Ep. 43 | Tech, Tenacity, and Transformation: How MRK Partners Is Modernizing Affordable Housing

About this episode

Kerri Davis interviews Sydne Garchik about modernizing affordable housing through innovative leadership and community empowerment.

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Sydne Garchik, Founder of MRK Partners, for an inspiring conversation about building equitable communities, embracing fearless leadership, and reimagining affordable housing with heart and innovation. Listen in to hear Sydne: Share how she turned an unexpected start in real estate into founding MRK Partners—blending a for-profit mindset with a nonprofit mission to create, preserve, and elevate affordable housing nationwide Break down the realities of development today, from navigating red tape and NIMBYism to structuring “impossible” deals—and why she believes success comes from tackling one problem at a time with grit, creativity, and purpose Reflect on empowering women in real estate, leveraging technology to streamline impact, and how her nonprofit, Bloom, is helping residents build equity through education, financial literacy, and community connection

People in this episode

Host: Kerri Davis

Guest: Sydne Garchik

Topics covered

• affordable housing
• leadership
• community building
• real estate
• women empowerment
• technology in housing

Keywords

• affordable housing
• real estate
• leadership
• community
• technology
• women in real estate
• financial literacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MRK Partners, Fortress, Bloom

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• Ep. 51 | Doing It Right vs. Doing It First: The Discipline Behind Affordable Housing Compliance · March 19, 2026 · 58 min
• Ep. 50 | The Worst Job on the Planet: Rethinking the Regional Role in Multifamily · February 26, 2026 · 53 min
• Ep. 49 | Operating Costs Up 40% and Counting: The Math Nobody Wants to Talk About · February 12, 2026 · 58 min
• Ep. 48 | From Falling Into Multifamily to Scaling 45,000 Units: The Power of People and Systems · January 29, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Ep. 47 | Perfection Is Not Scalable: Letting Things Break to Build Better Teams · January 15, 2026 · 1h 11m