Robert Weissbourd is a nonresident senior fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program and president of RW Ventures, LLC, an economic development firm. RW Ventures specializes in technical economic analysis of urban assets and markets, and in creating the information, products and institutions necessary to successfully grow urban and regional economies.

The firm also manages major national projects on drivers of change in neighborhoods and regions, as well as on specific sector opportunities such as digital excellence, green buildings or development finance. Clients include national development and policy institutions, foundations, governments, businesses and community organizations. More information about his current work can be found on RW Ventures’ website. Weissbourd was the lead developer of MetroEdge, the Center for Financial Services Innovation and the Urban Markets Initiative. He previously served for ten years in executive positions at Shorebank Corporation.

Weissbourd has been a frequent public speaker and guest lecturer on a broad range of urban markets, education, housing, business and economic development issues. He has also testified on these issues before federal, state and local legislatures. Weissbourd has been active for over 25 years in community and civic organizations, including service as chair of the Obama for America Campaign Urban and Metropolitan Policy Committee, on the Obama Transition HUD Agency Review Team, and as president or vice-president of the Boards of City Colleges of Chicago, Crossroads Fund, Businesspeople in the Public Interest, the Center for Neighborhood Technology and PROCAN, as well as on the visiting committee of the University of Chicago Law School and the advisory committees for the (Chicago) Mayor’s Technology Advisory Committee, Brookings Metropolitan Economy Project and Brookings Urban Markets Initiative. Before joining Shorebank, Weissbourd was a partner at Hartunian, Futterman & Howard, specializing in federal constitutional litigation, school desegregation and representation of government and non-profit agencies.

Weissbourd clerked for federal Judge George Leighton, after receiving a J.D. from University of Chicago Law School and a B.A. from Yale University.

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