Better than any All-Star Game: creating lasting change in our communities – CRE innovator Bobby Turner and NBA All-Star Chris Paul

You can't change the world alone, and you can't put a band-aid on a big issue. It takes teamwork - surrounding yourself with those who fill your knowledge gaps and aligning efforts with those who also prioritize sustainable change.

NBA Players Association President, Chris Paul, and CEO of Turner Impact, Bobby Turner, joined the Walker Webcast to discuss how they have crossed industry lines to team up and make a lasting impact on their communities.

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A few highlights from the discussion include:

• How social impact investing can drive both profitability and tangible change. Dubious? Listen to discover the NOI for Turner Impact multifamily properties.
• Chris Paul's work with Carmello Anthony and Dwayne Wade on the Social Change Fund, and how they have managed to serve 60,000 at-risk children in cities around the country,
• How Bobby revolves his development projects around providing access to the three most crucial elements for upward mobility: Healthcare, education, and housing
• Teamwork within the NBA bubble

A bit about each speaker:

Willy Walker is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Walker & Dunlop. Under Mr. Walker’s leadership, Walker & Dunlop has grown from a small, family-owned business to become one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States. With a $32B transaction volume in 2019, Walker & Dunlop is ranked top three with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and HUD.

Bobby Turner has established himself as a pioneer in the area of social impact investing. Since founding Turner Impact Capital in 2014, he has rapidly built one of the nation’s largest social impact investment firms, with over $3 billion in investment potential to help address some of the country’s most pervasive social issues with real estate solutions. As former Chairman, CEO and Co-Founding Partner of Canyon Capital Realty Advisors (CCRA), he oversaw a commercial real estate and mortgage asset portfolio totaling over $12 billion and was responsible for launching several groundbreaking funds that helped define the “triple bottom line” investment movement. In his years as a social impact innovator, Bobby has dedicated himself to providing sound financial returns for investors while fostering opportunities for the communities in which his funds invest.

Chris Paul is a force to be reckoned with, a fierce competitor, and one of the most talented, respected NBA players of all time. Chris has become a well-respected and admired leader as evidenced by his elected role as President of the National Basketball Players Association since August 2013. He has played an instrumental role in making key decisions including the landmark decision to provide health insurance to retired players. In addition to his leadership role with the NBA Players Association, Chris currently serves on the Board of Directors for the NBPA Foundation and sits on advisory boards for the Brotherhood Crusade and College Track Los Angeles. Chris teamed up with Turner Impact Capital as an investor to raise awareness for the importance of affordable housing for working-class families. The fund which aims to invest, preserve and enrich existing multifamily properties in densely populated, ethnically diverse, underserved urban communities.

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