Getting Back to His Roots

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A quarter-century ago, David Henry began his real estate career while living in Dandora, a slum near Nairobi, Kenya. There, 100,000 people live in shacks made of cardboard, tin and cinderblock.

Now a managing director in the downtown L.A. office of real estate services firm Transwestern, Henry spent much of his time in Africa making real estate microloans with money from the Ford Foundation to impoverished single mothers.

“I signed up to offer my two good hands and a creative mind to help the poor help themselves,” he said.

With a $100 loan, a single mom in Dandora could build two shanty homes, which she could rent out to pay off the loan, feed her children and, eventually, open a bank account to save for her children’s education.

Henry, 46, moved back to the United States when he was 24 and has since returned five times to visit the women and children he worked with. During the holidays this month, he plans to go back to Kenya once again with his youngest brother, 37-year-old Mike.

David Henry said he’s excited to show his brother the place where he spent the formative years of his career – even if it is dangerous.

“East Africa is a hotbed for (terrorist) activity, but I speak fluent Swahili and I have street smarts,” he said. “I know where to go and where not to go, I hope – knock on wood.”

Long-Distance Learning

Neil Uchitel has a monthly commute that takes far longer than driving the 405 at rush hour.

The founder and creative director of L.A.’s Slappo Music & Sound Design flies to New York once a month for a week to attend classes for his executive M.B.A. program at Columbia University. In 10 months, he’s logged about 50,000 miles, which include a class trip to Munich. That’s equivalent to two trips around the world, but Uchitel, 45, said the classes have been worth it.

“Every class has been very useful, especially for someone who doesn’t come from a finance background,” he said.

He chose the program because of Columbia’s scheduling.

“It’s almost impossible to check out every Friday for two years, but easier to check out for a week at a time,” he said.

Still, Uchitel said sometimes juggling his business duties, where he might work on projects for 60 to 80 hours a week, with his course load and family is a challenge.

“My first term was brutal. My family suffered for it, but they were on board with me,” he said.

Staff reporters Bethany Firnhaber and Justin Yang contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].

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