Aaron Seybert is managing director of the Social Investment Practice at The Kresge Foundation.

He previously served as a social investment officer supporting the American Cities and Detroit Programs at Kresge. He joined the foundation in 2016. Prior to Kresge, he served as executive director at JPMorgan Chase Bank, where he was involved with community development banking focused on New Markets Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credit investing.

He started his career in impact investing at Cinnaire (formerly the Great Lakes Capital Fund) addressing affordable housing, and previously worked with Legal Aid of Central Michigan. He has served on the board of directors for the Michigan Magnet Fund, Lake Trust Credit Union and the Core Cities Strategic Fund advisory board.

A native of Michigan, Aaron earned a bachelor in business administration in corporate finance and accounting from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., and a juris doctorate from the Michigan State University College of Law.

Photo: Douglas Schaible

Areas of Specialty

Community development

Community development finance

Detroit

Opportunity Zones

Social Investing

Use of non-grant capital

Media Mentions

Detroit Aims to Spur New Housing, Boost Property Values With Tax Change

Split-rate tax proposal

Changing tax systems can be legally complicated, and some landlords have argued that the impact on development is minimal at best. One risk is that the change could take a toll on businesses using a lot of land, said Aaron Seybert, a managing director at The Kresge Foundation, who supports the change.

How A Tech Billionaire's Bid to Uplift the Poor Became a Windfall for the Rich

Opportunity Zones

"This has been perverted into a huge gift for people who did not need it,” said Aaron Seybert, managing director of social investment at the Kresge Foundation, which has found it difficult to put the tax break to work toward its effort to bring opportunity to America’s struggling communities. “They are spending my money and yours. They said they would do that because these low-income areas are falling behind and they want to help people who live there,” Seybert said. “The places I work in every day have raised virtually nothing” through the program, he said

Cottage Industry in Opportunity Zone Data Forms to Fill Vacuum

Opportunity Zones

In the absence of a federal mandate, a cross-country patchwork of efforts—by nonprofits, academics, think tanks, companies, and local governments—is underway to collect data on Opportunity Zone. Seybert comments on what philanthropy's role can be.

Filling Critical Gaps, a Foundation Looks to Realize the Promise of Opportunity Zones

Opportunity Zones

"We need to be vigilant,” Aaron says, “to put our reputation on the line for people who do not have power.

Missed Opportunity: Federal initiative meant to help poor neighborhoods benefits the rich

Opportunity Zones

“What we don’t know is … if that marketplace is going to effectively choose to bring products into low-income communities that actually meet their needs. The jury’s out,” said Aaron Seybert, a managing director at The Kresge Foundation.

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