Vol. 7, Issue 4

$20 USD

Vol. 7 / Issue 4

sheCENTER(FOLD) Quinn Palomino Co-Founder and Partner Virtua Partners

Page 30

Special Guest Wendy Federman Award-Winning Broadway & Film Producer & President of Foolish Mortals Productions

The Debate on W. 58th Street:

Sheltering Homeless Responsibly & Ethically

Page 46

CA Passes Women on Corporate Boards: Disrupting Real Estate Businesses

Page 18

Page 4

Deadliest Fires in California 2018: Resources for Financial Recovery

Page 28

One World Trade Center: A Symbol of Hope & a Hallmark of Building Safety

Page 20

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In our first-ever interview with Wendy Federman, an eight-time Tony Award winning producer, we delve into her Broadway expertise and ability to choose and produce shows that audiences love.

What is aProducer?

“A producer is a rare, paradoxical genius: hard-headed, soft-hearted, cautious, reckless, a hopeful innocent in fair weather, a stern pilot in stormy weather, a mathematician who prefers to ignore the laws of mathematics and trust intuition, an idealist, a realist, a practical dreamer, a sophisticated gambler, a stage-struck child. That’s a producer.”

–Oscar Hammerstein II

Meet Wendy Federman

Wendy Federman is an eight-time Tony Award, seven-time Drama Desk Award, eleven-time Drama League Award, and ten-time Outer Critics Circle Award winning producer. Wendy is also a Film Producer who produced the feature film WAKEFIELD, starring Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner. The film was an official selection of the Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Hamptons International Film Festival. Wendy is a proud member of the John F. Kennedy Center’s National Committee for the Performing Arts whose mission is to fulfill President Kennedy’s vision by producing and presenting the greatest examples of music, dance, and theater; supporting artists in the creation of new work; and serving the nation as a leader in arts education. She has also served as a trustee on multiple boards including the Foundation for Gender Equality, Bergen Performing Arts Center, Gilda’s Club of Northern New Jersey, MCC Theatre and Penguin Reparatory Theatre. Wendy has served as a guest lecturer for many charitable foundations and mentors young aspiring producers, actors and writers. Wendy also serves as the chair of the Nominating Committee and co-chair of the annual Chita Rivera Awards event which celebrates the superb achievements of the top dancers and choreographers on Broadway and in film while raising funds for therapeutic dance classes throughout New York City.

Wendy Federman with:

Katie Holmes

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Tony Shaloub

Daniel Radcliffe

Jake Gyllinhaal

Ben Platt

Bryan Cranston

Women’s Profile

Producer Wendy Federman at the NYC red carpet Premier for the film, WAKEFIELD, starring Bryan Cranston & Jennifer Garner, which was an official selection of the Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, & the Hamptons International Film Festival.

How is theater producing similar from other types of business, and how is it different?

For context, a Broadway producer oversees all aspects of a theatre production including raising money to provide financial backing, managerial functions and hiring creative teams like writers, directors, composers and many others to bring a creative work of art to life. It’s similar to other businesses because I am managing a product that needs to be sold to customers or audiences. When I was in my family’s floral and craft trade business, we ultimately sold products, but there were other aspects that needed to be addressed including: When was the product manufactured? How was it being shipped? How was it priced? As a Broadway producer, although we’re presenting audiences with a play or musical experience as opposed to an actual physical product, there are parallel conversations. Is it the right project and will it be memorable? Does the production appeal to the widest possible audience? Are the financials sound and do they make sense?

Producing a Broadway show is a different business model than other businesses because it focuses on an experience rather than a product. It’s unlike any other business because you’re witnessing something live, which is a magical event.

People have to turn off their cell phones and commit to being there. You have an exchange of energy between the performers and audience members which feeds off each other and becomes a symbiotic relationship. Most people don’t experience those deep feelings and emotions when buying a floral wreath.

Producing Broadway shows serves a different kind of need.

I remember I took my son, now 26, to see The Lion King when he was 4. When those puppets came down the aisle, he just sat there with his mouth wide open—they captured him.

These are the things people remember. Being a Broadway producer gives me a platform to provide these types of great experiences that create memories. People tend to remember their first theatrical experiences more than they remember their first film or first plane ride.

Every show is different, and each audience is different, but you always want to feel that you’re giving the audience the best possible version of what could be. That’s how fresh each performance should feel to you, which is why it’s incredible that our performers do this eight times a week, and they just bring it. None of this work is easy—either on the performance side or the business side—but we love the finished product. We have a platform where we can entertain, inform, educate and make memories for people, and hopefully make money. It’s this kind of trifecta that when everything works out, you’re employing a lot of people, you’re making audiences very happy and creating special moments and memories and then they’re going out and telling all their friends, “You have to see this show!” You’re increasing your product value by customer response and word of mouth. I think, especially with entertainment, theater, restaurants, and even retail experiences, I’m a true believer in customer feedback utilizing social media to spread the word. Facebook or Instagram enable thousands people to spread the word about a show.

What advice would you give other women who want to get into theater producing?

For both women and men, there has to be passion in theater and a true desire to foster excellence in the arts. Producers have gotten into the business in different ways: some were stage managers, some worked their way up in the business, and some came in the way I did - a performer who went into business.

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Wendy Federman with:

Trey Anastasio

Tina Fey

Senator Corey Booker

There are different routes to success but a good starting point is to get involved with your local theater and learn everything you can about it. Become a student of theater for both plays and musicals so that you know your product and understand what makes a good show and can gain a sense of “I know this is going to work and here’s why.”

In New York City there are Broadway programs for people that want to be producers that are very educational. A lot of big cities have fabulous theaters around the country.

Wendy with the cast of “The Play I’ve mentored many producers that Goes Wrong” starring Nathan and I always tell them to go Lane, Matthew Broderick, Stockard to theatres, volunteer, and see Channing, F Murray Abraham how to get involved. I would also suggest looking at local universities to see if there are classes in theater management.

Do women face unique difficulties in becoming theater producers and show investors?

I’m not sure if women face more difficulties in this industry than they do in any other industry.

There are certainly more male producers than female producers, but we’re getting there. I go out of my way to mentor or hire female directors, light designers, or set designers. Nobody knew I had a corner office job before I became a Broadway producer. I had to prove that I could work hard and be an effective and worthy partner and key employee. The same must be done as a co-producer. I think this is true whether male or female.

It’s nice to attend meetings and see more women in control of the money and decision-making functions of a Broadway show. The people who invest in my Broadway shows are split 50/50 male to female. It’s interesting because the largest consumer and purchaser of Broadway shows are women between the ages 35 and 65, so I feel that’s what gives me an advantage.

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Tony Goldwyn

James Earl Jones

Norbert Leo Butz

I’m the demographic of the consumer and purchaser, so if the marketing and advertising campaigns of a Broadway show resonate with me, they probably will reach others as well.

How do you know which projects are worth your investment?

The project must be something I’d want to see, it must mean something to me so that I can speak passionately about it, and it must be a worthy investment. I also Wendy with Jennifer Garner make sure the creative side is talented, proven and solid so that the artistry is well represented. I have a fiduciary responsibly to my investors and must be extremely concerned and cautious with people’s money. I always ask questions like: What are the numbers going to look like? Who is the team?

Who else is producing the show? Who’s directing? Who is doing the marketing and advertising? I also evaluate what’s happening in the marketplace by looking at the style of show.

Musicals and plays are different. Plays take less time and people. Musicals are more expensive and must first be proven in an out of town theater. Last, I evaluate the timing of a show.

Many shows, especially musicals, can take 5 years or more to get to Broadway, so I’m always assessing potential future successful shows. I’m fortunate that I’ve been in the business long enough that I do get offered co-producer opportunities from top quality projects.

What are some useful strategies or tools to succeed in a high-risk investment such as Broadway?

Wendy with Sir Tim Rice

Know who you are giving your money to, know their track record, and have an idea of how they are regarded in their industry. This is true of any business, but certainly know who you’re

Wendy with Audra McDonald

working with and with whom you’re giving your money. Understand how they treat their investors and team.

Understand how the financials work, the time frame of the investment, and whether or not it fits in with your overall portfolio.

What inspired your love for theater?

I am honored to serve on several boards and as trustee to organizations who promote arts education because there isn’t as much as there should be. It is so fulfilling to serve with like-minded people who truly support, appreciate and celebrate originality, diverse perspectives and the spread of education in the arts. There are studies that show children grow up to be better humans and more successful when they’ve had arts as part of their education. They used to call it the humanities and I think it’s part of what makes us human. You become a more well-rounded person when you have been exposed to culture, which includes taking young children to not only theater but museums to view fine art.

There are certain acting groups and companies that send acting teachers and coaches to prisons to help with recidivism because it’s a wonderful way to help people dig into themselves and explore their feelings and get that kind of artistic nourishment. Then they go back into the world and they’re different people. They also have a different feel for other people and society because they’ve been given something that they’ve never had before.

What was the first production you saw?

I was taken to a production of the The Sound of Music when I was 4 or 5 years old. My mom had worked with Rodgers & Hammerstein in the past and was a huge fan.

Although I was very young, I remember it well and was transfixed by the beautiful production.

Wendy Federman’s co-productions for the 2018-2019 season

My mother was a radio and Broadway actress, and my aunt went out to L.A. in her late teens to make a film and never came back. She was an actress-singer. My uncle was the voice of Boris Badenov, the Jolly Green Giant and the Pillsbury Doughboy. I was surrounded by it, and by 5 years old I could sing harmony. The creative arts were very important in my home.

How do you manage your multiple projects?

It’s very busy - almost 24/7. But I just do it. I really love it. My friends say, “She’ll sleep when she’s dead.” I’m very hands on and constantly stay in touch with my colleagues, NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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The Band’s Visit, Tony Awards, Wendy Federman, Broadway Producer, Tony Shalhoub, Katrina Lenk, Ari’el Stachel

creative teams, other producers and especially my investors by sending them press items, updates and and information. It’s important and I appreciate people entrusting me by investing in my shows, so I want to give them as much information as I can. My website is always updated with the latest information about my Broadway shows or films. I also do reach out to people through email marketing to tell them what’s going on: here are my shows that With Gloria Estafan backstage are currently running on Broadat the Kennedy Center Honors way, in London or on national tours, here’s what just opened, here’s what’s coming in a year from now.

Are there other things you invest in besides Broadway shows and films?

I have investments in the market and have worked with my husband in his real estate business. I’m a big believer of investing in what you know. I have confidence in the business model so I often invest in shows that look promising.

You love what you do and you do it exceptionally well.

I love all theatre. I go see recreational theater - shows that would never go to Broadway because they’re experimental or there is audience participation. They have 99 seats or

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2,000 seat halls. I go to theater because I love theater. It’s my hobby. I travel the world to see shows that might have Broadway potential. It’s never a chore. When I’m older, God willing, they will be wheeling me into theaters to see a show. I’m very fortunate that my first love, which became my hobby, became my work. I don’t know if a lot of people can say that. I feel very blessed that I don’t look at what I do begrudgingly. I really love Wendy with Katrina Lenk what I do.

I’ve also been very lucky to work with talented people. If it weren’t for the directors, the creatives, the talent, and the business teams, we would have nothing to bring to the stage. These are incredibly gifted people and I’m just so very privileged that I have a small part in bringing their creative works to a larger public audience.

“The real world of business is cutthroat & most people work for the dollar, not the team or mission.”

