ULI SF DEI Updates & Programs
We are proud of our efforts to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the real estate industry. Take a look below for our latest initiatives and programming surrounding DEI and join us in this process.
ULI SF and Mayor’s Office of Housing Open Applications for the Bay Area Developers of Color Fellowship, August 15, 2022
The Fellowship is designed to provide participants with a deep knowledge and understanding of the affordable housing development process within the City and County of San Francisco. Guided by ULI SF and MOHCD, participants will exit the program equipped with the tools and skills necessary for accessing development opportunities in San Francisco.
National Disability Independence Day: Read, Watch, Listen & Act with ULI SF, July 13th, 2022
ULI San Francisco will be celebrating the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the ADA all July long by highlighting the history, experiences, and achievements of individuals with disabilities. Join us as we read, watch, listen, and act towards making our communities a more equitable, safe, and inclusive space for everyone.
Pride Month: Read, Watch, Listen & Act with ULI SF, June 15th, 2022
ULI San Francisco joins our LGBTQIA+ community members and allies in observing and celebrating Pride throughout the month of June. We continue to believe that current and future industry actions can—and must—remedy the impact of exclusionary practices that have affected the LGBTQIA+ community in the real estate industry and thereby create access and foster unity.
ULI SF Spotlights Leaders in Celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, May 25th, 2022
In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, ULI is excited to celebrate this month by spotlighting three leaders in the San Francisco District Council Community: Jane Lee, Eric Tao, and Randy Tsuda.
AAPI Heritage Month: Read, Watch, Listen & Act, May 23rd, 2022
May marks the beginning of the annual month-long observance and celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. AAPI Heritage Month is a time to both reaffirm and uphold the historical importance and influence of the AAPI community in the United States and beyond. The AAPI community is extremely diverse: AAPI is an umbrella term that embraces the entire continent of Asia, including East, Southeast, and South Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
Jewish American Heritage Month: Read, Watch, Listen & Act, May 23, 2022
May is Jewish American Heritage Month, and ULI is proud to observe and honor the great achievements, stories, and valuable contributions of the Jewish community throughout American history. Jewish Americans—past and present—have engaged in the persistent work of building and transforming aspects of American life, both in commercial real estate and beyond.
Women’s History Month: Read, Watch, Listen & Act, March 23rd, 2022
In recognition of Women’s History Month in March, ULI San Francisco is exploring, highlighting, and celebrating the historical importance, achievements, and influence of women from a diversity of backgrounds on the built environment, while also acknowledging and educating ourselves and our members about both the long-term and current challenges systemic barriers women face in our industry, particularly when it comes to gender equity and parity.
ULI SF Highlights Members in Celebration of Women’s History Month, March 15th 2022
We are excited to celebrate the accomplishments and amplify the ongoing efforts by women and allies. In recognition of Women’s History Month, ULI SF is highlighting the involvement and experiences of Savlan Hauser, Nikki Lowy, and Geeti Silwal, three key leaders in our community who have advanced gender equity and parity.
ULI SF Celebrates International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2022
ULI San Francisco is excited to honor all of the amazing, dedicated, passionate women who support our work and advance our mission. Thank you to all of our committee and local product council co-chairs and vice-chairs, Executive Board, and staff for contributing their time and talent to making the many initiatives of the District Council a success!
Black History Month: Read, Watch, Listen, & Act with ULI SF, February 24th, 2022
In recognition of Black History Month in February, ULI San Francisco is exploring, celebrating, and highlighting the rich history, lives, and stories of African Americans, while also acknowledging and educating ourselves and our members about both the long-term and current challenges, systemic barriers in our industry, and the resiliency of the Black community.
ULI SF and City of San Francisco Awarded $500,000 Grant from Partnership for the Bay’s Future, February 24th, 2022
The $500,000 grant awarded by PBF will help accelerate our work focused on advancing equitable housing policies and supporting developers of color. Over the next two years, ULI SF and the City and County of SF will work together to engage and support developers of color, as well as research and revise the city’s request for proposals process, underwriting guidelines and other internal procedures to be more inclusive and equitable.
ULI SF Highlights Members in Celebration of Black History Month, February 23rd, 2022
In celebration of Black History Month, ULI SF is spotlighting three members of our community who have championed diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in their work. We are delighted to highlight the work and experience of Banke Abioye, Lisa Cholmondeley, and Roderick Roche, leaders in the ULI SF community and members of our DEI committee.
ULI SF Celebrates Native American Heritage Month, November 17th, 2021
In recognition of Native American Heritage Month in November, ULI San Francisco is exploring, celebrating, and highlighting the rich history, lives, and stories of Native Americans, while also acknowledging and educating ourselves and our members about both the long-term and current challenges and resiliency of the Native American community.
