Get to know some of the ULI San Francisco members who work hard behind the scenes to develop the events and initiatives our District Council is known for. These industry leaders come from a variety of real estate land use sectors and lend their expertise and time to drive the work of our committees. We’ve asked these committee co-chairs to answer questions around their involvement with ULI San Francisco.

Genevieve Cadwalader
Co-Chair, ULI SF NEXT Committee
Membership Co-Chair, Urban Development and Mixed Use (UDMUC) Blue Product Council
Vice President, Commercial Division, Sares Regis Group of Northern California

Q: How did you first get involved with ULI and your committee?
YLG drew me in through the Mentor Program. Over the many years I participated in it, the program helped me build a fantastic network of peers which is something I get to carry forward with my involvement on the ULI SF NEXT committee. I love being part of a platform that enables members to make meaningful connections within the industry.

Q: What is your favorite ULI memory or event?
I went to one of the first WLI Boardroom After Dark events, hosted by Melinda Ellis. The group that attended was impressive, but what stuck with me most was that Melinda followed up afterwards with each of us individually to provide specific and helpful advice based on what we had discussed over dinner. I thought it was such a generous form of leadership. I still have a regular lunch with some of the women I met that night.

Q: What keeps you engaged with ULI SF and what are you most excited about in the near future?
The opportunity ULI offers to develop great relationships has been invaluable in my career. I’m particularly excited about the formation of the EDI committee and the attention being paid to equity and diversity within real estate. There is so much more we can do and it’s great to see ULI taking it on.

Q: What’s your leadership philosophy/style?
There are two questions I ask myself a lot. How can I help members of my team grow and excel, and how do I set a clear vision or purpose? In my experience, feeling supported, valued, and inspired by common goals are some of the most important ingredients for achieving high performance.

Q: What’s front of mind for you right now?
I’m very focused on what opportunities will arise from the current shifting real estate landscape, particularly how ongoing work flexibility and fewer geographic constraints will influence demand for office space. I hope our industry will find ways to leverage this period of change to get better at creating healthy, equitable, and sustainable cities and communities.

Q: Who has been an instrumental person in your career?
I’ve been lucky to work for several people who challenged me to be the best. Jim Curtis was one of those people. He gave me an incredible education in how to think about real estate deals and how to be creative. My colleagues can attest that I quote him on a regular basis.

Q: Outside of work and ULI, what do you enjoy doing?
Life outside of work these days involves some combination of trail running, biking, chasing snow (hopefully soon!) or surf, chasing my one-year-old twin boys, and working on a home renovation project with my partner Paul. I can’t wait until we can invite friends over for dinner again.