Executive Director

Who We Are
Of the households that own commercial real estate, just 1% hold 81% of its total value. That is the foundation underneath every storefront, every shopping center, every block. And in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, decades of disinvestment and extractive ownership means that the people who live on those blocks almost never share in the financial upside of the property they shop at and work in. TREND is changing that, one shopping center at a time.

TREND Community Development Corporation (TREND CDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 to complement the mission of TREND, a social enterprise focused on revitalizing urban commercial corridors and closing the racial wealth gap. Together, TREND and TREND CDC form the TREND enterprise, united by a shared goal: strengthening neighborhoods through inclusive economic development.

TREND acquires shopping centers in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, transforms them into vibrant community hubs, and creates opportunities for local residents and small dollar investos to co-own these assets. To date, TREND co-owns six shopping centers in partnership with 462 local and small-dollar investors.

TREND CDC is the philanthropic and programmatic engine behind that work. The organization leads investor communications and advances programs including small business support, commercial corridor planning, climate-positive improvements, and creative placemaking. By facilitating inclusive economic development, we build stronger, more resilient communities. We're a lean team by design. Whoever takes this role will shape it. You'll be designing and leading the nonprofit side of this enterprise, in close partnership with the TREND team.

The Role
We are looking for an Executive Director who can own TREND CDC end-to-end: strategy, fundraising, programs, operations, communications, and team. You will report to the Board of Directors and work in close partnership with Chicago TREND’s CEO and leadership to align the nonprofit’s programs and capital with the real estate strategy. You will be supported day-to-day by a Development and Operations Associate, and you will inherit an active grants portfolio, a board of seasoned community development leaders, and an organization with momentum. This is a build the-next-chapter role, not a maintain-the-org one. The infrastructure is in place. The relationships are warm. The pipeline of acquisitions is real. What we need now is someone who can grow the
nonprofit’s capacity, deepen its identity, and unlock the next tier of funding and programs as the portfolio expands into new markets.

Why TREND CDC
A model that works. Six shopping centers, 462 community investors, four cities, a published playbook, and a roadmap to double in size. The theory of change is no longer theoretical.

Real impact on real blocks. Our community investors are people who watched their neighborhood’s shopping center decline over decades and now own a piece of its revival. When you close a grant, hire a contractor, or launch a program, you can see and feel that impact at the property.

A small team with an outsized footprint. You will not spend your year in planning meetings. You will ship programs, close grants, and build the organization. Your work will be cited in think tank pieces, in funder rooms, and in city halls.

A leadership table with national influence. The next Executive Director will step into a uniquely high-leverage ecosystem of investors, operators, funders, and institution builders shaping the future of inclusive ownership, impact investing, and community development nationally.

• You will partner closely with Lyneir Richardson, founding CEO of TREND and a nationally recognized leader in equitable commercial real estate development. Lyneir has built a reputation for turning ambitious ideas into investable, executable models at national scale, with deep relationships across leading foundations, developers, city leaders, and impact investors.
• You will work with Chinwe Onyeagoro, current Board Chair of TREND CDC, fintech founder, and nationally respected strategist known for building high-growth companies and moving institutions toward bold action. Chinwe brings deep relationships across venture capital, technology, and community financial markets, and creates access to networks and opportunities that can materially expand TREND CDC's reach and influence.
• You will work alongside Bob Weissbourd, TREND’s co-founder and one of the most respected thinkers in community development finance and economic inclusion. His network spans major foundations, policy circles, and civic leadership nationally. Access to Bob means access to conversations and relationships that most organizations spend decades trying to enter.

The next Executive Director will not just lead a nonprofit. They will operate inside an unusually connected platform with sophisticated relationships and a growing reputation in the fields of community ownership, commercial real estate, and racial wealth gap solutions.

What You’ll Actually Work On
Strategy and leadership. Set the strategic direction of TREND CDC and lead the organization through its next phase of growth. Partner with the Board on governance, with Chicago TREND on enterprise alignment, and with the field on thought leadership around inclusive ownership and commercial corridor revitalization.

