Benji is based in his hometown of Miami, Florida and is a trained urban planner and impact-focused real estate development professional. His eighteen years of experience have focused on urban redevelopment projects and public policy efforts in Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, and Cartagena, Colombia. He has been deeply involved in urban redevelopment efforts in Miami through roles working with urban planning firms, the City of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority, the non-profit NeighborWorks affiliate in Miami – NHS of South Florida, a design-build focused construction and fabrication firm, and as a consultant on innovative public policy, real estate and community development work in Miami.
Prior to joining Procida Development Group, Benji was leading Miami-Dade County Public Housing’s redevelopment of its public housing through HUD’s RAD conversion projects, managing the County’s relationship with real estate development firms, leading a project management team, and facilitating communication between residents, stakeholders and elected officials. His academic and research experience is from the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a Bachelors degree in Urban Studies and a Master in City Planning and Master of Science in Real Estate Development.