News
TO THE TOP
July 6, 2011
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| Our industry is full of smart, inspiring women, and June was chock-full of events featuring talented females. Iridium Capital founder Marilyn Kane kicked off NYCREW’s “Leading Ladies of NY” summer breakfast series at GE Real Estate’s Park Ave offices, where she discussed her career with a room full of attendees. She didn’t start in real estate, she says—she was an editor at Random House before corporate cutbacks. She had three kids to support, “and a friend suggested I sell something instead.” Norman Bobrow was just launching his own firm and liked the idea of training someone who knew nothing about real estate. “He was my mentor and taught me the business,” handing her leads and having her shadow him. “It’s not too different from how I teach others.” |
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| Marilyn with Fidelity National Title’s Pauline Anderson Brown, Citibank’s Laura Walker, Marcus & Millichap’s Karen Dome (chapter prez), Trepp’s Shari Linnick, Fidelity National Title’s Isabelle Pullis, and GE Real Estate’s Kathleen Carey. After she grounded herself in retail, she launched her own firm in ’90. “It was exciting to change the ground floor of Manhattan,” she says. “People with a dream needed professional guidance.” During its heydey, she aligned herself with Cushman & Wakefield’s Michael Butler, and they formed Butler Kane, which joined Sperry Van Ness for a national presence. But she wanted to learn more and started an investment fund with her own money to buy single-tenant NNN properties, which became Iridium Capital in ‘09. “It enables investors not as well versed in real estate to come into the fund with $100k and participate in the purchase of multiple single-tenant triple-net properties,” she says. But a big part of her biz is mentoring younger people, something that served her well. |
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| Calvin Lee |
| Professional Women in Construction held its annual “Meet the Real Estate Industry’s VIP Women” networking event at Club 101, which gave AEC attendees a one-on-one opportunity to connect with movers and shakers. The speakers: NYCHA’s Gloria Guillo, Columbia University Medical Center’s Michelle Cooper, JLL’s Lisa Kiell, Tishman Speyer’s Leilani Glover, Paramount Group’s Cynthia Boyea, ACC Construction’s Michele Medaglia, and PWC prez Lenore Janis. “I encourage women to step up to the table because you belong there, to aim as high as you can, and be recognized for your achievements,” Lisa said. Gloria encouraged women-owned AEC firms to take advantage of the opportunities in public work, while Leilani stressed the importance of maintaining relationships and building a solid and lasting reputation. |
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| Photos: Howard Wechsler |
| AREW also held its end-of-season members-only lunch at the Harmonie Club, where they introduced the association’s ‘11-‘12 officers: Zetlin & DeChiara’s Lina Telese (VP), Teknion’s Julia Glazer(secretary); Perkins + Will’s Debra Cole (past prez—time for a vacation!); JLC Environmental Consultants’ Jennifer Carey (prez); Guardhill’s Rochelle Crespi (treasurer); and Launch Solutions’ Gail Goldberg (member-at-large). No rest for the weary this summer—Jennifer says it will be spent on strategic planning for AREW. There will be a greater focus this year on educating members about its CREW affiliation, doing more outreach with regional CREW chapters like ICREW NJ and NEWIRE, and bringing in more powerful women speakers from the C-suite to speak at its lunches. Next up: its annual cocktail party and the CREW Network national convention in DC, Sept. 14-17. |
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| Past AREW presidents attend to eat, drink, be merry, and reminisce. Front: Michele Medaglia; Zetlin & DeChiara’s Carol Patterson; Greenthal’s Anne Teshima; JP Morgan Chase’s Amy Applebaum; Prudential Douglas Elliman’s Faith Hope Consolo; The Weitzman Group’s Marilyn Weitzman (who received a special recognition award as an AREW founder and member for 33 consecutive years); and Appraisers and Planners’ Ruth Agnese. Back: JLL’s Marie-Claire Cunningham; Related’s Jennifer McCool (who received this year’s Founders’ Award for her work as ’08-’09 prez and being AREW’s delegate to the national CREW network); Debra Cole; Resnick’s Frances Delgorio; and Avon’s Louise Matthews. On July 27, Real Estate Bisnow NY will be launching “Women Wednesday” (the last Wednesday of month) focusing on the top females in our market. Send story ideas and who you’d like featured toamanda@bisnow.com. |