No one was there when I got there. The boss pulled up, happy to see me and said I was looking sharp. I thought nothing of it. I had to be very guarded; you never give off signals in the Army. My boundaries were disciplined. In Miami, flirtatiousness abounded. I wanted to be taken seriously and flirting would have destroyed that. I worked hard and the boss loved me, but I was in my own bubble. No one knew what I was doing or had any idea about government. I was not connecting with the workers. It was not a good fit.

I left after a year. Corporate America was not my thing.

However, during this time, Oprah and The White House Project named me, along with 50 other women around the country, a woman with the background and drive to change the world. We were all sponsored and flown to New York to collaborate with community, government and private leaders who inspired me to continue to serve.

Life of a Female Veteran: U.S. Army Combat Veteran

Erica Courtney (Part 4 of 6)

With my EMBA close to completion, I was offered a senior

level job at a logistics company in Miami. They needed me to lead and grow the government market. Even though I kicked and screamed about being pigeon-holed in logistics and contracting, it sure was a marketable skill. I used to buy everything, from BBQs and sunglasses to furniture and aircraft armor. I worked with the contracting officers and comptrollers who handle the big budgets routinely when I had to equip my units in the U.S. or abroad. Now companies wanted to know how to get to the person I used to be.

It was obvious people had no clue how to deal with federal buyers. I could build a section and plan out their approach.

Sure, sign me up. I will take the job. For the first time, I had to think about what I was going to wear. It had been uniforms day in and day out forever. Not a big shopper, I found outfits on mannequins that looked good and showed up early, because if you are not early in the Army you are late.

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Degree in hand, I decided to go it alone. My family was now moving to Jacksonville, Florida. The need for government business development was there. I researched the market and found many unqualified people charging a fortune to break into this space. People just don’t know what they don’t know.

You can’t just jump in. You have to understand the buyer’s language. I knew within 30 seconds if I would work with a vendor or not while serving. Why not prepare people correctly, especially if they were willing to pay for my expertise?

I formed an LLC and began getting out there speaking at local chambers of commerce, business events and similar engagements. I started forming connections that led to leads and secured my first contract within two months of starting my company with a solar thermal manufacturer. They were a great client and I connected with my contact who was a “tell it like it is gal” who was right up my alley. As in battle, you need to know your conditions; who is to your left and right, enemies, communications and more. In business, it is imperative to know your competition, who is buying, what their messaging is and how to speak in a way that resonates with the buyer. I took my military skills of analysis, planning and problem-solving and applied them to my work on the outside. I began to get more clients and before I knew it, I was making over $300,000 in revenue.

Seasoned, experienced people at venture capital firms and billion-dollar companies said that I produced the best sales and marketing plans they had seen in their careers. Yes, I earned an EMBA and it helped me with understanding that language, but it was my military strategic planning skills that earned me praise. I began hiring people and brought in a partner. I saw potential in this partner, but she had little experience in the contracting space at this level so I did what I knew best: I mentored and developed her over a year.

I would put her in front of the customer without getting involved except to guide her from the sidelines. This turned out to be a mistake. I trusted her as I trusted my military brethren. She got greedy, wanted her own business and took the clients because all they knew was her.

It was a lesson that taught me greed trumps loyalty and to never expect thanks for training someone and introducing them to a skill that provides them a livelihood.

Despite this setback, I was named one of the top 40 people in the community under 40 doing well in business by the Jacksonville Business Journal. I started getting involved in advocacy. It is known that veterans are much more likely to continue service upon their release. I became a Commissioner for Jacksonville representing more than 650,000 women. Every month, community representatives would come in and discuss their specific issues such as young girls and women in the judicial system, healthcare discrepancies, and transportation issues for mothers working two or three jobs through the evening hours, women of color bias, employment and more.

I never thought about a lot of this, I never had to. Having been a woman in a “man’s world,” I thought I understood discrimination and biased behavior. However, I realized I had a lot to learn from the women before me. As the youngest on the panel of seasoned women, the President had mentioned that Gloria Steinem was coming to visit us and all the women were excited. I, never afraid to admit I don’t know something, cautiously asked, “Who is Gloria Steinem?” Boy, the looks those women gave me were like knives cutting through butter. They explained that she had been a pioneer of women’s rights since the 1960s.

“[My mother] raised me to believe there was nothing I couldn’t do and I never thought that gender would be a problem.”

It turns out that when she came to me demanding 50 percent of the company and was turned down, she had already been moving company documents electronically for over a month. She was taking proprietary information to create her own business. Lawyers got involved and from that, I came out on top and my former partner had to pay all legal fees. It was painful, not necessarily the monetary part of it, but the realization that people do not behave as you think they should. If I was brought in, trained, paid more than the founder and given the opportunity to be the front man not being micromanaged, I would have been grateful.

They say in business you actually earn your tuition by doing, not in school. The real world of business is cutthroat and most people work for the dollar, not the team or mission. I wondered over and over, could I have seen the signs? What did I do wrong? How could I have smoothed this over? How could I learn from this? It baffled me. I did not see this coming and was given no warning about my partner’s intentions.

Bottom line, I chalked it up to a learning lesson never to be repeated. I became much wearier from that time on.

I went home and figured if anyone would know her, my mother would. My mother joined the Peace Corps when I was 18 and had always been fighting for causes. She raised me to believe there was nothing I couldn’t do and I never thought that gender would be a problem. My mother said, “Of course I know her. You marched on my back when you were a baby with her several times fighting for women’s rights.” It was at that moment that I realized I needed to know the women who came before me. Why didn’t I know my own gender history? I started paying attention. Even though I was blazing trails, there were many before me that made it possible for me to do what I did.

After five years of successful growth, I decided to keep only NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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Erica pictured with fellow women trailblazers at the Women Rule-A Crash Course in the first ever Oprah-White House Leadership Project.

my favorite clients and move on to another venture. The next move was northern California. A former client of mine was very connected and respected in the Silicon Valley area. She approached me and asked if I would want to go into business with her. I did my risk analysis I had been so trained to do. Already a very successful business owner, check. Can teach me a few things, check. Is giving me the opportunity to get business through her contacts given that I am already a certified veteran-owned firm in California, check. In the field of logistics which I understand well, check. Data capture through smart people and equipment like drones, check.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is all in for diversity.

It was a different kind of business. Not consulting per se, but the actual management of “stuff.” I had to start getting out there and meeting people in a way I did not have to before.

There was much focus on sales, marketing and connections.

Based on my work in business and the community, the Silicon Business Journal named me a Women of Influence. Like many veterans, I researched many groups on the internet that could help guide me along. There were plenty of veteran advocacy groups, many popping up every day. It is no wonder veterans isolate themselves; it is very confusing to know who to sift through. Who is credible? Where are they, thousands of miles away? Most groups centered on handouts, employment, mental health, adaptive construction for disabilities and everything VA. I was not interested in those. I was looking for peer groups in business, a grassroots approach and something I could belong to locally, not in D.C.

Erica Courtney CEO of 2020vet and U.S. Army Combat Veteran

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http://bit.ly/NDILC

Dr. Chitra Dorai, Computer Scientist, Data Science and AI Expert, and Founder and CEO at Amicus Brain Innovations, Inc., attended the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, which had over 70,000 attendees and was the largest entrepreneurial conference with participants ranging from IBM, Google, Amazon, and other major companies. Dr. Chitra Dorai also recently participated in DC Finance New York on October 23rd, 2018, regarding Future Proofing the Real Estate Business in AI (Artificial Intelligence) Era. Dr. Chitra Dorai also participated at MBA's D&I Summit in Washington D.C. on Using Technology and Data Analytics to Impact D&I on November 28, 2018. ●

Dr. Cheryl Travis-Johnson, COO of VRM Mortgage Services & Co-Founder at Council for Inclusion in Financial Services (CIFS) has achieved her Doctorate in Business Administration from Walden University. Her dissertation was CFPB and regulations for mortgage service companies. She has also been sharing data with OGA for a year and a half now on how financial services can do a better job keeping women in the industry, by containing more women in middle management, as well as attracting more millennials in the industry. ●

Tami Bonnell is the CEO of Exit Realty International Corp, and Exit Realty Pros recently partnered with Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA), started in 1977 in Seattle, WA, as a way to involve the community to help watch over the safety and needs of child victims of abuse and neglect, by campaigning for auction items and donating voice-over services at CASA's latest fundraising event titled "An Evening Under the Stars." Thousands of dollars were raised for the non-profit organization. ●

Marcia Davies is COO of Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and Founder of mPower, which hosted mPowering You: MBA’s Summit for Women in Real Estate Finance on October 13, 2018 in Washington, D.C. mPoweringYou is a forum for women in the mortgage industry to promote and discuss professional development as well as diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

A wide range of successful women executives provided helpful insights and engaged attendees in thought-provoking conversations ●

to enhance their professional and personal skills. http://bit.ly/mpoweringyou2018

Desirée Patno, CEO & President of NAWRB, and Chairwoman of NDILC, participated in DC Finance's Real Estate Family Office Meetings: Opportunity Zones on Wednesday, December 12th, 2018 in New York City. She chaired the event and interviewed Chelsea Amelia Cruz, Associate Director of Community Development Finance at Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and John Cochrane, Senior Associate at the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance. She also participated in a Fireside chat with Karen Przpyszny, Managing Director of Special Initiatives at The National Equity Fund. Desiree also participated in DC Finance's Women in Real Estate on October 23, 2018 in New York City, NAR's Finance Your Business Expansion Dreams in Boston on November 3, 2018 and participated in MBA's D&I Summit Keeping Up with D&I in a Down Market in Washington D.C. on November 28, 2018. ●

Mission:

Dedicated to raising the number of women leaders and growing women’s employment and empowerment at all levels in the housing ecosystem. Our Council, comprised of senior executive women, works diligently toward gender equality and obtaining equal opportunity for women across America.

NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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Women's Independence 36 Vol 7 / Issue 4: Change in America

TABLE

of

CONTENTS

Women's Profile 4

Women Leading The Way With Confidence: a guiding force of principles and purpose by Nicky Dare

Community 42 46

Leading Increasingly Intergenerational & Diverse Teams by Jason Ma The Debate on W. 58th Street: Sheltering Homeless Responsibly & Ethically

NDILC in the News

Living 50 Homeownership 52

CA Passes Women on Corporate Boards: Disrupting Real Estate Businesses

Next Chapter 56

Special Guest Wendy Federman, Award-Winning Broadway & Film Producer & President of Foolish Mortals Productions

10 13 Legislative 18

Life of a Female Veteran: U.S. Army Combat Veteran Erica Courtney (Part 4 of 6)

Business Ownership 20

One World Trade Center: A Symbol of Hope & a Hallmark of Building Safety

Technology 24

AI & Blockchain in Real Estate: How to Leverage the Disruption

Access to Capital 28 sheCenterfold 30

Deadliest Fires in California 2018: Resources for Financial Recovery

Quinn Palomino

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Leap-In: Inspiring Career Role Models for the Next Generation of Women Leaders by David Homan

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Stop Being a Fly on the Wall

by Sophia Fromell

The Hispanic Potential Buying Power of 1.7 Trillion Dollars

by Patricia Lara Ladd

Protecting the Growing Older Population from Financial Abuse

Publisher’s Letter Change in America Volume 7, Issue 4

Change in America – WOW, where do we start? During these exciting times filled with anxiety and living on the edge of our seats, we bring you this incredible Issue of NAWRB Magazine featuring sheCENTER(FOLD) Quinn Palomino, real estate entrepreneur, shareholder, and Co-Founder and Principal at Virtua Partners, and a Special Guest Interview with Wendy Federman, eight-time Tony Award, seven-time Drama Desk Award, eleven-time Drama League Award, and ten-time Outer Critics Circle Award winning producer.

