About Ribbon Demographics
Ribbon Demographics was formed by highly experienced housing market analysts to provide specialized demographic data for the housing industry.
We used our knowledge of what it takes to perform a thorough and professional market study to develop a missing, yet vital source of information for the assessment of housing demand and feasibility – our unique HISTA
Data, built for us by Claritas . No other data source contains household data broken down by the specific elements, based on a custom tabulation from the census bureau, needed to calculate demand so precisely.
Ribbon Demographics is also a licensed reseller of Claritas standard demographic products so that HISTA users may obtain all the demographic data they need from one source.
Julia M. LaVigne
Julia LaVigne is the sole proprietor of Ribbon Demographics and has hands on involvement with all aspects of our products and services. Julia has conducted housing market analysis since the late 1980s and has experience in working with urban, suburban and rural properties in more than 30 states across the country, including extensive involvement with LIHTC, senior and active adult, mixed-use and 'New Urbanist' projects.
Through her work on LIHTC projects, Julia identified a need for specialized demographic data and spearheaded the development of HISTA Data. During this process, she gained a unique perspective regarding demographics – both as a provider and as a data user – and fully understands the challenges facing market analysts and decision makers.
Ms. LaVigne has been a speaker on market study and data issues at numerous affordable housing conferences. She has attended seminars and professional training courses relating to new development and revitalization of neighborhoods, Smart Growth and New Urbanism, demographic analysis, residential marketing and affordable housing.
She has been a Market Study Reviewer for several Housing Finance Agencies and has reviewed hundreds of market studies prepared for proposed affordable housing developments. Ms. LaVigne was a founding member of the National Council of Housing Market Analysts based in Washington, D.C. and has served as Chair of the Data Committee, Chair of the Education Committee and on the Executive Committee, as well as had involvement with the development of NCHMA’s Model Content Standards and Market Study Terminology.
A personal note from Julia
I have been a housing market analyst for more years than I care to admit, but still enjoy the challenge of finding the best information for each project. Since starting Ribbon, I have learned an enormous amount about demographic data and my experience as a market study reviewer has given me considerable insight into the challenges faced by market study readers and funding decision makers. I feel I have gained a unique understanding of the perspectives of all industry participants: data providers, market analysts and the end users of market studies.
As the owner of Ribbon Demographics, one of my primary goals is to provide first-class service and support for all of our clients and customers. As a market analyst who still works with deadlines, last minute changes, tricky market areas and tight budgets, I understand the challenges that our industry faces. Therefore, I do my best to provide exactly what you need as quickly as possible.
If you ever have a question about data and how it relates to your projects, I am always more than happy to discuss it with you. Please feel free to contact me at 916-880-1644 or julia@ribbondata.com
Michael J. LaVigne
Mike LaVigne started at Ribbon Demographics in the fall of 2012, joining his wife, Julia, in the production of data reports and quickly taking on a number of technical improvements for the company. Mike is responsible
for the development of RibbonMap, a program that uses Maptitude software to draw market areas and pull numerous data reports for those areas in minutes – cutting report production time dramatically. His decades’ long
experience as a master technician for high-end European cars has honed his computer, diagnostic and analytic skills, which have become invaluable in enhancing the technical side of Ribbon’s products.
Since joining Ribbon, Mike has been involved with all aspects of the business and has attended many affordable housing events. As a result, he has rapidly gained knowledge of both the demographic data and housing market
analysis industries.
If you would like to learn more about RibbonMap and how it may help your organization, Mike would be more than happy to arrange an online demonstration you. Please feel free to contact him at 916-880-1644 or mike@ribbondata.com
Vanessa L. Rupertus
Vanessa Rupertus started her career as a Software Engineer at Ribbon Demographics
in February 2024.
She graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Master’s in Computer Science and a
concentration in Database and Knowledge Management. Before her Master’s, Vanessa graduated
from Washington College with an undergraduate English degree. Vanessa speaks with clients
to determine project deliverables that best satisfy the client’s needs and works with the
rest of the tech team to create a cohesive product for clients to enjoy. Vanessa also
maintains the ribbondata.com website.
When not working, Vanessa enjoys writing, cooking / baking, playing video games, and
taking care of her 20-year-old kitty named Sparkle.
Luke Robinson
Luke Robinson is a Real Estate Analyst at Ribbon Demographics. He has over 4 years of experience working
on affordable housing studies across the country. Luke received his undergraduate degree from
Beacon College in Business Management, and is currently in pursuit of his LEED Certifications.
When he is not at work, he enjoys kayaking, traveling, hiking, cooking, and spending time
with family and friends.
Lubna Fatima
Lubna Fatima works as a Software Engineer at Ribbon Demographics. She is currently completing her
Master's degree in Computer Science at George Mason University. During her time at the
university, she gained valuable experience by working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant
for three semesters. At Ribbon Demographics, her responsibilities include the development of
engaging web and mobile applications. Known for her enthusiasm for learning, Lubna's
eagerness to acquire new skills and apply them effectively stands out as one of her
strongest attributes.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Lubna enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending
quality time with her friends and family.
Kalaiarasi Kaliappan
Kalaiarasi Kaliappan started her career as a Software Engineer at Ribbon Demographics
in April 2024. She is pursuing her Master's in University of Maryland, Baltimore County
majoring in Data Science. Before that she worked in Accenture as a Data Engineer.
Kalaiarasi currently works on chatbot integration for ribbondata.com website.
In her free time Kalaiarasi enjoys cooking, watching series and playing badminton.