Michael Niemtzow
Michael Niemtzow (Mike “Nimzo”) is Co-Founder and Managing Member of New Orleans Redevelopment Fund (NORF). A serial entrepreneur, Mike is constantly looking for ways to reinvent and bring a new perspective to the things we do and see in our everyday lives. This focus and passion has led to his success with companies across real estate, fashion, and healthcare. Born to a Parisian mother and having spent much of his childhood between France and the U.S., Mike gained an early appreciation for beauty and architecture. As an adult, Mike harnessed his desire to help the community and love of old buildings to take on the challenge of blight in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina.
The New Orleans Redevelopment Fund is one of Louisiana’s leading private developers revitalizing blighted neighborhoods while specializing in the adaptive re-use of historic buildings and urban infill. Founded in 2013, NORF has redeveloped more than 200,000 SQFT of blighted property, reflecting $37 million of investment into New Orleans, and bringing back 200 residential units into commerce.
Originally from Maryland, Mike attended Tulane University and graduated cum laude. After four years serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy with two deployments to the Middle East, he attended NYU’s Stern School of Business and earned an MBA. After 7 years working on Wall Street as an investment banker, he is now an investor in and operator of NORF and other exciting companies.