Quinn Palomino owns and manages a fully-integrated group of nine real estate firms, that specialize in helping investors build net worth.

Learn her incredible story as a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant, her experience growing up in a mix of both American and Vietnamese cultures, the words of wisdom she lives and works by, and her greatest fear.

In our first-ever interview with Wendy Federman, who produced the feature film WAKEFIELD, starring Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner, we delve into her Broadway expertise and passion with the ability to choose and produce shows that audiences love.

From the latest developments in social impact of the way people work, live, and mature, to new laws requiring companies to have more women on their corporate boards, Change in America delivers.

Desirée Patno, CEO & President NAWRB

Stay informed with a free subscription National Mortgage Professional Magazine, “The source for top originators,” as a benefit of your membership to NAWRB. A subscription to NMP allows you to stay on top of the latest news and headlines and share the informative articles and insights with your colleagues and business partners.

Looking for something different? Visit MortgageNewsNetwork.com for the industry’s latest topics on-demand, 24/7 in video form. With 10+ video shows produced each week, video press releases and corporate spotlights, there’s something for everyone.

Visit

subscribe.nationalmortgageprofessional.com/nawrb to start your free subscriptions now!

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/NAWRB

Premier

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Desirée Patno

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Grand

Kendall Roderick

CONTENT WRITERS

Burgandy Basulto PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS

Jay Jones Lucille Chaney Ari Jones

Executive

Proud Winner of Publication Excellence 2015-2018 CONTRIBUTORS

Sophia Fromell Erica Courtney Quinn Palomino Jason Ma David Homan Wendy Federman Patricia Lara Ladd Nicky Dare

NAWRB Magazine is a quarterly publication featuring unique content, articles on diversity, inclusion and engagement for women in the housing ecosystem, exclusive interviews with industry professionals, business development tools, book reviews, feature stories and more. All materials submitted to NAWRB Magazine are subject to editing if utilized.

The articles, content, and other information in this publication are for information purposes only. Articles, content, and other information in this publication without named authors are contributed by the publication’s staff, but do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of NAWRB. NAWRB assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

Empower women to take charge of their finances.

And futures.

Be part of NFCC’s national movement to improve financial health.

NFCC® is the nation’s first and largest nonprofit dedicated to improving people’s financial well-being.

With member offices serving millions of clients located throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico, NFCC Certified Counselors are unbiased advocates dedicated to empowering clients to achieve their financial goals.

From buying a first home to starting a new business and strengthening their finances, we help women get it done.

NFCC invites NAWRB members to become Sharpen Your Financial Focus partners. Learn more at www.nfcc.org/impact NAWRB MAGAZINE | 17

NAWRB had the pleasure of writing a formal letter to the various

committees on the California State Assembly and Governor Jerry Brown regarding the passing of SB 826 bill, which requires that at least one woman be on the board of publicly held companies in California by year end 2019.

Having diverse members on corporate boards is not only an ethical decision—it’s good for business. Credit Suisse research demonstrated that companies are more profitable and more productive when they have at least three women directors on their boards, especially in return on equity and stock performance.

In terms of female representation on corporate boards, California, at 15.5 percent, lags behind the national average of 16.2 percent for the Russell 3000. Also, the bill states, “one-fourth of California’s public companies in the Russell 3000 index have NO women on their boards of directors.”

SB 826 requires that at least one woman be on the board of publicly held companies in California by year end 2019. Existing male board members would not be replaced. If there is no turnover of board seats in 2019, held by men, then a new seat would be added for a woman.

This proposed law does not apply to private companies. The Chambers that oppose SB 826 represent primarily small private companies, which would not be affected by this bill.

In an official letter, Governor Brown states, “There have been numerous objections to this bill and serious legal concerns have been raised. I don’t minimize the potential flaws that indeed may prove fatal

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to its ultimate implementation.” He continues, “Given all the special privileges that corporations have enjoyed for so long, it’s high time corporate boards include the people who constitute more than half the ‘persons’ in America.”

How does this concern real estate? Publicly-held real estate companies in California are most likely to be affected by this new legislation requiring female representation on their boards. This might be a productive start for increasing the share of women in areas where they are greatly underrepresented, such as commercial real estate.

A report by The Real Deal, looking at top investment sales and leasing brokerages in Los Angeles, CA, demonstrates the significant difference in female representation between commercial and residential real estate brokers.

In the top commercial real estate firms in LA, the percentage of women brokers ranges from 0 to 29 percent, compared to 42 to 60 percent in residential firms.

At the executive level, the 2015 Commercial Real Estate

Legislative

“Gender diversity & female representation at the board level requires a more rigorous & formal approach from top down... at this rate, studies predict it will take over 40 years to achieve gender parity.”

Women Network Benchmark Study found that 17 percent of men surveyed held executive titles, while only 9 percent of women stated the same. Although residential real estate has a fair ratio of male-to-female agents, commercial real estate and leadership positions across the board are male-dominated.

A common reason for why there are few opportunities for female advancement in leadership positions is that the industry continues to be a “boys’ club,” where key players often conduct business at outings, golfing and retreats, where women are not invited. Also, those who are able to climb the ladder rely heavily on connections and networking, since the industry is based on relationships.

Corporations and brokerages might find it costly to change their hiring processes, but the results will likely increase their customer base and book of business in the long run. However, gender diversity should not stop at just meeting quotas to improve the quality and longevity of diversity in firms.

achieve gender parity.

Gender diversity and female representation at the board level requires a more rigorous and formal approach from top down. Corporations will have to embrace diversity and inclusion as a core tenet in their ethos and daily operations until it becomes a continual practice with long-lasting effects.

Realistically, it will take time for companies to create a pipeline that helps advance women through their corporation. SB 826 gives us an opportunity to take action now regarding one aspect of the lack of female representation on boards. The bill can always be revised as its effectiveness is reviewed by the Secretary of State through implementation so as to meet our shared goal of women’s inclusion.

Other ways companies, and their employees, can address the gender gap at all levels of employment include mentoring and collaboration among both men and women employees, changing hiring practices, such as recruiting ads that emphasize women’s strengths, and advertise recruitment opportunities at speaking engagements.

Some public companies in California may feel that they are already displaying diversity awareness in their hiring processes, thus enforced legislation is not needed. When they search for board members, taking into consideration candidates of both genders, their priority is hiring the most qualified directors.

An open mindset while reviewing candidates is good to have, especially since the board selection process predominantly occurs within social networks, but the numbers show it has not been enough for increasing female representation at the top level. At this rate, studies predict it will take over 40 years to

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One World Trade Center:

A Symbol of Hope & a Hallmark of Building Safety

Seventeen years later, the aftermath of 9/11 continues to haunt

us. All of us who were alive and old enough to remember will never forget where we were and the effect it has had on our lives.

The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, a division of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, under the Dept. of Labor accounted for 2,886 9/11 related injuries in 2001, a list including people of all ages, ethnicities, gender, and types of work—in essence, a snapshot of America. For those who responded to the attacks, the toll it continues to take is unforgiving.

Lasting Effects Today Earlier this year, FBI Director Christopher Wray, along with the special master of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund held a forum at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum with a goal of encouraging federal law enforcement officers still suffering from health problems relating to the attack to take advantage of available resources.

In the years since that horrible morning, the country has tried to move forward in part by encouraging those who were exposed to the toxic air released from the debris to access services and benefits that could help them cope or prolong their lives.

The 9.11 World Trade Center Health Program was created to provide care and monitor not only first responders but people who lived and worked nearby Ground Zero. The program estimates over 400,000 people were either exposed to toxic contaminants or sustained Ground Zero-related injuries or emotional trauma after the initial attacks. Making up the program’s top ten post9/11 illnesses are Chronic Rhinosinusitis, cancer, PTSD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Depression, and anxiety.

The program was created after the signing of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, named for an NYPD officer who died of a respiratory disease in 2006. It divides those eligible for care into four categories: FDNY Responder, General Responder, workers or volunteers who provided support; NYC Survivor, a person present in the disaster area as a result of their work, residence, school or daycare; and finally, Pentagon/Shanksville, PA Responders who were involved in the other attacks that occurred that day.

Last week, city firefighters added 18 more names to the 182 already etched on the memorial wall at their headquarters. The names represent firefighters who have died from post-9/11 related illnesses, underlining the fact that years later, the impact is personal and devastating.

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Business Ownership One World Trade Center Where the base of the Twin Towers once stood in New York City, there are two memorial reflecting pools where the names etched of the nearly 3,000 who died the day of the tragedy remain an enduring reminder of those lost. As you look up from the pools, you see a literal manifestation of hope: the 1,776 feet tall, 104-story, and 3.5 million-square-foot One World Trade Center tower.

The One World Trade Center is the main building of the World Trade Center complex that is still being developed in Lower Manhattan. The tower, which opened in November 2014, currently holds the title as the tallest building in not only the United States but also of the entire Western Hemisphere, and it ranks as the sixth-tallest tower in the world. The way the tower stands tall gives strength and hope to locals and those whose lives have been forever altered by the tragic event.

While the design was completed from 2003 to 2005, construction lasted between 2006 to 2014; thus, this project took over a decade to realize with costs exceeding $3 billion. Desiree Patno, CEO &

View from the 76th Floor of the 3 World Trade Center—the Highest Balcony in Greater New York

President of NAWRB, had the pleasure of being one of a select few executives who were given a personal tour of the building and learned the series of obstacles the developer and owner of the World Trade Center—Silverstein Properties and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, respectively—had to overcome to rebuild it. The construction and design were led by the New York office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).

Larry Silverstein, owner of Silverstein Properties is the leaseholder and developer of the buildings of the World Trade Center complex, while Port Authority possess ownership of the One World Trade Center tower. In July 2001, Silverstein signed a 99-year old lease for the World Trade Center, for which he paid $14 million. Under the agreement, he was given the right to rebuild the structures if they were destroyed.

Little did he know that this promising purchase tided to the building purchase of $3.2 Billion six weeks later would be the site of one of the most devastating historical events in United States history. Imagine, buying any property and have this mass destruction.

After September 11, Silverstein faced numerous legal disputes with 22 insurance companies regarding insurance policies that were set in place for the original Two Towers. During the struggle that has lasted 17 years, Silverstein was able to collect approximately $4.85 billion from insurers regarding the buildings themselves and the hijacked planes that crashed into them. He reached a $95 million settlement with the aviation companies American Airlines Group Inc and United Continental Holdings Inc in November 2017. Hats off to Silverstein for their mental endurance to deal with five governors, 19 governments, almost two decades and the continued reminder of additional people losing their lives every year due to the toxic chemicals.

3 World Trade Center The 3 World Trade Center building in the Financial District, completed in 2018 by architect Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, is one of the tallest buildings in New York City standing at 1,079 feet with 80 stories. This office tower, built with modern glass and is LEED Gold-certified, distinguishes itself with an external structural steel frame, a three-story-high lobby and three landscaped terraces.

Desirée Patno, CEO & President of NAWRB, was invited on a private tour of the 3 World Trade Center and walked on the balcony on the 76th floor— the highest balcony in greater New York. The elevator ride was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Even though the balcony still awaited some finishing touches, it was not only breathtaking but also exuberating calmness.

