ESR Academy, founded by Craig L. Sawyer, is a development training and mentorship platform designed to equip emerging real estate developers with the technical skills, industry access, and real-world exposure needed to build equitable, community-centered projects. The Academy provides an intentional pathway into the development industry for individuals who have historically lacked the networks, capital access, mentorship, and hands-on experience that traditionally determine who succeeds in real estate.
Grounded in practical learning and ethical development principles, ESR Academy educates participants on how real estate can be leveraged as a tool for long-term community impact. Through a comprehensive curriculum, students engage in live instruction, technical workshops, and project-based learning that mirror actual development processes. Rather than relying on theoretical case studies, ESR immerses trainees directly into active, in-progress projects within the Poiema Development Group pipeline and its partner ecosystem. Participants work on real assignments—deal sourcing, underwriting, public funding strategy, entitlements, due diligence, community engagement, and more—allowing them to apply classroom knowledge in real time.
A key feature of the Academy is its integration of industry professionals, consultants, lenders, attorneys, public officials, and experienced developers as guest instructors. These sessions provide participants with firsthand exposure to real-world challenges, professional decision-making, and networking opportunities that are typically inaccessible to newcomers. ESR Academy serves as a bridge into the industry, demystifying development while empowering rising practitioners with the sophistication, confidence, and discipline required to perform at a high level.
At its core, ESR Academy exists to activate the next generation of equitable developers—individuals who not only understand the mechanics of real estate finance and development, but also embrace the responsibility of shaping communities with integrity. By combining mentorship, technical training, and real-world project alignment, the Academy builds local development capacity and ensures that the voices guiding future urban revitalization reflect the diversity, aspirations, and long-term needs of the communities they serve.
Vision and Mission
Poiema Development Group envisions a new model for real estate education—one in which learning occurs within a functioning real estate venture, rather than apart from it. ESR Academy’s mission is to cultivate a new generation of developers who can competently navigate the full project lifecycle, from concept and feasibility through construction, lease-up, and long-term operations. By embedding participants directly into an active development, ESR transforms theory into practice. Students experience the true dynamics of the field: the unpredictability, the strategic adjustments, the negotiation, the risk, and ultimately the reward. This immersive approach builds real competence, not hypothetical knowledge.
An equally powerful outcome of this model is economic empowerment. Participants do not merely study development—they step into it. They gain professional credentials, industry relationships, and the opportunity to build wealth through actual developer fees and equity participation. ESR Academy’s Cohort III GP structure represents a rare fusion of education, execution, and ownership designed to expand who gets to build—and benefit from—community-driven development.