Dr. Omowale Crenshaw

Dr. Omowale Crenshaw is the co-founder and Managing Principal of Grupo Mecca. Group Mecca is a real estate development and advisory firm. Their focus includes multi-family residential, world-class destination hospitality experiences, university residential communities, sustainable workforce communities, and eco-friendly industrial parks. Group Mecca has primary operations in Kigali, Rwanda, and has explored development opportunities in Lesotho, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, and Tanzania (Zanzibar) among other markets on the African continent. Mr. Crenshaw, with nearly 25 years of real estate experience, was formally the Southeastern Regional Director at Canyon Capital Realty Advisors with the Canyon-Agassi Charter School Facility Fund, a Los Angeles based real estate private equity fund. Omowale was responsible for analyzing, negotiating, and executing investment opportunities totaling nearly $100MM. Prior to Canyon-Agassi, Dr. Crenshaw served as the Managing Director of Capital Asset Development at Howard University, leading capital planning and real estate development. Under his leadership, the combined projects represented more than $300MM in development value, including construction of university residential housing, renovation of academic, support spaces, retail repositioning, and various capital improvement projects. Omowale began his real estate career leading various community development corporations (CDC’s) in Philadelphia. Real Estate and Business Ventures for Universal Companies, a residential community development corporation with affordable and market rate housing, commercial corridor redevelopment in southern Philadelphia and hospitality development in Atlantic City, founded by legendary music mogul Kenneth Gamble. Later Omowale lead Enterprise Heights in western Philadelphia redeveloping the commercial corridor of the Walnut Hill community. Total development impact exceeded $150MM. Dr. Crenshaw is currently a lecturer at African Leadership University School of Business (ALUSB) at both their Kigali, Rwanda and Port Louis, Mauritius campuses, where he leads the cornerstone courses on Doing Business in Africa, which has an economic development and infrastructure focus. He was recently a visiting professor at the Universidad Santiago de Cali (USC) in Colombia and an adjunct professor at Howard University. Dr. Crenshaw has taught courses in international business, entrepreneurship, and real estate development among others. He has pursued several business enterprises throughout Africa. These include agribusiness opportunities in Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire. He also served as Senior Vice President of Commerce at an Internet company based in South Africa. As a consultant to the African Private Sector Development Group of the World Bank, Omowale supported projects designed to resurrect the Moçambican economy. He has also previously advised on real estate development opportunities in Angola, Ghana, and Nigeria, Fluent in Spanish, Mr. Crenshaw has worked with corporate, public, and non-profit organizations throughout the Americas. His work has taken him to Cuba, Bahamas, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru among other countries in the region. Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures and international development activities, Omowale was an associate with the strategic consulting firm of McKinsey & Company in their Washington, DC. office. Omowale is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc. He is a member of the Real Estate Executive Council (REEC), the Urban Land Institute, and the ULI-Europe Living Concepts Product Council. He earned a BBA in International Business from Howard University; a MBA in Finance, Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and a Master of Science in International Real Estate Development from The Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Crenshaw received his Doctorate in Global Executive Education from the University of Southern California.