The Brick Companies (TBC) upholds a longstanding history in the DC area. What began as a brick and terra cotta pipe manufacturer has turned into a staple in commercial, residential and recreational real estate management. As the company continues to grow, responsible development and community involvement serve as pillars for a promising future. Promoting Healthy Communities Shelly Ford is the Head People Person and Chief Responsibility Officer of The Brick Companies, a Yardi client. “We are passionate about our Good Works,” Ford says. “We’re committed to giving back to the communities in which our businesses operate.” There are many ways that TBC reaches out to its communities. In addition to providing grants to like-minded charitable organizations, the company also provides a matching gift program for its employees. Employees’ cash donations and volunteer hours are able to make a larger impact. The Brick Companies continually develops sustainable practices as a way of protecting and supporting local communities. As of July 2013, TBC’s Maryland properties, including six commercial office buildings, two golf clubs and two marinas are powered 100% by “Clean Steps” WindPower from Washington Gas and Energy Services.  The purchase of approximately 11.5 million kWh of wind power will help reduce greenhouse gases and is equivalent to taking more than 1568 cars off the road for one full year. The offsets helped the company reach its 12×12 goal. “Last year we finished up our 12×12 program where we were committed to reducing our energy usage across our entire portfolio by 12 percent by 2012—that was accomplished,” cheers Ford. Alternative energy also powers the company’s unique property, Queenstown Harbor Golf Course. “We’ve installed a solar electric system at Queenstown Harbor Golf Course that produces 70 percent of the electric usage at our clubhouse and cart barn. 800 ground-mount panels generate 230 megawatt hours of electricity annually. That’s the equivalent of 159 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year avoided,” says Ford. Green efforts at Queenstown Harbor have not gone unnoticed. The golf course received the Environmental Leadership in Golf Award this year. Both Atlantic Marinas have also been recognized by the Maryland Clean Marina program. TBC also focuses on waste reduction, minimizing the amount of trash that fills local landfills. “We’re encouraging ourselves, our tenants, and our employees to participate in the 50/50 program in which we will aspire to have over 50 percent of our trash recycled,” Ford says. Ford  wants to look at the dumpster outside of the headquarters building and see that more than half of the office waste is in the recycle bin. The idea spread beyond the headquarters, appealing to employees who want to do their part for the environment outside of the office. Integrating sustainable practices into the office culture has proved easy enough for the company. Many employees participate because the environmental challenges are fun and rewarding. The headquarter’s green roof, for example, is a spot that encourages spirited competition. Many contests are lighthearted; “Some of the events are strictly for fun like our bubble blowing contest or the putting competitions on the miniature green,” says Ford. Other competitions serve a broader purpose. “We have a competition going right now where we have earth boxes on our patio. Employees have planted their own vegetables. At the end of the season, everyone who grew vegetables will cook a dish for the rest of the employees using the vegetables that they’ve grown in the earth boxes. Then we choose a winner. It gets pretty competitive,” says Ford. In addition to fostering a community atmosphere within the office, the cook-off serves to remind employees of the possibilities of urban gardening and the pride that can come from supporting local markets. No one is complaining about the home-cooked lunches, either. “Last year’s tomato growing contest was a lot of fun,” says Ford. Tomatoes were judged based on size, sweetness, and overall taste. All tomato growers then prepared a...