A New Safe and Beautiful Design In 2005, when the design for the tower was still being worked out, the plans were adjusted for increased safety and security. Changes included moving the site of the building further from the heavier traffic on West Street and adding tempered laminated and multi-layered glass windows.

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Billed as “safe, sustainable and artistically dynamic” on the World Trade Center’s website, the tower’s safety measures exceed what’s required under New York’s building codes. Designed around a strong steel frame supported by beams and columns, One World Trade Center was designed to be the safest commercial building in the world. NYPD’s counterterrorism Bureau polices the area around the building and while an underground Vehicle Screening Center serves as a security checkpoint and you must have special permission to access closed and restricted sites.

In 2012, Architectural Digest previewed the new One World Trade Center which ultimately opened in 2014 saying the building that emerged out of the design revisions was “one of the safest, technologically advanced, and environmentally sensitive in the world.” Its 3-foot concrete slabs are designed to withstand natural disasters like high winds and earthquakes.

In addition, it has a heavy, blast-resistant base called a podium, a specially designed fire suppression, 70 specially protected elevators and most notably a stairwell exclusively for emergency personnel.

Although increased safety measures can never guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen, we can look to buildings like One World Trade Center as inspiration for rethinking the way we build our structures of the future and rehab and retrofit existing buildings.

The buildings we design are a manifestation of the strength, security and safety we desire to have as we interact with each other in

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shared spaces. It takes many people working together to come up with effective designs, plans and programs. By creating more sustainable and safe buildings and by continuing to support those who still need help in the wake of 9/11, we honor those whose lives were lost and reaffirm that the most important assets we have are human lives.

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helper in the real estate industry, including being able to communicate with buyers in an intelligent manner and identify important signals for property regulations such as RegTech.

Technology can assist the industry in property management, application processing and data synthesizing so that agents and brokers can focus on connecting with clients and helping them with the emotional process of buying or selling a home.

AI & Blockchain in Real Estate: How to Leverage the Disruption Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain are emerging technologies that

are impacting the way industries conduct business, especially in real estate.

Not much is known about blockchain to the general public besides its association with bitcoin, and most people associate AI with either Siri or Alexa.

However, more professionals in the housing ecosystem are increasing their focus on these new trends as they will significantly alter the way businesses operate and interact with their customers and clients.

In this article, we’ll get you up to speed on how blockchain and AI will alter the industry, especially real estate, and how companies can stay afloat along this new current of technological development.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Discussions about how AI will alter the workforce as we know it is a hot topic among thought leaders, including in the housing and real estate ecosystem. While some fear that improvements in machine learning and cognitive intelligence will present a threat to jobs, which is certainly an important concern, others see AI as a helpful tool for real estate professionals.

When hearing the term “AI,” people often think of chatbots and Siri or Alexa. However, experts see AI as having greater potential as a common

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Here are some of the ways real estate professionals can utilize AI to improve their operations & increase their business growth: • For property management, advanced machine learning can streamline everyday processes for tenants, property managers and landlords by helping find suitable tenants, locate vendors and provide alerts for routine maintenance and management tasks.

• Increase the number of recommendations

your clients can choose from through AI. Agents can convert their knowledge of a client’s wants into data an algorithm can use to search and find a higher number of matches at a faster rate.

• AI can provide virtual tours for interested

homebuyers and answer simple technical questions about the property on behalf of the agent, such as square footage, questions about the lease and more through 24/7 chat boxes. More nuanced questions can be transferred to the agent.

• Agents can maintain long-term relation-

ships with their clients, for when they need help moving, selling their property or even buying multiple properties in the future, through AI-based customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

These are just a few of the ways AI is being developed into the way real estate professionals conduct their business. AI can be a helpful tool that can make everyday tasks more efficient and provide assistance to cli-

Technology ents at a moment’s notice rather than a replacement for the agent themselves.

It’s important to remember that AI is not without flaws. Some worry that AI creators and users will include their own biases into new technology, causing more roadblocks and harm to minorities.

The benefits of blockchain technology are tenfold, and it can be applied for any process that involves a transaction, record-keeping or agreement. First, it keeps sensitive information safe: each record is encrypted and the ledger is difficult, if not impossible, to hack.

Second, every computer’s record provides a consensus of the validity of any transaction. Third, blockchain allows two or more parties to engage in a transaction without the need of a middleman.

Innovators are working to “Blockchain is a series of make AI great at problem-solving, automatic processing, data computers, ranging from collecting and so on, but being thousands to millions in an agent or broker requires skills AI does not have: the expert adnumber, which are able to vice of a professional who has In terms of real estate, blockworked in the field for over 20 simultaneously keep record chain will make property data years, the ethics to makes sure of the same event or trans- more secure and accessible to AI is used responsibly, the abilthe public, and it will make action in a ledger that is ity to listen and understand a transactions efficient and safe. publicly viewable.” client’s needs, the intuition to This increases accessibility of know when a property is a good data integral to home buying fit or deal, and the empathy to sympathize and provide and selling, and ensures independent industries are held moral support when homebuyers get cold feet or things accountable for sound business practices. don’t go according to plan.

The multiple listing service (MLS)— used to store information regarding clients, contracts, and more— is not cenBlockchain tralized, difficult to access and is often out of date. With Blockchain is an emerging technology that is impacting blockchain, a nationwide database can be made that offers the way industries conduct business, especially in real es- centralized and accessible property information. tate. Not much is known about blockchain to the general public besides its association with bitcoin. While real estate Blockchain will drive an increase in smart contracts, which professionals should pay attention to this new trend as it allows contracts, escrows, property records and more to be will significantly change transactions and data sharing, it completed and financial transactions to occur without the will not make their careers obsolete. Agents have the in- need of title companies or attorneys. Forbes analysts prevaluable tool of building relationships and empathy, which dict that home buying and home selling might become as are pivotal to success in the industry. Blockchain is merely easy as using a shopping cart on a website. Blockchain has a helpful addition to their toolbox. the capacity to ensure the homebuyer receives the deed or title, while the seller takes home the profit through Blockchain is a series of computers, ranging from thou- cryptocurrency. sands to millions in number, which are able to simultaneously keep record of the same event or transaction in a Some fear that these changes will make certain real estate ledger that is publicly viewable. Bitcoin is an application of professions unnecessary, but this is false. Real estate agents blockchain. The transaction of buying bitcoin with cash is are still an integral part of the home buying process as a witnessed by these computers and validates a person’s own- dependable source of knowledge, advice and emotional ership of the bitcoin when she attempts to sell the bitcoin support for clients during this important decision. for cash later.

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“Some fear that these changes will make certain real estate professions unnecessary, but this is false. Real estate agents are still an integral part of the home buying process�

Agents are adept at handling hiccups in the buying process, such as when a client suffers a traumatic loss, loses their job or gets cold feet. As human beings, they can relate to these troubles and provide practical solutions, while computers cannot. Blockchain is not a replacement for real estate professionals; it is only a helpful tool for helping agents and brokerages serve their clients with the utmost care and efficiency.

NAWRB is dedicated to helping industry professionals utilize technology in the best way possible in their careers and personal lives. Our trademark Technology Human BalanceÂŽ delivers information on how technology is disrupting the housing and real estate ecosystem, as well as in our daily lives, and how we can properly leverage this dynamic tool in the way we live and work. AI Technology with the Human Touch is the Perfect Balance.

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After dealing with numerous deadly fires earlier this year, ident, homeowner, business owner or all of the above, when California is currently dealing with three major wildfires, including the Camp Fire in Butte County, the Woosley Fire in Los Angeles County and the Hill Fire in Ventura County.

California Governor-elect Gavin Newsom recently issued emergency proclamations in response to the wildfires and requested statewide FEMA Emergency Declaration. While Cal Fire firefighters still work hard to contain these fires and affected homeowners plan their next steps, it is important to know about the available resources for financial and physical damage recovery.

While we still await updates, these California fires are being named the deadliest in the state’s history. At time of writing, the number of deaths from the Camp Fire in Northern California has risen to 63 while over 600 people remain missing.

According to recent updates by Cal Fire, the Camp Fire has burned approximately 142,000 acres, causing over 40,000 residents to abandon their homes and find safety. The Woosley Fire has burned more than 98,000 acres and numerous homes, and the Hill Fire in Ventura County has burned over 4,000 acres, including RVs and outbuildings. While the Hill Fire is fully contained, the Camp Fire is 45 percent contained and the Woolsey Fire is 69 percent contained.

Resources

No matter how close your home or business is to wildland areas, it’s always best to be prepared in case of emergency evacuation, prepare your home to mitigate potential for damage, and have knowledge of your local and national recovery resources.

Immediate Assistance Wherever you are in the United States, whether you are a res-

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disaster hits, there are resources to help you. Immediately after a disaster, contact your local fire department, Federal Emergency management Agency (FEMA), Red Cross, and the Disaster Assistance Improvement Program (DAIP) for urgent needs like aid and shelter, various support services, and up-to-date information.

For specific information about fire safety and programs, find out if your county is associated with a fire authority and make sure to visit their website and save their contact information. The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), for instance, provides citizens with status updates and a plethora of resources for residents and business owners, including step-by-step guidelines for emergency evacuation, disaster preparedness and fire safety.

Disaster Recovery Loans & Financial Assistance

FEMA

James K. Joseph, Regional Administrator of FEMA Region V was a panelist at the recent 2018 NAWRB 5th Annual Conference, “Year of Women,” where he gave an informative overview of FEMA services. For instance, in times of natural disaster, FEMA will mobilize resources in time of major natural disasters, but the true first responders will be local service departments in state and nearby states before FEMA assists the area.

FEMA can help kickstart recovery, but it does not have the capacity to completely finance the recovery of homeowners and businesses who have suffered damages. The maximum grant amount that applicants can receive is $34,000, but the average homeowners will commonly be awarded $4,000 to $6,000.

Homeowners will receive a greater payout from an insurance, which can amount to six-figures for their recovery needs. This

Access to Capital is why it’s important to have more financial advisors to help homeowners be more financially resilient and more realtors to help renters become homeowners and assist homeowners in acquiring good insurance.

Joseph states that the most prominent job of FEMA is to “Help people prepare before, during and after a disaster.” To do this, FEMA facilitates the coordination of all federal agencies to the table to assist people during a natural disaster. As he articulates, what is key is what we do before a disaster to help American citizens be prepared.

SBA Disaster Loans

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 75 percent of small businesses do not have a disaster plan. Furthermore, 40 percent of small businesses displaced by a natural disaster do not reopen because of exorbitant costs. Two out of 3 homes in the United States are underinsured by 22 percent, reports Value Penguin.

The SBA offers low-interest disaster loans for businesses, private nonprofits, homeowners and renters who need assistance with uninsured costs. Even those insured for natural disaster damage are encouraged to apply for a SBA Disaster Loan The SBA can lend you the amount of your total loss, even if you are unsure about how much your insurance will cover.

During Fiscal Year 2017, the SBA approved a total of 27,263 disaster loans for a total of $1.7 billion— $1.3 billion for home disaster loans and $296 million for business disaster loans. The SBA processed 84,705 home loan applications and 10,882 business disaster loan applications, making a total of 95,587 processed loan applications.

Renters and homeowners can apply for both FEMA assistance and SBA disaster loans simultaneously with zero cost, so do not wait until you get a response from FEMA. You do not have to accept an SBA low-interest rate loan even if you are qualified.

