FORGE Fellow

The Center by Lendistry seeks two graduate student Fellows to support FORGE LA's working group coordination and research activities. Each fellow will anchor two working groups, providing critical support to our Program Manager in facilitating collaborative discussions, synthesizing insights, and conducting research on disaster recovery financing best practices.

Fellow 1: Single Family Housing & Multifamily Housing Working Groups

Fellow 2: Small Business & Community Facilities Working Groups

This is an exceptional opportunity for graduate students passionate about community development finance, disaster recovery, equitable economic development, and systemslevel problem solving to gain hands-on experience in collaborative policy development and financial product innovation.

Working Group Coordination (40% of time)

• Support Program Manager in coordinating 6 monthly working group meetings for assigned asset classes

• Prepare meeting agendas, materials, and background briefings for participants

• Take detailed meeting notes and synthesize key discussion points, recommendations, and action items

• Track participant attendance and engagement

• Follow up with working group members on action items and deliverables

• Maintain organized documentation system for all working group activities

Research and Analysis (35% of time)

• Conduct literature review on disaster recovery financing best practices and case studies from similar wildfires (e.g., Paradise Fire, Camp Fire, Tubbs Fire)

• Research innovative financial products, credit enhancement mechanisms, and tax credit opportunities applicable to assigned asset classes

• Identify and analyze potential partners including government agencies, foundations, financial institutions, and technical assistance providers

• Support data analysis of emergency relief applications and capital needs assessments in collaboration with UCLA Luskin Center and County partners

• Research policy interventions and financing structures from other disaster recovery contexts

• Compile research findings into accessible briefing documents for CDFI partners

Documentation and Knowledge Management (15% of time)

• Synthesize working group recommendations into clear, actionable summaries

• Contribute to development of final work products including white papers and implementation roadmap

• Document emerging best practices and lessons learned throughout the collaborative process

• Create visual presentations and infographics to communicate findings to diverse stakeholders

• Contribute to the creation of a replicable playbook for future disaster recovery efforts

Stakeholder Coordination (10% of time)

• Support outreach and coordination with research partners (UCLA Luskin Center, Urban Institute)

• Assist in scheduling and logistics for Lead Partner meetings and cross-working group convenings

• Help prepare materials for engagement with Blue Ribbon Commission and public sector partners

• Support coordination between working groups to identify cross-cutting themes and opportunities

Required Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in a graduate program (Master's or PhD) in urban planning, public policy, public administration, business administration (MBA), community development, economics, social work, or related field

• Strong research skills with ability to synthesize complex information from multiple sources

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Proven ability to take detailed meeting notes and create clear, organized documentation

• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Workspace

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment

• Commitment to racial equity and economic justice

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with community development finance, CDFIs, or affordable housing/small business lending

• Understanding of disaster recovery processes and emergency management systems

• Knowledge of Los Angeles County communities and demographics

• Experience with policy analysis and development

• Coursework or research experience in housing finance, community economic development, or public finance

• Experience with data analysis tools (Excel, Stata, R, or similar)

• Background in facilitation or project coordination

• Spanish language proficiency

Ideal Candidate Traits:

• Intellectual curiosity and passion for learning about innovative financing mechanisms

• Systems thinker who can see connections across different asset classes and stakeholders

• Comfortable with ambiguity and adaptive problem-solving

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with diverse partners

• Genuine commitment to supporting equitable wildfire recovery