Renowned Chicago real estate developer Bonita Harrison is once again raising the bar for having been nominated as South Side Developer of the Year by Cook County Land Bank Authority. The nomination underscores her wide-ranging impact and steadfast dedication to improving the built environment across Cook County. 

With over two decades of industry experience, Harrison has made a lasting mark through her meaningful work in revitalizing Black neighborhoods, earning widespread recognition and a growing list of accolades as a female developer. She is the visionary behind Sunshine Management, the development arm contributing $30 million to Black generational wealth, and KBM Realty, a trusted Chicago firm providing personalized real estate advisory and property management services. Through these companies, she invests in transforming vacant land into housing, creating employment opportunities, and providing long-term housing stability for members of the community. Her work ensures that opportunity and security are passed from one generation to the next. 

“Since the beginning of my journey in real estate, I have always viewed it as a platform for empowerment. Anchoring my companies’ efforts to that mission has brought us to where we are today. We are not only changing communities. We are changing lives,” Harrison shares. “And this nomination from the Cook County Land Bank Authority is a meaningful affirmation of the purpose we continue to amplify.” 

This year’s Awards and Recognition Luncheon is centered on the theme “Unlocking the Future,” celebrating how reinvestment in vacant properties and land can drive long-term, equitable growth across the region. It will be held on February 19 at The Bridgeport Art Center. 

In 2018, Harrison made history as the first woman, first Black person, and youngest recipient of the Cook County Land Bank Authority’s Developer of the Year Award.