BLACK MALE REAL ESTATE EXPO 2023

Our 2nd annual event was held in October 2023 as we decided the fall would be a better season to host the BMREE, setting our annual commitment to the first Saturday of October.

We held the event with the nonprofit, Ani Empowerment Group.

Kennedy King College was both our gracious host and our venue sponsor.

Our panel showcased key Black male real estate and construction, trade owners as well as other key business and nonprofit leaders in Chicago, including Jamal Malone, Ron Archie Robins Sr, Zeke Morris,

Anthony Simpkins, Trez Pugh, Andre Weaver, Kelvin Russell, Melvin Henley, Earick Rayburn, Andre Lanier, Barry Johnson, Christopher Posey, Kirk Gregory Jr, Maurice Gue, Alonzo Abron, Amadi McPherson, Deanous Reid, Brian Cunningham, Jason Zeigler, Jostin Fuqua, Tahir Hafeez, Joshua Mercer, Anthony Hardy, Corey Singleton, Dominique Norma, Brian Williams, Eric Dantzler, Phillip Lomax Bechman, Ramo Bey, Kevin Green, Moncrease Carroll, Stephen Mitchell and Ed Beaver.

Our moderators were Devon Chandler, Skyler Lemons, Quentin Randle, Reginald Patterson, Perdure Carter, and Ja Shar Hartley.

We sold 369 tickets at cost, representing an astounding 47% increase despite charging for the first time. This success is also significant considering the constraints of limited sponsorship dollars, which severely impacted our budget and our ability to effectively market the expo to a broader audience.

Our premier sponsors were the Chicago Association of Realtors (First Committed), the Illinois Realtors, and Lakeland Title.

Additional sponsors and vendors included Ani World, the Renovation Room, Ada S Mckinley, Dawson Tech, Julie Jones Law Group, KMR Law Group, Community Investment Corporation, Chris Weinum Law Group, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity- Darkside, Amerispec, Young Realtist Division- Chicago, Dearborn Realtist Board, 100 Black Men- Chicago, DLV Printing Service Inc, Wintrust- Homan Square, Neighborhood Housing Services, the Habitat for Humanity, Tartt Funding, Onyx Strategic Partners LLC, Cross Country Mortgage, PAC Leaders, Next Gen Graphics, Eco-Conscious Technologies Logo, Cook County Land Bank, Chicago Community Loan Fund, Il Representative La Shawn Ford and Secure Home and Automation.

Every year we intend to grow the reach of the expo so that we can reach as many people as we can nationwide with information about the real estate and construction industries. Our primary goal is to effect positive change in African-American communities by helping to create the next generation of entrepreneurs, and the gainfully employed.

2023 SPONSORS

Additional Sponsors & Exhibitors

Corporation of Supportive Housing

Community Investment Corporation

KMR Law Group

DLV Printing Service, Inc.

Julie A. Jones Law

Amerisafe

Law Office of Christopher A. Weinum

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. - Iota Phi Sigma Chapter

Tartt Funding

Next Gen Graphics

Cook Country Land Bank Authority

Cross Country Mortgage - Michelle Aponte Boksa

Key Headliners

Lutalo McGee

Founder of the Black Male Real Estate Expo

(BMREE)

Lutalo McGee- The Black Male Real Estate Expo.JPG

As a lifelong real estate practitioner, Lutalo is the owner of Ani Real Estate, a commercial and residential real estate brokerage (2007-Present). He has been a member of the Chicago Association of Realtors (CAR), the Illinois Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors for 17 years. In recent years he was recognized and awarded the Chicago Association of Realtors 2019 Managing Broker of the Year Award, and the 2020 Chicago Association of Realtors Community Service Award.

Jamal Malone

Chief Executive Officer

Jamal Malone is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc., a comprehensive human services agency and social enterprise serving more than 7,000 people annually at over 70 program sites throughout Chicago, Wisconsin, and Indiana. His success as a nonprofit leader is upheld by significant experience as an expert in financial systems and change management in the for-profit sector.

Andre Weaver

Founder of PILLARS Clothing

Born and raised in Chicago, IL. Andre is an entrepreneur and founder of PILLARS Clothing, located in the Chicago area.

Trez V. Pugh III

Founder and CEO
Sip & Savor

Trez collection of vibrant, eclectic coffee houses has won over coffee connoisseurs and local residents on Chicago’s South Side, and beyond. When Trez got the vision to open a coffee house, he knew that its location would be as critical to his mission as the coffee beans he served. Today, Sip & Savor has found its home within the community as a posh spot where people from all walks of life come to work and mingle. In addition, each location provides job opportunities as well as job training for young people from
underserved communities.

Trez V. Pugh III- CEO_Founder Sip & Savor Hospitality Group.JPG

Kelvin Russell

Founder The Renovation Room

In March 2018, on a routine commute to work, the idea to create The Renovation room was born. In my daily work travels, I would pass by and frequent many construction sites around the city and saw only a few people who looked like me working on those various construction sites in our communities. As an African

American contractor, I decided enough was enough. In years of running Investment projects and General Contracting businesses, we built up a great network of similar Contractors that do phenomenal work.

Early in his career, Mr. Robins acquired professional expertise with The Chicago Sun-Times and served as a Business Developer at Redemption Employment & Training, followed by a role as an HR Manager and Assistant Director for Drexel Counseling Services. Throughout the course of his career, Mr. Robins has been apt to eagerly volunteer in the community and is a devoted member at New Faith Baptist Church. Additionally, he remains professionally aligned with the Illinois Association of Home Inspectors, the Better Business Bureau, the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the Chicago Association of Realtors, and the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Drawing on years of experience in taxation management, human resources, finance, and business administration, Mr. Robins presently excels as the owner of AmeriSpec Chicago – Xperience Home Inspections LLC, which provides licensed home, commercial, and ancillary inspections.

Ron Archie Robins Sr

Owner of AmeriSpec Chicago - Xperience Home Inspections LLC

Ezekiel (Zeke) Morris

Exit Strategy Realty EMA Management

For over 30 years, Ezekiel (Zeke) Morris, a lifelong resident of the Chicago area, has been passionate about improving the vibrancy of the city he serves and is currently the 2023 Immediate Past President of Illinois REALTORS®

As Managing Broker of Exit Strategy Realty / EMA Management office, Zeke oversees a full-service real estate and property management team. As REALTORS®, we work to protect the rights of private property owners by recommending and promoting legislation that safeguards and advances the interest of real property ownership.

Morris began his real estate career in 1989. He is a member of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®, where he served as president for the 2012-2013 term and was named its local REALTOR® of the year in 2013. The Chicago Association awards a Zeke Morris Scholarship supporting the education efforts of those who have shown a commitment to the stabilization and economic development of underserved Chicago communities.