Events - Event View

When: Monday September 16, 2024 at noon

Where: Online via Zoom | Registration required

Guest Speaker: Jennifer LeSar, Founder and CEO, Global Policy Leadership Academy, and the LeSar Portfolio of Firms

Expert Panelist: Anu Natarajan, Managing Director, Global Housing Practice, Global Policy Leadership Academy 

Jennifer LeSar will present an overview of the century-old Vienna, Austria system of social housing. This mixed-income multi-household model has produced an abundant supply of housing that is affordable and stable over time. LeSar will show how aspects of the model could be adapted to address California’s low- and middle-income housing affordability crisis. Anu Natarajan will bring her subject area expertise to the highly valuable Q&A to finish the event.

About our Speakers:

Jennifer LeSar is the Founder and CEO of Global Policy Leadership Academy, and the LeSar portfolio of firms, which work together to grow thriving, healthy, and vibrant communities.

Ms. LeSar has used the Global Policy Leadership Academy as a vehicle for taking California housing policymakers and activists to Vienna 4 times in the recent past. These fact-finding and educational trips have triggered state and local activities to try to implement some of the Vienna model’s practices. Read more about these trips from an article in The Guardian here.

Ms. LeSar combines a background of more than three decades in community development, real estate development, and investment banking with a deep working knowledge of eco-system change management and organizational strategy. Jennifer’s work supports clients in achieving impactful and scalable solutions to today’s most vexing policy challenges including addressing our global housing affordability crisis and ending homelessness in the United States.

Ms. LeSar received both her M.B.A. in real estate and finance and an M.A. in urban planning from UCLA and she received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College in political science and economics. She also completed an executive program in social entrepreneurship at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and is a fellow at The Billions Institute.

Learn more about LeSar Development Consultants here.

Anu Natarajan is the Managing Director of Global Housing Practice, Global Policy Leadership Academy. Ms. Natarajan is an urban planner and designer with a unique perspective that has been defined by work experience in housing, land use planning, and development in the private, consulting, public, non-profit, and political sectors. In her various roles as project and program director, city planner and planning consultant, program director for civic engagement, and vice-mayor/councilmember, she brings leadership, a unique perspective, and depth of knowledge in land use development, public policy, communication, and working with cross-sector partners at all levels. Learn more about the Global Policy Leadership Academy here.