In a single high-impact morning at Detroit's Shinola Hotel, 25 cross-sector leaders will move housing from talking point to execution - designing capital stacks, policies, and partnerships that turn affordability into real economic mobility.


DETROIT, MI, November 12, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Housing Summit today announced that its inaugural Detroit Economic Mobility Breakfast, "Housing First, Futures Next: The Road to Economic Mobility," taking place on November 18, 2025 at the Shinola Hotel's San Morello Private Room, is now at capacity. A waitlist is open for civic leaders, investors, and practitioners who wish to engage with the growing Housing Summit network.

The 25-person working breakfast will convene senior leaders from policy, community development, philanthropy, finance, and technology to center housing as a primary driver of economic opportunity in Detroit. In a single high-impact morning, participants will move from ideas to implementable strategies: Detroit-ready capital stacks, policy tools that actually deploy, and public–private–philanthropic partnerships that deliver outcomes for residents.

This Detroit edition builds on earlier Housing Summit gatherings in Hong Kong and New York City.

• In May 2025, The Housing Summit launched in Hong Kong, hosted by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Asia Ltd., sparking an international dialogue on affordability, innovation, design, AI in the housing sector, and modular design.

• In September 2025, the series continued at a fully subscribed gathering in Bryant Park, New York City, where developers, policy leaders, housing advocates, family offices, and investors explored affordable housing as a rare convergence of meaningful impact and exceptional opportunity.

"This housing summit is a catalyst for collaboration that brings together state and local partners, aligning tools, capital, and community leadership to advance equitable housing opportunities across Detroit," said Amy Hovey, CEO & Executive Director, Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).

Event Details: The Housing Summit: Housing First, Futures Next - The Road to Economic Mobility
Date: November 18, 2025
Time: 8:30 - 11:30 AM (Doors open 8:15 AM)
Location: San Morello Private Room, Shinola Hotel, Detroit

Run of Show
• 8:15 - 8:30 AM - Doors open / registration
• 8:30 - 9:00 AM - Informal introductions, pre-event networking
• 9:00 - 9:05 AM - Welcome remarks
• 9:05 - 9:15 AM - Video keynote by Dennis Ho (Hong Kong --> Detroit bridge)
• 9:15 - 10:45 AM - Moderated roundtable working session
• 10:45 - 11:30 AM - Plated breakfast & networking

Speakers and Featured Voices:
The Detroit Economic Mobility Breakfast brings together leaders who are actively shaping housing, capital, and community wealth in Detroit and beyond, including:
• Karen L. Gamba - Founder, The Housing Summit; CEO, ExV Agency / ExV Events / ExV Studios
• Blair C. Smith - Senior Director, Milken Institute (Inclusive Capital / CDFI & Opportunity Zones)
• Dennis Ho - RIBA Chair, Hong Kong (Video Keynote)
• Rochelle Lento - Member, Dykema
• Craig Willian - Chief Investment Officer, Develop Detroit
• Andrea Benson - Senior Program Manager, Gilbert Family Foundation
• Roderick Hardamon - CEO, Urge Imprint; Developer & Investor
• Mark J. Bennett - Managing Attorney, Affordable Housing Group, Detroit Justice Center
• Autumn S. Evans - Senior Program Manager, Rocket Community Fund
• Hector Hernandez - Executive Director, MiWealth
• Eric C. Williams - Managing Director, Detroit Justice Center (DJC)
• Amy Hovey - CEO & Executive Director, Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA)
• Timothy Thorland - Executive Director, MiSide Housing

Core Themes:
The moderated roundtable will focus on practical, Detroit-ready solutions across three core themes:
1. Economic Mobility
How targeted housing strategies can improve income stability, build credit, and increase neighborhood spending, supported by clear near-term metrics and post-event follow-through.

2. Community-Led Delivery (CLTs & Adaptive Reuse)
How community ownership models and adaptive reuse can preserve affordability, activate key corridors, and create durable wealth pathways with governance that lasts.

3. Partnerships, Capital, CDFIs & Technology
• Public–Private–Philanthropic Partnerships: Aligning land, policy tools, subsidies, and flexible capital to move promising projects from pipeline to reality.
• CDFI Headwinds: Addressing how recent uncertainty around the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund and staffing affects capital flows to mission lenders, and identifying local, state, philanthropic, and private responses to keep community finance pipelines strong.
• AI & Equitable Housing: Exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping homeownership access, housing finance, and policymaking, while guarding against bias and ensuring fairness, especially in historically excluded communities.

"Our aim is that every participant leaves the breakfast with at least one actionable solution and one follow-up conversation already in motion," Gamba added. "The Housing Summit is more than an event; it's a growing community committed to turning insight into implementation."

Who's in the Room?
This curated 25-person session draws a cross-section of:
• Policy and civic leaders
• Developers and impact investors
• Community land trust and nonprofit practitioners
• Philanthropic and financial partners, including CDFIs
• Data, AI, and innovation experts
• Cross-industry executives committed to equitable economic mobility

Rooted in Detroit's innovation with adaptive reuse, community ownership, and targeted investment, the summit focuses on the how, not just the what, so insights can be replicated in other cities.

"We're excited to discuss how stable, affordable housing empowers Detroit families to face uncertainty with confidence, and how providing the tools for long-term homeownership can build a stronger, more resilient Detroit." shared Andrea Benson, Director of Housing Stability, Detroit Community Initiatives at the Gilbert Family Foundation.

Waitlist, Future Cities, and How to Stay Connected:
Although the Detroit breakfast is currently at capacity, interested stakeholders can:
• Join the waitlist:
Email [email protected]

• Learn more about The Housing Summit (Hong Kong, New York, Detroit & upcoming cities including Los Angeles):
Visit www.thehousingsummit.com

• Subscribe for updates on future summits, private dinners, salons, webinars, and curated discussions:
https://thehousingsummit.substack.com/

Following Hong Kong, New York, and now Detroit, The Housing Summit will continue to expand into additional cities, working alongside partners to create rooms where decisions - and relationships - lead to tangible housing and economic outcomes. Sights are set on Los Angeles for the next event.

Media & Speaker Contact
Media Contact / Speaking Engagements
Karen L. Gamba
Founder, The Housing Summit
CEO, ExV Agency, Events & Studios
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.thehousingsummit.com
Substack: https://thehousingsummit.substack.com/
LinkedIn: @karen-l-gamba

General Event OR Sponsorship Inquiries:
The Housing Summit Team
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.thehousingsummit.com

About The Housing Summit:
The Housing Summit is a global series of curated working sessions, summits, and salons that convene cross-sector leaders - developers, policymakers, community advocates, investors, and innovators - to center housing as foundational economic infrastructure. Rather than traditional panels, The Housing Summit designs small, intentional rooms where participants share data, align incentives, and leave with concrete next steps that shorten the timeline from idea to implementation.

Founded by Karen L. Gamba, CEO of ExV Agency, Events & Studios, The Housing Summit has hosted gatherings in Hong Kong, New York City, and Detroit, with upcoming editions planned for Los Angeles and additional U.S. and global hubs.

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