ALON BARZILAY
REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER / TECH ENTREPRENEUR
Alon is the Founder and CVO (Chief Visionary Officer) of Urban Conversions, a Philadelphia-based boutique real estate development firm that saves 100-year-old architectural treasures from the wrecking ball by making new investments in dynamic historic properties and develops ground up new developments in emerging neighborhoods.
The company breathes new life into underutilized factories, warehouses, and churches and reimagines them by transforming them into luxury loft apartment projects, creative workspaces, and engaging local retail.
As part of its mission, Urban Conversions unites artists with communities by converting dilapidated walls into public works of art.
Urban Conversions is proud to announce its latest venture, Glass Works, a flagship apartment building designed to accommodate a new type of state-of-the-art workplace promoting a sense of community for freelancers who work from home.
PBS has highlighted Alon’s work nationally as a “paragon example of responsible development” and Urban Conversions has been featured in USA Today, The Philadelphia Business Journal, and Philadelphia Magazine.
Alon is a serial entrepreneur and has created a wide variety of ventures which include a leasing agency, a property management firm, and a construction company that have worked in tandem supporting Urban Conversions’ progressive vision.
Alon is also the originator of the YIMBY app, a groundbreaking disruption to the traditional way most real estate developers to present new development projects to neighborhoods. By tapping into a silent majority of would-be supporter “YIMBY’s” who want to say, “Yes-in-My-Back-Yard!” the YIMBY app capitalizes on engaging neighbors who don’t have the time, nor inclination, to attend inconvenient, drawn out, and often contentious anti-development neighborhood meetings.
YIMBY has been deemed “an innovative breakthrough and paradigm shift in the entitlement process – A “Tinder for Zoning” allowing otherwise disenfranchised neighbors to swipe on various aspects of newly proposed projects in matter of minutes. YIMBY offers concerned citizens a chance for their voices to be heard and their questions to be answered with direct one-on-one contact with real estate developers at a touch of a button.
YIMBY also provides real estate developers a cost effective way to save money, reduce risk, streamline timelines, all while having an interactive collaboration with neighbors, allowing developers to pitch apartment buildings, shopping centers, and mixed use projects so that they “Get to Yes” faster, cheaper, and with less headaches.
In addition to the YIMBY app, Alon is also the mastermind behind YIMBY University, a hilarious and informative animated online educational streaming program that can only be described as equal parts entertainment and street smart applicable methodology for how real estate developers should best engage the community at large when presenting new development projects.
YIMBY University offers real estate development beginners and seasoned pros alike an insightful strategic and tactical guide with practical tools, tips, and real world applicable skill building that will help them overcome the significant barriers that NIMBY’s impose on the zoning and entitlement process.
He has been nationally recognized by the Entrepreneur Organization (EO) as a recipient of the Agent of Change award and EO’s NYC Chapter Rockies award for innovation. He is a current member of EO's Louisiana Chapter and has been a member of EO’s Philadelphia and NYC Chapters, an active member of Urban Land Institute (ULI), and Young Presidents Organization’s (YPO) Global One Chapter. Alon is also involved with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and Magen David Adom. He also volunteers his time with his two therapy certified Italian greyhounds visiting local hospitals.
Alon has a Masters degree in Housing and Real Estate Development from Harvard University, a Bachelors degree in Industrial Relations and Organizational Behavior from Cornell University, and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities around the country.
AUTHOR /SPEAKER
The Gotham Principles
The Gotham Principles is a prudent window into how most business leaders inadvertently model their managerial styles similar to Superman, but, when juxtaposed with Batman’s more team-oriented, street-smart approach, the book reveals that many traditionally positive attributes in large-scale corporations actually present significant pitfalls when managing entrepreneurial growth.
Attack Of The 50 Foot Developer
His next book, Attack of the 50 Foot Developer, will tackle Hollywood’s complicated history with real estate developers and their evolution into archetypal villains.
PET PROJECTS
Embracing Childlike Curiosity.
Imagine if you committed to waking up curious everyday.
Children wake up every morning with an open mind, approaching every project, challenge, and interaction with a “I know nothing, teach me” attitude. As children, we’re like sponges, thirsty for knowledge, full of optimistic curiosity that fuels our confidence to be creative, but as we get older, it vanishes.
The door is creativity closes very early – usually time in elementary school. Thanks to the influence from parents and peers, we feel compelled to get good grades and fit in which typically supersedes the need to create, so we focus on checking the boxes. Taking risks and asking “why?” becomes less important than confirming and knowing the answer.
Children have no issues with openly manifesting their ignorance and unabashedly pushing past their comfort zone into the potentially risky area of discovering the new and unknown.
Well, that’s exactly what makes Alon stand out from the crowd. He still has this zest for learning and consequently has become a creative in many different shapes and forms.
If there’s one unifying thread in Alon’s life, it would be that this childlike curiosity has given him a knack for infusing the magic into the mundane; turning the conventional into the unconventional.
The dilemma of having expertise is that often we are expected to have all of the answers. That’s what Alon figured out when his professional career was well underway, but just when most people stick to what they know, his penchant for learning and doing new things drove him to take a deep dive in a wide variety of passions.
“In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind there are few. That’s why amateurs built the ark and professionals built the Titanic.” – Alon
Executive Producer.
Alon was the Executive Producer of the rom-com, Baby, Baby, Baby. “A comedy about moving on, moving in, and everything in between,” the movie won the Jury Prize for Comedy at the Austin Film Festival and features appearances by Bradley Cooper, Jessica Alba, William Shatner, and Cloris Leachman.
Composer / Playwright.
The latest creative Pet Project of Alon’s is a comedic musical, written and composed by himself, that has been a major focus since his relocation to Los Angeles. Cereal Killers explores the, often complex, fantasy world of cereal mascots, and shows audiences the sides we don’t see on the box.
Dog Dad.
Given Alon’s long list of achievements, it is surprising that he considers his most daunting Pet Project to be pets themselves. He is currently competing against himself to become the world’s Best
Dog Dad Ever to his pair of miniature greyhound puppies, Marshall and Peavey. (He knows it’s not quite like being a real dad. It’s cooler.)
He is busy learning how to be a professional ear scratcher, walking companion, belly tickler, and pooper scooper.
Most days, you’ll find him walking his Italian Greyhound puppies, Peavey and Marshall, on the streets of French Quarter. If you see him there, be sure to tell him what you’re curious about.
“Consider the relatively short little lives our pets have to spend with us and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.” – Alon
“Be forewarned, if anyone tries to replace our dog dad, we’re prepared to bite them in the nuts, piss on their shoes, and chew up their iPhone.”
– Marshall and Peavey
