Lyneir Richardson

Biography: Lyneir Richardson CEO The Chicago TREND Corporation Chicago, IL Lyneir Richardson CEO Chicago TREND Chicago TREND is a social enterprise aiming to catalyze retail development to strengthen commercial corridors in urban neighborhoods. The startup received $7 million of seed capital to launch operations and is actively investing in real estate projects. Lyneir is also the Executive Director of the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CUEED) at Rutgers University-Newark in Newark, NJ, where he leads capacity-building programs that have assisted over 400 entrepreneurs. Since 2013, he has been a Professional Practice Instructor in the Department of Management and Global Business at Rutgers Business School. Lyneir has served as Chief Executive Officer of the primary economic development corporation in Newark, NJ, for two different mayoral administrations. He was Vice President of Urban Development at General Growth Properties, Inc. where he led the national initiative to bring quality shopping centers to ethnic neighborhoods in large U.S. cities. Early in his career, Lyneir founded his first company and was named a U.S. Small Business Administration "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" while in his 20s. He started his career as a corporate attorney at the First National Bank of Chicago. Lyneir is a graduate of Bradley University and the University of Chicago Law School. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers and International Economic Development Council.