Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Executive Vice President, Merchants Capital
Achievements: Julie Sharp leads the tax credit equity division at Merchants Capital, the real estate financing division of Merchants Bank. Her team is responsible for raising institutional capital to support multifamily housing developments across the United States. Since 2021, the team has raised more than $1.9 billion in tax credit equity to support nearly 20,000 affordable rental homes. Its local investments include North End Apartments in Carmel, a mixed-income, multifamily campus sponsored by Old Town Development, which set aside 40 units for intellectually disabled adults, and the Anthony & Marvetta Grimes Family Center, a 36-unit affordable housing property in west Indianapolis that will support single mothers overcoming addiction.
Career track: Before joining Merchants 4-1/2 years ago, Sharp spent eight years at a boutique equity syndication firm that provided only financing options for equity. “I saw an opportunity for Merchants to provide all aspect of financing with the addition of equity, which is what I specialize in,” she said.
Influential moment: Sharp decided to leave her company and start a platform at Merchants Capital. Her first day was March 16, 2020—the start of the pandemic shutdown. “I started the day with a computer and office tour and ended it with a prompt work-from-home notice. It is always a scary time to start a new job, but starting a new platform and building a team and pipeline (all the while with three kids under 5 all at home—with daycare closed) was an entirely different task altogether.”
Givebacks: Sharp is board secretary for the Washington, D.C.-based Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition. She also serves as a mentor for The Goldie Initiative, a Chicago-based scholarship fund that awards high-achieving women interested in pursuing careers in commercial real estate finance, construction or development with graduate-school scholarships.
Advice for young women: “Show up. Show up to the office, show up to the meetings, take business trips, and take any opportunity you get to be in front of your clients.”•
Check out more Women of Influence honorees.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.