Entrepreneur. Developer.Community Leader.
Dr. Gina Merritt is an award-winning real estate developer and founder of NREUV & Project Community Capital — transforming underserved communities through housing, economic empowerment, and social capital.
Pioneer Award
at the National DCRE Conference
Dr. Merritt was named a Pioneer Award honoree at the National Diversity in Commercial Real Estate Conference, joining a fireside chat on what it actually takes to move from doing the work to owning it.
Watch the Fireside ChatGroundUp Is Live
& Taking Students
Dr. Merritt's development curriculum is open to everyone in development — seven stages of a real deal. Buy a single course, or unlock the whole curriculum with a membership. Start free, no credit card.
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Find the Right Level of Support
Whether you're learning the business or closing on a site next quarter, there's a door here that fits.
GroundUp
Not a self-study library — Dr. Merritt's own curriculum, drawn from 30+ years and $6B underwritten, plus real access to her: live Lunch & Learns, group office hours, and discounted time one-on-one.
30-Minute Consultations
One focused session with Dr. Merritt on a specific question — a site, a capital stack, a partner, a negotiation. Pay, pick a time, come with your question.
Speaking Engagements
Keynotes, panels, fireside chats, and workshops on affordable housing, economic empowerment, diversity in CRE, and building a career against the odds.
Building More Than Buildings
NREUV
An award-winning community development organization championing innovation, equity, and a comprehensive approach to real estate development in low-income communities. Over $2B in managed projects.
Visit WebsiteProject Community Capital®
An economic empowerment platform that leverages social capital to connect people in underserved communities with jobs and contracts — bridging the gap between communities and opportunities.
Visit WebsiteNREUV Mechanical
A contracting and mechanical company specializing in HVAC systems for new and existing construction. Co-founded by Dr. Merritt and Michael Karnes, bringing high-value jobs to underserved communities.
Visit WebsiteWFL Collective™
The hub of economic empowerment. WFL's collective impact model eliminates silos and builds collaboration among partners to help people get to work.
Visit WebsiteHousing Was Only the First Step
Dr. Merritt grew up in affordable housing in the Bronx — a community she loved, but one where access to opportunity was scarce. She lost her mother at 13. Her father lived with substance use disorder. These experiences didn't define her limits — they defined her mission.
After building her career on Wall Street and in commercial real estate, she realized that developing housing alone wasn't enough. Residents couldn't escape affordable housing to achieve homeownership, stable employment, and prosperity without support.
Through PCC and the WFL Collective, Dr. Merritt has built a collective impact model that connects people in low-income communities directly to jobs, contracts, training, and entrepreneurship.
When you really invest yourself and your time in low-income communities, you will discover what I have known for a very long time: people from low-income communities are quite capable of working for an extended period of time. These folks aren't lazy or unreliable, they just lack access to opportunity.
Engage Dr. Merritt for a Speaking Engagement
Keynotes, panels, and workshops on affordable housing, economic empowerment, diversity in CRE, and building community through development.
The Projects
$400M in portfolio value, 17 buildings in the pipeline, and 800+ affordable units across D.C., Maryland, and Ohio.
View ProjectsIn The News
Media features, interviews, and coverage of Dr. Merritt's work in affordable housing, economic empowerment, and community development.
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For speaking inquiries, development advisory, partnerships, or to just connect — reach out directly.
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I, too, have been deprived of opportunity because of my skin or my gender or both. But after 20+ years in this industry, I have more resources and connections than these individuals, and I believe it is my job to uplift them.