Sustainable Environmental Enterprises
Sustainable Environmental Enterprises (SEE) will provide long-term affordability to low and moderate-income residents and environmental sustainability to New Orleans communities. SEE sells and installs solar energy systems without the large upfront costs by harnessing innovative financing tool and tax incentives. The rare combination of strong incentives for solar energy and intense market demand for affordable and ecologically conscious housing make this moment the perfect opportunity to launch our venture. We will be part of the economic and social renaissance of this great region, making a profit and making a difference at the same time.
Stacey Danner
Stacey is a CUREx Fellow working as a Community Revitalization Program Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Stacey has four years of experience with Cosmopolitan Mortgage, Inc. He also owns and manages his own consulting company focused on property acquisition, predevelopment, finance and development project management. Stacey is an experienced trainer in professional and academic settings, and has delivered community and human services in conjunction with housing providers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Justice and Peace Studies from the University of St. Thomas, and a Master of Arts in Urban Studies from Temple University.
Lea Kami Keal
As a CUREx Fellows, Lea is serving as public finance law and finance manager with the Finance Authority of New Orleans. In addition to other legal work, Lea Keal worked with the Environmental/Toxic Work Group of the law firm of Masry & Vititoe, to draft memoranda of law to establish the contamination of homes and play areas to contamination due to failed utilities and poor waste disposal. In a consulting capacity, she drafted the Pedestrian Master Plan ultimately adopted by the City of Calabasas, California's Traffic and Transportation Committee. The master plan involved a survey of existing conditions, analysis of pedestrian collision data, evaluation of compliance for applicable Federal regulations, and substantial resident survey work and community outreach. Ms. Keal holds a Bachelor of Science from Penn State University and a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University, where she was awarded several scholarships and the Dean's Award.
David Lessinger
David has most recently worked at the Neighborhood Housing Services as a CUREx Fellow. David also worked with Acorn Housing Corporation, coordinating technical assistance from multiple universities to Ninth Ward residents developing a post- Katrina community plan, and presented development proposals based on the recovery plan to investors and intermediaries. He previously served as Executive Director of GreenHOME, Inc., in Washington, DC where he directed strategic planning, fund-raising and outreach activities. As a field volunteer with the Institute for Nature and Society, he spent two years working on water conservation and appropriate technology projects in Oaxaca, Mexico. David has served as a Board member of Shaw EcoVillage in Washington, DC, and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College and a Master of City and Regional Planning from Cornell University.
Rosalind Ross
As a CUREx Fellow, Rosalind is a Project Manager at Providence Community Housing. Rosalind also worked with Thor Equities as an asset management analyst and was a marketing consultant with the Lower Eastside People's Federal Credit Union. With the Union Square Partnership, she supported business expansion activities. At J.P. Morgan Securities, she analyzed syndicated corporate debt transactions, developed complex financial models and assessed credit risks including capital structure, business/operational risks and debt/equity mixes. Rosalind was a CORO Fellow in Public Affairs in San Francisco. She holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from Spelman College, and a Master in Urban Planning from the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.
Entrepreneur Week Challenge:
SEE will work with one of the local MBA teams to develop and investment strategy.