Resources for Small Businesses Small business owners have additional resources at their disposal during the recovery process. If you have a loan from the SBA, you may be eligible for deferred loan payments. For instance, if your loan postdates August 25, 2017 and you are located in a federal disaster area, your principal and interest payments will be deferred for 12 months. If your business is located near a disaster area, you may be eligible for a 9-month payment deferral.

Small business owners can apply for federal assistance—in the form of cash grants— through the FEMA, online or by calling 1-800-621FEMA. Local Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are available to help small businesses complete forms for disaster relief, recover records and relaunch their businesses.

Businesses can be proactive in protecting themselves against damages from potential natural disasters by being insured for Business Interruption. Many commercial insurance policies provide coverage via endorsement for business income loss due to a direct loss, damage or destruction to the insured property by a natural disaster.

Whether you are a renter, homeowner, business, or nonprofit, know that there is always support available to you in times of need. NAWRB continues to build an all-inclusive resource center to help those affected by these recent natural disasters find resources that can help them rebuild their homes, restart their businesses and regain a sense of stability in their lives.

Resources for Renters & Homeowners

Renters and homeowners are eligible to apply for the SBA’s no cost, low-interest rate disaster loans even if they do not own a business. According to the SBA website, renters and homeowners may borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace clothing, furniture, cars or appliances.

Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace their primary residence to pre-disaster condition. Moreover, loans may be increased up to 20 percent of total amount of physical loss to make improvements that lessen the risk of future property damage.

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sheCENTER ( FOLD )

sheCenterfold

Co-Founder and Partner, Virtua Partners

Quinn Palomino Quinn Palomino is the Co-Founder and Principal of Virtua Partners, a fully-integrated, private equity and real estate services firm. In this intimate discussion with NAWRB, Quinn shares her incredible story as a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant, her experience growing up in a mix of both American and Vietnamese cultures, the words of wisdom she lives and works by, and more.

Interview by Desirée Patno

for them or head over to the DMV.

NAWRB: What was your childhood like growing up in Vietnam?

Palomino: My family evacuated Saigon, Vietnam on April 30, 1975 after the Fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. The image that many people may recall is of helicopters leaving from the rooftops of the U.S. Embassy that day. Approximately 125,000 individuals like my family evacuated and many of us were allowed entrance into the US as refugees. My family was sent to Fort Chaffee in Arkansas and provided refugee housing in the barracks at Fort Chaffee as part of the what the U.S. military called “Operation New Life.” And it was exactly that for my family and I, an opportunity at a “New Life.” We later settled in Orange County, California in a little suburb called Mission Viejo.

I remember being handed the study and training manuals for everything from how to obtain a nail technician certification to becoming a U.S. Citizen and then told to provide training notes and to help our family and friends to study. In those days there were no Vietnamese translated versions of these things. I would help friends to prepare for written, and especially for verbal, exams. “If they ask you this… repeat after me…. Say this…. Again.” Then I would anxiously wait for them to come back home on exam or interview day, praying that they had passed.

Looking back on it now, I think these experiences forced me to learn how to break things down in a way that others could understand and to find a way to explain a subject by using something that they could relate to. I find myself doing this every day at work and outside of work. I think I also learned how rewarding it feels when you can provide some value, some kind of service to those around you. It gave me a sense of being a part of a community.

“It’s so funny that many of us spend our childhood trying to blend in & fit in, & then we spend our adult career trying Every first Friday of the month families and friends came over to the to stand out and be different.” house to pray the rosary in Vietnamese and a Vietnamese priest would come from LA so that we could hear the Mass in Vietnamese in the living room.

Afterwards, I would hear the stories of what life was like in Vietnam, eat and share tips on how to get by in the U.S. Who is the best doctor? Where to find rare Vietnamese ingredients? You would get your tips for living in the new country and share resources. Cars were shared. I remember being shared as a translator. By the time I was about four or five years old, I was translating for my parents, relatives and other Vietnamese friends. I remember waking up and my mom saying Bac Minh or Chu Vinh or any number of family friends are going to come by and pick you up, and you need to go to the doctor’s office and fill out the paperwork

NAWRB: What was it like acclimating to American culture?

Palomino: It’s so funny that many of us spend our childhood trying to blend in and fit in, and then we spend our adult career trying to stand out and be different. In my family, I was told to blend and to not cause a scene. I was constantly trying to fit in. I look different, I dress different, the food that I would bring for lunch smelled different and not in a good way.

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“My mom & dad earned a living at that dry

cleaners, but it was month-to-month. There would be a good month where they would pay all their bills & then there would be a bad month. It’s an incredible privilege to be able to have that freedom where you work just because you like to work...”

NAWRB: Who has been the most influential person in your life?

Palomino: My business partner has been the most influential person in my life. Years ago, when I was still working in a real estate consulting firm, he pulled me aside and asked me if I had ever thought of starting my own business. He believed in me and planted that seed in my mind. Over the years he has been a regular source of wisdom and advise.

Starting a business is not for everyone. Anything worth having is not going to be easy and you will need to have those around you to keep you grounded and at the same time encourage and inspire you to keep reaching.

NAWRB: What internal development programs do you offer within your company?

When I didn’t quite fit in. I got lost in reading. My parent’s dry cleaners was down the street from the local public library and I went there every day after school to pick out a book to read. I loved to get lost in the worlds of Jane Austen and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

NAWRB: What motivated your interest in real estate and investment?

Palomino: I worked in construction for a number of years and I find it very rewarding to take a vacant parcel and work on it from the early design process to final walkthrough of the completed building.

My parents worked from early morning to late at night at their dry-cleaning business just to make ends meet. It was hard to ever get ahead. There just never seemed to be enough hours in a day to get ahead. It feels highly productive to me that while our investors are out enjoying life or working on other activities, their dollars are working for them. We can’t add more hours to the day to work, but we can make each dollar work smarter and that is what investing is all about.

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Palomino: We have strong Management Development programs, especially in our hotel management company, Hotel Equities. Not everyone is blessed to go to college.

Many in our neighborhoods and communities face medical problems, financial problems, drug problems, and may have missed out on that time in their youth to pursue an education and find themselves later in life struggling to find a career or even a job. Young girls with teenage pregnancies, for example—they’re smart, driven and they’re looking for that career. If you show drive and are willing to put time into our intensive program our team can train individuals in all aspects of hotel management in six to twelve months.

We’ve had a large number of success stories. We’ve had individuals who came in as front desk clerks who are now general managers and regional managers of our hotels.

They take pride in their career and growth.

For general managers and regional managers with the skill and drive to continue to grow, we put those individuals in a program which we call our “Leadership Training Program.” We take them and say, “Here is a problem that we are dealing with across the company.” They have to team up and come up with ideas to solve that problem. They are leaders in their local hotel or area, and now they have this program giving them the skills and training to be the next COO, the next CEO, the next director. We’re trying to train a succession team for our company from within.

That’s really exciting.

The hospitality industry average turnover is about 71 percent. Our hospitality team’s turnover rate is 24 percent.

Members of our team grow with us and stay with us.

NAWRB: What have been your proudest achievements, both professionally and personally?

Palomino: Personally, family is my proudest achievement.

We all make sacrifices for our family. We need to put the time into those relationships. For me it means committing to getting home by 6 pm to have dinner with them every night or catching a crazy flight home to see them before they go to bed.

I am honored every day to be working with the team at Virtua and Hotel Equities. The fact that I get to be a part of this team and to learn from them and be a part of our success as a team is an incredibly proud moment for me.

NAWRB: Do you ever take the time to celebrate your successes?

Palomino: I am afraid I am not very good at this. The last few years have been incredibly exciting and busy. Before I finish one project, the team and I are already talking about the next project. There has not been a lot of time to celebrate.

I have been trying to remind myself to celebrate in small ways throughout the day.

NAWRB: What goals do you plan to achieve in the future?

Palomino: Fred, the chairman of Hotel Equities looks back at a 40 year career, and Lloyd, my business partner, looks back at a 50 year career, and they each have a loving family and a team around them—a large and committed team. I think that is what success looks like. So, what it entails is a pretty big umbrella. It means doing a job well. Creating a world class team.

For years my parents didn’t quite understand what I did.

They just knew that I do what I do and I do it well. When you talk about all of the components of what we do—our investors, the projects, land development, the hospitality components, multi-family and single-family residential—at the end of the day, we’re not a simple company that makes widgets. What we do is build net worth for our investors.

That’s who we are and if that means that we have to explain an investment, perform rigorous underwriting, make sure our investors are diversified, explore all potential options, try to mitigate risk, that’s what we do.

I think I enjoyed the freedom in the month after opening the company. I can’t tell you how good that felt. My mom and dad earned a living at that dry cleaners, but it was monthto-month. There would be a good month where they would pay all their bills and then there would be a bad month. It’s an incredible privilege to be able to have that freedom where you work just because you like to work, because you feel like your work makes an impact. You’re not working just to feed yourself from day to day.

If we can help people learn to invest wisely in projects that potentially earn them income so they can be financially free, I love that. That means our hotels and other businesses can help people move into careers where they can afford to care for their families and put away something in savings. That’s what the future should be. Whatever we do, whatever initiatives or approach we take, I want to get to that point.

We offer people help so that they can have that financial freedom. That means a lot; it’s transformational. When you hit a point of financial freedom you just think differently.

You are able to start helping family, extended family, and start to think how you can give back to the community - not to say that those who don’t have financial freedom don’t. But when you’re worried about every month and the bills you have to pay, it’s just harder.

NAWRB: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

Palomino: I love football. I think football is a great analogy for the workplace, teamwork, goals, and how to perform under pressure. Most people don’t think “football fanatic” when looking at me.

I also love mythology and old Asian (especially Vietnamese) fairy tales. My father and my grandmother were storytellers and I love retelling stories with a moral. It connects me to my family and my heritage.

NAWRB: Virtua Partners specializes in tax-advantaged investment offerings such as Opportunity Zone Funds. How did you get involved in this,and how do you think this will impact real estate?

Palomino: The Opportunity Zone program played perfectly into Virtua’s existing investment strategy. Once we recognized the incredible tax benefits this program offers investors, we immediately put a plan in motion to become a leader in this space. The potential tax benefits of the program are unique.

The program is a great match for our core competencies since real estate development and real estate positioning will be the prime beneficiaries of the program. Our team has significant experience in real estate development and we already possess a robust pipeline of projects under development throughout the country. That experience gives us an advantage because we don’t have to learn new markets or build a project pipeline. In fact, we already have existing projects in Opportunity Zones.

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We believe the impact of Opportunity Zones will be felt across all real estate markets, as it helps bring supply and demand more into balance. Anytime you incentivize private capital to flow into areas that might not have otherwise received that capital, you are providing a social benefit to the community.

Because there are Opportunity Zones in every state, developers can target specific areas based on housing supply, expected returns, community needs or any number of other factors. Long term, we see real social impact, both in highgrowth areas, as well as in areas that need the subsidy to be viable for development.

NAWRB: What other trends should we look out for in real estate investment?

Palomino: More tax structured investments. Given the size of the fiscal deficit, tax rates are going to have to increase. Investments that are structured to take advantage of Opportunity Zones, low income housing tax credits and similar tax breaks, will become increasingly popular as investors attempt to boost after-tax returns.

We are focusing our efforts on developments in high-growth areas due to an influx of new workers and the overall growing millennial generation moving into the housing market.

