About Now City

We Are Building the World We Want to Live In

Real estate development shapes the places where we live, work, and connect. It impacts our health, prosperity, families, and the ecosystems we depend on. As urbanization accelerates, the need to build smarter, greener, and more human-centered communities has never been greater. Our team is deeply committed to addressing that need.

We focus our development work on the U.S. West Coast, where housing, climate, and community challenges are urgent and the opportunities for innovation are greatest.

Beyond our own projects, we collaborate with partners and community builders across the country — and increasingly around the world — who want to apply the same regenerative model in their own context.

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Our

Team

Erik Gillberg

Co-founder & CEO. Erik Gillberg is a systems thinker with a passion for reshaping how we build and live—connecting sustainability, technology, and community building into development models that are financially viable, operationally sound, and grounded in first principles and compassion. He brings over 30 years of experience in property operations and 20 years in technology, business development, and startup leadership. At Now City, Erik focuses on aligning capital, design, people, and delivery systems to manage complexity, lower CapEx and OpEx, and unlock long-term value for both communities and investors.

Ritchie Ju

Co-founder & COO. Ritchie holds a B.Architecture from Carnegie Mellon and an MS in Architecture & Urban Design from Columbia University. Currently an MBA candidate at Johns Hopkins, he was made to create beautiful, walkable, green urban neighborhoods. Previously a mobility planner at Lyft in NYC, Ritchie was a key member for the expansion of their bike-share programs. His real estate development work is focused on enhancing urban living with sustainability & resilience. Additionally, he is the owner of an e-commerce company that saw 7-figure revenues within two years.

Brianna Gonzalez

Head of Legal and Business Relations. Brianna is a versatile legal and business professional specializing in securities transactions. As Managing Partner of Keiretsu Law, she represents private businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, and philanthropists throughout the full lifecycle of a business. Her expertise encompasses equity and debt securities offerings, including private placement memoranda, as well as innovative financing and fundraising strategies for emerging companies.In the real estate sector, Brianna’s proficiency extends to fund formation documents, purchase and sale contracts, corporate leases, and various commercial agreements. Her background as a public finance counsel for a renowned California State Treasurer-recognized firm with over $9 billion in financing transactions has equipped her with valuable insights into alternative financing and municipal public finance. This unique combination of experience allows her to facilitate effective partnerships between private clients and local governments, bridging the gap between business goals and public sector collaboration.

Our

Advisors

Brian Esposito

Strategy. Brian is CEO of Diamond Lake Minerals ($DLMI). He has been ranked among the world’s top 10 CEOs. Holdings of over 200 companies in over 25 different industries, from beauty to Security Tokenization of Real-World Assets.. Founder & President of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises, LLC (EIE), a holding company for over 20 years of work, business startups, and investments. Focuses stem from manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality and hotel development, restaurants, commercial real estate, liquor, technology, media, energy, TELCOM, aviation, space, maritime, music, TV & Film, education, beauty, medical technology, security, hemp, and fashion. Brian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to any team with his drive, ethics, and passion of connecting executives around the globe.

Neal Payton

Urban Planning & Design. With a focus on the public realm, Neal’s work transforms urban environments into socially and culturally diverse, walkable and economically vital communities. Driven by an insatiable curiosity and a commitment to challenging conventional wisdom, he has led multidisciplinary teams in the creation of visionary, yet implementable Master plans, and objective design standards and form-based codes for the redevelopment and revitalization of declining urban centers, brownfields, and vast areas of aging inner suburbs. As originator in 2005, and director of the west coast office of Torti Gallas, Neal leads the the firm’s urban and architectural design efforts in the western U.S. as well as Australia, including urban and neighborhood design projects, as well as the entitlement efforts associated with block and conceptual building design.

