Women in Real Estate Summit

The MSRED Women in Real Estate Development (WIRED) and the Columbia Business School Real Estate Association have joined together to present the inaugural Women in Real Estate Summit.

Panelists include Cecily King ‘15 MSRED, Vanessa Kolias '18 MSRED, Joycerine Lee '19 BUS, Hillary Widlitz '17 BUS, Mary Hogan Preusse, Sara Queen, Susan Swanezy, and Beth Wolfowitz '09 BUS.

All Columbia students and alumni are invited to attend this event at Columbia Business School’s new Manhattanville campus. The Summit will be comprised of two panels followed by a networking session.

SCHEDULE

5:00 PM: Check-In Opens 5:30 PM: Leveraging the Columbia Network to Advance Together Panel 6:30 PM: Breaking Barriers & Building Careers Panel 7:15 PM: Networking reception with light bites

PANEL 1: Leveraging the Columbia Network to Advance Together

• Cecily King '15 MSRED (Founder, Kipling Development)
  
• Vanessa Kolias '18 MSRED (Investments, Oxford Properties)
• Joycerine Lee '19 BUS (Associate Portfolio Manager, Invesco Real Estate)
• Hillary Widlitz '17 BUS (Senior Director, Investments, Greystar Real Estate Partners)
  

This panel discussion brings together Columbia alumni from the MBA RE Program at the Business School and the MS in Real Estate Development Program at GSAPP to discuss the advancement of their real estate careers post-graduate school, and how lessons learned in the classroom (and beyond) have translated to success in their careers. The discussion will be moderated by a current Columbia graduate student studying real estate, and panelists will be encouraged to share their experiences building and leveraging their Columbia networks, offer advice and context on how to advocate for yourself and for others, and share specifics about the impact mentorship has had on their careers thus far. The panel discussion will also touch on innovation and trends in the real estate industry and what opportunities these developments may present for current Columbia students in the future.

PANEL 2: Breaking Barriers and Building Careers Panel

• Mary Hogan Preusse (Senior Advisor, Fifth Wall; Independent Board Member, Kimco Realty Corporation, Digital Realty, Host Hotels & Resorts, and Realty Income)
• Sara Queen (Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Equity, MetLife Investment Management)
• Susan Swanezy (Partner, Hodes Weill & Associates)
  

This panel discussion brings together industry leaders in real estate to discuss their career paths, triumphs, and opportunities, as well as the challenges they may have faced as women at different times in their careers in the real estate industry. The panelists will share their experiences navigating an industry that has traditionally been male-dominated, from entry-level positions to leadership roles, and will provide insights on how to succeed and thrive as a woman in real estate. The panelists will also share insights on current market trends and offer their expert perspectives on the broader market environment in 2023.