Specifically, we are focused in Sun Belt metro areas like Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta. We have a focus on hospitality and residential rental properties. We view single-family rental properties as a great investment area that is gathering a lot of attention. Millennials want to move out of the city as they grow older, but still lack the capital to afford homes.

These single-family rental homes give millennials the chance to live in a great home out of the city without the upfront costs. It’s a trend we expect will develop as more and more millennials look to begin forming families.

We also see social impact as a big trend moving forward.

Many of our investors want to make sure they are helping the communities in which they are investing. We are currently working on several initiatives to help measure, track and enhance the social benefit of our investments.

NAWRB: You are the founder and owner of five integrated real estate firms. Did you face any obstacles building each of them, and was it difficult to find support?

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Palomino: I have been used to solving problems over the years - doing it myself. Learning to trust that others could do it even better than me, finding those individuals and then creating an environment that would allow them to grow to their full potential has been one of the goals I strive for every day.

At the end of the day, deals come and go, projects get completed, but the people you have around you, they are your strongest asset - your most valuable treasure and gift. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, people you admire. I am always amazed when I learn how to be a better manager, a better person from those around me. I learn from the team I work with how to care for people or how to squeeze in time to read. Those around you can inspire you. We all need that inspiration. There is a Vietnamese saying that my father always shared, “If you stand next to a light you will shine, but if you stand next to ink you will get stained.� The point is this; surround yourself with those you want to be like and they rub on off on you.

NAWRB: How do you manage your time to oversee five different firms? Do you have any tips for multi-tasking and time management?

Palomino: Desiree, when you find the secret to that, please tell me. There are days that I feel like I am standing in front of a large dam sticking my fingers in leaks. And right at the moment that I am running out of fingers and toes I see a massive crack appearing above my head.

The only thing I can suggest is to really take the time to decide what is the most important thing to you - what is your main driving objective. Then try to map out the key results that have to be done to reach that objective and zero in on those items. Try to think of key results that you can measure, so that you know when you have succeeded or completed your goal. The main driving objective is your dream, your vision, that thing that you want to stretch and strive to get. But you have to think of the key steps. Visualize them. You can have more than one driving objective or dream. But be selective.

For mine, I want to be physically and emotionally healthy

think reading about the lives of others during particular trials and how they dealt with them helps me to get a more realistic perspective. By reading and allowing new information to fill my thoughts, I feel that I am working on being a better person - better for my family, better for those I work with.

to enjoy my family. What does that visually look like? I don’t want to be in a hospital bed. I want to walk and dance when my daughter gets married. I don’t get to eat desserts or breads as often as I would like. I make sure I get in the door of the house by 6pm to have dinner with my family almost every night. If that dream is clearly ingrained in you, you change everything else; schedules, how long you speak, what you work on to get to that goal, etc. I am not perfect. I am still trying to work on this. But it is working for me.

NAWRB: What are some of your hobbies?

Palomino: I love reading, hiking and painting. I enjoy biographies. I am reading Leadership by Doris Kearns Goodwin right now and she goes into detail on Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson.

Goodwin details how they each developed into leaders. All too often we think everything is about us or our problems. I

NAWRB: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self ?

Palomino: Don’t be scared. Keep trying. The perfect answer doesn’t appear out of thin air. More often, you try a solution and it doesn’t work and you change it slightly. Then it may work a little bit better but not perfectly. Change it some more. Don’t be afraid to get out there and give it a try.

Money doesn’t make you happy. Freedom does - freedom from debt, freedom to do what you want to do with your time and to speak freely. Don’t just work to get money. Work to get freedom.

When you are passionate about something, pursue it. Spend time doing things that you love, things that you are passionate about and become really good at them.

Don’t let people tell you you need to take a certain path to get to where you want to go. Love those around you and let them know it. Life is short.

Experts in full-spectrum commercial real estate investments

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Real Estate Investment Innovators $2.5 Billion in Assets Under Management $5 Billion in Transactions & Restructurings

Investor Relations (800) 333-2358 investors@virtuacapital.com

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“Women have been entrepreneurial even before society accepted that they are equally able or capable to run a business as a man, but my personal opinion is that the role of motherhood for so many often devalued this realization since being an active parent & a professional are still frowned upon in most of our working world.”

Leap-In: Inspiring Career

Role Models for the Next Generation of Women Leaders

The revolution for women has been a long time coming—

think since before the beginning of the written history of our civilizations. As an ally in the space who is an advisory member of BRAVA Investments and a close friend of CEO and Founder Nathalie Molina Nino, I’ve become an even stronger champion for equality. That being said, it’s amazing to me that gender equality has taken this long to become a constant subject of conversation given the number of fires lit towards it throughout the past 40 years alone.

My understanding of the issues women have faced changed after I finished Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs. Though this is not a book review, there are so many valuable features in this that should not only serve to strengthen women’s culture, but also illuminate how and why when women come together and bring with them the men who champion them that true changes are possible to our civil society.

Women have been entrepreneurial even before society accepted that they are equally able or capable to run a business as a man, but my personal opinion is that the role of motherhood for so many often devalued this realization since being an active parent and a professional are still frowned upon in most of our working world. Mothers

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could be the most entrepreneurial people on the planet.

And it’s not enough that many successful, powerful men credit their mothers. Those men had access to capital from day one. Women truly began a way to empower their own lives only in the late 80s when their access to capital became a legal right.

Nino emphasizes constantly that the advice women are given and the “path” they are asked to walk is narrow, limited and often intended to maintain the status quo. The status quo that not only causes issues with equal pay, but even more crucial than that—that limits equal opportunity for investment.

If we were to approach investments blind, the way that the world’s top orchestras audition candidates to join them by having them play behind a screen, I’m certain access to capital would be different. But until the last women seeking access to capital is NOT asked when they plan to stop and have children, we won’t change that paradigm.

Take Hack #33 from Arlan Hamilton: “...before you go out to raise, think about what success is.” Arlan is a VC bringing diversity to a field that currently funds a “rounding error” of capital to women of color. Success was different

Women’s Independence when Arlan defined to others what her successes would be, rather than listening to what they said her limited options were. Women of color are the majority of new small business founders and build businesses not only that address global issues, but also often focus on communities who are collectively heading to become the majority of the U.S. population. Why aren’t others following as quickly to embrace and follow her lead?

“When the Bar is Low, Dance on it,” by my friend Carrie Hammer (Hack #25), founder of Role Models Not Runway Models, embraced this fully when she decided to feature the women who bought her clothes as the true examples of empowerment and put them on the runway.

It started a movement on its own. Our recent elections revealed to the world that more women are seeking and being recognized as policy makers, but we are far from the reality where women may become the majority of CEOs and Political Leaders.

There are 50 hacks from Leapfrog, and Nino’s book is considered by many the practical bible of how to change the system and not only “not take no for an answer” but reduce the situations where those who don’t look like men can create community and finally work together to create better business and community—at the same time as having the social impact we need to move this world forward.

Nino is a firebrand. I’m asked constantly about her, and most often it’s from people who have heard her speak and want to know what she is doing. Not what she represents, or how she’s doing promoting her book (all the proceeds are donated to VoteRunLead)--but what her actions are.

I’ll tell you something—she is the definition of action. She is not the type to wait and have the world listen and come to her understanding that we need “outcomes not optics.”

She preaches this and as fellow Advisory Member and COO & President of Focus Brands Kate Cole says proudly, “Patience is not a virtue.” Nino is not impatient; she is driven.

“...we need to “Learn the Rules of the New Clubhouse.” It’s not the meek who will inherit the earth.”

I will leave you with a challenge and a goal to be more supportive of each other than you may already be, because I have seen constantly as a connector (through my platform called Orchestrated Connecting, where I bring together a truly diverse group of connectors to meet and share in each other’s impact) that empowered women often do not know of each other’s efforts. If you create silos and spheres of influence each in your own spaces, then change will happen more slowly. If you work together to write the new rules, we will all be stronger for it.

In the words of my close friend Rachel Gerrol, co-founder of Nexus, we need to “Learn the Rules of the New Clubhouse.” It’s not the meek who will inherit the earth. It is those who are done waiting for capital and asking for help and are now ready, through their own brilliance and passions, to create the businesses, social ecosystems, and the power dynamics that will shift not only capital in this world, but human capital towards hacking our own way towards not just equality, but true social justice.

David Homan is an advisory Board

member of BRAVA Investments, the CEO of Orchestrated Connecting, a NYC Ambassador of Nexus.

Homeownership and business leadership are a crucial focus of true empowerment because only when women have a secure financial stake in their own value systems can they truly enact change the way men do now. It’s not a coincidence that the majority of our U.S. senators are not only white men, but white men of great privilege. They have the capacity to enact their values because they are not beholden to the need to make a living or compromise their core values while in the public service.

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Let’s talk about women. Indeed, women have strutted a long way.

There are plenty woman-driven moments worth celebrat-

ing this year. From opportunities to highlight initiatives to advance in Olympic sports, corporate boardroom, red carpet Oscars, and Congress, women are leaving a stalwart trace of power, closing the year 2018 strong.

In Congress, women comprise an impressive record-setting number of 108 held seats in, about 20.2 percent of the 535 members.

With 49.6 percent of total world’s population of women, we continue to be the guiding force committed to shining a light on empowering female role models in an effort to inspire more women leaders.

So what sparked the powerful force this year? What has changed? We hear the same issues and challenges women have been facing all the time, namely closing the gap, leadership roles, income inequality, and many other social issues just to name a few to fill up our coffee break discussions.

More women are embracing new changes and social trends.

Women feel more confident and comfortable and are willing to speak up and speak out, letting their voices be heard on issues that matter most to them. More issues than others continue to be notoriously politicized. Hang tight, we will get back to these.

Enough said about what we can do. No doubt we know we can do amazing things. We saw these incredible epic moments and movements when we do band together – including organized major walks in local towns and across the nation – women don’t hold back on some of our greatest opinions. We practice self-awareness, seeking inward to our innate power. With purpose and passion, we know we can achieve great things together. Not to mention we are, after all, the sex that is responsible for bringing the next generation of the human species on this planet. I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men; they are far superior and always have been.

Women Continue to Contribute to the Economy The Struggles Are Real

More than 11.6 million firms are owned by women, employing nearly 9 million people, and generating $1.7 trillion in sales as of 2017. The number of women-owned firms in the United States is expected to grow. Women started an average of 1,821 new businesses per day in the U.S. between 2017 and 2018. Although we can gracefully celebrate our many achievements, we are still facing with more challenges ahead. There are more hills to climb.

The driving force to the women’s economic success is wom-

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en’s entrepreneurship, which contributes significantly to the overall economic growth and prosperity of our nation.

Women-owned businesses are growing at an incredible pace.

The newly released 8th Annual State of Women-Owned Businesses Report also notes that the number of firms owned by minority women has grown by nearly three times that of all women-owned businesses over a decade. Gender disparities still exist in access to capital and resources needed for women more than the male-owned firms, causing women to still face barriers to their success with earning less revenue.

connect, learn, and grow. There are plenty of prestigious professional organizations for women that focus on long term support, connection, and growth by the principal tenets to evolve through education and resources around the world.

The recent nationwide statistics indicate that only 6 percent of women used an SBA loan to fund their business, 24 percent less than men, with business loan approval rates for women 15 to 20 percent lower than they are for men.

According to “21st Century Barriers to Women’s Entrepreneurship,” only 16 percent of conventional loans go to women, comprising 4.4 percent of the total dollar amount of small business loans.