Trent Michels

Development. With over a decade in real estate development, Trent has led entitlements and development for more than 1,500 multifamily units totaling $400M+. He is the founder of The Cannery, Salem, Oregon’s landmark redevelopment, and brings a unique background spanning military service, law enforcement, and real estate. Trent holds an MBA from UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business and professional certifications including Lean Six Sigma, Fitwel Ambassador, and CNU-A.

Justin Dunn

Sustainable Development. Justin is results-driven real estate development leader with 10 years of development experience, specializing in strategic project management, complex site diligence, and risk assessment. He has a proven track record in navigating entitlement processes, land use permitting, and overcoming development obstacles for large-scale projects. He is adept at balancing analytical thinking with big-picture strategy, managing diverse stakeholders, and driving efficient processes in fast-paced, cross-functional environments. As Director at SteelWave Justin spearheads the Sustainability & Impact Team, leveraging data analytics and stakeholder relationships to track, analyze, and reduce the carbon footprint of a ~$12B commercial real estate portfolio. He also runs site acquisition, land use permitting, site development, and entitlements for large-scale life science, R&D, industrial and mixed-use projects across the Bay Area. Justin has managed site selection and development of over 225+ acres and 2M+ SF of mixed-use space. He has an M.S. in Sustainable Urban Development from the University of Oxford, complemented by a B.S. in Business Administration from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, where he was recognized as an All-American and National Champion student-athlete. Known as ‘A Champion for Others,’ he is passionate about creating impactful, sustainable built environments and driving innovation in real estate development.

Juliette-Marie Somerset

Global Technology & Corporate Governance. Juliette-Marie Somerset is a transformational leadership executive and tech startup advisor dedicated to accelerating social impact with philanthropy, innovation, insight and compassion. She is a highly experienced and Ivy League educated consultant operating at a senior level with global game-changing tech founders, innovative startups, and angel investors. Juliette-Marie excels in strategic growth partnerships, leadership development, mentoring tech entrepreneurs, building and creating disruptive solutions. She has a wide knowledge of and professional experience in successful fundraising campaigns and social impact investing.

Marc Strauch

Revenue. Marc Strauch brings over 30 years of experience in driving revenue growth, capital formation, and business innovation across global markets. His career includes senior roles at Microsoft, where he co-founded the Business Value team and transformed enterprise sales by focusing on business-driven technology solutions, generating billions in additional revenue. Marc’s thought leadership shaped market strategies for top companies, including Cisco, Disney, Intel, and Credit Suisse. An expert in scaling ventures, Marc has co-founded and guided multiple startups to successful exits, with achievements spanning renewable energy, urban planning, and climate-tech solutions. His work has integrated business architecture, capital strategies, and systems analysis to align profitability with environmental impact, earning him a reputation as a strategic problem solver and trusted partner to forward-thinking CEOs and founders. Marc has also advised venture funds, corporate boards, and smart city initiatives, leading projects that enhance operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and accelerate growth in sectors such as climate-tech, proptech, and regenerative urbanism. His collaborative leadership style fosters innovation and strategic execution across teams and industries. At Now City Inc., Marc applies his expertise to build scalable revenue models and strategic partnerships that support the company’s mission to create regenerative, resilient, and equitable communities. He holds advanced degrees in environmental science, business strategy, and urban planning.

Michael H. Shuman

Local Economies. Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and a leading visionary on community economics. He is an Adjunct Professor at Bard Business School in New York City. He is also a Senior Researcher for Council Fire, where he performs economic-development analyses for states, local governments, and businesses around North America. He is credited with being one of the architects of the 2012 JOBS Act and dozens of state laws overhauling securities regulation of crowdfunding. He has authored, coauthored, or edited ten books. His two most recent books are Put Your Money Where Your Life Is: How to Invest Locally Using Solo 401ks and Self-Directed IRAs and The Local Economy Solution: How Innovative, Self-Financing Pollinator Enterprises Can Grow Jobs and Prosperity. One of his previous books, The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition (Berrett-Koehler, 2006), received as bronze prize from the Independent Publishers Association for best business book of 2006. A prolific speaker, Shuman has given an average of more than one invited talk per week, mostly to local governments and universities, for the past 30 years in nearly every U.S. state and more than a dozen countries.

