Tamara Knox is the CEO and co-founder of the real estate company Frolic. She started Frolic through research she did with MIT’s Center for Real Estate and DesignX Accelerator. She is a developer who uses a holistic urban planning mindset to navigate the complex challenge presented by the need to develop, while preserving the character of neighborhoods and limiting displacement. She is interested in rethinking funding and ownership structures for development projects and how to encourage nourishing social interactions through the physical and financial design of her projects. Prior to starting Frolic, she worked for consulting firms focused on urban economics and affordable housing policy and a creative developer deeply committed to equitable economic development. She holds a B.A. in Urban Studies with Honors from Stanford University and a Master in City Planning (MCP) and Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She grew up in Los Angeles and is now living in Seattle.

Jaebadiah S. Gardner is an African-American, Mexican-American business man, multi-family real estate developer, author and is the Founder & CEO of GardnerGlobal, Inc., a privately held holding company. Jaebadiah earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and later earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Western Michigan Law School. Prior to development Jaebadiah worked for Turner Construction building commercial high-rises in downtown Seattle.

Rebecca earned a JD from Seattle University in 1996 and worked as a criminal defense attorney, primarily in Tacoma, for 15 years. She also worked as a renovation project manager for rental properties and managed rental properties for 10 years. Following the completion of a Master of Science in Real Estate from the University of Washington, she has been working on real estate acquisition, entitlement, financing, and development of affordable housing projects, as well as the community engagement work surrounding those projects. Rebecca lives on Mercer Island with her husband and two children and enjoys hiking, running, and reading a good book.

Kathleen Hosfeld is Homestead’s Executive Director. In addition to overall agency leadership, Kathleen leads Homestead’s initiatives to grow the number of permanently affordable homes for ownership in our region through grantmaker and community partnerships. She came to Homestead in 2014, after more than two decades as a strategic consultant to financial services and non-profit organizations. Under her leadership, Homestead is expanding its work in King County, including developments in Tukwila and Renton. She leads efforts to deepen partnerships for equitable development in neighborhoods at high risk of displacement from rapid growth and gentrification. She has led the agency to develop two exemplary “deep green” housing developments that pilot standards for future replication. She serves as the chair of the Housing Development Consortium’s Homeownership Affinity Group, and is the Secretary of the Board for the Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition. She holds a master’s degree from Seattle University, and a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University.