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Newsletter 001
A Warm Welcome |
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Friends,
Welcome to the very first official East Freedman & Main newsletter!
In honor of our 4-year launch anniversary — I want to take a moment to reflect on the journey that brought us here.
Four years ago, I felt like we—as a nation—were on the verge of repeating a painful and familiar cycle. The pandemic was exposing the deep consequences of the racial wealth gap, and in the wake of George Floyd’s public murder, major institutions made sweeping public commitments to fund equitable real estate investment in Black and Brown communities—often framed as a strategy for economic development and anti-displacement.
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That moment mattered. Land ownership sits at the root of some of the most urgent challenges America faces today—from the affordable housing crisis, to the struggle to grow and sustain small businesses, to broader questions of long-term, place-based economic sustainability.
But from my own experience working at the intersection of real estate and impact investment, I knew those commitments weren’t enough. The challenges are—and continue to be—deeply structural. In neighborhoods under constant threat of gentrification, communities have been locked out of land ownership—and with it, the ability to build wealth and shape their own futures—long before capital ever arrives. And too often, even when the funding is there, it comes without the tools, partnerships, or terms communities need to truly take the lead.
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Experiencing that lesson time and time again led me to launch
East Freedman & Main with one guiding question:
How might we support community-based organizations with the right capital, technical skills, and strategic partnerships so they can shape neighborhood-scale development on their terms—reflecting their values and reimagining a thriving future without displacement?
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At EF&M, we sit at the intersection of translating community vision into neighborhood-scale real estate transformation—working alongside community-based organizations to turn bold, place-rooted ideas into viable, equitable development, while building innovative capital tools nationally to support implementation at scale. |
Four years later, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with organizations across five states, supporting them as they reimagine the future of their neighborhoods. Some highlights include:
- Lawndale Christian Development Corporation (LCDC) reimagining Chicago’s West Side through their Reclaiming Campaign, focused on returning land and power to longtime residents by developing over 1,000 for-sale single-family homes, alongside a supportive commercial ecosystem that includes affordable rentals, small business incubators, and workforce development facilities.
- Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (NWB) building a new, community-owned economic development engine to anchor neighborhood wealth-building in the Northwest Bronx, centered around the revitalization of the Kingsbridge Armory and the Jerome Avenue corridor.
In 2024 alone, we raised over $250 million in impact capital and public funding commitments, supporting an over $1 billion impact real estate development pipeline.
All of the partners we work with have deep community organizing roots, a proven track record, and an unwavering commitment to their neighborhoods. Yet, despite their leadership and vision, they continue to face steep barriers to accessing the kind of catalytic capital needed to compete for real estate and bring transformative projects to life.
To help address these systemic inequities at a national scale, we’ve developed the AGENDA Fund—our first innovative reparative capital investment model designed to provide low-cost land acquisition funding at scale to community-based organizations in order to compete for land against speculative investors in their neighborhoods. Launching with catalytic investments in 2025, the AGENDA Fund will be a game changer for community-owned real estate across the country.
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Despite the wins, this work hasn’t been without challenges. As a Black-woman-owned company, we’ve faced many of the same systemic barriers as the communities we serve— predatory investors, limited access to capital, and entrenched inequities. These challenges push us to think bigger and bolder, bringing transparency and innovation to the space.
In 2025, we are expanding again to:
- Build a stronger network of mission-aligned collaborators.
- Recruit new partners and team members.
- Ensure resources flow to the communities that need them most.
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I’m excited to share more about our work, the theory behind it, and the people in our network through this newsletter and on social media. Please reach out to connect, and we invite you to follow along, share our updates, and connect us with others who align with our mission.
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Thank you for your continued support.
With gratitude,
Elisse
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Displacement is not inevitable—communities deserve the power
to own their future.
At EFM, we’re bringing capital at scale to help community-based organizations (CBOs) purchase land in their neighborhoods before it’s lost to speculation and displacement.
With your support, these funds will secure long-term, equitable infrastructure—affordable housing, small business spaces, land trusts, and cooperatives—that empower residents to remain and thrive, even as their neighborhoods evolve.
We are always on the lookout for funding partners who share our values across all forms of capital—debt, equity, grants, and more. We understand that each of our partners has unique goals and objectives. If you’re interested in discussing the types of investments and impact that matter most to you, and learning more about our current projects and capital requirements, we encourage you to check out our Optimpact profile and connect with us via the links below.
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Partner With Purpose
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Let’s talk about how you can get involved and support East Freedman & Main in our mission to reclaim and revitalize communities.
Spread the word by sharing this with your network—together, we can make an even greater impact.
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