Devon Zuegel, founder and CEO of the Esmeralda Institute, joins us on the latest episode of The Coral Capital Podcast.

After building online communities, scaling open-source programs at GitHub, and hosting Notion’s Pioneers series, Devon Zuegel is now bringing her expertise offline to create a family focused village north of San Francisco.

In this episode, she shares the challenges of shaping a people centered village, from navigating complex land use regulations to balancing environmental realities.

Topics explored:

- How San Francisco’s housing shortages inspired Devon to create Esmeralda

- Why California’s CEQA further fueled Devon’s passion for urban planning

- Designing multi-generational, walkable communities with a balance of density and nature

- The concept of “traveling neighborhoods” and fostering connection through shared experiences

- The hardware and software of building a physical community

- Integrating seniors, families, and diverse age groups into a cohesive community

- Creating lasting culture and connection through deliberate programming and shared experiences

If you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!

Get in touch with us here: bit.ly/contactcoral

Connect with Devon:

X: https://x.com/devonzuegel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonzuegel/

Connect with Tiffany:

X: https://x.com/tiffanykayo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/

Connect with Alexandra Silverman:

X: https://x.com/AlexandraFayeS

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afsilverman/

00:00 Intro

00:46 Meet Devin

08:19 Placemaking and Traveling Neighborhoods

16:51 Building Esmeralda

31:12 Supporting Families in Northern California

33:23 Incorporating the Elderly in Community Planning

38:17 Learning from Other Towns and Cities

47:09 Building a New Town

267 Acres, One Vision: The Making of Esmeralda | Devon Zuegel

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