Ladies, we are all in this together.

Some of these reservoirs are available for women to tap into: The US Chamber of Commerce, Angel groups and Venture Capital Firms that support women, Crowdfunding, Corporate Foundations, just to name a few.

Collaboration, Not Competition

Empowering women starts right in our families, workplaces, and local neighborhoods in the community. Undoubtedly, for America to constantly thrive and survive, we must promote the economic empowerment of women. The values of collaboration around the globe is essential to successful empowerment through leadership, mentoring, and networking.

As a female business leader and entrepreneur, I find community in such diversity of value and culture highly important to propel, connect, and grow into the economic and social power with other like-minded professionals.

Of course, social media has been a major pivot with its capacity to exponentially reach to targeted audiences as we wish to be. Though social media is suggested to be used as a powerful tool to promote the message, we often question the effectiveness or even the safety of conveying information in a way that would not be misunderstood. These overrated time-consuming posts can be mentally draining on a daily basis, just to share a brief snippet of information.

Surely networking efforts can be accomplished through these digital platforms; however, the value remains greater in the traditional way of face-to-face interaction. I have always been an advocate for women getting involved with professional organizations providing the resources and benefits necessary to foster professional and personal success to

Embrace Changes, Future Challenges and Opportunities Evolving Within Challenges and Paying Forward

The status quo can be so much more comfortable. The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings. Challenges and opportunities derive from changes that push us to make action to adapt, evolve, grow, and win.

Everything starts from the home front. Our home is an important element in life. When the economy is good, people want homes. I am certain I am not the only one who has been watching the housing in LA market, which has been surprisingly softening down this year. While some are skeptical towards a possibility of yet another similar housing market crash, the growth of the housing potential millennial middle class, and economic performance are factors that may outweigh all other housing market data. A simple rule of thumb in supply and demand is driving home prices and creating the housing crisis.

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What have we learned from the last housing market crash?

Instead of settling the next 7 years repairing their credit score, many rushed to take part in plunging down the economy in mortgage fraud, causing the nation to bleed in many ways. Tax authorities and lenders all contributed to the last round of potential first time home buyers that the Fed set up to bail them out to be insolvent. Could this be a similar force ahead predicted by many?

There is a prediction that we will experience a similar housing crisis ride as in 2008. And here are some suggested indicators: Since late November, the Dow Jones market has been dropping down due to uncertainties which may affect the corporate profits, jobs and unemployment that will alter the housing market. Home prices and mortgage rates are predicted to rise another 5 percent by end of 2019 to merely keep the inflation down.

“NAHB’s housing-market index dropped 8 points to a reading of 60 in November, well below economist’s expectations.

Despite a positive economic forecast, and strong rental price growth and stock market outlooks, it is rising mortgage rates and political uncertainty that is casting gloom over the 2019 period for housing.”

already integrated renewable energy RE into their existing infrastructures. Maybe we need to be more aware of our surroundings, in our quest for survival.

Ladies, fasten your belt a little tighter, kick off the heels, and put your boots and survival hat on. There are more hills to climb!

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

Why is it unreasonable to have a cash or semi-liquid buffer of 10 percent of the value of the house just in case of something catastrophic happens? Everyone should reserve an emergency fund. Yes, it is crucially important to study the previous financial crisis. We have to learn to adapt, thrive, and survive from these inevitable disasters by staying prepared.

Speaking of inevitable disasters. General Motors announced its massive layoff of 15,000 employees. Roughly 1 million of the nation’s 150 million non-farm workers are employed in motor vehicle manufacturing. These workers have been part of the heart and soul of Oshawa for generations. What will this devastation mean to our economy?

That is 15,000 homeowners on the brink of losing their homes. This will ripple through the economy like the force of a tsunami. With the human cost disappearing, and the rise of robotics trend, will this impact how we travel, commute, and sharing vehicles?

Are we seeing backward evolution in finding solution to economic survival? The transition to low-carbon economy is still moving slow, but it is happening. As the world moves towards this economy, fossil fuel investments worth trillions of dollars, from oil wells to cars, will lose their value. Don’t hold your breath. Let’s consider some of the already available resources around us – literally. For many years we have used renewable sources of energy from solar, wind, water, geothermal, biomass, and the oceans, and hot hydrogen fusion is available to generate electricity. Other countries have

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NICKY DARE

President of IAW International Association of Women, Founder of iDARE®Inc. 501 (c)(3), Author, Speaker, Certified Firearms Instructor, DOJ FSC Instructor, RSO Range Safety Officer, and CERT Community Emergency Response Team

The future of work and talent has arrived, and change is not only constant but also accelerating. Worldwide, the growing impact of technologies (especially artificial intelligence), digital transformation, globalization, intergenerational and cultural shifts, diversity, as well as the changing nature of careers and the “gig economy,” are raising people’s and companies’ productivity and connectivity. At the same time, these factors, along with social media, geopolitical turbulence, educational system issues, among other causes, are increasing stress, anxiety, fear, and already intense competition.

These trends are occurring while the G20 has declared that the future of work is one of its top three agenda priorities.

Just this past weekend, the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina (the G20 host country for 2018) concluded with the publication of the G20 Leaders’ Declaration. Here is an excerpt of this declaration by the Presidents and Prime Ministers of the 20 largest economies: “We remain committed to building an inclusive, fair, and sustainable Future of Work by promoting decent work, vocational training, and skills development, including reskilling workers and improving

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labour conditions in all forms of employment, recognizing the importance of social dialogue in this area, including work delivered through digital platforms... We will continue to foster cognitive, digital and entrepreneurship skills, and encourage the collection and exchange of good practices. … We underline the importance of girls’ education. To equip our citizens to reap the benefits of societal and technological innovations we will promote coordination between employment and equitable quality education policies, so we can develop comprehensive strategies that promote key competences such as learning to learn, foundation and digital skills, in a lifelong learning perspective from early childhood. We acknowledge the need to foster evidence-based innovative pedagogies and methods for all levels of education.”

As a leading member of the Business 20 (B20), the private sector’s voice of the G20, having served on its Employment and Education Task Force from 2014 to present, I pay particular attention to the future of work, talent, and education, the impact of AI and technologies, and digital transformation.

Community And with compassion as a trusted strategic advisor to C-suite/senior executives, mentor to select Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z achievers, and speaker and masterclass leader, I’ve seen numerous data points and patterns in business, education, and personal and family life that succeed and those that don’t. In this article, I would like to share part of my perspective.

ture in history. They value mutual trust and respect. If Gen Z staffers say, “My boss and colleagues care about me,” chances are they will stick around much longer. If you spend the time to help them clarify their vision, dreams and aspirations, and aid them in directing their development and growth, you will likely have engaged, effective performers for a long time to come.

Moving forward, I believe that linear and traditional career conformity and political correctedness will not work as well anymore. Lifelong learning and improvement are a must. To navigate effectively through the world’s ever-changing market and talent dynamics, executives and managers, including women in real estate, must rethink and enhance their leadership and management skills in dealing with tomorrow’s unprecedented workforce, especially Millennials and Gen Z’ers.

As you lead and inspire these Gen Z’ers, what matters includes the perceived quality of your own passion, talent, coaching, and the clear articulation of your company’s vision, along with key goals for your Gen Z employees. If they don’t feel appreciated for their contributions and emotionally aligned with you and your company, don’t expect them to stay long. Empathize—but focus them on what matters to you as their boss and to the company.

In real estate, location-location-location is one of the key success ingredients. But being more holistic with those who matter to you in running your business is also wise.

Gen Z has an entrepreneurial spirit and likes to (co)create. This doesn’t mean they all want to start their own companies yet, but they enjoy a sense of ownership in creation. They care about adventure and autonomy. Appealing environments that seamlessly integrate physical with mobile/online help put them in a positive mental state to create and innovate. They like to work at home at times and also find pleasure in traveling.

Millennials and Gen Z’ers will soon be the vast majority of the workforce.

I am sure you are quite experienced working with Millennials. Here, why don’t I enlighten you into the minds and souls of the NEXT generation: Gen Z’ers, who share much of the traits of Millennials but…

“Gen Z has an entrepreneurial spirit and likes to (co) create. This doesn’t mean they all want to start their own companies yet, but they enjoy a sense of ownership in creation.”

Unlike previous generations, Gen Z’ers were born and raised as tech-savvy digital citizens with virtually increasing interconnectedness in a shrinking world.

Growing up, they’ve been exposed to the pains of the post9/11 period, the Great Recession, tragedies, a broken political system, Fake News, and divisive echo chambers. Instant updates are readily available from their smartphones like natural extensions of their body. These experiences have emboldened their resolve to recreate a better world.

Driven and pragmatic, Gen Z achievers care about meaningful, challenging work and making a real impact while shaping their own significance and identity. Many tend to have clearer career aspirations and paths earlier than previous generations have had. Gen Z achievers do ask “What’s in it for me?” before they join a company. Some opt for the experience if they like a company, including its mission and culture, in lieu of higher pay as found in more culturally mercenary investment banking firms.

They care about authenticity, genuine connection, and compassion. Integrity and honesty in a boss and leader really matter to them. They have grown up in the most diverse cul-

Gen Z cares about continuous learning and career and personal growth. They appreciate employable skills-building and opportunities for advancement. They often don’t know what they don’t know but, with effective guidance, they relish unleashing their own potential. However, they can be emotionally volatile. This generation’s nonstop experience with social media and online apps designed with algorithms that grabs attention and creates addiction—can make them feel lonely, anxious, or fragile. So, coach them compassionately to be more mindful, make progress, and grow—especially a “thicker skin.”

I contend that moving forward, leadership is about honing both your own and your team’s outcome-focused and purpose-driven visionary compass, story/mindset, state, strategies, soft skills… pragmatic emotional, social, and leadership intelligence. A secret to team success is your mentorship quality – your own practical wisdom, compassion, and inspiration as you guide your teammates to strengthen team culture and dynamics, enhance individuals’ growth and contribution mindset, soft skills, relationships, happiness, and deliver stronger outcomes and ROI. This ethos is core to my own work as a foremost mentor and masterclass conductor.

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In my masterclass for managers to C-suite executives, I often ask the participants the following types of questions.

While reading this list of questions, please do reflect a bit in your own mind and soul.

• What is the depth of your understanding of the mindsets, including needs and quirks, of Millennials and Gen Z’ers?

• To what extent have you effectively been relating to and leading increasingly intergenerational, diverse, and multicultural teams?

“The most successful people have had great mentors or coaches. Start with empathy and compassion.”

• How effective have you been a boss or elder colleague whom Millennial and (digitally ultra-savvy) Gen Z achievers—aligned with your vision and mission— love to work with?

• From a scale of 1 to 10, to what extent have you ingrained truly effective, inspiring, and compassionate mentoring (and some reverse-mentoring) into your own repertoire?

• To what extent have you honed your own practical emotional, social, and leadership intelligence to a next level?

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• What have you learned recently on how to enhance team relationships, productivity, and ROI at work, as well as joyful relationships in family and with clients, colleagues, partners, and friends?

The most successful people have had great mentors or coaches. Start with empathy and compassion. Learn to unleash the quality mentor in you for your firm’s and your success, your leadership development, and your personal fulfillment!

