The Goldie Initiative’s Shero Award celebrates outstanding achievements that inspire others across the industry, unwavering dedication to serving as a catalyst for future leaders, and unparalleled commitment to mentoring and developing women in commercial real estate. Each honoree exemplifies the power of changing corporate culture to create opportunities for more women to succeed, setting an example for the next generation of trailblazers.
Shero Award
Shero: A Woman Regarded as a Hero
2026 GOLDIE GALA SHERO
Lisa Koniezcka
Executive Vice President, CBRE Chicago
In her role as Executive Vice President at CBRE – the world’s largest commercial real estate company – Lisa Konieczka is a trusted strategic advisor who helps corporate, professional services, and financial industry clients navigate complex real estate decisions. Over her 35+ year career, she has left her imprint on the skyline of Chicago, advising her clients in anchor tenant transactions that were the impetus for several new office buildings around the city. Warm, strategic, and deeply mission-driven, Lisa brings passion and purpose to every aspect of her work-helping organizations thrive while championing the advancement of women and inclusive leadership across the industry. Known for her calm leadership and collaborative style, Lisa partners closely with executive teams to translate their visions into thoughtful occupancy solutions-always grounded in sound strategy and a deep understanding of P&L impact.
Lisa’s long-standing client relationships are a testament to her passion for exceptional outcomes and commitment to excellence. Throughout her career, Lisa has led deals covering over 38 million square feet with transactions totaling over $4.1 billion. Her contributions have earned numerous industry and CBRE honors, including the McCarthy Award-CBRE’s highest recognition, celebrating integrity, loyalty, knowledge, and leadership by example.
Beyond the day-to-day, Lisa is deeply committed to advancing opportunities for women in commercial real estate. In 2000, she founded the CBRE Women’s Network with a mission of Advancing the Success of Women. Under her leadership, as Chair for 23 years, the Network grew to 8,500 members in the Americas (10,000 globally). Reporting directly to the CEO in this role, Lisa helped shift CBRE’s culture and leadership focus by championing pathways for women into senior roles. The Women’s Network continues to be a cornerstone of belonging at CBRE, grounded in its four pillars: Growth, Connection, Mentorship, and Advocacy. Members consistently experience stronger career support and a 30% higher average tenure-reflecting the enduring impact of the community Lisa built.
Lisa also serves on the board of the Mara Elephant Project USA, a nonprofit organization focused on conservation activities that allow for peaceful human-wildlife coexistence. She earned an MBA from Loyola University Chicago and a BA from Marquette University. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and has served on several other not-for-profit Boards.
Meet Our Past Shero Award Recipients
2025
Kimberly Adams
Managing Director, Clarion Partners
Kimberly Adams, Managing Director, is a member of the leadership team at Clarion Partners, a global real estate firm with over $70B in assets under management serving over 500 institutional clients. Kim is Head of Alternatives Investments, responsible for spearheading the development and execution of Clarion’s alternative property sector strategies. Before joining Clarion in 2024, Kim spent 22 years at JPMorgan and served as the senior portfolio manager of JPMorgan’s flagship open-end real estate core fund, one of the largest in the open-end fund index. Earlier in her career, she was as an asset manager at LaSalle Investment Management and PGIM and worked in Chicago, London, and New Jersey. Kim currently serves on the board of PREA, the board of the PREA Foundation, and as Chairman of Kellogg’s Real Estate Advisory Council at Northwestern, her alma mater. She is active in ULI, serving as a Global Governing Trustee and co-chair of Chicago’s WLI chapter. Kim also serves on the board of International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC).
2024
Molly McShane
Chief Executive Officer, The McShane Companies
As Chief Executive Officer, Molly McShane manages the overall operations and resources of The McShane Companies, one of the largest commercial real estate development and construction firms in the nation and the second-largest woman-owned business in Chicago. With 11 offices nationwide, The McShane Companies earns well over $1 billion in annual revenue. Since 1984, the firm has delivered more than 40,000 multi-family units and 300 million square feet of industrial construction and has sold over $2 billion in assets.
Molly focuses on creating, planning, and implementing The McShane Companies’ strategic direction. She is known for her innovative thinking and values-centric leadership and possesses extensive knowledge of the multi-family, industrial, commercial, office, and healthcare market sectors.
Beyond her role as CEO, Molly is incoming chair of Urban Land Institute Chicago and participates in the Women’s Leadership Initiative Chicago Advisory Board. She was the NAIOP Chicago Chapter President in 2018 and contributes as a national board member. She serves on advisory councils for Industrial Women in Real Estate Chicago, Northwestern University Kellogg Real Estate, Marquette University Commercial Real Estate, and Roosevelt University’s Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate. She is also a mentor with The Goldie Initiative.
Molly has received numerous awards, including Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Women in Construction and Design and Illinois Real Estate Journal Woman of the Year. Molly earned a BS in Marketing from Boston College and MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
2023
Mary Ludgin
Head of Global Investment Research, Heitman
Mary Ludgin is Heitman’s Head of Global Investment Research. She is a partner of the firm and sits on its Global Management, Investment, and Valuation Committees. Mary oversees Heitman’s work in the realm of ESG and has served as editor of the series on Climate Risk that Heitman authored in collaboration with the Urban Land Institute. The third report in that series was released in February 2022 and focuses on Climate Migration.
