Culture as a Revitalizing Force with Derek Fleming

More Elephant

As we continue our 2024 journey of listening to and learning from idea agents and change-makers, we will be joined over the following few conversations by cultural ‘activists’ who have used their insights and platforms to change neighborhoods, communities, and the lived experience for many through investment, art, and philanthropy.

In this episode, we engage in a deeply personal and inspirational conversation with Derek Fleming, a Senior Advisor at HR&A Advisors. Derek shares his journey from studying economics and real estate management to working on urban renewal efforts in complex, diverse, and economically challenged communities throughout the United States. We also hear from Derek as he charts the experience as one of the driving forces behind Red Rooster, one of the nation’s most critically acclaimed restaurants and cultural spaces.

Derek connects the personal to the professional from growing up in Compton to present-day New York City and all the spaces and places in between, coloring the pivotal role of culture and lived experience in edifying and building ‘belonging’ spaces through real estate, emphasizing the importance of hard work, authenticity, and faith in the pursuit of passion and living out his dreams.
Key More Elephant Takeaways in this Episode:

• Derek connects the personal richness of his formative years in Los Angeles and Oakland to the manifestation of how he uses real estate to edify the culture in economically challenged communities.
• Derek’s reflections on Black culture and its value in building a more representative experience for America, as demonstrated through myriad revitalization efforts across the country.
• Derek highlights the importance of being passionate and authentic in your work and the power that has to change lives.
• and more…