Alexandria Lafci
Alexandria Lafci is an American social entrepreneur and venture capitalist dedicated to closing the housing gap.[1] For her efforts towards building affordable housing, she has been named a Forbes 30 Under 30.[2]
Early life
[edit]Alexandria Lafci grew up in Section 8 housing and endured housing instability growing up.[1]
She attended Boston University where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in international relations.[3]
Career
[edit]After graduating from college, she worked for Teach For America for two years teaching sixth grade English, and then worked in operations management for an industrial supply firm in Atlanta.[3] She has said that nearly one-third of all the students she taught in Washington, DC experienced homelessness during the school year.[4]
New Story
[edit]In 2014, Lafci met her co-founders at a social entrepreneurship gathering, and they started the non-profit New Story with the aim to build affordable homes for people living with inadequate shelter. They applied and were accepted into Y Combinator in 2015. Since then, New Story has built more than 2,000 homes across Haiti, El Salvador, Mexico, and Bolivia; it focuses on building clusters of houses and gives full ownership to families.[5] New Story has partnered with 3-D printing companies and has stated that they can print a new, 600 square foot home for under $4,000 within 24 hours.[4]
Hometeam Ventures
[edit]In 2021, Lafci founded the venture fund Hometeam Ventures with the goal of investing into startups in the construction and housing industries in order to close the housing gap. The fund raised $18 million dollars, which is one of the largest fundraises for a Black female general partner; a notable investor was Alexis Ohanian.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Peters, Adele (August 24, 2023). "Why this new VC fund is using drones and steel to tackle the housing crisis". Fast Company. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ "Brett Hagler, 22, Alexandria Lafci, 26, Matthew Marshall, 25 - 2016-07-07 - 2016 30 Under 30: Social Entrepreneurs". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ a b "Making a Better World, from Neuroscience to Sandwiches". Bostonia. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ a b "3D Printing For Good: How One Nonprofit Is "Printing" Homes For Families In Need". unfoundation.org. 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Avery, Dan (2017-11-01). "In the Midst of Political Crisis and Uncertainty, Affordable Housing Remains Scarce in Haiti". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ "How Alexandria Lafci Exceeded Her Goal And Ended Up Behind One Of The Largest Raises For A Black Female General Partner". Yahoo Finance. 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2024-07-15.