Overview

Everyone needs guidance at critical career points. This is especially true for women in real estate navigating an industry that remains especially male-dominated.

This program was developed with a seed grant from the ULI Foundation and had its pilot year in 2021 and we look forward to continuing this program in 2024.  This  program is tailored for women in real estate and related land-use professions seeking to advance by working one-on-one with senior leaders in the field.

The program led by the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) matches female ULI members with industry executives for mentorship in career advancement and leadership. BGC is an intimate six-month program that builds relationships and offers training to lead to further career satisfaction and success in the real estate and land use fields.

Since WLI was founded in 2013, it has been adopted in 40+ ULI District Councils, including ULI Colorado. Opportunities afforded by WLI programs have helped double the number of women ULI members in that time. ULI Colorado’s successful WLI programs have included Emerging Trends in Real Estate, quarterly Leadership Connections, View from the Top, and Tools for Transformation.

Acceptance Criteria:

Women who are mid- to senior-level career professionals with 10-20 years of experience in real estate or land use fields who want to advance to the executive level. 

In our second year of the program, we will accept seven female ULI members into the program. The ideal mentee is a woman who has reached a leadership level of success within her career. She may be recognized for her achievements and seen as a respected resource in her market. She may have hit the proverbial “glass ceiling” and would benefit from mentorship to advance to executive levels. She also may be looking for growth in her skills as a leader, manager, and/or board member. The program will help her with this transition to senior leadership, build her influence and expertise, and advance the mission of ULI as she becomes a leader in supporting responsible land use and thriving communities.

Upon acceptance, we ask that you become a ULI member if you are not already and the registration fee for the program is $300. If you are experiencing financial hardship, you can email [email protected] about scholarship opportunities. Click here for more information about ULI membership.

Program Schedule 2022:

• Wednesday, March 23rd, 2022: Applications Open
• Friday, April 15, 2022: Applications Close
• Monday, May 9, 2022: Program Participants Accepted & Announced
• Friday, May 13, 2022: Program Payments Due
• Friday, June 3, 2022: Program launch event with all mentors and mentees, including an overview of the program, materials and resources, and mentor/mentee relationship training
• Friday, June 10, 2022: Mentor Matches Announced
• June – November 2022: Monthly mentorship meetings following the Breaking the Glass Ceiling Guidebook
• Thursday, August 11, 2022: 4-6pm Mid-program check-in with all the teams, including leadership training
• Thursday, November 17, 2022: 4-6pm All participants come together for networking and closing remarks on next steps in mentor programming and succession planning. We will also highlight successes and lessons learned.

How you and your organization can help:

• Sponsor the program! Learn more about sponsorship opportunities by contacting [email protected]
• Promote participation in the program among your peers and colleagues who are mid-career women 

BGC Co-Chairs:

• Heather Cronenberg, Commercial Real Estate and Development Manager, The Talarico Company, [email protected]
• Jordan Swisher, SVP Brue Baukol Capital Partners, [email protected]
• Katie Donahue, AIA, NCARB, LEED GA, Associate, Director of Mid-West Operations Handel Architects, [email protected]