A Foundation, Thirty Years in the Making

About two weeks ago, I wrote about the places we choose to build. I didn’t realize then that I was circling something much more personal.

Today’s Monday Thought is about why we’re launching the Ampersand Foundation, and why, after nearly a decade working alongside the real estate industry, it feels like the right moment to commit ourselves, long-term, to one of the most consequential challenges we face in America: housing affordability.

When I was twelve years old, I traveled with my mother to some of the most remote schools in Venezuela.

She was working on a program called Matemática Divertida.

A radio-based math curriculum designed for rural public schools where trained teachers were scarce.

Math lessons broadcast over the air.

Interactive.

Joyful.

Effective.

This was pre-internet.

Pre-smartphones.

Pre-everything we now take for granted.

My “job” was to translate.

I sat in meetings with educators, policymakers, and World Bank representatives, moving between Spanish and English.

But the moments that stayed with me weren’t the meetings.

They were the classrooms.

On islands like Coche, near Margarita—beautiful, isolated, and deeply underserved—I watched children light up when they realized it was time for math.

For many of them, it was the class they looked forward to most.

They didn’t have much.

Few resources.

Limited exposure to the world beyond their island.

But for that hour, learning felt possible.

Empowering.

Expansive.

I’m 41 now.

That was 29 years ago.

And whether I realized it or not, that experience planted a pebble that’s been rippling ever since.

As we approach our 10th year working alongside a national homebuilder in 2026, collaborating on technology, data, AI, and innovation, I’ve found myself reflecting not just on what we’ve built—but why.

Housing affordability isn’t a niche issue.

It’s not partisan.

It’s not ideological.

It’s foundational.

When people don’t feel secure about where they live—whether they can afford rent, keep a mortgage, or plan beyond the next year—everything else gets harder.

People delay marriage.

Delay children.

Delay risk-taking.

Delay possibility.

Today, the average first-time homebuyer in the U.S. is nearly 40 years old (a number that keeps climbing).

That’s not just a market signal.

It’s a human one.

The Ampersand Foundation is our attempt to bring systems thinking, human-centered design, data, and emerging technology together in service of a single question:

We don’t pretend to have all the answers.

What we do have are questions, experience, and a growing sense of responsibility.

As a starting point, Ampersand Consulting has committed 10% of our quarterly profits to fund the foundation’s work.

This is a long-term commitment.

One that invites collaboration, challenge, and imagination.

If this resonates, I’d invite you to explore the foundation and follow along as we shape what comes next:

👉 https://foundation.thinkampersand.com

And if you have ideas, what-ifs, introductions, perspectives, we’re listening.

This week also happens to be a meaningful one for my family.

My mother (see above) and my daughter Olivia (who happens to be turning 12)

share a birthday on Wednesday.

And my niece Sofia (now 14 and the most active subscriber of this newsletter!) is also celebrating.

It feels like the right moment to honor where this all began, and what we’re choosing to build next.

👇

⚡ Quick Hits

• • 📊 AI could materially cut housing development costs
  Recent industry data shows AI tools—like generative design, predictive analytics, and automation—can reduce construction waste and material costs by 20–30% and speed builds, potentially lowering barriers to delivering affordable units.

  → read more

• 🏙️ Housing affordability debate intensifies globally
  Cities like Belfast are now posting double-digit rent increases with growing supply gaps—highlighting urgent need for both policy and tech solutions that scale.

  → read more

• 🧠 Conversational AI tools could empower tenants & landlords
  New research highlights conversational AI applications that help tenants and small landlords navigate contracts, rights, and housing complexities—bringing clarity to areas traditionally underserved by legal tech.

  → read more

• 📈 82% of Americans use AI for housing market insights
  A recent Realtor.com survey shows the majority of prospective buyers and sellers now rely on AI tools for personalized housing data and market context—suggesting broad consumer adoption shaping real estate decisions.

  → read more

• 🔌 AI growth has knock-on effects for infrastructure & housing
  Rapid expansion of AI-supporting data centers is straining utilities in some regions, delaying residential connections and housing delivery—a reminder that tech progress and housing supply intersect in unexpected ways.

  → read more

🪨 The Pebble

Where in your life does certainty unlock momentum?

Not perfection.
Not guarantees.
Just enough stability to plan the next step.

This week, notice what happens when something feels settled—a role, a routine, a relationship, a place.
Does your thinking expand?
Do your options multiply?

Now flip the question:

Where might a small increase in certainty create an outsized ripple?

That’s the pebble.
Pick it up.
See where it travels.

📊 Poll

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Weekly reflections on the human side of technology. Fresh thinking at the edge of work, AI, and life.

[#32] On an ⚡️18 week streak over here. Highly recommend a weekly writing ritual like this one to anyone on the fence about it, just start.

It’s 73 degrees in Aventura today but somewhat rainy.

Hope you have an awesome week. Only a couple left in 2025. 👀