Re:land Group engages Baker Tilly to advance their development projects

Client background

Re:land Group is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) urban planning, design and development group. Founded in 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky, the company believes that to transform neighborhoods, you must begin with the end in mind. Specifically, Re:land puts the neighborhood at the front of any development and leverages community to inform how culture and social justice shape equitable housing, job creation and readiness, health and wellness, as well as environmental justice. Re:land believes the most under-invested neighborhoods deserve it all.

The business challenge

One of the biggest challenges for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and emerging developers is access to capital, both from an operational and financial standpoint, to launch development projects. Re:land was experiencing a lack of access to critical resources needed to keep their company flourishing and growing. They were in search of an advisory firm that could help them build their knowledge and network in the industry and connect them with the resources required for success.

Baker Tilly’s strategy and solution

After signing up for Baker Tilly’s Think Tank event, Re:land witnessed firsthand the firm’s commitment to making the real estate development industry inclusive and providing support and education to historically underrepresented developers. Think Tank is a Shark Tank-style event for underrepresented developers to present their new development idea to a panel of industry titans.

Through the DevelUP program, Re:land first saw our level of understanding of the marketplace and what BIPOC developers face, and what they can do to facilitate success in a competitive environment. By providing back-office support in the form of design and construction oversight, and by assisting in sourcing financing, Baker Tilly helped Re:land increase their knowledgebase, assisted in moving their development projects forward and bolstered the group’s credibility which helped in securing capital from financial institutions.

For more information on this topic, or to learn how Baker Tilly specialists can help, contact our team.