Eastside Innovation

What Eastside Innovation does

Eastside Innovation is a private real estate development firm headquartered in Kansas City, KS, founded in 2019 to develop opportunity zone (OZ) projects that pair large-scale real estate with clean energy infrastructure and community uplift objectives. The company's core capabilities span net-zero mixed-use development, solar microgrid deployment, EV charging infrastructure, and the strategic stacking of federal tax incentives — Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), Opportunity Zone (OZ), and MACRS depreciation — enabled by a tax advisory partnership with Moss Adams. Its project portfolio aggregates to roughly $1.19 billion across four named developments: the $1 billion Midtown Station in Kansas City, KS (2,000+ housing units, 50% affordable, with a $45M Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund loan for solar microgrid); the $60M MKC Airport aviation hangar and terminal project; the $55M Project Lima at Wheeler Downtown Airport, executed through the Airside Innovation Missouri LLC joint venture with Airside FBO and Apex Aero Center; and the $75M DTLA Expansion in Los Angeles, CA.

The firm's go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting high-net-worth and institutional OZ equity investors for project capital raises, paired with government procurement and joint venture partnerships for project delivery. A community-facing digital layer (website, blog, 'Plug In' newsletter) supports investor acquisition and community engagement. Revenue is generated through developer fees, project equity participation, and joint venture economics on individual developments; no public pricing or fee schedule is disclosed, and project investment minimums are negotiated bilaterally. Customer segments include opportunity zone investors, opportunity zone communities (in Kansas City and Los Angeles), and the business/general aviation sector at Wheeler Downtown Airport.

Operationally, the company is unusually capital-thin for the scale of its pipeline, with a stated headcount of 1-10 employees managing $1B+ in aggregate project value. Execution risk is amplified by the complexity of tax incentive stacking, public-private partnership structuring, and the concurrent delivery of multiple large projects across two states, including infrastructure tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup timeline. No institutional investment, private equity backing, or public listing is disclosed, and ownership appears founder-led with Stephen DeBerry as the principal public-facing figure.

Name

Eastside Innovation

Legal name

Eastside Innovation

Website

https://eastsideinnovation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Opportunity Zone Real Estate Development

NAICS

Land Subdivision (237210), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Microgrid Development, EPC & Integration (EUAMAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Site Preparation & Civil Works (Clearing, Grading, Earthworks, Roads) (EUAMAFAA), Construction Management & General Contracting (EPCM, Scheduling, QA/QC, HSE) (EUAMAFAJ), Microgrid, DER & Building Electrification Energy Controls (Solar/Storage/EV Load Orchestration) (BPABAGAJ)

Keywords

• Opportunity zone development
• Clean energy real estate
• Solar microgrid development
• Net-zero community development
• EV charging infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Opportunity Zone Real Estate Development: The company develops large-scale mixed-use real estate projects in designated opportunity zones. Revenue is generated through project equity raises, developer fees, and long-term asset appreciation. Projects target specific OZ equity amounts (e.g., $100M OZ equity for Midtown Station, $25M for MKC Airport).
2. Clean Energy Infrastructure Development: Development and deployment of solar microgrids and EV charging infrastructure as part of OZ projects. Revenue derived from project financing, government grants (e.g., GGRF loan), and long-term energy cost savings passed through to communities.
3. Aviation Development (Project Lima / Wheeler Downtown Airport): $55 million aviation campus development including FBO, terminal, hangar, office, and shop space. Revenue through development fees, joint venture equity, and long-term aviation facility operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Eastside Innovation is a real estate development firm that plans, finances, and executes Opportunity Zone projects in Kansas City (KS/MO) and Los Angeles, embedding clean energy infrastructure such as solar microgrids and EV charging into mixed-use and aviation-adjacent developments. Its portfolio includes Midtown Station, the MKC Airport Aviation Project, and the DTLA Expansion, each structured around long-horizon community benefit and net-zero-oriented design.

