EB5 Investors Magazine Volume 5, Issue 2 | Page 93

TOP ECONOMISTS KEVIN WRIGHT the needs of potential investors from around the world. Wright’s experience in the EB-5 industry dates back to 2006. As the founder of Wright Johnson LLC, Wright was responsible for the creation of over 200 regional centers and he has authored hundreds of economic s t u d i e s i n m a ny d i ve r s e i n d u s t r y sectors. He is a frequent speaker on EB-5 in several markets including China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Brazil, Korea, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Vietnam. Additionally, Wright is a former IIUSA committee member and is a current member of the President’s Advisory Counsel. EB-5 Economist & Consultant Baker Tilly Capital K evin Wright is an EB-5 economist and consultant with Baker Tilly Capital. He works within the EB-5 and New Markets Ta x C r e d i t p r a c ti c e a r e as to p r ov i d e flexible and affordable capital to qualifying projects and businesses. Within EB -5, Wright works with regional centers and project sponsors to design and structure secure and marketable projects that meet WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY? diverse cultures and help them to become a part of the American dream. WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY? With the meltdown in Chinese investment due to the retrogression, we see that investment is down 75 percent in China. The agents are seeking rural projects based upon the idea that new legislation will allow investors in rural projects to move to the front of the line. As an industry, we see project developers more evenly focused all around the world and not just focusing on China. There has been a dramatic increase in investors from Vietnam, India and South America. We have also seen the shift towards the use of broker dealers in the EB-5 space. When I became involved in the EB-5 industry it was very early on and a couple of years before the economic crash of 2008. What really attracted me to the industry is its complexity. There are so many challenging facets to the program that I found stimulating, including its global nature, where you have the opportunity to meet unique families from EB5INVESTORS.COM 92