Celebrating the Impact of Our DEI Committee at ULI SF, November 17th, 2021
During the summer of 2020, ULI SF established the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to focus on diversifying our membership and leadership, creating awareness around DEI issues in our field, providing programming guidance and creation, and creating a more diverse pipeline of industry professionals.
ULI SF Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, September 23, 2021
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, which began on September 15 and ends on October 15, ULI San Francisco is celebrating the rich history of the Hispanic community and its culture while acknowledging and educating with respect to the struggles and experiences of different demographic groups within the community, such as women, young people, and Queer-identifying members of the community.
As part of ULI’s continuing efforts to increase awareness and understanding around diversity, equity, and inclusion, ULI District Councils engaged Dr. Kira Hudson Banks, a nationally recognized equity leader, author, professor, and researcher who has served as an advisor to the Ferguson Commission, to conduct a training on “Developing an Equity Mindset.” The training will provide the framework and foundation needed to change behaviors and patterns in an organization and create a more equitable environment.
“I found it so powerful how Dr. Banks was able to use a few key slides to tell a larger story that provided some really clear context and collective grounds for our session. They were powerful and sharp. She followed this up with a series of very personal, introspective tasks that encouraged us all to be vulnerable, share and learn. For me one of the greatest signs of the success was that our group continued to meet to extend the conversations started that day.”
– Lisa Cholmondeley, Principal, Gensler
ULI SF Celebrates Pride Month and Juneteenth, June 14, 2021
For Pride Month and Juneteenth, join ULI San Francisco recognized and learned about Black LGBTQIA+ figures who have made significant contributions to America’s history and culture but aren’t as well-known as they should be.
ULI SF Celebrates Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, May 17, 2021
In recognition of AAPI Heritage Month, ULI SF celebrated the many contributions of the AAPI community to American history and culture while acknowledging and acting on the historic and current rise in violence and discrimination towards Asian Americans.
ULI SF’s Diversity Membership Fund Application Opens, February 23, 2021
The Fund is designed to open opportunities within ULI to women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community who are underrepresented in the land use and real estate fields. Awardees are given discounted a one-year ULI membership, paired with a ULI SF Ambassador, invited to shadow a member of one of ULI SF’s many internal program committees, and given a complimentary pass to two ULI SF virtual events.
ULI SF Partners with CIWI to Provide Internships to First Generation/Students of Color, February 18, 2021
ULI SF partnered with the Construction Industry Workforce Initiative (CIWI) to build a diverse pipeline of talented first generation college students and college students of color to the real estate development profession. As part of this partnership, ULI SF provided complimentary memberships to CIWI’s 2021 Internship Cohort, directed $10,000 in donations from our corporate donors to fund an intern at a Local Business Enterprise, and engaged our DEI Committee to help create content specific programming for the interns.
ULI SF Celebrates Black History Month with the 5-Day Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Challenge, February 10, 2021
In celebration of Black History Month, ULI SF invited members on a 5-day journey of learning, understanding, and exploring how we can start dismantling systemic barriers in our industry and commit to ULI’s mission of shaping the future of the built environment in the most equitable way possible. ULI SF shared daily articles, videos, podcasts, music, volunteer opportunities, and self-guided tours that we hoped started the conversation by inspiring, challenging, teaching, and motivating participants to reflect, think, and act.
ULI SF Holds Equity Training for Our Member Leaders, February 4-5, 2021
As part of ULI SF’s continuing efforts to increase member and staff awareness and understanding around racial equity, diversity, and inclusion, we engaged Dr. Kira Hudson Banks to conduct a training on Developing an Equity Mindset for our member leaders to support their work both inside and outside of ULI.
ULI San Francisco Launches Pathways to Inclusion Program, October 26, 2020
In partnership with ULI Americas, ULI SF launched our 2020-2021 Pathways to Inclusion program on October, 2020. This program is geared towards unrepresented real estate and land use professionals of color and is designed to promote the advancement of these professionals in their careers and as leaders in the industry, expand their networks, and broaden and diversify ULI membership.
ULI SF’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Launches, August 25, 2020
The DEI committee was launched to provide guidance on our District Council programming and governance. This group works collaboratively to develop policies and best practices to move our organization forward.
The Color of Law – In Conversation with Richard Rothstein, July 14, 2020
New York Times Bestselling author, Richard Rothstein, joined us for a discussion about his book The Color of Law, which exposes the powerful and disturbing history of how American governments deliberately imposed racial segregation on cities nationwide and promoted discriminatory patterns that continue to this day.