Product overview

Eastside Innovation is a real estate development company operating as a single unified offering focused on opportunity zone development. The company develops multiple project types including net-zero mixed-use residential developments (Midtown Station), aviation facilities (MKC Airport, Apex Aero Center/Project Lima), and commercial/retail properties (DTLA Expansion). All projects emphasize clean energy integration through solar microgrids and EV charging infrastructure. The company is structured with Airside Innovation as a specialized aviation development division. The portfolio spans Kansas City (Kansas and Missouri) and Los Angeles, with projects ranging from $60M to $1B in value.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• $1B net-zero mixed-use development with 2,000+ housing units (50% affordable)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Moss AdamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoss Adams is a professional services firm providing tax expertise to Eastside Innovation. Through this partnership, Eastside Innovation strategically stacks ITC (Investment Tax Credit), LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credit), OZ (Opportunity Zone), and MACRS depreciation benefits to maximize value for investors and communities.
• Airside FBOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirside FBO is a joint venture partner with Eastside Innovation in Airside Innovation Missouri LLC, formed to develop the final 20 acres at Wheeler Downtown Airport (Project Lima). Airside FBO contributes aviation facility operations expertise and FBO development experience to the partnership.
• Apex Aero CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning, Kansas City–based Apex Aero Center operates the new FBO at Wheeler Downtown Airport as part of the $55 million aviation campus development. Apex has a proven track record at this airport, having grown Hangar 10 which opened in 2009 and became Atlantic Aviation. Apex is led by Eiserer.
• Red Tail AcademyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Tail Academy is a nonprofit that mentors underrepresented youth in aviation. Eastside Innovation's partnership with Red Tail Academy is central to the Wheeler Downtown Airport project, ensuring community and workforce development outcomes — career pathways and educational opportunities in aviation for local youth.
• PanasonicminorOthersPanasonic is referenced in Eastside Innovation's blog as an external example of how battery plant development in DeSoto is changing the regional economic landscape. No formal partnership is described; Panasonic is cited as a reference point for OZ-adjacent clean energy development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Atlantic Aviation: Major US FBO operator with terminal and hangar infrastructure at dozens of business airports, including Wheeler Downtown Airport (via the former Hangar 10 / Atlantic Aviation Hangar). Competes directly with Eastside Innovation's Apex Aero Center FBO development at MKC.
• BRIDGE Housing: Bay Area nonprofit developer of affordable and mixed-use housing with deep expertise in layering public financing (LIHTC, OZ-adjacent, tax-exempt bonds). Comparable to Eastside Innovation in mission-driven mixed-income development and complex incentive stacking.
• The Community Builders: Nonprofit affordable housing and community development firm that develops mixed-use and mixed-income real estate in opportunity neighborhoods. Comparable to Eastside Innovation in combining community impact orientation with large-scale real estate development.
• Signature Flight Support: Global FBO network operating premium aviation facilities. Comparable as a competitor for premium FBO tenants and as a benchmark for the operational economics of the Wheeler Downtown Airport development Eastside Innovation is building.
• McCormack Baron Salazar: National mission-driven developer of affordable and mixed-income housing in historically disinvested urban neighborhoods. Highly comparable to Eastside Innovation's community-first OZ mixed-use model with a similar focus on uplifting legacy residents rather than displacing them.

Others

• Moss Adams: National accounting and tax advisory firm that is Eastside Innovation's core tax-incentive stacking partner. Relevant as an enabling/ecosystem participant — the depth of Moss Adams's incentive engineering is a key input to Eastside's investor economics and competitive positioning.

Emerging players

• BlocPower: Climate tech startup that finances and deploys clean energy retrofits, solar, and building electrification in underserved urban buildings. Directly comparable to Eastside Innovation's solar microgrid + community-empowerment thesis and similar focus on disinvested urban markets.
• SunLight General Capital: Solar and clean energy developer with deep experience in opportunity zones and New York City affordable housing. Closely comparable niche — combining clean energy infrastructure development with OZ tax-incentive projects.

Broad incumbents

• Lendlease: Global developer with US affordable housing and large mixed-use projects (e.g., San Francisco Candlestick/Hunters Point redevelopment). Comparable as a large-scale incumbent developer of mixed-use, mixed-income projects, though with broader global exposure and deeper resources.
• The Related Companies: One of the largest US real estate developers with a meaningful affordable and mixed-use practice (Related Affordable, Hudson Yards-adjacent OZ exposure). Comparable as a broad incumbent capable of executing large mixed-use projects with tax-incentive complexity, but operating across many more categories than Eastside Innovation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eastside-innovation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eastside Innovation