Get to know some of the ULI San Francisco members who work hard behind the scenes to develop the events and initiatives for which our District Council is known. 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 about their involvement with ULI San Francisco.

Madeleine Roberts Rich, UrbanPlan Co-Chair 
Senior Associate | Focus Advisors

Q: How did you first get involved with ULI and your committee?
As an Oakland native, I was very inspired by the visionary developers John Protopappas and Mike Ghielmetti. They were kind enough to tell me about development when I was an undergraduate; both highly recommended ULI, so I joined as soon as I got my first development job out of college.

Q: What’s a memorable connection you’ve made through ULI?
I became interested in real estate back when I participated in ULI’s UrbanPlan program in high school. I so enjoy volunteering with UrbanPlan now as a professional. Especially working with Marisita Jarvis, who led UrbanPlan when I was a student and who has been a mentor as I now volunteer.

Q: What keeps you engaged with ULI SF and what are you most excited about in the near future?
The people keep me involved in ULI SF. ULI attracts such passionate and interesting professionals from all industry areas of the built environment. I’m most excited about helping plan ULI DeTour, an annual tour of one San Francisco’s most dynamic neighborhoods. It’s fun to prepare and draws a fun crowd.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the next year?
I hope to get involved with folks in ULI that are interested in accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the Bay Area. For years, I have been wanting to co-invest with folks in developing ADUs in neighborhoods that need them and I think ULI is the perfect place to do that.

Q: What’s your leadership philosophy/style?
My family always says “push back with integrity”, a concept which is a big part of my leadership style. I like working hard with a team, but always with good character towards a shared goal. I like to gamify everything; it makes even the toughest tasks fun to tackle together.

Q: Outside of work and ULI, what do you enjoy doing?
I adore exploring the glorious city of San Francisco with friends in my free time. My favorite place in the world is just outside of San Francisco – the Pelican Inn and Muir Beach in Marin. I also enjoy biking, reading, hiking, snowboarding, cooking, and taking dance classes in the Mission.

Q: If you could have any career in another profession, what would it be?
I would love to teach History at my alma mater, Berkeley High and to spend summers taking students, friends, or family on research trips. I am fascinated by the religious history of southern and western France and the early European contact with the Americas – histories that are actually intertwined!

Q: What has been your most unusual role, to date?
My current role is my most unusual. I work in Mergers & Acquisitions for a boutique firm. We specialize in representing owners of collision repair businesses across the US and Canada in selling their businesses to move on to their next chapters. It’s really challenging, but very rewarding.