Opportunity Zone Virtual Summit: The Future of the OZ Marketplace

Kim DoE, VP Marketing, Acme Direct

The Details

Almost exactly two years after the passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act brought to life the first new community development tax incentive in nearly 20 years, the Treasury and the IRS released the third – and, for now, final – round of regulations that outlined the rules of the road for utilizing the Opportunity Zone (OZ) incentive in the private sector marketplace.

Even now, a year later, we are still in early stages of understanding how Opportunity Zones can and should be implemented. There’s far more that we don’t know than we do know about this new industry, including an evolving regulatory landscape that now numbers in the hundreds of pages. But we want to share what we have learned so far, at least as a buttress against the abundance of misinformation, wishful thinking, and confusion.

Timed with the publishing of “The Guide to Making Opportunity Zones Work” our comprehensive practical and technical guide to Opportunity Zones for investors, fund managers, developers, and most importantly, communities - we are hosting this virtual event to kick-start a dialogue about the promise and challenges related to Opportunity Zones.

Panels and timing:

Panel I, 1:00 p.m. ET “OZs and the first 100 days of the new administration”
Panel 2, 1:50 p.m. ET "How to catalyze operating businesses in OZs"
Panel 3, 2:40 p.m. ET "Maximizing sustainable impact and community benefit in OZs"

Hosting this event from CohnReznick:

Ira Weinstein, Managing Principal, Real Estate and Cannabis Industries
Beth Mullen, Partner, Affordable Housing Industry Leader
Tama Huang, Chief Innovation Officer

Special guest speakers:

Steve Glickman, Founder and CEO of Develop LLP, Co-Founder and former CEO of the Economic Innovation Group (EIG), and co-author of CohnReznick's “The Guide to Making Opportunity Zones Work”
Emily Lavery, Legislative Assistant to U.S. Sen. Tim Scott
Jonathan Tower, Founder and Managing Partner, Arctaris Impact Investors
Ross Baird, Founder and CEO, Blueprint Local
Martin Muoto, CEO, Founder/Managing Partner, SoLa Impact
Ja'Ron K. Smith, Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, Domestic Policy Council Executive Office of the President
Evan Giesemann, Tax and Economic Policy Advisor, to Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.)
Jeremy Keele, Managing Partner, Catalyst Opportunity Fund
Jennifer Collins, Inclusive Community Impact Investing Lead, Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation, Georgetown University
Derrick Morgan, Managing Partner, KNGDM Group
Leonard Mills, President & CEO, Verte Opportunity Fund
Stephanie Copeland, Partner, Four Points Funding

Please note the webinar will be played through your web browser. Speakers or a headset is required.

Live event participants can earn up to 2.5 CPE credits in the Specialized Knowledge field of study.

*Individual sessions are not CPE-eligible. Credit will only be granted on attendance of the entire program. Your CPE certificate will be emailed to you in the days following the summit.

Program description: Timed with the publishing of “The Guide to Making Opportunity Zones Work” our comprehensive practical and technical guide to Opportunity Zones for investors, fund managers, developers, and most importantly, communities - we are hosting this virtual event to kick-start a dialogue about the promise and challenges related to Opportunity Zones.

Program level: Intermediate

Prerequisites: Current or past experience with Opportunity Zone planning issues.

Advanced Preparation: None

Topics to be discussed include:

Panel I – OZs and the First 100 Days of the New Administration (1:00-1:45 PM)

Legislative initiatives to expand or enhance the program (including a reporting framework).
Technical issues with the regulatory process.
Extension considerations.
Priorities of the next administration.
Coordination with other federal programs.
Cooperation between federal, state, and local governments to achieve success.

Panel II – How to Catalyze Operating Businesses in OZs (1:50-2:35 PM)

What impact investing means to our panelists and their businesses.
How the events of 2020 have changed the OZ investment landscape.
The need for communities and ecosystems to work together.
How OZ leaders are sustaining and promoting their efforts as Americans focus on social and environmental responsibility.

Panel III – Maximizing Sustainable Impact and Community Benefit in OZs (2:40-3:25 PM)

Deals our panelists are working on or have closed that are impactful.
Looking at community impact benefit when new deals are being considered.
Measuring ongoing community benefit.
Building community involvement and support.
Advice for those who want to make a positive difference for people who live and work in Opportunity Zones and examples of what to avoid.

Instructional Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Who Should Attend: Those interested in learning more about the benefits and challenges introduced by Opportunity Zones and how they can best work for investors, fund managers, developers, and communities.

CohnReznick LLP is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State board of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credits. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org