On Thursday October 12
^th the BABC hosted it’s “Women influencing the Built Environment” event at Herman Miller’s showroom in the Financial District. Guests enjoyed the stylistic flair of the office – a perfect backdrop for the event – our thanks to you Herman Miller and Cecilia Lyra.

The sold out evening– standing room only – attended by over 70 guests from a broad spectrum of professional backgrounds

Our esteemed panel of women, who have all achieved a phenomenal level of success in various different areas of the commercial real estate world, was moderated by Blanca Torres, the Real Estate and Economic Development Reporter
, San Francisco Business Times . The Panel featured Catherine House, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of SVN | QAV Associates, Cathy Bregenzer, Principal at Gensler, Marilyn Specht, Sustainability Consultant at Integral Group, and Frances Choun, an established leader in the construction industry, with over 30 years of experience in the AEC industry. The discussion covered an array of topics pertaining to the Panelist’s experience as women in a field that has always been considered a “bit of a boy’s club” despite a long history of women’s involvement.

The Panelists described how they figured out their specializations in Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and how they keep up with training, certifications and trends. They were also asked what they saw as the biggest opportunity moving forward to create a more sustainable future for women in the industry, anticipating what was to happen in the next five years. In contrast, they were also asked to share their insights on what they see as the biggest challenges ahead for women considering the industry for their careers and the challenges they themselves faced over the years and how they overcame them.

The panel discussion closed with the speakers sharing their advice to young women considering a career in the world of CRE, aptly rounding off a successful and informative discussion.

A Huge thank you to our panelists, attendees and of course to our Sponsors
Turner & Townsend Trestle, SVN QAV & Associates, our Media Partners San Francisco Business Times and Crew SF, and of course our hosts Herman Miller. Thanks to Ollie Williams and Sam Powell for their assistance also!

View photos of the event
here: