2025 Housing Developers Forum

Event Details

Calling all emerging and seasoned attainable housing developers located in urban regions, rural towns, and anywhere in between!

Calling all financial institutions, consultants, municipal leaders and other stakeholders interested in supporting housing development across Michigan!

You are invited to join us at the 2025 Housing Developers Forum: The Power of Partnerships from 1 – 5pm on Thursday, March 20 downtown Lansing.

The goal of this forum is to bring a variety of housing developers and stakeholders together to discuss how partnerships are key to moving community-centered housing development projects forward. Conversations will focus on how emerging developers can best approach working with seasoned developers, as well as understanding the broad range of partnerships necessary to get a deal done.

Our two panels will feature both emerging and experienced developers who have successfully brought impactful projects to fruition and will feature housing development examples from different markets across the state.

The event will include ample networking time with state agency partners, funders, and developers who could be your next important partner in this work! The four event organizers (CEDAM, FHLBank Indianapolis, MEDC, and MSHDA) will also be available to discuss our resources and programs.

Agenda

March 20, 2025

Agenda

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Check-in & Networking

1:30 PM - 1:35 PM

Welcome Remarks

1:35 PM - 2:35 PM

Developer Partnerships Panel

Emerging and experienced developers: What it takes for a successful partnership!

Greg Coleman

Ronita Coleman

Brandon Hodges

Kevin Nowak

Jill Robinson

Brent Forsberg (Moderator)

2:35 PM - 2:45 PM

Break

2:45 PM - 3:45 PM

Key Partnerships Panel

Key partnerships to get the deal done!

Ben Argall

Edward Carrington

Brent Forsberg (Moderator)

Tanya Saldivar-Ali

Rawley Van Fossen

3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Networking

Panelists

Ben Argall

Owner/Developer at NextHome Superior Living + City of Ishpeming

Edward Carrington

Mayor/Developer at Flux City

Greg Coleman

Co-Founder of LJ Golden Realty

Ronita Coleman

Co-Founder of LJ Golden Realty

Brent Forsberg (Moderator)

President at Forsberg Real Estate Company

Brandon Hodges

Principal and Founder of TRIBE Development

Kevin Nowak

President, CEO of CHN Housing Partners

Jill Robinson

Deputy Treasurer and Executive Director of Oakland County Land Bank Authority

Tanya Saldivar-Ali

Co-Founder, Business Developer, Placemaker, Speaker of AGI Construction

Rawley Van Fossen

Director of Economic Development & Planning at City of Lansing

Benjamin has a unique passion and dedication to helping his clients buy and sell real estate. He prides himself on forging strong relationships with his clients and thrives on assisting individuals with what is often one of the largest transactions of their life. He is the Principal Broker and Owner of the NextHome Superior Living, based in Negaunee, MI where he is commonly known as “Westend Ben” having been born and raised in the west end of Marquette County. Ben is intimately familiar with the local markets and has a deep understanding of each neighborhood’s unique traits, characteristics and values.

Ben is a graduate of Northern Michigan University where he received an Associate’s Degree in General Studies and most recently studied interior design at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. He has been a licensed real estate agent for nearly a decade and received his Broker’s License in 2020. In addition to his work, Ben currently serves as the President-Elect of the Upper Peninsula Realtors and sits on the board for the Planning Commission for the City of Ishpeming. When he is not working, you can find Ben performing home improvement projects (he lives in a home that his great-grandfather built in 1937!), renovating houses (he has completed several as side projects), playing the piano and cooking and entertaining.

Edward brings over a decade of experience in property development to Flux City, particularly within Detroit. He has consistently demonstrated his ability to execute significant real estate projects, overseeing them from conception through to completion. Edward is responsible for overseeing Flux City’s long-term business activities, which encompass investment, construction, design, and property management functions.

With a background in technology, banking, and real estate development, Edward supports Flux City's mission to enrich the neighborhoods we serve through flexible design. His role ensures that Flux City delivers products that are both well-designed and well-positioned in the market, offering our tenants the best building locations, unit layouts, and community amenities. This combination of diverse experiences and a commitment to excellence guarantees that our tenants enjoy exceptional living and working environments, while also contributing to the overall betterment of the communities we serve.

President Brent Forsberg is no stranger to the real estate industry, having been active in land development and new construction sales for 18 years. His experience expands to both residential and commercial real estate. Brent has led the sales teams of several large residential developments in the greater Lansing area and was involved in the startup of Forsberg Real Estate Company.

Outside of his work for Forsberg, Brent extends his expertise to other industry professionals as an active member of the National Home Builders Association where he served on the board of the Sales and Marketing Council and taught at the International Builders Show on sales, marketing approaches and market research. He is a former member of the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce Board and currently serves on its Economic Development Committee.

Forsberg’s focus on being a driving force in the community begins with Brent. As an active philanthropist, Brent shares his goodwill with the Lansing area by working alongside the March of Dimes, Support the Troops, Habitat for Humanity Capital Region and others that better the lives of mid-Michigan residents.

Brandon is a real estate development and finance professional with over 15 years of industry experience. As Principal of TRIBE Development, Brandon is responsible for development strategy including site selection, entitlement coordination, project financing, and construction administration. Additionally, Brandon oversees all community engagement and public/private partnerships for the firm.

Prior to founding TRIBE, Brandon was the Director of Real Estate Development for a Detroit-based community developer. Brandon began his career in Bank of America's Community Development Group and sequentially worked in affordable housing lending with PGIM Real Estate.

Brandon was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds an MBA from The Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan. He resides in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood of Detroit with his wife and daughter.

Kevin Nowak is responsible for the vision, strategy and overall management of CHN Housing Partners, its operating entities and real estate partnerships. Under Kevin’s leadership, CHN has grown to an operating budget of $55 million and a real estate development pipeline of $200 million, expanding its work to fill gaps in residential mortgage markets, implement impactful housing services and address affordable housing shortages across four states. Strategies developed during Kevin’s time at CHN have included becoming a member of the NeighborWorks America network, launching CHN Housing Capital, a non-profit community development financial institution created to address mortgage deserts and equity in access to homeownership, re-aligning CHN’s home repair and rehab work to address asset quality issues in Cleveland and Detroit, developing and becoming the network manager of the Detroit Housing Network, administering both the first of its kind Cleveland Lead Safe Home Fund and the $100 million Cleveland/Cuyahoga County rental assistance program, and growing CHN’s role as a strategic partner to other non-profits seeking to meet housing needs in their communities in Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York. In addition to his work at CHN, Kevin serves on a number of boards, both national and local, including serving as the president of the Ohio Housing Council, as well as a board member for the Housing Partnership Network and Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing. Prior to CHN, Kevin was the National Equity Investment Manager of Key Community Development Corporation, and earlier in his career, he practiced real estate and corporate law at Thompson Hine LLP. A proud native of Detroit, who now resides in the Cleveland area with his wife and family, Kevin holds bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Michigan and University of Michigan Law School.

Tanya Saldivar-Ali is native Southwest Detroiter and is the Director of Business Development.Tanya has over twenty years experience as a credible and strong Detroit community leader that has advocated for inclusiveness, employment, quality education and access to skilled trades.

Her professional skill set varies from corporate administration and fund development within a non profit setting, corporate banking and manufacturing sectors. Tanya has been involved from the inception of AGI handling the purchase of real estate, property management, certifications, seeking growth opportunities within various construction industries. Her passion is re build Detroit with emphasis on place-making through a inclusive design process.

Registration

Standard Price$35

CEDAM

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2025 Housing Developers Forum

Event Details