The undergraduate is studying abroad in Thailand for a semester. He is interested in learning about the effects of rapid urban development, so he spends a few days with a family living in a slum in the shadow of fancy hotels and office buildings. Immediately afterward, Michael Sriprasert cancels his return flight. There’s more to learn. For another semester, he lives in the slums of the city of Khon Kaen, immersing himself in the leadership and politics of the community and discovering that real estate can be a powerful tool for economic and social development.

After earning his undergraduate degree from Kenyon College, Sriprasert looks for post-grad programs to further his work in housing development in poor urban areas, which leads him to pursue a Masters of Public Policy and Management at Heinz College. After earning his degree in 2006, he is hired by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, where he begins working with its lending arm, the Landmarks Community Capital Corp. His job there could not be a better marriage of his interests; he aids and funds preservation projects in low-income neighborhoods to demonstrate how preservation can be a driver for economic and social development.

After just five years of service, Sriprasert is surprised at a board meeting by being named president of Landmarks. Now at the helm, he hopes to increase lending to inner-city projects that traditional lenders might consider downtrodden. His goal is to make the Landmarks’ preservation-based real estate development an example for other cities.
Shannon Deep (CMU’10, HNZ’11)

Related Links:
Alumni Spotlight: Michael Sriprasert