Through cohort groups led by a woman Industry Leader, professionals of all genders will come together for group discussions, share information with industry peers, and gain insight into what it takes to advance their careers.

The ULI LA GROW Program Provides

• A confidential, trusting environment for education and idea exchanges
• Exploration of professional interests and issues
• Opportunities to network and further develop people skills
• Cultivating leadership skills
• Personal growth

The purpose of G.R.O.W. is for mid-level ULI members to meet and network while exploring topics of interest related to real estate, development, and land use. G.R.O.W. Mentees will explore issues that their peers may be facing in their careers, such as: career enrichment, guidance on next steps, career advice, balancing professional and private life, engagement, exposure to various professionals in the real estate community, and networking.

Similar to ULI’s Product Councils and other ULI-LA mentorship programs such as the YLG Partnership Forum, NEXT, and REACH Initiative, G.R.O.W. will foster thought leadership through ULI’s culture of sharing best practices, lessons learned through mistakes and experience gained. Participants share information in a trustworthy setting, as all group discussions are confidential.

Empowerment Through Leadership

• Each cohort group will consist of one woman Industry leader and up to 15 ULI members of any gender who are mid-level in their careers.
• Smaller groups will meet every other month to discuss topics related to the many facets of real estate, development, land use, and career and professional development.
• G.R.O.W. groups meet every 4 to 6 weeks, at a minimum, from February through December of the next year.
• Attendance is mandatory to create a close-knit community. Mentees who miss any meeting during this time may be removed from the program.
• Selected mentees will be notified before the end of the first week in February 2023.
• The G.R.O.W. Kick-Off Ceremony marks the start of the program in February and allows all G.R.O.W. Mentors and Mentees to meet.

 Criteria To Apply As A G.R.O.W. Mentor:

• A woman ULI member (all membership levels accepted) who is advanced in her field (approximately 15 years of experience) and holds a leadership or management position
• Interested in impacting the future of the industry by mentoring some of the up-and-coming, mid-career individuals in land-use
• Committed to attending all events and frequent gatherings, so mentees can form a tight network with the each other and the mentor
• Time commitment includes virtual mentor prep meetings (approximately 30 mins) and monthly meetings with mentees (approximately 90 mins); total commitment is approximately 4 hours per month outside of any 1:1 meetings (not required) a mentor may choose to have with her mentees

Our Past GROW Mentors Include:

• Kristin Cavanaugh, Vice president, Studio & Production Affairs at Sony Pictures Entertainment
• Anne Fletcher, Managing Principal, HOK
• Pam Huning, Senior Vice President Marketing and Client Care, Lincoln Property Company West (LPC West)
• Jenna Hornstock, Deputy Director Special Initiatives at Southern California Association of Governments
• Dafna Kaplan, Founder/CEO, Cassette
• Crystal Lofing, Partner, Allen Matkins
• Allison Lynch, President, Watt Properties
• Emily Murray, Partner, Allen Matkins
• Carol Schatz, President Emeritus of Los Angeles BID
• Vicky Schiff, Managing Partner, Mosaic Real Estate Investors
• Katie Sprague, Senior Vice President, CallisonRTKL
• Laurie Stone, Senior Vice President for Real Estate and Asset Management, USC
• Jennifer Taylor, Managing Principal, Ambiculture Advisors
• Sondra Wenger, Head of Commercial Acquisitions, CBRE Global Investors
• Nancy Wilhite, groW consulting (formerly Vice president for the Americas Sales Management Leadership Team, CBRE)

*Listed in alphabetical order & titles at the time as a mentor

BECOME A 2023 GROW MENTOR: APPLY NOW

Mentor applications due this Friday, Dec 9th, 2022 

For any questions, contact Genevieve Will at [email protected]

Criteria To Apply As A G.R.O.W. Mentee: 

1. Must hold active ULI membership of any level
   1. Non-members are welcome to apply. Those accepted into the GROW program will need to join ULI-LA as members.
2. Must be available to attend every meeting
3. Must be mid-level in their career, which we define as:
   1. Have worked in their field for at least eight (8) years
   2. Be a mid-level manager, or like position;
   3. Have a job position with relative independence and decision-making authority (i.e. not an entry level position), but not an executive.
4. Must be 35 or older
   1. Candidates younger than 35 years old are only eligible to participate in this program if they had previously participated in the Partnership Forum and meet all other requirements
5.  Must not participate in any other ULI-LA mentorship program.
   1. Mentorship programs include: YLG Partnership Forum, REACH Initiative, and NEXT. The applicant must select one or the other when applying.

BECOME A 2023 GROW MENTEE:  

APPLY NOW

Mentee applications due Friday, January 20, 2023 

For any questions, contact Genevieve Will at [email protected]