Daniel W. Bythewood, Sr.
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Serving as La Cité's Chief Executive Officer, Dan Bythewood, Sr. was a real estate investor and managing partner in Neptune Capital LLC, a limited liability company that invests in emerging new economy companies. He was an investor and partner in Flag Luxury Properties LLC, a real estate development company that was responsible for constructing high-end properties for the Marriott Group in the United States. One project, the Miami South Beach Ritz-Carlton, is a 375-room hotel and spa with banquet facilities, specialty restaurants and luxury retail stores, which opened in 2002. Another development is the Ritz-Carlton Club in Jupiter, Florida with Jack Nicklaus. This project closed in April 2001. Flag Luxury also tied up the last “A” location in Las Vegas with a joint venture group to develop a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, fractional club and casino. Dan Bythewood, Sr. played an integral part in raising money for investment into these projects. During the mid 1980s, Dan, Sr. established Wildwood Gaming, Inc., a riverboat gaming corporation seeking riverboat gaming licenses within the United States. In addition, he owned and operated Jet Routes Unlimited, a private jet charter service with contracts with ABC Sports and Jim Henson Properties. The company was sold in the early eighties, and Dan Bythewood, Sr. served as its President and Chief Operating Officer.
Dan Bythewood
President and Co-Founder
As a Founding Partner of La Cité Development, Dan Bythewood serves as President and Managing Partner of the company. A real estate financier and developer, Mr. Bythewood has extensive knowledge of the real estate market and has fully structured and negotiated real estate ventures from initial concepts through building, renovation, lease up and completion. Prior to the founding of La Cité Development, Dan Bythewood was an acquisitions manager at New York Equity Fund, a division of the National Equity Fund, the largest syndicator of tax credits. While at the New York Equity Fund, Mr. Bythewood managed the construction and ultimately administration of large development and disposition programs within the City of New York such as the Neighborhood Redevelopment Program (NRP), Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Program (NEP), and the Neighborhood Homes Program (NHP). While at the New York Equity Fund, Dan Bythewood was in charge of in excess of a billion dollar portfolio of projects, and personally developed and invested $150 million dollars in net equity. The multi-faceted nature of the tax credit portfolio allowed Mr. Bythewood to fully understand co-ownership ventures and to establish superb banking relationships with traditional and non-traditional lenders, tax credit allocating agencies, city governments and joint venture partners. A seasoned entrepreneur both in the United States and abroad, including Europe, the Middle East, and Ghana, Africa, Dan Bythewood is a series 6 registered and licensed representative with the NASD. Mr. Bythewood earned his BA from Adelphi University.
Susan L. Taylor
Founding Member
Susan Taylor is an investor and partner in Flag Luxury Properties, LLC. She is, additionally,editorial director of Essence magazine and senior vice-president and chief content officer of Essence Communications Partners (ECP). For more than 20 years she has been the driving force behind one of the most celebrated Black-owned-business success stories of the past three decades. She also functions as executive producer of the annually televised “Essence Awards” and serves in a similar capacity for the annual Essence Music Festival. As a member of the board of directors of ECP, she is involved in the diversified company’s many ventures. The author of three books, she is a much-sought-after speaker.
Khephra Burns
Founding Member
Khephra Burns is an investor and partner in Flag Luxury Properties, LLC which is currently developing properties for the Marriott Group, which has developed such sites as the South Beach (Miami) Ritz-Carlton, the Ritz-Carlton Club in Jupiter, Florida, and another Ritz-Carlton hotel, fractional club and casino in Las Vegas. Mr. Burns’ 24-year career as an author, editor, television writer and producer, has afforded him opportunities to develop personal and business relationships with movers and shakers in media, business and government, locally, nationally and internationally.
The Late Robert Johnson
Founding Member