Troy as a young boy in Kansas City
The Beginning Nobody Chooses
Troy Nash grew up in Kansas City, Missouri—raised by a single mother with six children, living on welfare, in Section 8 housing. He was labeled "at-risk" early. Teachers told him he wasn't college material. He bounced between public housing projects—Holy Temple Homes, Friendship Village Apartments—neighborhoods where drugs, crime, and violence were part of daily life.
This wasn't a unique story. It's the story of millions of American families—in inner cities, in rural towns, in struggling suburban neighborhoods. Families working hard but caught in systems that weren't designed for them to succeed.
Serving in the U.S. Air Force
The Turning Point
As a teenager on the edge of dropping out, Troy discovered the United States Air Force. It changed everything. The military taught him discipline, focus, and a fundamental truth: with the right structure and opportunity, anyone can rise above their circumstances.
He served during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, earned his first college degree while on active duty, and returned home with a new mission: to help others find the same path he'd found.
"The Air Force showed me that my zip code didn't define my destiny. It showed me what was possible when someone believes in you and gives you the tools to succeed. I've spent my life trying to give that same chance to others."
Bringing His Family Along
At age 25, Troy converted his mother's small house into a classroom. He bought used textbooks from thrift stores and tutored his three older brothers—all of whom enrolled in college for the first time. His mother, at 55 years old, earned her GED with his help and enrolled in college herself.
When she passed away on March 15, 2003, she was a junior in college. The University of Missouri-Kansas City posthumously awarded her a Bachelor's degree. Troy accepted it on her behalf.
This is why family is at the center of everything Troy does. This is why he co-founded AGI Affinity with his daughter Arielle. Because transformation isn't just individual—it's generational.
Breaking Barriers Nobody Knew Existed
Troy went on to serve on the Kansas City City Council, chairing the Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee that oversaw more than $10 billion in development—the largest economic development boom in the city's history.
Then he entered the private sector. Within seven years at Newmark Zimmer, one of Missouri's top commercial real estate firms, Troy made history: becoming the first African American principal at a top-tier real estate company in Missouri—shattering a glass ceiling that had stood since Missouri became the 24th state on August 10, 1821.
"I later found out I was the first not only in my state but in 32 others," Troy says. "That's not something to celebrate—it's something to fix. No one should have to be 'the first' in 2014."
Building for Everyone
Today, through The Nash Group, Troy and Arielle have developed over 254 affordable housing units with more than $100 million in development. They're not just building homes—they're building futures. Because Troy knows from experience: if your home life is unstable, everything in your life is unstable.
But housing is just one piece. Troy sees technology access as the next great barrier—the next thing that will separate those who thrive from those who get left behind. That's why he founded AGI Affinity.
