Rob Gerds

The University of Maryland Foundation, Inc. advocates and supports the advancement of public higher education in Maryland. It offers financial management, investment management and advancement services. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Adelphi, MD.

The Washington Housing Conservancy, Inc. was founded in 2018 and is based in Washington with subsidiaries in the United States. The Washington Housing Conservancy acquires and preserves mixed-income rental apartments to prevent displacement and promote opportunity and wealth building, particularly for moderate to low-income African Americans and other residents of color. The American company's mission is to preserve and create affordable homes with a model that challenges inequity and opens the door to new opportunities for individuals and families. The private company fuses commercial real estate expertise with a social impact mission to disrupt inequities in the housing market. The company's key principles include advancing racial equity and inclusion, maximizing resident choice and voice, stabilizing rents in high opportunity neighborhoods, exercising social impact dedication and ingenuity, and investing at scale with speed and efficiency. The company is preserving 3,000 affordable apartments where residents avoid the "housing cliff" and escape the fear that rents will exceed their reach.