For Yardi client R. W. Selby & Company, Inc., 37 years of providing the highest quality experience for residents and exceptional opportunity for investors is a tradition on which to build. With over 3,500 units located at thirty-one properties, the company has become well established in the Southern California multifamily marketplace and more recently has become a prominent player in the Class A and B Las Vegas market. “While our emphasis on prime multifamily properties in class ‘A’ locations throughout Southern California and Nevada has been the basis for our reputation for over four decades, our successful multifamily construction experience has enabled us to expand our franchise to include the renovation of A, B and C properties in quality suburban neighborhoods with strong growth potential,” said Christopher Greenspan, Director of Asset Management. “We are active in all phases of multifamily real estate, including the identification, acquisition, construction, renovation, management, and disposition of properties.“ Greenspan recently took the time to answer a few questions about R. W. Selby & Company, and its current projects and initiatives. TBS: How would you describe your investment philosophy? Greenspan: Our executive leadership has a combined 90 years of multifamily experience working together. The executive leadership of R. W. Selby & Company, Inc.  has long maintained consistent and conservative acquisition behavior. This consistency is a result of an exhaustive process of locating and selecting superior investments, in high barrier to entry markets with proven demand drivers, most often on a principal-to-principal basis, and adding value to those investments by repositioning, rehabilitating and re-branding the assets. We further enhance value through the efficient operation of the assets in a fiscally responsible manner, based on its strong operational controls, and ultimately return superior investment results to its Investors through the successful refinance or sale of our projects. TBS: What are some of the outstanding features of your apartment communities? Greenspan:  Our in-house construction team specializes in cosmetic renovation, tailoring all upgrades and rehabilitation with our tenants in mind. As a result, our apartment homes undergo significant improvements, often including upgraded common areas, revitalizing fitness centers, re-plastering and resurfacing pools and spas, as well as performing in-unit upgrades. The end result culminates in a property and units that provide the level of comfort and luxury that our tenants have come to expect. Burton Way Luxury Apartments is just one of the properties where we saw incredible potential, both structural and operational. The fitness-center now rivals some of Los Angeles’ premier sports clubs. The kitchens and bathrooms now reflect the modernity and style you would expect to find in Los Angeles’ swankiest hotels. Every one of our apartment communities boasts luxury amenities, but Burton Way is exceptional down to the very last detail. TBS: Many of your communities are located in the greater Los Angeles area. What current multifamily market trends are you observing there currently and how is the company responding to those trends? Greenspan: New supply has been delivered to the market at a very tepid pace, while demand for quality units in Southern California remains at an all-time high.  Specifically, with increasing amounts of the local population being either removed from, or choosing to delay joining, the home-ownership ranks, we are experiencing one of the largest renter pools in the history of Los Angeles. Furthermore,  as it becomes more difficult for individuals and families to qualify for home loans, those desiring to become homeowners are instead being forced to  rent apartments. Finally, many Southern Californians are finding the relative flexibility and affordability of renting an apartment as being a desirable alternative to home ownership. Viewing the Los Angeles multifamily market from a long term perspective, the demographic trends favor the multifamily market as an increasing number of young people are choosing to delay marriage and household formation. The trend of continued education is another factor influencing the multifamily market. Furthermore, it is our belief that an...

You may think you know what affordable housing looks like. Until you’ve taken a look at the amazing variety of projects developed by Twin Cities non-profit Project for Pride in Living, you may be wrong. PPL, serving lower-income families and individuals in Minneapolis and St. Paul for over four decades, has an impressive array of social services programming (we’ll feature these efforts in a forthcoming article) and affordable housing options that have improved lives for thousands of Minnesotans. With a current portfolio of 1,056 affordable housing units, since 1972 PPL has developed or renovated 2,000 housing units during its history. And great projects just keep on coming. Recently we had the opportunity to speak with Chris Wilson, PPL’s Director of Housing and Development, about some of the interesting work that is in the development pipeline for PPL right now. Here are brief snapshots of each of the three projects he shared. Project 1: Rising Cedar, supported living facility, in partnership with Touchstone Mental Health Touchstone Mental Health’s clients are suffering with serious mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression. The Rising Cedar facility will be a supportive residential environment for 40 individuals, and also house Touchstone Mental Health’s offices and a public Health and Wellness Center focused on the treatment of mental illness. But Rising Cedar will be more than just a multi-use facility. “The project we’re doing is an attempt to marry the latest findings in neuroscience with housing and what we are able to do with the build environment,” Wilson said. Before design of the structure began, Touchstone conducted extensive research into healing environments, and what kind of permanent indoor physical spaces might best benefit their clients. During the design process, potential future residents gave feedback to the PPL team about what features would or would not work for them. Resulting features incorporated into the Rising Cedar design include natural light in every room of the project, even meeting rooms and hallways, constant access to natural surroundings through large windows, and spaces that can be transitioned from open-to-confined to meet residents’ health needs. “They can adjust their environment to suit what they need at that moment,” Wilson said. Rising Cedar is located in Seward, with easy access to the city’s light rail.  Its’ Health and Wellness Center services will include psychiatric care, acupuncture, massage therapy, recreation space and other resources. Project 2: Hamline Station, transit-oriented, potentially car free workforce housing The harsh Midwestern winters might lead you to assume otherwise, but Minneapolis/St. Paul ranks as the city as the most bike-able city in the nation, according to Bike Score. Cycling’s prevalence here for commuters, coupled with the expansion of the city’s light rail system between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul, are leading to new opportunities to live a carless life in the Twin Cities. The Hamline Station project will include 108 units of workforce and family housing in two buildings along University Ave, very close to the Hamline Station. “You could pretty reasonably not have a car and live there, if you take the light rail to work. You could work in either downtown, too, because it’s about halfway in between,” Wilson said. Adding to the potential for a car-free life, the project will feature a bicycle maintenance station and convenient bicycle storage in the underground parking area, there will be an HOURCAR car share vehicle stationed on site, and there is convenient walkable access to shopping, parks and schools. The neighborhood receives a 91 ranking from Walk Score, which equates to a “walkers’ paradise,” according to its standards. The hope is to break ground on the new units in spring 2014. Project 3: Hawthorne EcoVillage, redevelopment with an environmental edge The Hawthorne EcoVillage is a long-term, ongoing project for PPL, partnering with the City of Minneapolis, the Family Housing Fund, the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council, Hennepin County, the Northside Home Fund, and Twin Cities...

