Cortland + Project Destined Launch Atlanta Ideas Challenge

Project Destined partnered with multifamily real estate investment firm Cortland to launch the Atlanta Ideas Challenge, the first event in the organization’s youth education program.

On Nov. 3, Project Destined continued its mission to help underserved youth become real estate stakeholders in their communities by offering scholars a unique chance to tour the Battery Atlanta. After viewing the $700 million residential, office, retail and entertainment hub surrounding the Atlanta Braves’ SunTrust Park, students reimagined how a similar concept could work in underserved areas along the Atlanta BeltLine. Teams presented their ideas in a Shark Tank-style panel to Cortland real estate executives and Project Destined mentors at Cortland at the Battery Atlanta, the 531-unit apartment community at Battery Atlanta.

The winning team represented Spelman College, Morehouse College, George Washington University, Georgia Tech, Benjamin Banneker High School and North Atlanta High School. Mentors from Emory, Harvard and Oxford University led the teams. The first-place team won $2,500, the second-place team won $1,500, and the third-place team won $1,000. The second round of this scholarship event will take place in January 2019, when $7,500 will be divided among the first-, second- and third-place teams. After the five-month program ends in April, the final round will take place and $25,000 will be divided among the first-, second- and third-place teams.

“We are thrilled to establish a partnership with Cortland to provide real world experience, which in turn, expands our scholars’ possibilities for their future and the future of their communities,” Project Destined Co-Founder Cedric Bobo said. “Whether you want to be a doctor or nurse or engineer, you can still learn how to invest. Because if your neighborhood changes, you become an investor in it.”

“I’ve often said that Cortland is in the business of people – we just happen to own and manage real estate,” said Cortland CEO Steven DeFrancis. “We love the multifamily industry and the opportunities it provides to create homes for our residents. We are pleased to be able to help Project Destined introduce young, Atlanta scholars in underserved communities to the opportunities for personal and professional growth, as well as the ability to create community through the business of commercial real estate.”

With successful programs in Miami, Detroit, Memphis, and the Bronx, Project Destined exposes scholars to all aspects of the real estate investment life cycle. They gain access to real estate professionals, analyze real estate opportunities and help invest real capital into projects within their own communities. To date, 150 students have gone through the program and participants have won more than $75,000 in scholarships.

In Atlanta, 60 students were selected from local high schools and colleges, including Benjamin Banneker High School, Tri-Cities High School, Langston Hughes High School, Frederick Douglass High School, Henry W. Grady High School, Morehouse, Spelman and Georgia Tech. Cortland representatives and mentors from Harvard Business School, Emory University's Goizueta Business School and the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia will lead monthly sessions, which will include a deep dive into architecture and construction, finance and deal structuring, and operations and property management.