Bisnow once again honored the women shaping the commercial real estate industry in the Bay Area, highlighting their achievements and contributions in an event Nov. 16.
These women come from every corner of CRE, from development and design to brokerage and finance, and have carved a path for themselves and those around them, as well as those coming after them, with their intelligence, hard work and tenacity.
Some of these women are highlighted here, and in full coverage of the event celebrating them, panelists spoke at length about how improving diversity leads to better returns and overall business performance.
But women make up just 25.6% of the highest-ranking executives at the country's largest commercial real estate firms, according to Bisnow's 2022 analysis of diversity in the industry. There's no question that crucial progress has been made in this historically male-dominated industry, but there's more work to be done to reach true parity.
And tomorrow's answer lies in who gets hired and promoted today, according to Walker Realty Capital founder and principal Daria Walker.
"Studies have shown that we hire people that look like us, right? So, if you know you have mostly white men running, you know, owning the real estate, they're going to hire their associates that look like them," she said. "So, it's up to every woman in this room to get yourself into a position of power and get equity in your firm so you can start hiring people that look like you and opening doors for other women."
Managing Principal, Christina Clark
Christina Clark has spent the past 20 years in the commercial real estate industry, getting her start working in architecture and design.
Now, she serves as a senior adviser at Cresa, representing occupiers with global real estate portfolios. Her clients include Twitter, New Relic and Headspace, while past clients include Facebook, Tibco and Airbnb.
In her spare time, she donates her time and talent to children's causes, including Bay Area Children's Theatre, Edgewood Center for Children and Families and, previously, Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Meet the nine other Bay Area women paving the way in Bisnow's article.