With a unique mixed portfolio and a passion for giving back to the community, Howard R. Conant Jr.’s Urban Innovations (UI) stands out in Chicago. The property management and construction services firm, established 35 years ago, manages 750,000 square feet of commercial property and 3,700 senior affordable housing units.  UI’s  construction division manages both affordable and commercial construction projects as well as third party projects. Since its origins as a founding developer of Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Urban Innovations has placed an emphasis on contributing to the greater Chicago community. This legacy of service is influenced by Mr. Conant’s personal history and business philosophy. He commented: “We live in a world where businesses wield tremendous power.  From homelessness to education to healthcare to crime prevention to sustainability, addressing critical problems will require more resources than nonprofits and government can provide.  We will solve these problems only when for-profit businesses make solving these problems a business enterprise.  At Urban Innovations, we believe that doing good things for the community is very smart business.” Mr. Conant’s philosophy is demonstrated by the work he performs in the community. He currently serves on the boards of the Lawson House YMCA, Archeworks and Writers Theater, is an active supporter of Human Rights Watch, and participates in mission work with his church. He’s especially passionate about affordable housing and works alongside Urban Innovation employees during the company’s annual service days. Mr. Conant learned and embraced service and giving back to the community at an early age. Mr. Conant’s parents, Howard Sr. and Doris, incorporated advocacy and civic service into their own lives, and were noted supporters of Dr. Martin Luther King’s fight for civil rights in the 1960s. When Dr. King marched in Alabama, young Howard missed school to participate with his mother. He describes the day as a pivotal moment in his life. “That instilled a lifelong commitment, for him, of giving back,” explained Jo Anne Gottfried, Vice President, Marketing, for Urban Innovations. Howard Conant Sr. passed away in 2011. Doris Conant continues her work as a Chicago philanthropist through the Conant Family Foundation. Her passion for fighting back against poverty and homelessness, especially among mothers and children, was a major motivator behind Urban Innovations’ development work in River North. “She recognized that this was an area of town that needed to be rejuvenated. That was a conscious decision on her part,” Ms. Gottfried said. Fast forward 35 years, and River North is no longer a dangerous part of town behind the Chicago Merchandise Mart. Instead, it’s a vital and coveted walkable urban neighborhood, with restaurants, bars, art galleries, loft and apartment living, as well as commercial buildings. The bulk of Urban Innovations’ commercial portfolio is located within this area, and the company maintains an active role in the River North Business Association, which promotes local businesses and sponsors events. Demonstrating UI’s commitment to service, each year, Urban Innovations participates in numerous community service opportunities that bring together their Chicago-based employee team. “This is a group of people that is really willing to pitch in. There is no job too big or too small for anybody on our team,” Ms. Gottfried said. Through the Chicago Cares Business Shares Project, Urban Innovations completes an annual project that involves manual labor on behalf of a school or other public service facility. With the participation of employees from the company’s construction division, real renovation work can be completed even in just one day. And, there’s a job for everyone, whether it is building a planter box, painting a fence or participating in less strenuous tasks. “They do a really good job of keeping everybody involved. The upside for the company is the president standing next to the building engineer using the same paint bucket. That’s an opportunity you just don’t get all the time, and a conversation you don’t have all the time. It’s a good equalizer,”...

