2025 Women in CRE: Joanna Choinska, Foxy Management

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in commercial real estate? Commercial real estate is a rewarding career — so go for it! It’s a relationship-driven industry, so build your network one genuine connection at a time. Don’t put all your energy into befriending the top leaders.

2025 Women in CRE: Kabaye Liku, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? It’s hard to choose a single project as the most rewarding, especially when my work involves a diverse group of clients and projects. One that stands out is when I advised Blackstone, as lender, on its $1.8 billion financing for the construction of The Spiral

2025 Women in CRE: Genessy Jaramillo, BKREA

What skill or quality do you believe is essential for success in your field today? Understanding sacrifice and the balance between risk and reward is key. In most CRE roles, success and even stability rarely come quickly. The ability to stay disciplined, resilient, and committed while others opt for a more predictable path

2025 Women in CRE: Luly Bestard Melarti, Reynolds Asset Management

What skill or quality do you believe is essential for success in your field today? Today, the most essential skill is the ability to think cross-disciplinarily. In commercial real estate, you need to understand design, finance, and market dynamics simultaneously. The projects that perform best are those where the team can anticipate how a design decision

2025 Women in CRE: Garima Kaushal, AECOM

What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? The most rewarding project has been the $16+ billion Gateway Hudson Tunnel, where I lead the sustainability scope from AECOM’s side, pursuing Envision certification. As a megaproject with complex engineering, regulatory, and stakeholder challenges,

2025 Women in CRE: Gabrielle Everett, GirlGang

What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? The most rewarding project I’ve worked on was the Arlo NoMad hotel, which I supported through three separate rounds of financing. I was involved when the concept was still in its early stages — walking through a raw construction site and sharing the vision through renderings on an iPad.

2025 Women in CRE: Tammy Jones, Basis Investment Group

What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? In July 2025, I celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of BRP Companies’ Ruby Square, a 614-unit mixed-income multifamily development in Jamaica, Queens, the neighborhood where I grew up.

2025 Women in CRE: Theresa Genovese, CetraRuddy

What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? n exciting aspect of our practice at CetraRuddy is that we work on a wide range of project types at all scales. I’ve helped lead climate-resilient schools in India, the cultural hub Fotografiska,

2025 Women in CRE: Zeynep Ekemen, Z Realty Group

What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? One of the most rewarding parts of my career has been brokering dozens of deals with The Learning Experience, a national childcare brand. These projects go beyond real estate - they help shape communities and support working families.

2025 Women in CRE: Vicki Orena, TerraCRG

What skill or quality do you believe is essential for success in your field today? Success today in my opinion depends on being able to truly connect with people on a relatable level while staying true to yourself. It’s about knowing your audience, knowing your field inside and out, and communicating with empathy and purpose.