Jamauri Bogan

Written By Tim Terrentine

Unstuck 013: From the End Zone to the Groundbreaking — Building Communities That Change Outcomes

What does it look like when a former college running back decides that the most powerful thing he can do with capital is put it where nobody else will go?

In this episode of UNSTUCK, Tim Terrentine sits down with Jamauri Bogan, Founder and CEO of Bogan Developments, for a conversation about affordable housing, community development, partnership, and what it really takes to build the infrastructure that changes outcomes for people who have been overlooked for far too long.

Jamauri grew up in Union, New Jersey, shaped by grandparents on both sides, parents who made sure their sons were ready for whatever the world was going to ask of them, and a mom who let a 12-year-old sit in on boardroom meetings at Prudential. That's where he first learned that capital has the power to change outcomes. He took that conviction to Western Michigan University, earned his MBA, and then asked a question most people in his world weren't asking: how do I take what I care about and make capital follow it?

Six years and more than $60 million in development later, Bogan Developments is building workforce housing, affordable housing, and mixed-use communities across Michigan — partnering with Bronson Healthcare, the YMCA, tribal nations, and national development firms to build in the places others have passed over.

This episode is about how that happens. And why it matters.

You’ll hear:

  • What it really takes to build a partnership that can survive a four-year development journey

  • Why radical alignment on values matters more than anything else before you sign

  • How Bogan Developments builds more than housing and why the amenities are where the real community change happens

  • Why there is no lack of Black talent in development — only a capital allocation problem

  • What it means to be a compassionate capitalist and why those two words belong together

  • Why youth flees and what that means for young people trying to figure out what's next

  • How to smile through the pain and not let tough times erode your personal joy

  • Why the team, the plan, and radical acceptance are the three things that carry you through

A Key Insight:

"Find the thing early. Stay focused on it. Because these things compound — and you won't always have this many hours to burn."

That is Jamauri Bogan's challenge to every young person still trying to figure out their direction. It is the lesson he wishes someone had pressed into him earlier. And it is the conviction behind every partnership he builds, every project he breaks ground on, and every investment he makes in the next generation coming up behind him.

He also leaves leaders with this:

"If you can align on values — true values — when the bumps come up, you can solve for them. But if you're not aligned there, you can put holes into a really beautiful idea."

About the Guest:

Jamauri Bogan is the Founder and CEO of Bogan Developments, a minority-owned real estate development company focused on affordable housing, workforce housing, and mixed-use community development throughout Michigan. Since founding the company in 2020, Jamauri has led more than $60 million in development projects and partnered with municipalities, healthcare systems, tribal nations, and national development firms to build transformative communities across the state.

He has been recognized as an Emerging Minority Developer by the National Equity Fund, named the 2025 Community Homeworks' Advocate of the Year, and honored with the 2023 Haworth College of Business Emerging Leader Alumni Award. He holds an MBA from Western Michigan University.

Connect with Jamauri Bogan and Bogan Developments:

Tim Terrentine
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