Spotlights
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.
2025 Women in CRE: Roxanne Donovan, Great Ink
What skill or quality do you believe is essential for success in your field today? In MY field (media relations) it’s important to be a real consumer of news in the CRE and business worlds in order to understand the landscape of media and options for story-telling.
2025 Women in CRE: Katie Vivian, Largo Real Estate Advisors, Inc.
What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? The most rewarding project I’ve been part of is Largo’s BOSS program, a 25-week mentorship for middle schoolers. Each week, they join us at the office to build confidence, communication, and leadership skills.
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