Lyneir Richardson

Lyneir Richardson is an entrepreneur working to empower urban entrepreneurs and strengthen economic conditions in ethnic and underserved areas across the United States. He wears multiple hats, investing in commercial real estate, educating and advising entrepreneurs and MBA students, and structuring deals to get capital to urban entrepreneurs.

Lyneir is the Executive Director of the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CUEED) at Rutgers University, where he leads capacity-building programs that have assisted 450+ N.J. entrepreneurs. He is Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Management and Global Business at Rutgers Business School, where he teaches a highly-rated urban entrepreneurship and economic development course and counsels MBA students on community business consulting projects. Lyneir is also CEO of The Chicago TREND Corporation, a social enterprise funded by prestigious impact investors to stimulate and invest in urban retail development. To date, Chicago TREND has raised $17M+ to catalyze commercial corridor development in urban neighborhoods. 

Lyneir served as the Chief Executive Officer of the primary economic development corporation in Newark, NJ, for two different mayoral administrations. Early in his career, Lyneir founded his first company and was named a U.S. Small Business Administration "Young Entrepreneur of the Year". Lyneir started his career as a corporate attorney at the First National Bank of Chicago.

Lyneir graduated from Bradley University and the University of Chicago Law School.