1DROP's Winter 2026 Quarterly Member Meeting
On January 29, 2026, 1DROP members gathered for the first Quarterly Member Meeting of the year with a clear intention: to shift momentum from survival to thriving and raise the collective floor together. The evening brought developers at all stages—aspiring, emerging, and established—into one room to reset, recalibrate, and commit to raising the bar for what's possible in 2026.
The convening focused on defining what it means to operate as a self-actualized developer, identifying the resources needed to reach that level, and building the accountability structures that turn goals into reality.
Resetting the Room
The evening opened with The Reset, a high-energy icebreaker designed to help members shed survival mode and step fully into space. Through movement, introductions, and shared affirmations of mastery, the room quickly shifted from arrival to presence.
Members then revisited the 1DROP Pledge, grounding the night in shared purpose. Discussion centered on three core commitments:
Leaving ego at the door — showing up for something bigger than ourselves
Practicing radical transparency — sharing openly so the collective can lean in early
Choosing abundance over gatekeeping — lifting each other up rather than protecting what we know.
Building Connection at Speed
Next came a fast-paced networking exercise designed to surface both personal connection and project-specific resource needs. Members started with rapid-fire questions like "Waffles or pancakes?" and shared one personal win from the last 60 days unrelated to real estate. The goal was to remind developers that they're whole people beyond their project pipelines, and that celebration matters.
The rounds then shifted to project-centered conversations. Members identified their development "superpower"—the specific skill, resource, or knowledge that enables them to move projects forward with confidence—and named the specific resource, connection, or technical skill they're currently seeking to unlock the next phase of their project.
Each member committed to one concrete accomplishment they would achieve in the next 90 days to move from survival to thriving. The exercise surfaced what members have to offer and what they need, creating the foundation for mutual support and reciprocal collaboration.
Shaping 1DROP's North Star
One of the most interactive portions of the evening was the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) Gallery Walk. Members broke into small groups and reviewed 1DROP's 2026 program objectives, providing direct feedback on how success should be measured and what metrics matter most. Using sticky notes, members asked questions, suggested priority shifts, and identified gaps in the roadmap. The questions were straightforward:
What resonates with you?
What questions do you have?
What would you change or add?
Is there anything missing that would support you in accomplishing your goals?
In what way would you like to contribute to supporting others in the group?
The Gallery Walk reinforced a core 1DROP principle: members aren't passive recipients of programming; they're co-creators of the infrastructure that supports them.
Sponsored by Newmark Construction
1DROP is grateful to Newmark Construction for sponsoring the evening and showing up for the collective.
Newmark is a minority-and-veteran owned, full-service residential and commercial drywall contractor with eight years of experience. They have already built strong relationships within the 1DROP network—completing projects with Christopher Brown (Brown Homes and 1DROP member) and currently working with Reggie Brown (Louis Rudolph Homes and 1DROP co-founder) on residential housing.
Manuel Salmeron, the owner of Newmark Construction, and the team's estimator, Bob Gentey, took time to share about Newmark's work and offered something valuable to the group: through August 2026, Newmark is providing guaranteed locked rates for labor and materials on sheetrock exclusively for 1DROP members. This partnership is exactly what ecosystem support looks like—partners who show up, share expertise, and create tangible value for the collective.
The Road Ahead: Raising the Floor Together
The convening closed with a reminder of 1DROP's signature move: to lean in whenever and wherever you are needed.
Raising the collective floor means every member benefits from shared infrastructure, knowledge, and accountability. It means refusing to accept isolation, scarcity, or gatekeeping as the norm. What emerged from this gathering was proof that when BIPOC developers have structure, community, and the space to define their own path forward, they lead with clarity and purpose.
Together, we're raising the floor—and building homes for good.
About 1DROP
Updated 1/30/2026
1DROP is a collective of underrepresented real estate developers addressing the Puget Sound housing crisis. We are committed to empowering underrepresented developers to build housing for all wages, all stages, and all ages while growing access to generational wealth.
1DROP achieves its mission by internally providing:
Apprenticeships for aspiring underrepresented developers.
Co-development frameworks for emerging underrepresented developers to navigate partnership models.
Mentorship, networking, resources and supports for all underrepresented developers.
and externally:
Advocating for funding for underrepresented developers and their projects.
Educating on and advancing policy solutions that enable more housing.
For those inspired to learn more or get involved in supporting equitable housing, visit 1DROP's website to explore our initiatives and join us in making an impact.
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