The Polk County Housing Trust Fund (PCHTF) has opened registration for the first phase of its new Develop the Developer Launchpad designed to cultivate emerging multifamily real estate developers in Polk County.
The Develop the Developer Launchpad, presented by Wells Fargo, is a two-phase initiative that includes a two-week boot camp and multi-month fellowship. PCHTF was recently named an authorized partner for Freddie Mac’s Develop the Developer Academy, allowing DTDL to be among the first programs in the country to use the new Freddie Mac multifamily developer curriculum to power a local two-week boot camp.
“We know Polk County has a large need to rehabilitate and construct housing for the purpose of affordability, attainability, and stability. This launchpad will cultivate a talent pipeline of community-centric multifamily developers with the knowledge, resources, relationships, and capability to take on neighborhood-scale housing developments,” said Julian Neely, PCHTF’s director of advancement and community investment.
The two-week boot camp registration is open today and will remain open until November 15, or capacity for the new program is reached. Interested registrants must complete a pre-registration questionnaire to determine eligibility for the program. Participants must be a Polk County resident, demonstrate real estate industry experience, and commit to the two-week classroom experience, and submit a $500 fee at the time of registration. The application and program details are now available at https://pchtf.org/dtdl.
The inaugural boot camp cohort will convene on December 1, 2025. The two-week program will provide participants with foundational knowledge in multifamily development, access to industry experts, and resources to be a community-centric multifamily developer in Polk County.
Boot camp graduates will be eligible to apply for the DTDL’s second phase, a rigorous joint venture development fellowship, beginning in Spring 2026. This experience will pair fellows with seasoned local developers in Polk County to complete a joint venture development.
“We are really thinking ahead in terms of how do we have public private partnerships, to pursue equity and education around being a developer, an experience around being a developer,” said Danny Heggen, one of the local developers who is advising the new effort.
The Develop the Developer Launchpad is a community-focused program involving numerous community partners and real estate industry experts. The following local leaders have volunteered their time to assist PCHTF in developing and offering this new program:
Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
Britney Appelgate | Wells Fargo |
Danny Heggen | Dev Partners |
Malcolm Hankins | City of Des Moines |
Kuuku Saah | Ntonan RE |
Marvin DeJear | DeJear, Inc. |
Molly Cutler | Cutler Development |
Scott Cutler | Cutler Development |
Frank Levy | Newbury Living |
Jed Gammell | High Street Insurance |
Larry James | Conveyance Law |
Dan Drendel | Slingshot Architecture |
Taylor Hays | Slingshot Architecture |
Jake Christensen | Christensen Development |
Steve Wilke-Shapiro | Sequel Architecture |
James Spiller | Iowa State University |
Mike Urquhart | Security National Bank |
Joseph Bergman | JLL |
Anthony Pawnell | DMACC |
Complete program information is available at www.pchtf.org/dtdl or by contacting Julian Neely at jneely@pchtf.org.
The Polk County Housing Trust Fund (PCHTF) is proud to announce a $500,000 grant from Wells Fargo to launch the Develop the Developer Launchpad (DTDL)—a new initiative designed to cultivate emerging multifamily real estate developers in Polk County.
The Develop the Developer Launchpad, presented by Wells Fargo, is a two-phase initiative that includes a two-week intensive boot camp followed by a multi-month fellowship.
“The City of Des Moines’ recent housing strategy identifies a huge need for redevelopment of older, underperforming housing stock – and at the same time a continued need for affordable housing units that meet neighborhood and community-specific needs. The Develop the Developer Launchpad is intended to help aspiring local developers build skills and gain access to resources to be involved in the solutions needed,” said Julian Neely, director of advancement and community investment at the Polk County Housing Trust Fund.
The boot camp, planned to launch its inaugural cohort in December 2025, will provide participants with foundational knowledge in multifamily development and direct access to industry experts. It draws upon a curriculum created by Freddie Mac.
Graduates of the developer boot camp will be eligible to apply for an intensive co-development fellowship, beginning in Spring 2026. This immersive experience will pair fellows with seasoned local developers in Polk County through joint venture development.
Additional information about the Develop the Developer Launchpad is available at https://pchtf.org/dtdl, including a contact form to sign up for program application details when they are released. Questions about the program may be directed to Julian Neely at jneely@pchtf.org.