Tom De Simone joined Genesis LA in 2008 and has served as its President and CEO since 2013. He oversees Genesis LA’s operations and manages its business activities. Tom initiates and maintains relationships with investors, capital sources, and borrowers. He also develops and maintains strong relationships with community partners and spearheads the development of Genesis LA’s innovative financial products and programs. This has positioned Genesis LA as a unique financing entity in the Los Angeles area.
Tom has raised over $100 million in grant and debt capital to grow Genesis LA’s loan fund and to fund community development programs. He has overseen the sourcing, underwriting, or closing of more than $200 million in CDFI loans to over 160 projects as well as over $300 million in New Markets Tax Credit financing directed toward more than two dozen community development projects in Los Angeles’ most underinvested communities. During his tenure as CEO, he has grown Genesis LA’s assets from $13 million to more than $120 million.
Under Tom’s leadership, Genesis LA has become a lending CDFI in the Los Angeles market. He has guided the organization to expand its menu of flexible capital products and to pilot new project models. He has also collaborated with community-based partners to design community development interventions intended to address deeply rooted inequities within the development and finance sectors.
Tom previously worked for the General Manager of the Los Angeles Housing Department, assisting in the development of a supportive housing program, and spent a fellowship in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, where he worked for the Deputy Mayor of Economic Development and for the Housing Director.
Tom earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Berkely and a Master in Urban Planning from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.
Tom has a deep love for his home city of Los Angeles, including its rich history, diverse population, and endless potential. He lives by the mantra of Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow.” He is the proud father of a six year old boy who loves basketball and music and has a husband who is a practicing attorney and shares Tom’s passion for improving our civic life.