Presbyterian Senior Living communities were named among the Top Nursing Homes by U.S. News and World Report. Take a look inside of this award-winning nonprofit and into the future of senior housing. Yardi client Presbyterian Senior Living traces its roots back to the humble town of Newville, Penn. It began in 1927 with the donation of a 91-acre field and farmhouse, later known as the Parker House. Nine women became Presbyterian Senior Living’s first tenants. 86 years later, the not-for-profit organization has blossomed into one of the nation’s most respected senior housing authorities. With headquarters in Dillsburg, Penn, the organization has spread to 35 locations throughout the mid-Atlantic and east coast regions, touching the lives of over 5,500 seniors. Chrissi Gerbig, Assistant Controller for Affordable Housing, recalls the driving force behind the nonprofit. “The mission of Presbyterian Senior Living is to offer Christian understanding, compassion and a sense of belonging to promote wholeness of body, mind and spirit,” Chrissi says. “One of the things that make Presbyterian Senior Living different than other senior care providers is that no resident has ever been asked to leave our network of care because he or she outlived available resources.  In 2012, the caring support of our contributors enabled us to provide over $25 million in benevolent support.” Presbyterian Senior Living’s top tier care is what makes the organization stand out among others in the industry. Their facilities have received CARF-CCAC Five-Year Accreditation, affiliation with AAHSA’s Quality First Initiative, and CMS Five-Star Ratings. Throughout the region, seniors have access to affordable housing, independent living, personal care, assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation, adult day services, and at-home services. Reaching such heights starts with a fire from within. The organization encourages an attitude of philanthropy: employees have contributed more than $90,000 to charities and logged more than 141,000 hours towards community outreach programs. This caring environment fosters further good works among residents. Those who are able also participate in community service, offering their time to volunteer in schools, venture forth on missions trips, and help those recovering from natural disasters. Maintaining high standards has proven to be hard work but the staff of Presbyterian Senior Living is committed to achieving excellence. The team stays organized and in sync using Yardi Voyager, the industry leading web-based, management system for their HUD properties and LIHTC properties.  Chrissi is excited to introduce Yardi software to some newly-acquired properties over the next few months. “We are in the process of converting seven properties by May first.   At those sites prior to the conversion, all of the compliance functions were processed using spreadsheets or another system that was not fully-integrated with the financial system,” Chrissi explains. “We are excited to implement a system that fully integrates the compliance, affordable, and financial functions for the properties.  It will increase efficiency and allow for consistent reporting to upper management, as well as to other outside agencies, investors, etc.” Yardi Voyager’s basic functionalities are being implemented with enthusiasm but the organization’s staff knows that there is more to the program beyond the surface. To reap the greatest benefits from Yardi software, Presbyterian Senior Living has four representatives attending the Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC), which concludes today in Washington, DC. Past conferences have helped the team familiarize themselves with Yardi tools and they are eager to learn more, such as the ins and outs of ad hoc reporting, custom analytics, compliance reporting, lease workflows, correcting tenant ledgers, submitting vouchers, and streamlining financial statements across all of the Presbyterian Senior Living’s affordable properties. Valerie Fishel, Compliance Manager, is attending YASC again this year. “This year, I’m taking many of the HUD classes since I will be responsible for learning the compliance for two HUD properties,” she says. “Last year, I really liked the tax credit best practices—that’s a really great class. I learned so much and I was able to share that information...

