Ivory Innovations is a nonprofit organization dedicated to catalyzing innovative solutions in housing affordability.
Founded in 2017 and housed at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, we promote the most compelling ideas in housing by convening industry experts, inspiring students, finding and supporting the best innovators, and putting new solutions into practice.
The Ivory Innovations Team
abby ivory, President
Ivory Innovations was born while Abby was working on the Impact Investing team for the Sorenson Impact Center. Prior to her experience in impact investing, she worked as an intern focused on researching Green Bonds with Equilibrium Capital in Portland, Oregon. Her work has been published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Abby graduated with a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Utah in 2016 with an emphasis in Sustainability.
Jenna louie, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer
Jenna is the Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at Ivory Innovations, a Utah-based nonprofit dedicated to catalyzing innovation in housing affordability. At Ivory, she leads strategy and partnership efforts that support the innovative organizations and entrepreneurs recognized by the annual Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability. She attended Harvard College and holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Porter Openshaw, Chief Financial Officer
Porter has a background in real estate finance and development. Prior to joining Ivory Innovations, he worked as a commercial real estate relationship manager for Wells Fargo and before that in development with a boutique retail developer. He is passionate about making a positive impact through real estate and creating value for people, communities, and the environment. Porter holds both a BS in Finance and a Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Utah. He loves his wife and 3 boys and enjoys skiing, cycling, and camping.
Ashley Hadfield, Strategic Consultant
Mary lehnhof, Chief of staff
mary.lehnhof@ivoryinnovations.org
Mary is the Chief of Staff for Ivory Innovations. With her previous role as the Senior Manager of Accounting for the MBA & Executive Education department at the University of Utah, Mary gained experience in financial management, university administration, strategic planning and HR. Mary’s values of people, details, and problem-solving guide her work at Ivory Innovations. She graduated from Utah State University with a degree in business management. Outside of her professional endeavors, Mary finds joy in (and keeps busy by!) spending time with her 4 kids and husband.
Darin Haskell, Senior Director & Project Manager
Darin has over 26 years of experience working in residential development and construction, including 17 years at Ivory Homes. His work has focused on multifamily housing, including both for-sale and for-rent projects. Darin's projects at the Ivory Innovations Operating Foundation span every phase of the development process, from land acquisition to property management.
Hannah Gable, Director of Strategy and Operations
Hannah is the Director of Strategy and Operations at Ivory Innovations. In her role, she primarily provides strategic support to the portfolio of Ivory Prize winners and finalists. Most recently, she worked with the Terner Center for Housing Innovation where she helped identify early-stage ventures making housing more affordable and fair. She holds a BA from Wake Forest University and MBA from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.
Tyler Nelson, Director of Asset Management and Development
tyler.nelson@ivoryinnovations.org
Prior to joining Ivory innovations, Tyler co-owned a small development company renovating commercial office space to multi-family apartment units. He received his bachelors in Accounting from Weber State University in 2005 and recently earned his Masters in Real Estate Development from the University of Utah. Before that he worked as a Budget Officer and Financial Manager for the National Weather Service and the Department of Energy. He is a retired Staff Sergeant with the US Army reserves Finance Battalion where he did a tour in the Middle East in 2004. He is a proud husband and father of 4 children and 2 grandchildren. If he is not working, he is with his family or off smoking/bbq some meat for the next get-together.
Chadwick Reed, Director of programs and growth
Chad joined the Ivory Innovations team after winning Ivory’s Hack-a-House competition as a Master in Urban Planning student at Harvard. He has been interested in housing since college and has worked for various organizations in the sphere. Most recently, Chad worked as a researcher at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, where he continues to consult on a series of papers focused on manufactured housing. When he’s not working, Chad enjoys tinkering with vintage bikes, playing basketball, and watching the Twins play.
Amro Al-Nimri, Director of construction and design
Amro Al-Nimri is an architect from Jordan with 2 years of experience in design and 4 years of experience in construction in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Amro is currently in his second to last semester at the Master’s in Real Estate Development at the University of Utah and working as a TA at the University of Utah, and an Intern with Ivory Innovations trying to find out-of-the-box solutions to the housing affordability crisis. Amro is into camping, sports, and outdoor activities, apart from his work and study life.
Brooklyn Lindsey, Director of Innovations, Public Policy & Legal Affairs
Brooklyn's work with Ivory Innovations began as an undergraduate at the University of Utah, where she interned as a student associate during the first two years of the Ivory Prize. She then worked for the United States Senate before returning to the University of Utah for law school. Brooklyn is committed to public service and gained experience during law school at a public interest litigation firm, the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Utah Legislature, and the District Court for the District of Utah. In her spare time, she enjoys skiing, golfing, hiking with her husky.
Mary Schlachter, Marketing and Events Coordinator
Mary graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in marketing and minors in sociology and art technology. The daughter of an architect, Mary grew up knowing the housing industry and in the past few years became increasingly interested in affordable housing. She enjoys working on projects with impact and exciting challenges. In particular, she brings her experience in marketing, design, and advertising from ADThing, a University of Utah student-run advertising agency, into this role. Outside of the office, Mary enjoys drawing, spending time with friends, and traveling.
Manny Gunter, Assistant Controller
Manny Gunter serves as the Assistant Controller at Ivory Innovations. In this role, he manages sales tax exemption documents, credit cards, GL accounts, bank reconciliation, and input for all foundation projects. Manny is a graduate of Brigham Young University - Idaho, bringing a strong educational background to his diverse financial responsibilities at Ivory Innovations. With a passion for contributing to meaningful projects, Manny plays a key role in supporting the organization's mission and goals.
Keni Nelson, STUDENT AND Events Administrator
Keni is the Student Administrator at Ivory Innovations. Having worked with technology start-ups, political campaigns, and small business owners, Keni loves helping people accomplish their goals. She completed the Master of Real Estate Development program at the University of Utah in May 2024, and works as a real estate broker in Utah. Keni's varied background gives her a unique perspective on the challenges of bringing affordable housing to the market. In addition to real estate, Keni loves to read, play golf, and learn about wine.
Dejan eskic, Director of research and education
Dejan Eskic is a senior research fellow and scholar at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, where he leads a range of projects focused on housing, construction and real estate research, fiscal impact studies and economic and demographic analysis. Prior to joining the Gardner Policy Institute, Eskic worked in the retail research industry where he evaluated current and future sales performance for retail sites through statistical gravity modeling reflecting market demographics throughout the Country. Dejan earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Utah, where he is also an adjunct professor.
Jordan Maguet, Accounts Payable Specialist
Jordan came to Ivory Innovations with a background in Healthcare Accounting. He is excited to use his expertise in his position as Accounts Payable Specialist, where he works to ensure smooth and efficient financial operations. Jordan is a student at Oregon State University where he is finishing his Bachelor's degree in Accounting. Jordan enjoys golfing, fly fishing, and hiking with his wife.
Ivory Innovations Associates
Senior Associates
Katelyn Johnston, Senior Associate
Dylan Greenberg, Senior associate
2024-25 Student Associates
