TOP ECONOMISTS
MICHAEL KESTER
IMPACT DATASOURCE
M i c h a e l Ke s te r i s p a r t n e r
and lead EB-5 economist
with Impact DataSource.
Established in 1993, Impact
DataSource, a Texas- based
firm, specializes in high-quality
economic and fiscal impact research services. The firm
began offering specialized EB-5 services in 2010 and has
become a leading resource for the industry. Kester leads
the firm’s specialized EB-5 economics team that offers
EB-5 consulting services, analyses and deliverables that
reflect the evolving needs of EB-5 clients and the ever-
changing requirements of USCIS. The EB-5 team has
completed more than 500 comprehensive EB-5 economic
studies and assisted clients in obtaining more than 1,000
TEA certifications.
WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED
IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY?
Leveraging its more than 20 years of experience, Impact
DataSource entered the world of EB-5 service providers in
2010 focusing on economic analysis, when an existing
client asked us to help on an EB-5 project. We were able to
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EB5 INVESTORS M AGAZINE
leverage our background to help that client on our first
successful EB-5 project. Impact DataSource’s EB-5 team
now consists of dedicated and specialized EB-5 economists
assisting a variety of clients in completing their EB-5
documentation and meeting their goal of creating American
jobs and growing the nation’s economy.
WHAT NEW TYPES OF PROJECTS
AND TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING
IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY AFTER THE
NEW REGULATIONS TOOK EFFECT?
Since the new regulations took effect, we are getting many
inquiries to analyze TEA eligibility of potential project
locations. However, right now, not a lot of projects are
moving forward. As the industry adjusts, I think we'll likely
see more smaller projects as opposed to the huge real
estate projects of the past. It is possible we might see more
rural projects, such as solar power plants and infrastructure,
but right now we have not had too many inquiries about rural
locations. I believe we might see more project types where
the site selection is more flexible than a real estate-based
project, such as technology companies.