Not too many apartment renters can say they’ve seen the Budweiser Clydesdales pull up to their apartment building. But that happened to residents of a property managed by Yardi client The Wooten Company in Springfield, Missouri not too long ago. The stocky iconic horses were in town to deliver a case of beer to a lucky contest winner and Wooten Company resident. The event turned into a property-wide block party for residents and Wooten Company staff. The company invited everyone out to see the beautiful Clydesdales and enjoy hot dogs, cake and sodas. It was a great opportunity for connecting a community, a day when one residents’ good luck turned into a special experience for his neighbors. With over 4200 apartments in the Springfield, Missouri metro area, The Wooten Company is the city’s market leader when it comes to multifamily housing. In its 35th year, that hasn’t stopped the firm from continuing to seek creative ways to better serve its residents – and even have some fun while doing so. The Clydesdale visit is just one great example. “We invited all our employees, company-wide, to come down and see them as well,” said Senior Property Manager Patrick Pearson. Wooten Co. employees participate in the FISH Philosophy of team building, which aims to develop strong connections between team members and leadership skills. With ingenuity inspired by company founder, the late C. Tal Wooten Jr., and continued by company director Karen Cowan, The Wooten Co. manages properties of all classes and serves renters of all kinds, including seniors and students. “Mr. Wooten was a very high-spirited, loved people kind of guy,” said Accounting Director Laurie Hopkins. “We’ve been lucky enough to retain that spirit through the years.” Springfield is a Midwestern city with plenty of old-fashioned Middle America charm, and maintaining strong local community ties is an important part of The Wooten Co.’s business philosophy. The company makes a concentrated effort to use the products and services of other local companies whenever possible. They also have strong connections with their residents, many of whom are long-term renters with the company. During a recent fundraising partnership with Missouri State University, Cowan called on a local celebrity – and longtime Wooten Company resident, Retired Harlem Globetrotter Manny Oliver, to help. Manny, a Springfield native who has lived in a Wooten Co. property for many ­­years drew the winning name for one year of free rent. Donors to a fundraising campaign for MSU were entered to win one year of free rent at one of the company’s properties for every $3 they donated to the MSU Foundation. “He’s traveled all over the world, but has had an apartment with us the past 20 years,” explained Pearson. “We’ve known a lot of our residents for a very long time. Everyone knows Manny, clear up to the director of our company. Karen called and asked him to do this with us, and he was happy to do so.” To serve residents in a very practical way, the company has implemented creative strategies. Among them is a rental payment plan option that allows residents to pay their rent with three payments over the course of a month, rather than in one lump sum. “A huge amount of the people that live in Springfield work in the restaurant industry, and that causes a weekly paycheck. We had to come up with a way that allowed weekly-pay individuals to meet rental deadlines,” explained Pearson. The program, in place for three years, has been widely adopted. Up to 30 percent of the company’s residents are taking advantage of the payment plan option. With such a diverse inventory of properties, it’s not uncommon for Wooten residents to move from one to another during the course of their tenancy, Pearson said. “We’ve had residents from our lead properties that move to our Class C’s, just to take advantage of the affordability.  It’s...

Delivering a birthday cake to a child celebrating their special day at a homeless shelter seems like a simple act of goodwill. For the CBRE real estate professionals who make time for such volunteerism regularly, it is much more. “By the time I got to my truck I was crying and extremely shaken.  I made that little boy’s day and let me tell you it was the most rewarding experience I have EVER had,” said Cathy Carone, a CBRE employee from Illinois. “It seems like such a small charity project, but they were so appreciative.  Suddenly the time we take to pick up and deliver those cakes seemed like a whole lot more — we are touching individuals who really need a little joy in their lives,” said Jeanne Olcott, who works for CBRE in Arizona. Making a big difference in large and small ways is a hallmark of the CBRE Cares program, a nationally recognized effort by the commercial real estate firm that encompasses much more than just birthday cake delivery. Over the last three years, CBRE has rapidly grown its corporate philanthropy efforts nationwide with a new housing-focused effort. To date, over 4,000 employee volunteers have participated, contributing over 27,000 hours of service. And that’s just the beginning. “We wanted to give back to the community in a very real way,” said Kathleen Thompson, Director of the CBRE Foundation. Focusing attention on the communities where their  people work and  live made great sense for one of the world’s largest full service real estate companies. CBRE has approximately 160 offices in the U.S. and around 20,000 employees in the Americas. Designing a charity outreach effort that could effectively harness the hearts and hands of so many was no easy task. Employee energy is at the heart of the program, and giving back financially is also encouraged through CBRE’s Community Outreach program. Offices that raise funds for philanthropic causes – both from internal employee donations and external community effort – receive a partial match of their monies from the company. Then they decide as an office what