Sharon Lai is a seasoned community development, real estate and management professional with more than two decades of experience leading equitable planning, housing, economic and neighborhood development initiatives across the San Francisco Bay Area. She is part of the leadership team serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), a regional nonprofit community development corporation and affordable housing provider that develops, owns, and operates housing and community-serving commercial real estate throughout Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara counties.
Sharon started her career as an urban planner for Bay Area municipalities including the City and County of San Francisco. She later worked in private sector real estate development in senior leadership to drive mixed-use and public-private-partnership projects regionally and nationally. Sharon was the founding Executive Director of a state-wide interim homeless housing nonprofit during the pandemic, piloting innovative construction methods and housing models. Most recently, she led a place-based economic development project with the World Economic Forum benefiting San Francisco’s downtown revitalization.
Sharon has previously served as commissioner on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board and the Treasure Island Development Authority Board. She currently also serves on local and national nonprofit boards.