FOUNDer & PRINCIPAL
Courtney Horwitz
Courtney worked at Omni New York LLC, an affordable housing real estate development company for over nine years where she had many different titles and roles as the company grew from a 16-person operation to a 500-person company during her tenure. During this time, Courtney worked with a team to manage the acquisition, secure the financing, and oversee the rehabilitation of over 3,400 units of housing with a total transaction size of over $650 million. As Vice President, she created and grew an asset management department, integrated new acquisitions into Omni’s portfolio, and ensured financial and regulatory compliance. Additionally, she oversaw Omni’s energy efficiency initiatives.
Prior to joining Omni, Courtney worked at HR&A Advisors, Inc., a real estate consulting firm, where she co-managed the NYSERDA’s Assisted Multifamily Program. She also worked at TAG Associates, LLC, a consulting firm that assists public housing authorities throughout the U.S. She is currently on the Real Estate Advisory Counsel of The Fifth Avenue Committee. She is a former board member of Women in Housing Finance and the past treasurer of the board of Neighbors Helping Neighbors. She is an alumna of the Coro Leadership New York program. She holds dual master’s degrees in Public Policy and Urban & Regional Planning from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University. She is a credentialed LEED Green Associate.
deputy director
Colin Murphy
Colin worked at NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the largest municipal developer of affordable housing in the United States, where he most recently held a position as Deputy Director of the Supportive Housing Loan Program (SHLP). During his time at HPD, Colin oversaw construction loan closings and conversions, managed development pipeline, supported agency negotiations, guided and trained a team of project managers, and coordinated with elected officials, government agencies, sponsors, lenders, and community groups. Before he entered his role as Deputy Director, Colin managed, closed, and converted affordable housing projects receiving public funding through the Supportive Housing Loan Program, Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA) Program, and Shelter Modernization Program at HPD.
Prior to joining HPD, Colin worked as a Morgan Stanley/ANHD Community Development Fellow at Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association, Inc., where he managed their Preserving Affordable Housing Initiative. Colin also held several positions at Breaking Ground in their Street to Home Brooklyn/Queens homeless outreach program, first as a case manager for chronically street homeless clients in Brooklyn and then as a housing specialist securing supportive housing opportunities for those clients. Colin served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and continues to be involved in the larger JVC community. He holds a master’s degree in Urban Planning from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University.
Director
Adam Phillips
Adam Phillips comes to Strada Ventures LLC after working for five years at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). While he held a number of positions within the Office of Development, in his most recent capacity he served as the Deputy Director of the Multifamily Housing Rehabilitation and Green Housing Preservation Loan Programs. As the Deputy Director, he co-managed a pipeline of approximately sixty-two projects representing nearly 8,000 units and a budget of over $80 million in city capital and other funding sources. He also managed the Landlord Ambassador Program, a demonstration program focused on providing technical assistance through a not-for-profit affordable housing provider to financially, physically, and operationally distressed small multifamily property owners.
Prior to working at HPD, Adam worked at the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) for nearly eight years. His work focused on providing technical assistance to distressed limited equity HDFC cooperatives including training, budget creation, loan packaging, and regulatory compliance. He received a Masters of Science in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from The New School for Public Engagement while working full time at UHAB. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from St. Joseph’s University and minored in Foreign Languages and Literature - Italian. In his free time, he still practices the language.
senior project manager
Soham Dhesi
Soham worked at Union Bank Community Development Finance department for over four years and most recently held the position of Assistant Vice President. During this time, she originated, underwrote, and monitored over $300MM in affordable housing loans and over $82MM in equity investments.
She is also a former board member of Esperanza Community Housing Corporation. Esperanza’s mission is to develop and preserve affordable housing, promote accessible health care and pursue economic development in South Los Angeles. As part of the finance committee, Soham reviewed monthly organization financial reports, participated in fundraising activities, and provided support as Esperanza prepared for its exit from the New Market Tax Credit Partnership.
Soham has received her Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from UC Los Angeles with a certificate in Design and Development in 2018. During her time at UCLA, she worked as a Research Assistant analyzing and mapping gentrification patterns in South Los Angeles. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Studies from University of Southern California with a minor in Spatial Studies (GIS).