As Vice President of Social Impact at The Daniels Corporation, Heela Omarkhail leads the company's mission to build inclusive communities. Known for her strategic and dynamic leadership, Heela integrates social impact into Daniels' business strategy, focusing on affordable housing, local economic development, and social infrastructure to foster thriving communities.
Since joining Daniels in 2009, Heela has been pivotal in the Regent Park revitalization, a global model for inclusive urban development, which was recognized by the World Economic Forum with a prestigious Public-Private Collaboration Award.
Heela is a board member of Start2Finish and was the inaugural co-chair of the Accelerating Accessibility Coalition. From 2022 to 2024, she served on the Management Committee of the Urban Land Institute's Toronto Chapter and co-chaired the Program Committee.
A respected thought leader in real estate, community development, and philanthropy, Heela frequently speaks at industry forums and events. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.
Speaking at
Mon May 12
4:00 PM — 5:00 PM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Building Business, Building Communities: The Value of Affordable Commercial Space
Category
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
As cities grow and prosper, existing, diverse communities often face displacement pressures. While much attention has been paid to residential displacement and the creation of affordable housing, there are fewer examples of anti-displacement and retention strategies for small businesses and the creation of affordable commercial space. Panelists from public, private, and civic organizations from across the country will speak about efforts to create affordable commercial space on retail corridors, in private development projects, and via community-owned real estate—complemented by other important types of support for small businesses, with an emphasis on supporting businesses of color and women-owned businesses. These strategies are important not only for advancing equitable economic development, but for ensuring unique and authentic retail environments that create both social and economic value. The panel will include an overview of national trends and case studies from different cities. This includes the Atlanta Beltline's efforts to support commercial affordability in Atlanta, the Center for Community Wealth Building's efforts to leverage community-owned real estate in Denver, and a private developer's efforts to create affordable commercial space within a new real estate development. The discussion will highlight the roles that the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors can play in creating affordable commercial space.