Francis Greenburger

Francis Greenburger is the founder, chair, CEO, and guiding force behind Time Equities, Inc. (TEI), the real estate investment, development, and asset and property management business he established in 1966. TEI’s portfolio encompasses properties in 23 states; five Canadian provinces; and Berlin, Germany, and includes more than 18 million square feet of residential, industrial, office, and retail property.

A native New Yorker, Greenburger took a circuitous route to building a real estate empire. After dropping out of Stuyvesant High School at age 15, he worked at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc., a pioneering literary agency founded by his parents, and managed two bands before he ventured into real estate with the purchase of a West Village apartment building, which he converted into co-ops. He subsequently finished high school by attending Washington Irving High at night and went on to attend nearby Baruch College, from which he graduated in 1974.

Well known throughout the real estate industry for his ability to anticipate real estate trends and changing market conditions, Greenburger is a classic example of a successful entrepreneur who built a thriving business through initiative, perseverance, and calculated risk taking. His experiences as a real estate mogul and as manager of a storied literary agency, as well as his background as a one-time high school dropout who not only returned to graduate but went on to obtain a college degree, make him a unique and valuable resource in the realm of business education. In this context, Greenburger has been instrumental in supporting the strategic goals of the Zicklin School of Business as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council.

Greenburger’s educational and professional experiences have informed his deep and enduring interest in education and the arts, and his philanthropic pursuits have benefited society by broadening and strengthening the arts community and childhood education in New York City and beyond. He actively supports and serves on the boards of various arts and community organizations, including Art Omi International Art Center, The Catalog for Giving, MASS MoCA Foundation, Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School, Tribes, and New York Triangle Workshop.

Greenburger has also drawn from his personal experiences in his work as an agent for change in the area of social justice. Having witnessed the lack of institutional support and rehabilitative services available for a mentally ill family member who ran afoul of the legal system, he founded the Greenburger Center for Social and Criminal Justice, whose main focus is to establish better mental health treatment for inmates in U.S. prisons. Greenburger is president and founder of the center, which advocates for reforms to the U.S. criminal justice system. Greenburger also lends his valuable business expertise, contacts, and perspectives in support of Baruch’s Zicklin School of Business in his role as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council.

Greenburger’s social consciousness and philanthropy are indicative of his deep engagement with society on numerous levels—efforts that benefit under-served populations and groups whose voices are not always heard.