Founder & Governance
THE BLACK PEARL INITIATIVE is led by a single founder with deep expertise in real estate, planning, and infrastructure finance, supported by a world-class advisory board spanning agriculture, robotics and manufacturing, banking and capital markets, environmental science, law, and infrastructure technology.
Founder
Founder & Principal
Chief Executive Officer
Two decades in large-scale urban development, infrastructure finance, and public-private partnerships. Previously led $2B+ mixed-use developments in the Pacific Northwest. Founded BLACK PEARL Development LLC to execute a master-planned community built for 300-year permanence.
BLACK PEARL Development LLC is a Washington State limited liability company formed for the purpose of master-planned community development, infrastructure investment, and urban real estate ventures.
Detailed entity filings, operating agreements, and financial disclosures are available to qualified investors and partners under standard NDA protocols. This website does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.
Advisory Board
Dr. Elena Vasquez
Environmental Impact Advisor
PhD Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley. Former EPA Senior Scientist. Specializes in large-scale ecological restoration and carbon accounting.
James Thornton
Legal & Regulatory Counsel
Partner at a leading Pacific Northwest law firm. 25 years in land use, municipal finance, and Washington State regulatory compliance.
Dr. Kenji Nakamura
Infrastructure Technology Advisor
Professor of Smart Cities Engineering, MIT. Advisor to three national governments on digital infrastructure and urban operating systems.
Dr. Amara Okafor
Robotics & Manufacturing Advisor
PhD Robotics, Carnegie Mellon. Former Chief Automation Officer at a leading industrial robotics firm. Led development of precision manufacturing systems and farm automation platforms deployed across three continents.
Robert Hartwell
Agriculture & Vertical Farming Advisor
Agritech entrepreneur and former CEO of a vertically integrated indoor farming company operating 200,000 sq ft of hydroponic production. Expert in crop science, yield optimization, and building-integrated agriculture.
Margaret Chen-Whitmore
Banking & Capital Markets Advisor
Former Managing Director at a global investment bank. Structured over $12B in project finance and capital markets transactions. Deep expertise in exchange operations, trading infrastructure, and fintech ecosystem development.
Building the core team
As the initiative moves from planning into execution, we are selectively adding key operators who can own critical workstreams. These are not generalist roles — each position is tied to a milestone in our master plan.
Chief Planning Officer
OpenLead master plan execution, zoning strategy, and stakeholder coordination with municipal and state authorities.
Chief Financial Officer
OpenStructure project finance, manage investor relations, and align capital stack with phased development milestones.
Head of Operations — The Foundry
OpenOversee robotics manufacturing, supply chain, and production systems for the industrial district.