While women continue to rise to leadership roles in commercial real estate, there is always room for more progress. A 2024 Bisnow report showed that of 100 companies surveyed, only 27% of women hold leadership positions and 32% of women are board members.

The Goldie Initiative, a Chicago-based nonprofit, helps women achieve success in CRE leadership roles through its mentorship program, professional development and networking opportunities. Its Goldie Scholars program brings together a select group of women graduate students in real estate-adjacent fields such as architecture, finance and real estate development. The 2024 to 2025 cohort comprises 38 women across the U.S.

In September, The Goldie Initiative hosted its second Goldie Scholar Orientation. The event brought the Goldie scholars together for activities including networking, a tour of Chicago’s Willis Tower and a “CRE Recruiters Panel” with SelectLeaders Associate Director of Recruiting Katie Hart and CRE Recruiting and CRE at Work founder Allison Weiss.

Weiss called The Goldie Initiative a “golden ticket” to help women gain access to a tight-knit professional network and access to CRE resources.

“For over a year, women have the opportunity to ask as many questions as they have, to absorb information and gain resources that will help them excel in CRE,” Weiss said.

Some of the scholars start their careers in fields such as accounting, design and project management and go to graduate school to pivot toward working in CRE. Goldie Initiative Executive Director Megan Abraham said that the CRE paths Goldie scholars can take include affordable housing, multifamily, sustainability and data centers.

Some women may change career paths either from one industry to another or with a different role in the same industry — something that can be challenging in a down market, Weiss said.

“You’re competing with more folks for fewer opportunities, and companies might be more risk averse about taking on someone who doesn’t have as much practical on-the-job experience,” Weiss said. “What The Goldie Initiative does is so important because it builds relationships and bridges the gap between academic and practical.”

She said that one way for women to get ready for the job application process is to present themselves in an authentic way as well as share their interests and the value they’d bring to the employer, especially on LinkedIn.

“Personal branding is important when you have 100 to 200 applicants for a particular role,” Weiss said. “If I can go to someone’s LinkedIn and understand their passion and personality before having a conversation with them, it sets a candidate apart and can leave a strong impression.”

Hart said a candidate should approach presenting her personal brand like they are delivering an elevator pitch.

“Think about personal branding as ‘the story of myself,’” she said. “It’s your likes, interests and what you want people to take away about you in a succinct way.”

Abraham said The Goldie Initiative helps its scholars create these elevator pitches. She emphasized the importance of presenting themselves and their accomplishments in the best light, no matter how difficult that may be.

“We need for women to be able to toot their own horns because that’s what will get them ahead in this industry and in this world,” Abraham said. “It’s important to make a name for yourself and differentiate yourself from others.”

In addition to focusing on personal branding, applicants can reach out to recruiters or company decision-makers on LinkedIn to express interest in their open roles or share insights about what they’re seeing in the industry, Hart said.

Women can connect with past Goldie Scholars as well as alumni from their universities. Weiss said that being an event organizer can offer a unique opportunity to facilitate connections. Getting people together for a networking event or a happy hour also means that event organizers have a list of people to connect with.

“Having shared language and experiences between people who’ve gone to the same university makes it that much easier to reach out to a person and introduce yourself, share that commonality and then ask for their help,” Weiss said. “Also, being an organizer gives you a foot in the door for people to know who you are and contact you. When they know who you are, it’s a much easier and warmer connection.”

Weiss called The Goldie Initiative’s program a “tremendous gift,” and an experience that scholars can take with them long after the one-year program ends.

“The program is extremely relational and connection-focused and provides skill-building beyond the scholarship,” she said. “It only lasts a year, but they’ll get all these different resources and help in a way that it will be a part of them forever.”

We look forward to continuing the success of platforms like the Goldie Initiative at SelectLeaders, and we recognize the importance of driving the rise of women in leadership roles, especially in CRE.

Chat with our team to see how we can help you grow your team in a meaningful way.