local organizations they’d like to benefit with 75 percent of the funds raised. The other 25 percent is used for company-wide donations to causes like shelter housing and the environment. Investing Sweat Equity With this multi-faceted approach, the CBRE contributes both financially and through sweat equity to shelter services around the country. Employee participation in an annual volunteer work-service day, part of CBRE’s Shelter Program, has recently taken off. CBRE office teams, comprised of everyone from C-level executives to administrative staff, have completed 70 remodeling and building projects for underserved and at-risk populations since 2010. September and October are the company’s designated “Build Months,” and employees can use a paid day out of the office to participate in a local project. Shelter Program projects are coordinated in conjunction with two partner agencies – Rebuilding Together and HomeAid. Rebuilding Together completes renovations and repairs for low-income homeowners, often disabled adults, who are unable to afford to hire someone to help with maintenance needs. HomeAid builds facilities to help homeless Americans. One CBRE office, in Atlanta, completed builddays  for both non-profits this year. “We knew that people were giving back to the community in their offices, that they were volunteering, but that they wanted to do more. We wanted to give them the opportunity to give more as a group with their colleagues, and have specific days where they could go out and give back to their community as colleagues together,” Thompson said. Calvin W. Frese Jr., CBRE CEO – Americas, wanted to create a day of service for CBRE employees and helped conceptualize much of the Shelter Program vision. Along with other executives, he’s worked alongside CBRE employees on Build Day projects. Recently, 280 CBRE volunteers spent the day refurbishing the Mt. Calvary Youth Center and Food Pantry on Chicago’s South Side.  Vendors...

Josh Bradshaw has a concise and articulate philosophy on technology, and it’s based primarily on his experience as a Yardi Database Administrator for BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. A longtime Yardi user, member of a commercial focus group that contributes heavily to the Global Solutions development process, and instigator of productive collaborations between Yardi users around the world, Bradshaw is a savvy technologist who understands that the potential for software to improve business processes is only limited by our imaginations. But he believes equally that simplicity is the key to great product design. “Yardi software is designed to make our lives easier. It’s not going to make you have less work to do, but it is going to make it so that we can accomplish more, we can do our work better and faster, and we can be more innovative and connected.  We can walk around with an iPad or an iPhone and show apartments. Maybe in the future we’ll have some augmented reality with Yardi – wouldn’t that be fascinating?” Bradshaw asked during a recent interview. In other words, he’s passionately future-focused and constantly pushing for better products, which is what has made him a useful contributor to the Global Solutions teams’ client collaborative development process. During focus group meetings conducted at the bi-annual Yardi Advanced Solutions Conferences, Bradshaw and his peers are invited to share their ideas for improving the commercial product suite. One year, his idea was something he called “the fifth grade math report.” “For our commercial recoveries, we needed a report that would clearly show how all the calculations were being done for all of the tenants,” Bradshaw explained. During the focus group meeting, he described the report as needing to use terms, equations and summaries that someone in grade school  would understand – a big challenge given the complexity involved in commercial recoveries.  “I was not ashamed to say I just need something very simple,” he said, thinking also of other end users who needed to understand the information. In a few short months, Yardi developers turned around a release with an analytical report that accomplished his request. The report was just one example of a suggestion Bradshaw contributed that led to development action and product improvement – the ultimate goal of any collaborative feedback Yardi receives from clients. Collaboration is also the theme of online groups he’s facilitated with fellow Yardi clients. Starting with the San Francisco Bay Area Yardi Users Group when he was working at Spieker Companies, an owner-operated property management firm, Bradshaw saw the benefits of asking other Yardi users for help and reciprocating that help. Since moving to BlackRock, he’s established another online group that focuses on Yardi’s commercial product. “I needed the ability to phone a friend, and so that’s what I was doing,” he said of his Spieker days. “And when I came into the commercial end of things, I also wanted that ability. This is international, we have people all over the world, who are high level administrators who contribute development input.” Bradshaw is globally focused in his personal life as well. He and his family recently relocated to Melbourne, Australia, where they will live while he attends an MBA program at the Melbourne Business School. He received his undergraduate degree at San Jose State in California, and chose the high-quality Australian program due to the diverse global experience it offers. Reeling off a list of countries that his classmates hail from that sounded like the roll call list at the United Nations, he explained: “One of my objectives was to be positioned to work globally anywhere in the world, even if it’s back in the U.S., even if I start my own little company. You can go to school in the U.S., and take a class on international business, or you can come to Australia and skip the class.” Though he’s not sure...