ULI Boston/New England announces the 2024 Pathways to Inclusion cohort. The Pathways to Inclusion Initiative is a partnership between the ULI Boston/New England District Council and the Builders of Color Coalition of New England designed to broaden ULI membership and expand the professional networks of minority developers and land use professionals. 

Pathways to Inclusion is designed to increase participation of groups who are underrepresented in the land use and real estate fields, defined as being African American/African descent, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Middle Eastern, and Asian descent.  The program provides individuals of color an annual membership to ULI and registration for attendance at the 2024 ULI Fall Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, equivalent to more than $3,200. 

“The Pathways to Inclusion Cohort is an important part of our organization, as our focus on the built environment acknowledges that diversity, equity, and inclusion are required to build sustainable, thriving communities,” says Michelle Landers, Executive Director of ULI Boston/New England. “We recognize that the practitioners in the land use industry frequently do not reflect the identities of the communities in which they plan, develop, build, and transform. Pathways to Inclusion provides individuals of color with an opportunity to learn, network, and grow their careers in the industry.” 

This year’s Pathways to Inclusion Cohort contains twelve members: Yahaira Acuna (WS Development), Adam Benjamin (Kage Development LLC), Deep Chaniara (Pickard Chilton), Vidhee Garg (HR&A Advisors, Inc.), Sterling Grimes (Jones Lang LaSalle), Salma Haoudi (Toole Design Group), Naoise McDonnell (City of Boston Planning Department) , Amanda Ou (Preservation of Affordable Housing), Cassandra Pierre-Louis (Redgate Real Estate Advisors), Paola Villatoro (Builders of Color Coalition), Hao Wu (Gensler), and Claudius Zorokong (Rockland Trust Company).

Over the course of the coming year, the Cohort will meet multiple times, fostering relationships with one another, and alongside the broader ULI Boston/New England membership.