For more about Lance, please visit LanceRobbins.com
Lance Robbins, USG’s Principal and Manager, founded the company ten years ago, after rehabilitating over 6,000 distressed inner city apartment units in Los Angeles over twenty-years. A native of West Los Angeles, a graduate of U.C.L.A. with a degree in economics and history and U.C. Berkeley’s Boalt School of Law, he practiced real estate creditors rights and learned how NOT to structure a real estate development business. The lesson was to buy ahead of, not in, the curve, buy cheap, keep leverage as low as possible and stay in cyclically defensive properties like multi-family residential and small industrial.
His opportunistic buying and cost conscious rehabilitation of foreclosed and distressed inner city L.A. apartments earned over a 14,000 percent return on equity from 1995 to 2005 and generated over $100 million in value. In 2003 he utilized the proceeds of $60 million in non-recourse financing to go on a development spree that crystalized into the formation of Urban Smart Growth.
As Chief Operating Officer of Urban Smart Growth (USG), Mr. Iskowitz works directly with the founder to lead all company operations, development initiatives and investment decisions. USG’s past and present projects include transforming over 600,000 square feet of neglected office buildings, warehouses, churches, schools and hotels into mixed-use lofts, traditional apartments, retail and commercial spaces across the country. USG creates vibrant living spaces and innovative communities for everyone.
Prior to joining USG, Mr. Iskowitz was a Vice President in the Capital Markets Group at Avison Young based in New York and a Senior Associate at The Carlton Group. In these two roles, Mr. Iskowitz was involved in deals totaling over $4 billion between Capital Raising and Loan Sale Advisory. Before consulting, Mr. Iskowitz was a Project Manager and Financial Analyst at Woodmont Properties, a New Jersey based regional real estate developer, where he oversaw due diligence, the approval process, and maintained ongoing financial projections for various projects across all asset classes.
Union College – Managerial Economics
NYU – MS in Real Estate with a concentration in Finance
NYU – Advanced Diploma in Cities and Urban Development
Cornell University – Certificate in Hotel Revenue Management
Ross has been creating and managing content for his entire life. Beginning in film when he was only 8 years old, he produced numerous shorts, comedies and stop-motion animated films through college. Towards the end of college, his passion shifted more towards the digital realm as well as photography and print. Eventually his digital content career became the predominant focus of his creative mind, and he now is involved in everything from websites, to content creation, to digital marketing and social media.
As the Director of Digital Media for Urban Smart Growth, Ross is either the creator, manager or facilitator for almost every piece of digital content you’ll find related to Urban Smart Growth or its brands. (For example, every single thing that you see and do on this website is created, managed or arranged by him…so he hopes you like it!) His passion and attention to detail is unparalleled as he strives to perfect everything from the user experience to the overall design and functionality for each digital item he is involved with.
Rowan University – Radio/TV/Film & Political Science
Magna Cum Laude (Really Summa Cum Laude…long story.)
Jacqueline DuBose is a South Florida native who relocated to the Providence, RI area to be near family. She brings to Urban Smart Growth over 17 years of experience in the real estate industry. Jacqueline is a Senior Manager with extensive experience in all aspects of general management, strategic planning and property management for commercial and multi-family properties. Her background includes the management of a range of properties including commercial, retail, medical, market residential, LIHTC and industrial. She has documented success in the turn-around of under-performing assets with expertise in sales, accounting, administration and training.
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