Bios
David A. Smith
Founder
David A. Smith is the founder of the Affordable Housing Institute, which develops sustainable housing financial ecosystems worldwide. He is also founder and CEO of Recap Advisors, LLC. (Recap, www.recapadvisors.com), a Boston-based firm that recapitalizes and preserves existing affordable housing via innovative financial transactions; over its 15 years, the firm has been involved in over 365 properties, 45,000 apartments, comprising US$1.5 billion of aggregate value. David provides high-quality analysis to Congress, the Millennial Housing Commission, CBO, HUD, and others, and was a principal member of the 1996 Senate mark-to-market working group. A 1975 Harvard graduate, David is an award-winning author with more than 100 published articles in real estate, valuation, and policy periodicals, and a textbook. David is also a senior fellow at the University of Maryland. Detailed biography here.
Janaki Blum
Director
As AHI's Director, Dr. Janaki Blum manages AHI's growth and development on both the revenue and fulfillment sides. In this role, she has lead responsibility for responding to RFQs/RFPs, teaming or prime-sub arrangements with other experts (whether corporate or individual), staffing and team management in work delivery, and training, development, and quality control on AHI's work products.
Dr. Blum brings to AHI a passionate interest in and commitment to affordable housing as an element in sustainable development, and a diverse background touching on all aspects of NGO activity, including non-profit development and management, experience in sustainable development and affordable housing, and knowledge of numerous markets and cultures around the world. Before joining AHI, she was director/manager of SARID, a non-profit organization specializing in sustainable development programs, including low cost housing, in South Asia. At SARID she administered all consulting projects as well as SARID's fundraising, outreach and publicity campaigns, with the goal of presenting SARID's capabilities as a trusted expert on South Asian public-policy matters. In this role, she worked on implementing low cost housing/building programs in areas hit by devastating natural disasters in Sri Lanka (tsunami) and Pakistan (earthquake).
Before SARID Dr. Blum was a research and development consultant to an engineering and construction firm, following similar roles in academic institutions and start-up companies in the US and Europe, as well as being a scientific project leader in Switzerland.
Beyond her work experience, Janaki's life has given her perspective into the challenges of building successful housing financial ecosystems throughout the world. Sri Lankan by birth, she has been educated in England and Switzerland, with a bachelor's from the University of Sussex, a Master's from the University of London, and her doctorate from the University of Zurich. Her post-doctoral education includes courses at MIT and in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts.
Having worked professionally in Sri Lanka, Switzerland, the UK, and the US, Dr. Blum is fluent in English, German, and Sinhalese.
Motlalepula Mmesi
Associate
Motlalepula Mmesi serves as an Associate for the Affordable Housing Institute. In this capacity Motlalepula conducts research and writes reports for all country programs in the portfolio, and also provides additional administrative support services.
Before joining AHI, Motlalepula served as project coordinator for the Corporate Communications department of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. At CBTT, she conducted research and writing on independent projects.
Motlalepula graduated from Wellesley College in December 2005 with a BA in Africana Studies. In her major, Motlalepula studied urban planning, economics and political science.
Claudine Stuchell
Research Assistant
As a research assistant for the Affordable Housing Institute, Claudine puts to practice her current academic studies at MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, where she is a candidate for a Master in City Planning. Focusing her coursework on real estate economics and her independent research on affordable housing in China, Claudine brings to AHI a rich knowledge of China, a proficiency in Mandarin, and command of current international development literature.
Before starting graduate studies at MIT in 2006, Claudine worked in Washington for Development Alternatives, Inc., an international development consulting company, and in Beijing for a Chinese consulting company. She received her B.A. in East Asian Studies from Harvard College in 2004.
Didem Tuzun
Research Assistant
Didem's research work at AHI focuses on Turkey's housing finance environment and is informed by her previous experience in evaluating best practices and identifying strategic gaps in the Turkish banking sector for a global consultancy. She has also worked in the areas of financial services and of communication strategy in Turkey.
Didem is currently studying for a MBA from Brandeis International Business School, where her research also involves global asset securitization. She has a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Bogazici University, Turkey. A native Turkish speaker, Didem is fluent in German.