CHICAGO, IL- SEPTEMBER 30, 2025 — HRP Group (HRP), a vertically integrated real estate investment and redevelopment firm headquartered in Chicago, is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 HRP Scholars program: local students Yaritsa Gutierrez and Jaasai Matias.
For the last 7 years the HRP Scholars program has provided scholarships to students in Southwest Chicago, assisting with their tuition and academic expenses. To date, HRP has awarded over $125,000 in scholarships to 15 local students. This year's awardees will each receive $10,000 to support their higher education goals.
“The HRP Scholars program is one of the many ways our company remains committed to extending our impact beyond the boundaries of our project sites and into the surrounding community,” said HRP CEO Roberto Perez. “We are excited to support Yaritsa and Jaasai in their academic journeys, and to continue to invest in preparing young Chicagoans to become the next generation of leaders, builders and innovators.”
Yaritsa Gutierrez, a recent high school graduate, will begin her freshman year at the Illinois Institute of Technology this fall. She plans to major in Business with a focus on Finance, with aspirations to build a career in accounting or marketing.
“This scholarship is an incredible opportunity, and I was honored to be selected. This honor will bring me closer to achieving my academic goals and eventually allowing me to repay my parents for all they have done for me,” said Gutierrez. “I’m grateful to HRP for investing in students like me and helping us move forward into the next life chapter.”
Jaasai Matias, a sophomore at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is studying Business and with an interest in entrepreneurial real estate.
“Being recognized by HRP not only supports my education but motivates me to continue pushing toward my goals,” said Matias. “This scholarship empowers me to start college without as much financial stress- keeping me focused on my studies. This award shows me that my effort is recognized, and it encourages me to keep moving toward my dream of building businesses, investing in real estate, and giving back to my community.”
The annual scholarship program is another way for HRP Group to maximize its impact in the communities that it works. HRP's holistic approach to redevelopment prioritizes environmental, community, and economic sustainability.
HRP led the redevelopment of the former Crawford Station power plant in 2021,transforming the 70-acre site in the Little Village neighborhood into the new standard for sustainable industrial redevelopment. The completed project, Exchange 55, is now Chicago’s largest LEED-certified industrial facility, featuring 30,000 square feet of rooftop solar panels, and supporting more than2,000 jobs. Adjacent to Exchange 55 is the Lawndale fleet storage yard, previously a minimally maintained gravel lot used for various operations which boasts sustainable infrastructure that includes bioswales, underground stormwater traps, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and the planting of over 450 native trees in addition to the 700 trees at Exchange 55.
The HRP Scholars program is also active in Philadelphia, PA, where HRP is transforming a 1,300-acre former oil refinery into an industrial and innovation hub called The Bellwether District, with a commitment to providing $250,000 in scholarship funds for local students over 10 years.
About HRP Group
HRP Group (www.hrpgroup.com) is a vertically integrated, multi-strategy real estate investment company specializing in the transformation of obsolete industrial sites into modern logistics infrastructure, mixed-use destinations, and pioneering innovation hubs. The firm takes a holistic approach to value creation that prioritizes community, environmental, and economic sustainability.