Mary served as a Global Trustee of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and as chair of ULI’s Chicago District Council. She currently chairs the board of ULI’s Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate. She previously served as Chair of the Pension Real Estate Association, President of the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries, and President of the Real Estate Research Institute. In 2019, Mary received PREA’s James A. Graaskamp award, which recognizes researchers whose work contributes to the common body of knowledge regarding real estate investment.
2022
Pamela A. Boneham
Board Member and Advisor, Institutional Real Estate Investment Executive
Pam is a passionate leader in the institutional real estate industry, having held management roles at Barings, DWS Group/RREEF, Equity Office, and JLL, while never forgetting her family, her commitment to other women in the field, or the University of Wisconsin Badgers! She was instrumental in the founding of the ULI Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) in Chicago, sits on the Advisory Board of the Wisconsin School of Business Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, and is a former AFIRE Board Member. Her current activities and recent awards include:
- CBRE Investment Management, Independent Member of Americas Direct Real Estate Investment Committee, overseeing more than $20 billion AUM
- Ventas Investment Management, Ventas Life Science and Healthcare Real Estate Fund, Senior Strategic Advisor
- City of Hope, a world-class, non-profit cancer-care hospital, Investment Committee Member
- GlobeSt. Women of Influence – 2020
- Crain’s Notable Women in Commercial Real Estate – 2019
2021
Debra A. Cafaro
CEO & Chairman, Ventas, Inc.
Debra A. Cafaro is a self-described working girl from Pittsburgh with an iconic sports-centric leadership approach that brings people together. The success she created at Ventas is unparalleled, just like her commitment to women leaders.
- Raised Ventas’ market capitalization from $990M to $28B
- Twice named one of the Forbes’ World’s 100 Most Powerful Women
- Top 100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World for six consecutive years by Harvard Business Review
- Longest running woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company
2020
Lynn Reich
Executive Vice President, Colliers International
Lynn Reich is currently an Executive Vice President in Chicago with Colliers International and has been working in the industry for 40 years, as an industrial and commercial real estate specialist. Lynn has extensive national project experience, including consummating 2.4 million square feet of transactions in the last 12 months. Lynn is a past president of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), an international trade association, which along with Colliers International professionals, assists her efforts in acquisitions, dispositions, and other transactions on a nationwide basis.
Prior to her role with Colliers, Lynn was a principal with Podolsky Northstar Realty Partners, LLC, a Managing Director at Stein and Company, and a founding member of Corporate Realty Advisors. She is a graduate of DePaul University, earned an Accounting degree and obtained the CPA designation. She is one of 965 real estate professionals nationwide to hold the double designation of SIOR and CCIM. She has also served as a Mentor with The Goldie Initiative along with participation in the Colliers’ mentor program.
Lynn has received numerous production awards from Colliers International, including the Top Industrial Producer. In 2016, Lynn received a Lifetime Achievement Award from CREW Chicago.
2019
Karen Case
Executive Managing Director & President of US Commercial Real Estate, CIBC US
Karen Case is Executive Managing Director and President of US Commercial Real Estate for CIBC US. She oversees the business units that develop and manage real estate finance and banking relationships with dynamic and growing commercial real estate developers, investors, owners, and operators nationally. Ms. Case is a member of the CIBC US Region Executive Committee.
Ms. Case joined The PrivateBank in 2007 (Toronto-based CIBC acquired The PrivateBank in June 2017) as President, Commercial Real Estate. Previously, Ms. Case served as executive vice president in LaSalle Bank’s Commercial Real Estate Department (LaSalle Bank was acquired by Bank of America in October 2007). Prior to joining LaSalle in 1992, Ms. Case managed banking relationships with Midwest-based real estate development and syndication firms for New York-based Marine Midland Bank and The First National Bank of Chicago.
Ms. Case earned her MBA from The University of Chicago and a BS in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis. She also attended The University of London and The American College in Paris.
A native of New York, Ms. Case lives in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood with her husband, Jay. They have three grown children.
2018
Sheli Z. Rosenberg
Principal, Roselin Investments
Sheli Z. Rosenberg is a principal with Roselin Investments. Prior to January 1, 2014, she was a member of the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Real Estate Group, having joined the firm’s Chicago office in 2011. Sheli is the former president, chief executive officer, and vice chairman of Equity Group Investments, L.L.C. She joined EGI in 1980 as the company’s general counsel and rose to become CEO before retiring in 2003. Prior to joining EGI, Sheli was one of six managing partners at Schiff Hardin & Waite, Chicago, specializing in real estate, finance, and corporate law, and was the first woman to become a capital partner at that firm.
Ms. Rosenberg serves on the board of directors/trustees of a number of public and private corporations, foundations, and community and charitable organizations.
She is a forceful advocate for women in business and is past president of The Chicago Network, director of The National Partnership for Women & Families, and The Women’s Issues Network Foundation. Sheli is a co-founder and former president of the Center for Executive Women at Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She earned a BA in History and Government from Tufts University, and a JD from Northwestern School of Law.