Wendy Berger
Wendy Berger is CEO and Founder of WBS Equities, LLC. WBS Equities is a real estate
development firm which specializes in ground-up construction, renovation, development, sale
lease back transactions and acquisition of industrial buildings for food and beverage
manufacturers and distributors. Wendy is also an active investor across multiple real estate asset
classes including retail, multi-family, senior housing and self-storage.
Over the last 28 years she has been involved in the real estate business as a developer, property
manager, broker and principally as an owner-investor. Wendy began her career at American
National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago (a subsidiary of First Chicago, now JP Morgan
Chase) in Commercial Lending. Wendy spent several years as a principal with Berger Realty
Group, an 80-year- old family owned Real Estate business where she focused on residential and
industrial property management and development. She was responsible for managing 3,000
apartment units, 200,000 square feet of commercial space and 250,000 square feet of industrial
space.
Aside from her experience in the real estate field, Wendy spent 10 years working with ultra-high
growth technology startups. Wendy was employee number 10 at Orbitz, the Travel web site
founded in 2000 by American, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United Airlines. Wendy was
Director of the Enterprise Planning at Orbitz and focused on strategic planning. Prior to Orbitz,
Wendy co-founded and was COO of Neoglyphics Media Corporation, one of the country’s first
web site development firms. Neoglyphics grew from a small start-up to a corporation with a staff
of more than 150 employees before it was sold in March 1998 for $65 million.
Wendy earned her MBA in Finance and Real Estate from Northwestern University’s Kellogg
School of Business. She received a B.S., cum laude, in Finance and Marketing from Syracuse
University.
In her spare time Wendy is an avid triathlete and runner, having completed 31 Olympic Distance
triathlons and six half-marathons.
Wendy serves on the Board of directors of the Chicago Public Library Foundation (2016 –
present), the Board of directors of the Jewish Federation/Jewish United Fund of Chicago (2001 –
2007, and 2009 – present). Wendy has volunteered for TimeLine Theater, The Marwen
Foundation, Chicago Run and the Uptown Cafe. Wendy served until 2004 as Vice-President and
Membership Chair at The Standard Club of Chicago and as a member of the Board of Directors
(1994 – 2004). Wendy is also a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and served as the
chair of the Real Estate Membership Committee. Wendy served two years on the Board of
Directors of TEDxMidwest. Wendy co-founded Illinois Women in Cannabis in 2014. Wendy is
an active mentor, a role she takes very seriously, usually mentoring 4 – 5 young women at any
given time.
Most recently, Wendy is proud to now call herself a TED speaker, her talk is available on the
TED web site.
WBS Equities
CEO & Founder