Oct. 16, 2023 — Kemena Brooks, director of development for The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB) has been named to Crain’s Chicago Business’ 40 Under 40 class of 2023. The annual cohort includes young business, nonprofit, government and cultural leaders under the age of 40 from the Chicago metropolitan area who have made an impact in their respective industries and the city.
Kemena is a rising star in affordable housing and mission-driven real estate development. As a leader in the growing TCB Midwest region, which spans Illinois, Northwest Indiana, and Wisconsin, Kemena leads some of TCB’s largest most complex developments, supervises and mentors staff on other developments, and helps to create and implement business strategy and stakeholder relationships.
“It is an honor to be part of a cohort of young professionals making an impact across the public, private and nonprofit sectors in Chicago,” said Brooks. “I am grateful to Crain’s for this recognition and inspired to do even more to strengthen communities and contribute to Chicago being a place where all people can thrive.”
A skilled collaborator, Kemena leads TCB efforts in West Garfield Park, including developing the Sankofa Village Wellness Center, which won the prestigious Pritzker-Traubert Foundation’s 2022 Chicago Prize. The $10 million award and 50,000 square foot wellness center will help create community-informed and owned, culturally empowering spaces and services that improve well-being and wealth while, elevating life expectancy for West Garfield Park residents. Kemena’s other notable current projects include Assemble Chicago, a mixed-use, mixed-income affordable high-rise that will help revitalize State Street in the Chicago Loop. The development will be anchored by a flagship Loop YMCA, while also advancing new standards for sustainable design to address climate change.
“Kemena is a strong mission-driven leader and highly talented developer, deeply committed to creating better housing and communities for all Chicagoans,” said Will Woodley, Midwest regional vice president of real estate development. “She has a rare blend of skills necessary to truly connect real estate and community development. Kemena increases TCB’s ability to deliver on its mission and she’s a great teammate. We’re delighted to celebrate her well-deserved selection for Crain’s 40 Under 40.”
Prior to joining TCB, Kemena served as a senior development manager for Laurel Street, a mixed-income real estate developer based in Charlotte, N.C. In this role, she developed more than 500 senior, family and workforce apartments.
Kemena holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Loyola University Chicago, where she was a Baumhart Scholar. She also holds a master’s degree in urban design from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture from the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
Crain’s subscribers can read Kemena’s 40 Under 40 profile.
About The Community Builders
The Community Builders’ mission is to build and sustain strong communities where all people can thrive. Our mission-driven businesses work with partners to develop, finance and operate residential communities, neighborhood amenities and opportunity programs for families, seniors and adults with disabilities. Since 1964, we have advanced housing equity through award-winning affordable and mixed-income communities and our pioneering Community Life model for resident success. Today, our ownership and management portfolio include over 14,000 apartment homes. Anchored by offices in Boston, Chicago, Columbus, New York and Washington D.C., we operate across 15 states.
TCB Midwest has led large scale, mixed‐use, mixed‐income community revitalization across metropolitan Chicago for over 20 years. TCB Midwest has developed over 2,100 homes with over 100 more under construction and another 300 in predevelopment. TCB Midwest also manages over 1500 apartments. In addition to residential development and management, TCB Midwest has developed over 200,000sf of impactful commercial and public amenities, including a school of performing arts, medical center, grocery store, small retail shops, restaurants, a neighborhood event center, workspace for artists, and (we humbly suggest) the best Chicago Park District field house in the City, the Arts and Rec Center at Ellis Park.