MILWAUKEE – The Zilber Family Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Shar Borg and Juli Kaufmann to its Board of Directors. Borg and Kaufmann bring a wealth of expertise and a strong commitment to advancing the Foundation’s mission of increasing access to social and economic opportunity. Their longstanding dedication to community development will further the Foundation’s efforts to increase safe, affordable housing and economic security in our community. The Foundation also extends its deepest appreciation to three of its founding board members, Steve Chevalier, Mike Mervis and Jack Tsui, who have completed their board terms after nearly 20 years of service. The staff and board are deeply grateful for their lasting contributions to the Zilber Family Foundation and its many partners and beneficiaries.
“We are delighted to welcome Shar Borg and Juli Kaufmann to our Zilber family and we extend our sincere gratitude to Steve, Mike and Jack for their invaluable contributions over the years,” said Gina Stilp, executive director of Zilber Family Foundation. “Both Shar and Juli bring deep expertise in affordable housing and community development, issues the Zilber Family Foundation has been investing in for more than a decade. As our board evolves, the Foundation remains poised to use our resources to create pathways to opportunity and improved quality of life in our community.”
Shar Borg has been actively involved in real estate for more than 20 years as an investor, an agent, a developer, and most recently as Founding Principal Agent of Compass Real Estate, WI. She has surpassed over $500 million in sales, and served over 1000 families to achieve their goal of homeownership. Prior to her real estate career, she worked as a reporter for WISN 12 News. Shar has lived in the Sherman Park neighborhood in Milwaukee, WI for nearly 25 years. Her passion for community and neighborhood stabilization catalyzed her real estate career when she began buying foreclosed homes in her neighborhood to help first time buyers become homeowners. Her commitment to relationship building and mentoring keeps her engaged with the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors Young Professionals Network. Shar also serves on the board of the Sherman Park Homeowners Advancement Cooperative (SHAC ) and formerly served on the board of Bridge Builders. She actively volunteers with numerous nonprofit and community-based organizations. Shar was recognized as a Milwaukee Business Journal Woman of Influence in 2023.
Juli Kaufmann, a social entrepreneur and president of award-winning commercial real estate company, Fix Development, brings her innovative approach to real estate development to the Foundation. Known for her community-design, co-development and crowdfunding strategies, Kaufmann has developed over $30 million in real estate projects focused on creating cultural, social, environmental and economic impacts in Milwaukee. Kaufmann has supported catalytic developments in and around the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative neighborhoods, often leveraging her deep expertise and broad network to complete difficult projects. Her community involvement includes serving as the past chair of the board of directors for Radio Milwaukee, co-founding Fund Milwaukee, and co-founding Bublr Bikes. Kaufmann has also been recognized as BizTimes Woman Executive of the Year and Milwaukee Business Journal Executive of the Year in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Welcoming New Leadership
Additionally, Yalanda Ludtke recently joined the Zilber Family Foundation team as a program officer where she will work to advance the Foundation’s efforts to meet basic needs, increase access to social and economic opportunity and improve quality of life in Milwaukee neighborhoods. Most recently, Yalanda served as the co-executive director at Higher Expectations for Racine County which focuses on promoting excellence and equity in education and employment outcomes in Racine County. She began her career as a Speech and Language Pathologist with the Racine Unified School District. She excels in fostering inclusive environments where diverse voices are celebrated and valued, challenging the status quo to drive positive organizational transformation.
“The Zilber Family Foundation looks forward to leveraging the diverse skills and expertise of its new board and staff members to continue driving impactful change in the coming years” said Stilp.
To learn more about the Zilber Family Foundation, visit: www.zilberfamilyfoundation.org.
About the Zilber Family Foundation:
Formed in 1961 by Joseph J. Zilber, a philanthropist and businessman, the Zilber Family Foundation is a private independent grantmaking institution dedicated to enhancing the well-being of individuals, families, and neighborhoods by supporting nonprofits to address basic needs and personal safety, increase access to social and economic opportunity, and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods. For more information, please visit: www.zilberfamilyfoundation.org.
