DeLisa Guerrier Interview with ABC to CEO

Welcome back to the ABC to CEO: Preparing for the Possibility Podcast!

Today, our host, Sharon Fiehler welcomes DeLisa Guerrier, Managing Partner of Guerrier Development, a Nashville-based firm that has been developing communities and neighborhoods for 13 years. DeLisa is also the Co-Founder and Developer of Storyville Gardens. In this episode, she shares her recipe for success, talks about the impact of representation, the incredible example her mother is and the importance of thinking big. DeLisa reminds us that the scale of our vision is up to us and we can choose to think small or think big, so think big! She also shares how her love for reading and writing and the need for literacy led to the vision for Storyville Gardens, a theme park based upon literacy. She is a true powerhouse and one of the few minority women in real estate development. We are thrilled that she took time to speak with us and share her story. We hope it inspires you to think big and go after your own goals!

The Guerrier Development journey started with Elde Guerrier’s journey from humble beginnings in Haiti to him becoming the founder of a company with over $500M in projects at various stages of development in middle Tennessee. It was a serendipitous encounter with DeLisa when she met her now-husband Elde, which set a course for the great success in their future.

Originally on a path to become a physician, DeLisa relocated from California to Nashville. There, she discovered a different calling—marrying Elde, obtaining her real estate license, and partnering with him to aid Nashville’s residents facing foreclosure or short sales in the post-recession real estate market. This union of talents gave rise to a formidable force in the real estate industry, culminating in the establishment of Guerrier Development.

DeLisa’s distinction as one of the few women in the state licensed as a general contractor for commercial, residential, and industrial construction earned her recognition, including being the youngest woman by 30 years to be inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame. Her unique position in a male-dominated field, especially as part of a husband-wife team, sets her apart.

In addition to their remarkable achievements, DeLisa is a founding member of the Black Owner and Women’s Collective (BOW), an organization dedicated to helping black women entrepreneurs secure capital and contracts for growth. She is also affiliated with the Women Business Collaborative (WBC) and Women Presidents Organization (WPO).