the Ross Program, Conrad intends to pursue a career in real estate development with a focus on projects that look to reduce the environmental impacts of the built environment. Conrad currently lives in Downtown Los Angeles.
Email: ckalkhurst@leadinggd.com
Nina Liu is an Independent Real Estate Sales Professional. She specializes in residential and commercial real estate sales and leases with Pinnacle Real Estate Group.
She grew up in the south coast of China and immigrated to the United States in 1999. Because of her educational background, she is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English and understands the Asian and American culture well.
Nina earned her real estate license in 2008 and is very well rounded in various aspects of the real estate industry. She has a vast amount of experience in residential real estate sales and services as well as a strong commercial real estate sales and leasing know-how. Nina is a member of the most productive sales team in the San Gabriel Valley area, winners of the Diamond award with REMAX US in 2018.
She is always looking for opportunities to achieve her goal and bring her career endeavors to a new stage. Her clients describe her a detail-oriented, proactive, trust worthy professional who is fun to work with.
She lives in the county of Los Angeles and provides real estate services in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange Counties. Lately, Nina has been seeking small Multi-family Residential Development projects of 5 to 10 Units in Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley area for her clients. She seeks to learn and work effectively for her clients’ future development plans.
Nina is the recipient of the REMAX Excellent Sales Award Individual 2014, Re/MAX 100% Club Award Individual 2016-2017, Re/MAX Diamond Club Award Team 2018. She is a member of the National Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors, and West San Gabriel Valley Association of Realtors. Nina resides in Alhambra, CA.
Email: ninalv812@gmail.com
Jerry Mosley is the founder and CEO of TWC Logistics Corp, a transportation company hauling consumer goods throughout the 48 states.
Prior to becoming a businessman and entrepreneur, Jerry served 30 years as a Firefighter for the City of Long Beach and retired at the rank of Fire Engineer.
Jerry has a long history of developing and growing small businesses. He has facilitated sales of small businesses for Sunbelt Business Acquisitions, formally a member of the IBBA (International Business Broker Association) and sat on the board of CABB (California Association of Business Brokers).
He was the founder of JWC (Just Window Cleaning, USA) a window cleaning franchise. Jerry a commercial pilot, was also a founding partner in Hollywood Aviators, a boutique flight school at the Van Nuys Airport and founder of DA Roots LLC, Luxury Motor Coach Rental Company. He also ventured as a first time Executive Producer of the film “Hopelessly in June” that won an award at the Golden State Film Festival.
Jerry is currently working on diversifying and developing his business portfolio as a real estate entrepreneur and enhancing his skills through the Ross Minority Program. Upon completion of the program, he plans to acquire commercial real estate, develop truck parking yards and storage facilities across North America.
Jerry holds a bachelors degree from California State University, Long Beach and an associate degree from Long Beach City College and is a Silver Class Alumni of Long Beach Leadership.
Jerry currently resides in Sherman Oaks, CA.
Email: jerrymo@gmail.com
Cindy Portillo is a Real Estate Broker and Owner at Good Faith Investments Inc. Cindy has over 15 years' experience in real estate and mortgage lending.
Prior to becoming the broker for "GFI" Cindy was a Mortgage Loan Officer for six years at JP Morgan Chase Bank. Mrs. Portillo is a licensed MLO, Real Estate Broker and Notary Public.
One of the many goals she hopes to accomplish from the knowledge she will obtain in the Ross program is how to take her ideas to develop communities and bring them to fruition. As an avid Real Estate investor, she has hands on knowledge on what it takes to manage projects. Relying on her entrepreneurial insight, she has purchased distressed properties in low-income urban communities and renewed them to habitable living conditions. Cindy has also collaborated with neighborhood property owners to clean up their community/neighborhood, restoring it to its glory and giving owners a new sense of pride and positive community relationships.
Cindy Portillo Currently Lives in Hacienda Heights
Email: cindyrojas12@hotmail.com
Khurram Saleem is a Commercial Real estate broker working in the industry since 2004. Before opening his own small brokerage in 2016 East Coast Real Estate LLC, he worked for Gold Team Real Estate for ten years followed by 2 years in REMAX. Now Khurram opened East Coast Real Estate LLC, which has offices in Riverside California and Metro Atlanta GA, both offices have four agents, has sold, and leased multiple properties in both the offices.
Khurram has been active in selling real estate with few fixes and flips here and there. Since 2004, he has sold multiple stores of Papa Johns, apartment complexes, shopping centers, office buildings and Industrial buildings in California and Georgia. Presently his sub office manages industrial, retail and office buildings in Georgia.
Khurram Saleem graduated from KPK, Pakistan with the major in Economics. He got his real estate salesperson license in California in 2004 and broker’s license in California in 2009 Since 2016 Khurram has broker’s license in Georgia where he opened small real Estate office in Georgia. He took two modules of CCIM 101 & 103; he has been member of AIA & CCIM in the past. He has attended various small courses including, Commercial Real Estate sales, Probate & Green building certified agent.
He received Rookie of Gold Team Real Estate award in 2005, best Commercial deal award in 2015 from REMAX Time.
Presently Khurram is representing an international developer from Saudi Arabia trying to purchase 37.57 acres of land to build 75 luxury homes and he is likely to get the sales contract for the home as well.
