about us
STAFF
Jeff Levy, MCP MSRED, founder
Jeff is an Associate Director at AEGON Community Investments Group, a division of AEGON USA Realty Advisors, Inc. responsible for originating tax-credit equity investments on behalf of AEGON USA life insurance companies. JeffÕs responsibilities at AEGON include origination, underwriting, and closing of tax credit real estate investments, including affordable housing and historic preservation. Prior to AEGON, Jeff worked as an investment analyst at the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC), a prominent and highly successful state equity fund that syndicates investments in affordable housing, historic preservation, and New Markets Tax Credit real estate projects throughout Massachusetts. While at AEGON and MHIC, Jeff has worked on deals with a combined total development cost of over $450 million.
Jeff grew up at Temple BÕnai Israel, the largest reform synagogue in Sacramento, where he was advisor of the high school youth group (1998-2000). He was a camper, Counselor-in-Training (CIT Õ92), and Counselor at URJ Camp Swig and a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Sacramento Intergroup Relations Committee (2000). Jeff is currently a member of Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco where he is Co-Chair of the Young Adult Leadership Committee. Jeff is also a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Taskforce on Energy Independence, a volunteer ÒCommunity ConnectorÓ with the American Jewish World Service, part of the 2007 crop of Jewish young leadership ÒtalentÓ at the Professional Leaders Project (www.jewishleaders.net), a volunteer tutor and academic mentor with Back on Track (www.backontrack.org), and a volunteer solar installer with the non-profit GRID Alternatives (www.gridalternatives.org).
Jeff holds Masters Degrees in City Planning and Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley.
Stephen Honikman, MS, JD, founder
Raised in a solar home with a strong Jewish identity, Stephen has a life long interest in emerging energy technology, green business and Tikkun Olam. Committed to the notion that Tikkun Olam should be embraced and practiced by the Jewish organizations that espouse it, Stephen formed JFSI to make morally responsible renewable energy a financially viable option for Jewish facilities. JFSI is a direct outgrowth of Stephen’s interest in quantifying how green-business decisions can improve organizational bottom lines.
Stephen currently provides strategic liability and forensic engineering consulting services for a boutique accident reconstruction firm in Santa Barbara, CA. Stephen also provides consulting and technology-to-business liaison services (bridging the communications divide between technical and business disciplines) in the areas of clean-tech assessment and strategic green business-development. Stephen's professional background includes business development and technology consulting experience at both high-growth start-ups and multi-national corporations: building and managing interdisciplinary operations and engineering teams, guiding business unit formation and strategic product development.
Stephen grew up at Congregation B'nai Brith in Santa Barbara and spent many summers at URJ Camp Swig and Newman, serving as CIT Director and other senior staff positions in the late 1990's. Stephen attended Boston University for undergraduate studies in International Relations and Economics and holds a Juris Doctor and Masters of Science in Technology and Human Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis. Stephen's graduate work focused on corporate and intellectual property law, technology assessment and emerging energy technology commercialization policy.