Only six years after graduating from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in public policy, Deborah La Franchi launched SDS Capital Group in 2001 with “a mission of engaging the private sector in the battle against poverty,” she said.
Today, La Franchi continues to serve as CEO of the impact real estate fund manager, which now has $1.3 billion in assets under management.
SDS uses “private-sector capital to invest in housing or economic development projects in the country’s lowest-income communities,” she said, which has recently included some capital from public pension funds.
La Franchi started out her career at the Los Angeles mayor’s office, where she eventually became assistant deputy mayor for economic development. She then helped launch Genesis LA, which she described as “one of the country’s first double bottom line funds,” now known as impact funds.
Through her work at Genesis LA, where she served as president and CEO, La Franchi “had an epiphany” about her career path, she said, that led her to start SDS Capital Group.
At SDS, the 27-person team is predominantly women and minorities, “so we are a bit of a unicorn in that way,” according to La Franchi.
One of the company’s core values is diversity because “diversity of thought brings more ideas and options to the table, and ultimately positively enhances our performance,” she said.
Through SDS’ internship program, “we very intentionally try to create pathways for women and minorities,” La Franchi added.