Email: kgurram_s69@hotmail.com
Benjamin Sanchez currently works as Senior Manager, Community Impact for Jamboree Housing Corporation in Irvine, California. He has worked with Jamboree for over six years and has enjoyed every minute of it.
As Senior Manager, Community Impact he oversees a variety of Jamboree’s portfolio in Orange County, Riverside County, and San Diego County. Benjamin is currently attending Cal Poly Pomona and expects to earn his master's degree in Business Administration with a specialty in Marketing.
His current goal is to gain the knowledge provided by the USC Ross Real Estate Program and apply it to his work and secure the opportunity of working with the Business Development team. His long-term goal is to have a portfolio of his own and provide large amounts of affordable housing across the state.
Benjamin has traveled to 25 countries and hopes to visit 100 before his time on earth expires. He also loves playing chess, dabbles in photography and started taking guitar lessons last year.
Benjamin is excited to be a part of this program and the opportunity to network with many others joining him in this journey.
Email: bsanchez@jamboreehousing.com
Michael Sherrill is founder and principal of Techno City Holdings LLC (TCH), a real estate holding company focused on applying digital innovation to acquisition and operations.
Since 2013, Michael has invested in a portfolio of real estate projects in historic neighborhoods in Detroit, MI, New Orleans, LA, Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, OH, focusing on distressed condominiums, mixed-use commercial, and multi-family. His key interests in these projects has been exploring opportunities to leverage digital technologies like GIS, IoT sensors, automation, and blockchain for transparent and streamlined operations. He also believes there is room within the real estate development process to explore and expand upon new ownership and equity models which can help to alleviate some of the worst impacts of gentrification. His near-term goals include developing a series of LEED-certified courtyard garden style live/work loft compounds in walkable up-and-coming neighborhoods.
Previously, he served for 10 years as Web Development Manager for a $4B publicly-traded “Silicon to Software” industry leader in Silicon Valley, where he managed digital marketing program implementations and public-facing web content, analytics, and infrastructure for their B2B Silicon IP business.
Michael attended Wayne State University, studying Film and Product Design. He is certified in Software Product Management (SPM®), and is a Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
Mr. Sherrill also serves as a mentor and advisor to startups in the Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP Preccelerator Program in Santa Monica, CA.
Email: msherrill@concept32.com
Cristian Vazquez is currently a project accountant with Angeles Madison Residential, a real estate development firm that specializes in affordable multifamily homes. At Angeles Madison Residential, Cristian works closely with the acquisitions manger to prepare project budgets and oversee the project’s cash flow from the development phase to the construction phase.
Cristian’s professional experience is complemented by an academic background in Finance. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from California State University of Long Beach. Prior to attending school, Cristian gained experience in the construction field as a laborer. He has experience with ground up construction and developed many skills in the construction field.
Cristian is excited to learn new skills at the USC Ross Minority Program to further his knowledge in real estate development and one-day purse his own development projects.
Email: cvasquez@sq1homes.com
Chasen Washington is a Director of Account Management & Project Development for Pantheon Business Consulting as well as Project Coordinator for Pantheon Development Corporation. He currently acts as a project liaison and assistant community engagement manager on a 5.12 acre soundstage and office space development project in Baldwin Hills.
A graduate of the USC Annenberg School, Chasen spent two years as part of the groundbreaking team of researchers performing quantitative analysis on media diversity for the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which is credited for exposing Hollywood’s epidemic of invisibility. Additionally, while working in Program Management for the Executive Education Program at USC Marshall School of Business, he managed program activation and served as faculty and staff support for veteran and physician cohorts seeking a Masters Degree in Business or Medical Management. Outside of his official positions, Chasen is COO for a job placement startup focused on the entertainment industry.
Email: chasen@pantheonconsultants.com
Jonathan is a dedicated commercial Insurance professional with 8 years of experience in the commercial insurance industry.
Jonathan has cultivated strong analytical and sales skills that pair well with his innate ability to cultivate relationships and create win-win scenarios for his clients and stakeholders. Over 90% of Jonathan, clients are real estate developers, property managers, or owners.
Jonathan has a deep passion for health equity and devotes much of his time outside of work to volunteering with the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention working as the walk chair for the Santa Monica Out of The Darkness Walk.
Time and again, Jonathan has proven his ability to exceed sales targets and lead groups to achieve high level results. This includes leading fundraising efforts to raise institutional donations and community-based donations, coordinating blood drives, and leading an underwriting team at AIG.
Walter Williamson is a real estate broker with Hayes Realty. His primary focus is finding value add properties that investors can develop, buy & hold, or fix & flip.
Walter started his career as a banker with Wells Fargo in 2004. He soon began originating mortgage loans, and later transitioned to the back-office foreclosure operations within the mortgage banking division of Chase Home Finance. His background in foreclosure operations coupled with his sales approach gives him a keen ability to find distressed properties.
Walter graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Mathematics from Mississippi State University. His background and education make him highly analytical and an avid problem solver. He aims to master his understanding of commercial real estate investment, specifically deal analysis and the entitlement process. Upon completion of the Ross Minority Program, Walter is interested in developing small apartments in the South LA submarket.
Walter is passionate about building wealth through real estate and enjoys having fun along the journey. He currently lives in Glendale.
Email: walter@hayesrealtyla.com