Fundraising and funder relations. Own the fundraising strategy across foundations, corporations, public-sector grants, and emerging vehicles like donor-advised funds. Steward relationships with national funders (Surdna, Kresge, Robert Wood Johnson, MacArthur, McKnight, and others) and build new ones. You will lead the development of proposals, concept notes, and reports.

Programs and impact. Conceive, launch, and oversee the programs that bring the real estate strategy to life: small business support, creative placemaking, commercial corridor planning,
public safety partnerships, climate-positive improvements, and community investor education. You will manage contractors, partners, and subject-matter experts to deliver, and you will make sure the work is rigorously evaluated and well told.

Community investor relations. Steward the experience of 462-and-growing community investors. Lead quarterly reports, webinars, and engagement. Strengthen the communication infrastructure and establish the investor education materials that bring first-time commercial real estate investors into the model with confidence.

Operations, finance, and compliance. Own the annual operating budget, cash projections, annual audit, tax filings, and federal, state, and local compliance. Strengthen internal controls and the discipline of related-party governance with Chicago TREND, including service agreements, segregation of duties, and clear inter-entity documentation. Oversee HR, contracts, vendors, and day-to-day administration, supported by the Development and Operations Associate.

Communications and external affairs. Build TREND CDC’s public voice as distinct from and complementary to Chicago TREND. Oversee the website, social channels, reports, and
presentations that translate the work for funders, partners, and the broader field.

Your First 90 Days
Days 1–30: Get oriented. Meet the Board, the Chicago TREND leadership team, and the Development and Operations Associate. Visit the shopping centers. Get to know the grants portfolio, fundraising pipeline, the financial systems, the compliance landscape, and the current programs. Sit in on community investor calls. Read every funder relationship file. Start to form a
point of view on where the nonprofit goes next.

Days 30–60: Get your hands on the work. Step into the active fundraising cycle: take ownership of in-progress proposals and reports, and meet directly with three to five priority funders. Lead your first quarterly Board meeting. Support two community investment vehicle launches with the Chicago TREND team. Start drafting your six- and twelve-month plan.

Days 60–90: Set the direction. Present your strategic priorities to the Board: where TREND CDC focuses, what gets built, what gets retired, and where the organization needs to grow. Bring in your first major new funding opportunity. Begin building out the team and contractor bench needed to deliver against the next portfolio expansion.

What We’re Looking For
Must-haves:
• 7–10+ years of progressive nonprofit leadership, including 3–5 years in an executive role (ED, COO, VP, or equivalent)
• A real fundraising track record. Existing foundation, corporate, and public-sector relationships, and a history of personally closing six- and seven-figure grants
• Working knowledge of community and economic development, commercial real estate, urban planning, or small business development. You do not need to be an expert in all four,but you need to be conversant and credible
• Experience managing a Board of Directors, including governance, committee work, and Board cultivation
• Strong financial acumen across budgeting, financial reporting, audit oversight, and grant management
• Comfort with related-party governance and compliance. You understand why service agreements, segregation of duties, and independent audit and reporting matter
• Excellent written and verbal communication. You can speak to a funder, a community investor, and a city economic development official in the same day
• Entrepreneurial and flexible. You are comfortable building inside a small, lean organization and do not wait for permission to fix what needs fixing

Strong signals:
• You have led an organization through a phase of growth, from one stage of capacity to the next
• You have experience in shared-equity, cooperative, or community ownership models
• You have built a fundraising engine from the ground up, not just stewarded an existing one
• You have worked at the intersection of a nonprofit and an affiliated for-profit, social enterprise, or fund
• You have a network in the racial wealth gap, commercial real estate, or community development funder worlds

Details
• Location: Remote-first with regular travel to TREND markets in Chicago, Baltimore,Columbus, and Minneapolis.
• Compensation: Competitive salary commensurate with experience, plus a benefits package that includes health insurance, employer 401(k) matching, unlimited paid time off, and annual performance-based bonuses.
• Reports to: TREND CDC Board of Directors, in close partnership with the CEO of Chicago TREND Corporation.
• Supported by: Development and Operations Associate

To Apply
Please submit a resume and cover letter to mblunt-daniel@chicagotrend.com. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by Friday, June 26, 2026.

TREND CDC is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.