Brian Allan Jackson (AJ) heads social impact investing for JBG SMITH where he serves as an Executive Vice President. AJ leads the Washington Housing Initiative, an innovative, market-driven approach to preserve and create affordable workforce housing. He led the formation of the Impact Pool, JBG SMITH’s affordable housing investment platform that provides mezzanine financing for the preservation and creation of workforce housing in the metropolitan Washington area. Under his leadership the Impact Pool has provided financing to preserve and create more than 1,100 units of affordable workforce housing. Prior to joining JBG SMITH, Mr. Jackson was a partner with EYA, a Washington, DC-based urban infill development company. At EYA, he led EYA’s participation in more than $1B of double and triple bottom line social impact projects. Mr. Jackson has extensive experience in the creation of programs and policies supporting mixed-income housing. He played a key role in the creation of a nationally recognized workforce housing program and has advised local governments, public institutions, and the National Association of Homebuilders on mixed-income housing policy. In 2021 he was appointed to the Saving DC’s Rental Housing Market Strike Force by Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. AJ serves on the Affordable Housing Advisory Council for Fannie Mae, is a Trustee of the Federal City Council and is a member of the Advisory Council at the Center for Washington Area Studies at the George Washington University. He is also a Global Governing Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, where he serves on the Diversity & Inclusion Council and the Public Private Partnerships Council, as well as on the Advisory Boards of ULI Washington and the ULI Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance. Mr. Jackson earned a B.A. with honors from the University of Alabama and an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School.

Melanie Brown is the President & CEO of Restoration 52 LLC (R|52), a South Carolina minority woman owned real estate development firm. Rooted in health, R|52 brings together non-traditional partnerships to develop workforce housing solutions that are intentionally designed to close costly health equity gaps. Prior to launching R|52, Melanie was a Vice President for a Midwest health system with over 20,000 employees, 18 hospitals, 70 clinics, and 100 health and shelter organizations. She had strategic and operational oversight for Advanced Analytics, Clinical Quality Reporting, Pay for Performance Programs (shared & at-risk), and Population Health strategies. Melanie is a member of Urban Land Institute (ULI) South Carolina and serves as the statewide Chair of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. In the summer of 2021, Melanie was selected into the Global ULI Health Leaders Network Cohort 4. As a returning native to Greenville, SC, Melanie also serves as a board member of the South Carolina Children's Theatre and as a member of the Greenville Affordable Housing Coalition. In 2006, Melanie received her graduate degree in Health Administration from the Norman J Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina and her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2004.

Born in Harlem and raised in the Bronx, Gabrielle knew from the time that she was twelve years old that architecture would be her calling. Her motivation to enter the profession was a direct response to the design of public housing and her strong desire to positively impact the lives of African Americans and people of color living in her community. Her career path was driven by a passion to design for others and foster access to the design industry for all genders and racial backgrounds. As the second black female to graduate from the architecture department of the Rhode Island School of Design, Gabrielle has been a key player in our firm’s success for over three decades, working in both the New York and Los Angeles studios where she became the first African American and first woman to rise to the position of Managing Director. Over the course of her career, she has led numerous complex and high-profile projects, including the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Her unique role as the firm’s Director of Global Diversity and an award-winning principal, enables her to combine her passion for architecture and social justice to effect positive change.

Taylor Ralph, LEED AP BD+C, is the Founder and President of REAL Building Consultants, LLC—a firm specializing in providing comprehensive sustainability consulting services that help create high-performance, innovative and sustainable projects for developers, design/build teams and building owners. His over 10 years of work utilizing the US Green Building Council’s LEED certification across most building types, as well as corporate sustainability consulting and real estate development consulting, provide a well-rounded foundation from which to work with a broad range of clients to implement award-winning projects. Taylor is the 2016 Chair of the Urban Land Institute Tampa Bay’s Trends Conference, Chair of the USGBC Florida Gulf Coast, and Board Member of the Gasparilla Music Foundation and a member of the University of Tampa Board of Fellows. He also is a frequent speaker and guest writer on topics such as environmental and energy performance, urban development issues and building healthy places. Taylor graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelors in Criminology and Minor in Business ('05) and a Masters of International Business ('06). He is also a proud Jesuit High School graduate (Tampa, '01). Department of Veterans Affairs – Compensaton & Pension Clinic. LEED for Commercial Interiors Certified. 5,000 SF Commercial Interior build out, including clinic space, hearing testing spaces, administrative areas and lobby. University of Tampa Jenkins Hall – Tampa, FL. LEED Gold for New Construction v2009. 180,000 SF, 11-Story Residence Hall. 2014 Project of the Year – US Green Building Council Florida Gulf Coast. University of Tampa Innovation + Collaboration Center – Tampa, FL. Goal: LEED Gold for NC v2009. 213,000 SF Educational, Entrepreneurship and Startup Labs, including a Starbucks and Parking Garage. Metropolitan Ministries MiraclePlace – Tampa, FL. LEED Gold for New Construction v2009 52,000 SF Mixed-Use Building, Features Office, Educational, Counseling and Residential Uses. University of Tampa Dickey Health & Wellness Center – Tampa, FL. LEED Silver for New Construction v2009 8,500 SF Student Health Center featuring Medical and Mental Health Clinic, Offices and Group Meeting Spaces. Metropolitan Ministries Youth Enrichment Center – Tampa, FL. Goal: LEED Certified 16,000 SF Mixed-Use Building, featuring Classrooms, Chapel, Offices, Gym Area and After School Program Spaces. Metropolitan Ministries Partnership School – Tampa, FL. Goal: LEED Certified 20,000 SF K-5 School Featuring Library, Administrative Spaces, Classrooms, Lunchroom and Playground with Sports. Tampa Crossroad Eco Oaks – Tampa, FL. LEED Platinum for Homes – Multi-Family. 18 Unit Low-Income Multi-Family Project. Three Building Development houses administrative offices, shared community spaces, large outdoor patio and 2011 Project of the Year – US Green Building Council Florida Gulf Coast.