The Most Popular OZ Podcast Episodes of 2020

The Opportunity Zones Podcast will return next week with new episodes for 2021. But in the meantime, here are the most popular episodes of the show in 2020 (presented in reverse chronological order).

Highlights include interviews with Opportunity Zone experts across several industries, including Ashley Tison, Tony Nitti, Dan Kowalski, Jim Sorenson, Erik Hayden, Travis Steffens, Emily Lavery, Garth Everhart, Clem Turner, Mike Novogradac, Riaz Taplin, and more.

How to Be a Shrewd Opportunity Zone Investor, an OZ Pitch Day Panel
Dec 23, 2020 — What does it take to be a shrewd Opportunity Zone investor? Several Opportunity Zone experts provided their insights on a live panel recorded on November 17, 2020 during OZ Pitch Day, titled “Being a Shrewd Opportunity Zone Investor.”

Workforce Housing in Opportunity Zones, with Riaz Taplin
Dec 16, 2020 — Why should investors consider workforce housing as a stable Opportunity Zone investment strategy? Riaz Taplin is principal and founder of Riaz Capital, an Oakland-based developer and operator of workforce housing specifically focusing on how to address the changing housing need of the millennial generation.

Top Questions to Ask Before Investing in an Opportunity Zone Fund
Nov 11, 2020 — What are the biggest questions you should ask before investing in an Opportunity Zone fund? With many investors facing a year-end deadline for rolling over their capital gains into an Opportunity Zone investment, know which questions to ask any fund manager before writing that big check.

The 2020 Election and Opportunity Zones, with Mike Novogradac and John Sciarretti
Oct 28, 2020 — What impact will the 2020 election have on the Opportunity Zones incentive? Expect major changes if Joe Biden is elected, and potential expansion of the program if Donald Trump wins reelection. The balance of power in the Senate should have an impact as well. Mike Novogradac is the managing partner of Novogradac, a top 50 accounting firm founded in 1989. John Sciarretti is chair of the Novogradac Opportunity Zones conferences and leader of the Novogradac Opportunity Zones Working Group.

Securities Law Considerations for Opportunity Zone Funds, with Clem Turner
Sep 30, 2020 — What securities laws should Qualified Opportunity Fund issuers be aware of before they start raising capital from investors? And what are the major differences between the different types of private placement offerings? Clem Turner is a New York-based corporate and securities attorney for CSG He leads the firm’s alternative capital practice and specializes in Opportunity Zones, among other alternative investment vehicles.

Timing Considerations for Opportunity Zone Investors, with Ashley Tison
Sep 23, 2020 — What are some of the most important timing considerations for Opportunity Zone investors and Qualified Opportunity Fund issuers? Ashley Tison is an Opportunity Zone consultant and attorney based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Along with Jimmy Atkinson, he is co-founder of OZ Pros, an Opportunity Zone advisory firm.

Challenges for Smaller Opportunity Zone Developers, with Garth Everhart
Aug 26, 2020 — What are some challenges that smaller Opportunity Zone project developers face? And are there benefits to investing in a smaller OZ fund? Garth Everhart is president of The Everhart Company and the developer and promoter of the Ceeley Opportunity Fund, a small, single-asset, project-specific fund located in greater Portland, Oregon.

Potential Legislative Improvements to Opportunity Zones, with Emily Lavery
Aug 19, 2020 — Why are Opportunity Zones more important now than ever before, and what legislative changes are being considered to improve the impact of the policy initiative? Emily Lavery is a legislative analyst for Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), one of the original co-sponsors of the Opportunity Zones legislation.

Can Opportunity Zones Recover from the COVID-19 Crisis?
Aug 12, 2020 — Do Opportunity Zones have the potential to create a more optimistic and hopeful outlook, and to help build national recovery and resiliency in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis? On August 5, OpportunityDb co-hosted a live national webinar briefing with Egils Milbergs at OZ Accelerator. The webinar featured opening remarks from Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and a panel with guests from Urban Institute, Sen. Scott’s office, Sorenson Impact Foundation, Emsi, EIG, and SBA.

Conscious Capitalism in Opportunity Zones, with Travis Steffens
Jul 15, 2020 — What is conscious capitalism, and how can choosing to adhere to this concept create positive social impact in Opportunity Zones? Travis Steffens is founder and CEO of Denver-based R Investments, a real estate firm focused on full cycle wealth generation through planning, development, construction, rehabilitation, leasing, property management, and brokerage.

Opportunity Zone Funds as 1031 Exchange Alternatives, with Erik Hayden
Jun 3, 2020 — During this current economic crisis that has resulted from our response to COVID-19, how can Opportunity Zone funds serve as alternatives for 1031 exchange investors? Erik Hayden is founder of Urban Catalyst, a San Jose-based real estate Opportunity Zone fund focused on ground-up development.

COVID-19 Relief for Opportunity Zone Businesses, a Zoom Meeting with OZ Pros
Apr 1, 2020 — Congress has passed three phases of coronavirus relief packages, with a fourth potentially on the way soon. How can Opportunity Zone businesses seek relief? And how can Opportunity Zones assist with economic recovery? OZ Pros hosted a Zoom meeting with 80 of the most engaged Opportunity Zones participants in our network.

Investing for Impact in Opportunity Zones, with Jim Sorenson & Patrick McKenna
Feb 5, 2020 — Can Catalyst Opportunity Funds serve as both a counterexample to the wave of negative OZ publicity and a model for OZ fund investing? Impact investing pioneer Jim Sorenson and tech entrepreneur Patrick McKenna are co-founders of Catalyst. Jim is also founder of the Sorenson Impact Foundation, and funding partner at the University of Utah’s Sorenson Impact Center.

The OZ Regulatory Process: Behind the Scenes at Treasury, with Dan Kowalski
Jan 22, 2020 — What are the five most impactful changes in the final IRS regulations on Opportunity Zones? And what’s the true story behind the Opportunity Zone designation in Storey County, NV? Daniel Kowalski is counselor to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and led the Treasury Department’s efforts in issuing regulations on Qualified Opportunity Funds.

Bonus Episodes from 2019

The following episodes were recorded in 2019, but remained some of the most popular episodes throughtout 2020.

Takeaways from IRS Final Regulations on Opportunity Zones, with Tony Nitti
Dec 26, 2019 — Final regulations on Opportunity Zones have been issued by the IRS. What are the most meaningful changes and additions to be aware of? Tony Nitti is an Aspen-based real estate tax law expert, CPA, and tax services partner at RubinBrown. He serves on the editorial advisory board for The Tax Adviser.

How to Form Your Own Qualified Opportunity Zone Business, with OZ Pros
Oct 31, 2019 — Are you considering starting your own Qualified Opportunity Zone Business or converting an existing business into a QOZB? Or perhaps you need a QOZB for your Qualified Opportunity Fund? In today’s podcast episode, we highlight some of the most important considerations when structuring your QOZB entity, and best practices for regulatory compliance.

How to Form Your Own Opportunity Zone Fund, with OZ Pros
Oct 29, 2019 — How can you form your own Opportunity Zone fund? What are the most important considerations when structuring your entity, and what are some best practices for regulatory compliance? Opportunity Zones Podcast host Jimmy Atkinson and OZ Consultants CEO Ashley Tison have teamed up to create OZ Pros — Qualified Opportunity Fund and Qualified Opportunity Zone Business entity formation made easy.