Urban Array Impact Ventures

Overview

Urban Array Impact Ventures is a for-profit Limited Liability Partnership investing primarily in Chicago Opportunity Zones and other U.S. Opportunity Zones, aiming to support high-growth businesses and community development. The firm focuses on real estate, private equity, and venture capital investments, targeting seed, early-stage, and growth-stage companies across various industries, including real estate, technology, healthcare, retail, education, manufacturing, transportation, energy, agriculture, construction, finance, media, telecommunications, hospitality, and professional services. Investment sizes range from $1 million to $50 million. The firm's strategy involves leveraging investor capital to purchase properties in state-nominated opportunity zones, with dual bottom-line goals to support the impact investing activities of the Urban Array Foundation and to do so at a profit. Supported by the Urban Array Foundation and working in conjunction with building equity company Hanns & Erving, properties purchased by the fund are rehabbed and rebuilt for entrepreneurs being incubated through business accelerator E.G. Woode. This approach minimizes costs passed to the Urban Array Foundation and further allows the fund to minimize costs to entrepreneurs in these areas. Urban Array Impact Ventures aims to be a catalyst for high-growth businesses and asset development, serving an essential function in developing communities with burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystems within the greater Chicago area. The firm caps the exit of the fund from the foundation's undertakings at a maximum 200% return, understanding that due to the 'last mile' nature of the fund's capital as an addition to the foundation's already active community engagement, investment risks are lowered for both parties. Money from the fund is only used for completion of already underway community-run projects and enterprises, serving to lower the risk of non-completion for all parties.

Investment Focus

• Investments primarily in Chicago Opportunity Zones and other U.S. Opportunity Zones
• Focus on high-growth businesses and community development
• Investment sizes ranging from $1 million to $50 million
• Industries including real estate, technology, healthcare, retail, education, manufacturing, transportation, energy, agriculture, construction, finance, media, telecommunications, hospitality, and professional services
• Stages including seed, early-stage, and growth-stage companies