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 three questions around their involvement with ULI San Francisco.

Ankit Desai
Vice Chair of San Francisco Programs Committee
Co-Lead of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee’s Industry Pipeline Subcommittee
Senior Consultant, Arup

Q: How did you first get involved with ULI and your committee?
After moving to the Bay Area in 2016, I was looking for opportunities to be involved locally within the industry and luckily I connected with a ULI member who got me introduced to the various avenues available within ULI to contribute.

Q: What is your favorite ULI memory or event?
I really enjoy attending the ULI San Francisco Networking Hour. I feel this event attracts a lot of potential new/ young members to ULI. This is a chance to share my ULI experience and possibly get more people involved with the ULI SF Community.

Q: What keeps you engaged with ULI SF and what are you most excited about in the near future?
Opportunities to connect with amazing people is what drives me and keeps me actively engaged with ULI SF. Recently, I joined the newly formed ULI SF EDI Committee. I am excited about the work of this committee to bring positive tangible changes in the regional real estate community.

Q: What’s your leadership philosophy/style?
I think understanding the team dynamics and how each person operates is the key. I believe focusing on culture and creating an environment for people to express and enjoy themselves would typically bring the best outcome.

Q: When travel goes back to normal, where is the first place you want to go to?
I’d love to go and visit my family in India. Biggest downside about living thousands of miles away from family is the inability to meet your family frequently. Pandemic has complicated that equation further by limiting our ability to travel at all.

Q: Outside of work and ULI, what do you enjoy doing?
Outside of work, I love spending time with my toddler and learning the art of patience. I love playing cricket, ping pong and exploring beautiful Bay Area hikes and delicious (vegetarian) food!