Boston — The Builder Coalition (TBC) celebrated the completion of its Affordable Housing Developer Fellowship on Dec. 5, 2025 at a ceremony which brought together state leadership, industry partners, and emerging developers.
Supported by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and JPMorgan Chase, and sponsored by Synergy Investments and WinnCompanies, the six-month fellowship delivered biweekly expert-led learning sessions, hands-on mentorship, and a culminating capstone in which each firm designed and presented an original affordable housing development proposal.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll spoke at the event, urging the fellows to ground their work in purpose and partnership. Keynote speaker Larry Curtis, president of WinnDevelopment, joined leaders from across the region to recognize the fellows’ accomplishments and the importance of expanding the pipeline of skilled, mission-driven developers capable of addressing Massachusetts’ growing housing challenges. Worcester Mayor Joe Petty highlighted the city’s ambitious future population growth driving a plan for 10,000 new housing units, a $1.2 billion investment in schools, a $150 million ballpark, and a revitalized airport.
“This fellowship proves what’s possible when emerging developers are given access, mentorship, and a real platform to build,” said Dave Madan, executive director of The Builder Coalition. “We’re incredibly proud of this year’s graduates and we’re committed to expanding our work into Central and Western Massachusetts, where the need and energy for equitable housing development have never been greater.”
This year’s fellowship graduates are from firms that include AM Management, Bold Vision Real Estate Solutions, Clearwater Real Estate Investment Group, DaSilva Enterprises, Historic Built, Mamba Capital, McPherson Development, Messiah Venture Partners, Naylor Nation, New Vision Enterprise, Sage Home Builders, SENZA Projects, and Stack Architecture & Development.
“This fellowship was transformative and changed the trajectory of our business,” said Kevin Mapp of McPherson Development. “The mentorship, the community, and the real-world development experience gave us the confidence and capability to pursue projects we once thought were out of reach.”