How many years have you been in the commercial real estate industry?
I have been in the commercial real estate industry for 13 years. After earning a master’s in urban design from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 2012, I gained experience working with several firms in Chicago and Boston, primarily focusing on K-12 and healthcare sectors. Since 2022, I have been with Gensler, where my work primarily involves commercial office buildings and office-to-residential conversion studies.

What motivates you?
I am driven by the challenge of integrating sustainable design strategies into my projects. While all projects aim to meet specific typological goals, I seize every opportunity to make a measurable impact on building performance.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone entering CRE?
Identify and cultivate your unique skills and abilities to set yourself apart from others in the field.

What’s your favorite thing about real estate?
The opportunity to positively influence the built environment and enhance the lives of building occupants.

What’s your biggest career accomplishment?
I view each project as a significant accomplishment, especially when my team and I succeed in creating impactful outcomes. I am proud to have worked on the Billerica Memorial High School project, which won AIA National awards. I am also proud of my involvement in the St. Elizabeth Hospital Med Surge expansion, delivering a 10,000-square-foot, 16 patient-bed suite expansion in less four months from planning to construction documents completion during pandemic.

Why do you find ULI valuable?
As a new member, I find ULI invaluable for networking. The YLG Making Connections series offers young professionals a fantastic opportunity to engage in informal, round-table discussions with industry executives. Participating in the ULI Boston/New England Pathways to Inclusion program and attending the 2023 fall meeting with my peers has been tremendously beneficial.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to now?
I listen to BBC’s The Climate Question podcast. It discusses climate topics in a much broader sense than building industry through engaging storytelling. And I’ve been reading Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader. It is a great book on leadership mindset.

What are you looking forward to?
I’m currently wrapping up a building electrification research project and am looking forward to keeping exploring this topic with other industry subject matter experts and spreading the knowledge of design resilience.