Urban Catalyst Investor Spotlight

Dave K.

A San Jose resident, whose capital gains came by liquidating stock options and RSUs from his employer, a biotech company, and from personal stock investments.

"I did look at other cities where Opportunity Zones exist, and I don’t necessarily have the full confidence that those other sites within the U.S. have better opportunities than San Jose has. The reason I say that is that I know that San Jose is the central hub of innovation and technology and that isn’t going to go away in the next few years—not even decades, probably. It’s only going to build."

Suresh R.

A Google employee and longtime Bay Area resident who, after selling his company stock, looked into the Opportunity Zone Program to save money on taxes.

“The idea of investing in San Jose played a huge role in investing with Urban Catalyst. I’ve lived in the Bay Area for close to 30 years and I know the area pretty well. I’m really optimistic about San Jose and I think San Jose is going to come back strong. Many tech companies are expanding there, including my company, Google."

Marcel B.

An Engineering Manager for one of the biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley who can’t wait to see our Fountain Alley Building rooftop bar come to life! His capital gains event was the sale of stock.

“When I sold stock early in 2020, taxes were the last thing on my mind! However, I realized that I should figure out a strategy and discovered Opportunity Zone investing. I’ve since realized that the ease and accessibility of OZ investing make it stand out as both a way to reduce taxes while playing a role in revitalizing neighborhoods. Generally speaking, real estate has historically been a solid investment and I have seen it pay off for me, personally. In addition, because the stock market is a volatile roller coaster right now, I’d much rather have investments that are stable over the long term."

Ed M.

A long-time real estate investor in Silicon Valley and a tech executive who invested and contributed multiple add-on investments into our Fund. Ed’s capital gains event was the sale of stock (he previously worked at Zoom and Adobe).

"In Silicon Valley, there is only so much buildable land. That being said, we live in an amazing part of the world, so whenever you have an opportunity to invest in real estate here in Silicon Valley, it's going to be special. The reality is, once the pandemic is over, people will start coming back and companies will need more space to accommodate workers."

Todd S.

A first-time real estate investor working at Zoom, who sold stocks and was in need of a tax-advantaged financial vehicle.

"The largest amount of my capital gains went to the Urban Catalyst Opportunity Zone Fund for several reasons. The fact that Urban Catalyst is local to San Jose and California itself was very appealing to me. Additionally, I had a referral from a good friend of mine who’s also a current Urban Catalyst investor. Finally, your diverse portfolio of projects played a big role in my final decision to invest."

Claire

A California resident whose capital gains event was the sale of real estate. She values keeping investments right here at home – an important factor in her choosing our Opportunity Zone Fund for an inherited property.

"Coming from a real estate background, it’s not unusual to have to wait some years for an investment to pay off. That said, the Urban Catalyst timeline shows we should see some returns before the capital gains taxes come due in six years. So in reality, the fund is structured in a way to allow for periodic distributions to investors during the 10-year time frame which certainly was an incentive for us."

Steve S.

A retired Silicon Valley CEO and angel investor who was impressed with the diversification and location of Urban Catalyst projects from day one. Steve invested in the Urban Catalyst Opportunity Zone Fund with his capital gain from a previous business venture.

“When I met with Erik Hayden (Founder) and Morgan Mackles (SVP, Investor Relations), I was impressed with their vision and the depth of their experience as well as Erik and Josh Burroughs’ (COO) track record in developing properties in San Jose. I also was struck by their list of high-quality strategic advisors and the operational team that can turn their vision into a winning investment for me."

Shelley & Steve

Longtime real estate investors from Southern California who came to Urban Catalyst seeking an alternative to a 1031 exchange.

"I think every 1031 is stressful. The 180-day deadline to invest your proceeds from one property into another is intense. You have to identify your next purchase(s) within 45 days, make an offer, get your deal accepted by the seller, make sure your lender is on board, get the property appraised and inspected. It’s also just a lot easier to invest in OZ Funds. I think San Jose can be a home run. There’s so much development going and so much opportunity.”

Dan B.

A renowned insurance broker and Silicon Valley investor who chose Urban Catalyst after he sold a business because he always envisioned a vibrant downtown San Jose.

"I really like the projects, they all feel like they fit into the community. That made me feel better that it would be a successful venture. Having been involved in San Jose's planning, we did a lot of study missions with the city and the chamber looking at things all over the country that work, and Urban Catalyst’s projects work for San Jose. I have always envisioned a vibrant downtown San Jose, so there is a lot of excitement for me to be involved."