On Tuesday May 6
th, CREW Boston’s Programs Committee hosted a panel of trailblazing women developers to discuss “Women Entrepreneurs Leveraging Real Estate Development to Uplift Communities”. This event was co-hosted by The Builder Coalition at the Boston Harbor Hotel.
Judy Cazeau, CREW Boston member and Principal Broker of the OPAC Group, moderated the conversation, which highlighted the career journeys of multifamily developers Manikka Bowman of HarveyReed, F. Marie Morisset of Boston Communities, Chanda Smart of The OnyxGroup, and Dariela Villon-Maga of DVM Housing Partners. Panelists discussed:
- Careers driven by purpose, which they described as “mission-based development” and “intentional development”
- As women of color, being examples of diversity and success through taking risks; making their own space in the industry by starting their own businesses
- Creating communities that provide whole-person amenities that enrich the lives of residents
- Belief in the uplifting power of mixed income communities, intergenerational housing, and in the wealth creation opportunity offered by homeownership
- “Spreading the wealth” by hiring teams of diverse minority backgrounds and seeking minority owned business tenants; the importance of intentionality and making space for all voices
- Developing with cultural awareness of space needs
The event featured a rich discussion about the process of engaging with a community to understand its needs, providing space for businesses that will uplift the community, and the importance of keeping promises made to the community. The panelists discussed their experience that having a community engaged in and advocating for their projects has strengthened their ability to secure permitting and financing.
The conversation was an inspiring call to action about the power of using real estate development as a tool to drive economic opportunities for communities. CREW Boston is so thankful to the panelists for sharing their inspiring stories!
