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Michael Yarne

Housing innovator, entrepreneur & builder of purpose-driven teams.

Michael Yarne is a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience in urban development, policy, construction tech, and land use law.

He co-founded a construction tech company, developed over 2,000 multifamily units, served in mayoral administrations, and practiced land use law. Yarne is known as a creative problem-solver, design thinker, and skilled coach.

Yarne was recruited to lead MX Studio, a division of Lendlease Digital focusing on product development partnerships in prefab construction. He reorganized the North American team, sourced new manufacturer partnerships, and enhanced internal processes before leaving in August 2022.

As cofounder of Social Construct (SoCo), a venture-backed construction tech startup, Yarne raised over $17M, launched a software platform, designed hardware, established a supply chain, and delivered a proof-of-concept apartment building in Oakland.

Yarne also led a team at Build Inc., delivering a pipeline of over 2,000 San Francisco multifamily units. He founded PlaceLab, an incubator, and taught land use law and economics at UC Berkeley.

During his advisory roles with San Francisco Mayors Newsom and Lee, Yarne contributed to impactful legislation, infrastructure projects, and a large-scale housing development.

Before ventures in tech and development, Yarne worked as a land use attorney at Farella Braun + Martel. His educational background includes a JD and MCP from UC Berkeley and a BA from Williams College. His commitment to purpose-driven work began during his Peace Corps service in Niger.

Yarne has been associated with various organizations, including Black Oak Group, Social Construct Company, University of California Berkeley, BUILD Inc., Place Lab, Lendlease, Martin Building Company, among others.

Highlights

Jul 2 · linkedin

Fantastic news for San Francisco! Thanks Scott for your tremendous leadership.

Jun 21 · linkedin

Very proud to be advising the Esmeralda Land Company as we pioneer better forms of urbanism.

Michael Yarne
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Location

Berkeley, California, United States