For-profit

HR&A Advisors

Website:

www.hraadvisors.com/

Location:

New York, NY

CEO:

Eric Rothman

Type:

For-profit consulting firm

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HR&A Advisors is a consulting firm that specializes in real estate planning and executing economic development plans in low-income urban communities. The firm’s clientele has included numerous prominent left-of-center nonprofits, including the Open Society Foundations, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the United Federation of Teachers.

HR&A has 87 employees and offices in New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Raleigh, and Washington, D.C. 1

Left-of-Center Clients

From 2013-2017, Andrea Batista Schlesinger worked as the deputy director of US programs at Open Society Foundations (OSF), a private grantmaking foundation funded by George Soros. 2 In 2013, Schlesinger created the “Talking Transition” program to facilitate communication between newly elected officials and constituents, first for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) and then for District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser (D). The program was launched with the assistance of nine other nonprofits, including the left-of-center Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Atlantic Philanthropies. HR&A provided consulting services in conceiving and executing the program. 3 In 2017, Schlesinger left OSF and joined HR&A as a partner. 4

In 2017, HR&A partnered with OSF to launch the “Mayor Exchange,” an emergency relief effort for Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Schlesinger managed the operation. 5

Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation set up by John D. Rockefeller Sr., and is now a major advocate of left-of-center causes. In 2014, the Foundation joined with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for “Rebuild by Design,” an economic rejuvenation program for parts of the country recovering from natural disasters with a $1 billion grant. 6 HR&A was hired by the Foundation to run the program. 7

JPB Foundation

The JPB Foundation, Barbara Picower’s nonprofit grantmaking foundation which often gives to left-of-center causes, was also a co-funder of HUD’s “Rebuild by Design” program, and co-financed HR&A’s consulting services. 8

United Federation of Teachers

HR&A plans properties and assets for the United Federation of Teachers, New York City’s public school teachers union. 9

References

  1. “Staff.” HR&A Advisors. Accessed April 6, 2020. https://www.hraadvisors.com/team/.
  2. “Andrea Batista Schlesinger.” Linkedin. Accessed April 6, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-batista-schlesinger-a17bb95b/.
  3. “Talking Transition.” HR&A. Accessed April 6, 2020. https://www.hraadvisors.com/portfolio/talking-transition/.
  4. “Andrea Batista Schlesinger.” Linkedin. Accessed April 6, 2020. https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-batista-schlesinger-a17bb95b/.
  5. “Mayors Rebuild Puerto Rico.” HR&A. Accessed April 6, 2020. https://www.hraadvisors.com/mayors-rebuild-puerto-rico/.
  6. “National Disaster Resilience Competition.” Rockefeller Foundation. Accessed April 6, 2020. https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/our-work/initiatives/national-disaster-resilience-competition/.
  7. “HR&A Supports the Rockefeller Foundation’s Resilience Capacity Building.” HR&A. Accessed April 6, 2020. https://www.hraadvisors.com/resiliencecapacitybuilding/.
  8. “Special thanks to the partners, government agencies, and funders.” Rebuild by Design. Accessed April 6, 2020. http://www.rebuildbydesign.org/our-work/sandy-projects.
  9. “Carey Hirschstein.” HR&A. Accessed April 6, 2020. https://www.hraadvisors.com/team/cary-hirschstein/.

Directors, Employees & Supporters

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HR&A Advisors


New York, NY