Professor Alan Tratner

Green Economy. Professor Alan Arthur Tratner is an inventor, entrepreneur, and global leader in green innovation. As International Director of Green2Gold, Alan has mentored thousands of sustainable technology companies and inventors. His distinguished career includes serving as President of the Inventors Workshop International and the Entrepreneur’s Workshop, Director of California’s Small Business Entrepreneurship Center, and as a consultant with SCORE (US SBA). He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Inc., and Entrepreneur and has appeared on Oprah, CNN, Good Morning America, and CNBC. Alan holds 13 inventions and patents and has earned the nickname “Minister of Ideas” for his work fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. A former Professor of Environment and Energy, he participated in the First United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and played a key role in establishing Earth Day. He founded the Environmental Education Group Foundation with support from Nobel Laureate Dennis Gabor. Alan has led global environmental initiatives, including conducting nationwide “Solutions for Survival” seminars and heading a U.S. alternative energy delegation to the former Soviet Union. His publishing credits include Energies Journal, Geothermal Energy Magazine, and INVENT! magazine. He also directed the Green Business Conference at ECO EXPO and founded the Eco Inventors and Entrepreneurs Workshops. In 2012, Alan was inducted into the International Green Industries Hall of Fame and honored with a Lifetime Achievement award.

Jerry Stephen Smith

Partnerships. Jerry is experienced in serving driven founders and CEOs as an innovation partner and problem solver. He strives to create an environment for learning and collaboration where leaders and their teams can make informed and strategic decisions to propel their ventures and organizations forward with insight and intention. Industries served include Software-AI/ML, Space Tech, Climate/Green Tech, Health & Wellness, and Real Estate. Jerry brings over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, attorney and advisor to Now City, specifically focused on helping the venture raise private capital.

Our values

“Beliefs divide us. Values unite us.” ― Jeff Rasley

Our values drive our design process and guide our decision making. They help us find and connect with people like you who are ready to create and move into a better future. Together.

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Cultivate Curiosity

Our curiosity drives us to ask big questions…Where are the healthiest, happiest, people and places in the world and what can we learn from them? How can we build and live better everywhere? How can we move quickly to address climate, social equity, and resilience?

Catalyze Creativity

Creativity is imagination in action. Imagination is literally how we learn and grow and solve problems. We need our imaginations working at full steam to create solutions to our big (and small) challenges.

Be Courageous

We need courage to walk a mile in the shoes of someone who is suffering and choose to help, to face difficult internal and external challenges and act for the good of all, to think and live in new ways that are better for people and planet.

Develop Diversity

Because it’s the right thing to do but also because it has huge returns on investment for all of us! Diverse communities of people (and other lifeforms) are healthier, more resilient, and more alive!

Build Trust

Because trust is essential to living and working together. Transparency creates trust, even though it can make us feel vulnerable or uncomfortable.

Begin Regeneration

Because regenerative is better than sustainable. Because sustaining wasteful processes and behaviors isn’t going to work. Because we need to make things and do things that make our communities and the natural world we depend on better, not worse.

Join Us!

We are designers, developers, and solutionists who care deeply about people and ecosystems. We see a bright future where humanity has figured out how to live well without destroying our home world.

We want you to help us build that future for all of us.

Our HQ is in Santa Cruz, California but our growing team is wherever they need to be.

We are raising capital and looking for people who want to tackle big exciting problems and make a difference.

Join our team! We need advisors, teammates, and interns with experience and/or passion in AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) real estate development, urban design, software development, IOT, fintech, health tech, proptech, community design, urban agriculture, and more. Drop us a line!

“Things are only impossible until they are not.”

– Jean-Luc Picard