Jason Ma

Founder, CEO and Chief Mentor of ThreeEQ, Author of Young Leaders 3.0

New York City is the epitome of the American Dream, where

young professionals go to achieve their professional dreams and develop financial independence. Frank Sinatra crooning the lines “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere/ It’s up to you, New York New York” embodies the hope and unpredictable nature of the concrete jungle. The city, however, is home to both billionaires as well as the largest population of homeless in the nation, with around 77,000 homeless people, according to a 2017 report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The city with the second-largest homeless population is Los Angeles, with around 55,000 people living on the street or in shelters.

Experts often point to poor quality homeless shelters and lack of affordable housing as factors contributing to the rising homelessness rate in the city. First, those who cannot afford housing are forced to live in shelters and other accommodations geared to the homeless. However, if these shelters do not provide these individuals with resources and services to help them find a job and build their wealth, then they will not be able to break the cycle of homelessness.

New York is addressing the problem of quality shelters to counter the cycle by developing new ones in the communities where individuals first became homeless, thereby giving

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them an option to remain close to their roots, as they rebuild their lives.

Finding Shelter on “Billionaires’ Row”

A part of this plan, which has generated much discussion, includes building a homeless shelter housing 140 men at the previous Park Savoy Hotel on 158 W. 58th Street, commonly referred to as “Billionaires’ Row,” right in the center of New York City’s tourism and back-to-back to One57—the city’s most expensive apartment building.

While some believe this is a great opportunity to allow homeless individuals a foundation near a hub for well-paying jobs, others voice concern over building safety and whether the plan will be efficient and economical.

“Turning the Tide” on Homelessness

The homeless shelter is one of 90 that will be scattered across the five boroughs of New York under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Turning the Tide” initiative. This shelter network will provide accommodations for the homeless population in lieu of cluster apartments and hotel rooms, which will be eliminated by 2021 and 2023, respectively. It is projected that this change will save the city $100 million and decrease the number of homeless facilities by half.

Some notable features of the program include funding for building maintenance, security provided by the New York Police Department (NYPD), and “in-house” social workers who will refer tenants to social services, including employment training and mental health care. It is also required that nearby communities will be notified at least 30 days in advance before the advent of a new shelter, and will take responses into consideration for planning.

The shelter at Park Savoy will be administered by Westhab, a company which currently manages affordable housing and shelters in Westchester and the Bronx. Security at the location will include at least two entrance guards and 56 surveillance cameras in and around the building, according to an article in New York Post.

W. 58th Coalition Campaign

Nearby communities have voiced various concerns over the potential safety hazards and inefficacy of the proposed shelter at Park Savoy. The W. 58th Coalition, for instance, is campaigning against the “Turning the Tide” plan because of underlying flaws they believe are detrimental to the achievement of its ultimate aim of helping the homeless community.

Cost

One criticism is that the plan is not cost efficient. The city intends to spend around $50,000 per person annually for every resident of the shelter, with an estimated cost of $63 million over nine years. For comparison, the overall estimated cost of the mayor’s “Turning the Tide” program is projected to cost an estimated $11 billion over the next three years.

As their website states, “This is more than 30% of the average cost per person at single-person shelters. By choosing a more affordable location, the city could both save significant amounts of money and provide additional services to the homeless.”

Public Safety

Nearby communities are also voicing safety concerns with having a homeless shelter in the West 50s area. The website notes that some of the 140 single, homeless men that will be residing at the shelter will include released parolees and share findings from the Coalition for the Homeless that “homeless men have much higher rates of serious mental illness, addiction disorders and other severe health problems.”

They also note the risk of increased loitering, drug use and criminal activity near homeless shelters. These are legitimate concerns that should be taken seriously, but there are preventive measures that the shelter and the local NYPD can take to help ensure that the community remains safe.

“Cost, public & building safety are the pillars of concern among critics of the planned Park Savoy homeless shelter.”

It is important to remember that the point of the shelter is to provide these men with a base so that they can attain a high-paying jobs, increase their personal wealth, stay nearby their local communities and extricate themselves from the cycle of homelessness. And these aforementioned fears may mask biases that incite negative feelings and provide a formidable obstacle citizens who want to achieve financial independence, and to not have their past determine their future.

Building Safety

Possibly the most salient argument against the shelter regards the significant risk of a fire hazard and overall building safety.

The Park Savoy Hotel was built in 1942 and does not have some of the safety requirements that are necessary for modern buildings. For instance, the building has narrow hallways with floors joined by a single elevator and one indoor serpentine stairway that exits to the lobby. Notably, there are no exterior fire escapes.

Today, such a building project would require an additional exit towards the street, at the very least.

If a fire were to erupt in the building, 140 men, housed two to three per room, would be clambering over each other to egress the building through the indoor stairwell as a means of escape.

Trying to leave through the rear exit would present another challenge as the building opens to a 50-square foot courtyard walled by surrounding buildings on all sides.

This is a serious safety hazard, and some argue this makes the previous Park Savoy an unsuitable home for any citizen. Before the shelter comes into effect, detractors are demanding project planners address this fire hazard by building a second exterior exit.

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“The Park Savoy Hotel was built in 1942 and does not have some of the safety requiements that are necessary for modern buildings.�

Cost, public and building safety are the pillars of concern among critics of the planned Park Savoy homeless shelter. Public and building safety can be addressed if local and state resources are utilized to make sure that the community, including the residents of the homeless shelter are kept safe from all harms. Cost should also be addressed if there is a more affordable way for the city to address the homeless crisis, which is being dismissed or simply unknown.

Those for and against the planned shelter may have different takes on the issue, but they all share common interests in the safety of the community and helping the homeless. Through communication and collaboration, both sides can produce inventive solutions to these obstacles, and work together to provide a better opportunity for the homeless as they integrate themselves back into society and create better lives for themselves.

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Greater Social Impact

Health of Communities with Government Relations & Infrastructure Creates

Leveling the Playing Field with Knowledge Facilitating the Vision: Affordable Housing, Aging Population, Small Business Sustainability, Gender Equality, Access to Capital, Technology Human Balance ® and Opportunity Zones for Economic Growth.

Affordable Housing

From 2000 to 2015, the measure of the poor population living in high-poverty neighborhoods increased from 43% to 54%. With low inventory of rental units that are affordable and in adequate condition, low-income households are forced to live in units that are potentially unsafe.

Aging Population

Assisting people over 55 years old to prevent financial abuse before it happens. An estimated $36.5 billion is lost annually in US with only 1 in 44 cases reported, and 90% is committed by a family member or associate.

Technology Human Balance ® Small Business Sustainability

Providing Small business owners with guiding principles for long-term success.

SBA Women-Owned Small Business Partner Resource

AI Technology with the Human Touch is the Perfect Balance. Global expertise to properly leveraging this dynamic tool in the way we live and work. Amicus Brain Reimagining Care for Alzheimer & Dementia Our AI, Your Companion. Your ray of sunshine for the care provider and patient to a greater Quality of Life.

Opportunity Zones

NAWRB’s decade-long history in social impact through our data analytics, media engagement, connections with family offices, senior executives and expert leaders across the housing ecosystem, and involvement in government legislation, drives our ability to facilitate greater returns on communities, helping them thrive and be sustainable for generations to come.

NAWRB Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council

Dedicated to raising the number of women leaders and growing women’s employment and empowerment at all levels in the housing ecosystem. Our Council, comprised of senior executive women, works diligently toward gender equality and obtaining equal opportunity for women across America. NAWRB made history bringing Dodd-Frank Section 342 out of Washington DC

Access to Capital: Natural Disasters

$306 billion dollars were spent for natural disasters in 2017, with over $1 trillion estimated to be in 2018. Renters and Homeowners can gain access to capital for up to $40k and $200k, respectively and small businesses can receive up to $2 million.

2018 Women in the Housing Ecosystem Report (WHER)

Covering a broad range of women’s issues, from poverty, homeownership, business ownership, C-suite and leadership opportunities, to Family Offices. Reshaping the community is a necessity for economic growth and prosperity.

Social Impact, Advisor, Stragetic Partner & Speaker

Desirée Patno, CEO & President of NAWRB

NAWRB.com . (949) 559-9800

By SOPHIA FROMELL

Everyone gets stuck. It’s part of life. It’s part of business. We all have blind spots, energy slumps, personal and professional limitations and challenges that often we might not seem to be able to get over.

But getting stuck can be especially frustrating when you are a CEO and everyone looks up to you for leadership and guidance.

Surprisingly, in situations like this, 95 percent of us think that if we just try a little bit harder, it’ll all work out and we will be able to resolve our challenges and eventually ‘get unstuck.’

When I work with executives who are ‘feeling stuck’ I usually tell them a story that goes something like this: “In a quiet room, on a hot day in July, a small fly burns out the last of its short life’s energy in a futile attempt to fly through the glass of a window pane.”

The fly’s strategy is simple: ‘Try Harder!’ But it’s not working.

The desperate effort of its frenzied flying offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is part of the trap! You see, it is impossible for the fly to succeed in breaking through the glass, no matter how hard it tries. Nevertheless, the fly is hoping to reach its life goal (to get out of the room) through raw struggle and determination.

In reality, this fly is doomed. It will die right there on the windowsill.

Now, little does this fly know that a few meters further away is an open window that leads directly to the beautiful outdoors and with only a fraction of the effort the fly can be free from its self-imposed trap.

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What logic is there in that fly continuing to attempt the same thing over and over again until finally, exhausted, it falls onto the windowsill and dies?

The lesson the fly teaches us is that trying harder is not the solution to achieving more. In fact, more often than not, trying harder is part of the problem.

If you’re staking your hopes for a breakthrough on trying harder than ever before, then you’re killing your chances for success.

Maybe you are acting like that fly and it is actually time to try an alternative approach.

The worst thing you can do when you are stuck, is keep yourself in the office and try and work things out by staring at your computer screen or taking advice from the a leadership team that might have been flying against the same corporate window themselves.

When you are in a situation like that, when you find yourself acting like the fly, detach yourself from the situation. Walk out of the office and ask yourself: “Where is the door that I am not seeing?”

Keep asking yourself that question, keep looking at your situation from different points of view and sooner or later you will be able to see the way out.

If you fall within the group of people that ‘see the door’ but resist walking through it, then ask yourself what is the cause of the resistance: Is it fear of making an incorrect decision? Anxiety?

Lack of clarity?

Now the question I usually ask is this: Why isn’t the fly trying an alternative approach?

Maybe it is lack of willingness to leave what is known, your comfort zone. If you find yourself, keep flying against the same glass window, then ask yourself:“Am I willing to do this?”

How did that fly get so locked into the idea that breaking through the glass was the only possibility for success?

It is the answer to that question that actually determines whether you get unstuck, whether you succeed or fail.

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Living thing illegal or immoral. It means that you will need to accept that you will have to make some sacrifices. And that’s where most people give up. They are not willing to do what it takes, not only because this takes additional effort but also because they do not realize that a sacrifice is not about giving up something you like or love.

Making a sacrifice is about letting go of something that you do not need anymore (e.g., an old habit, an ineffective way of being) in order to make room for something new and of a higher value to you.

So next time you find yourself stuck, think of the fly and ask yourself: What is it that I am not giving up? What is it that I keep on doing that makes me act like the fly against the closed window?

“Keep asking yourself that question, keep looking at your situation from different points of view and sooner or later you will be able to see the way out.”

Stop being the fly that hopes to break through the glass by mere effort and determination; getting unstuck and becoming successful requires you to leave your comfort zone and, unlike the fly who died on the windowsill, get to fly out to the beautiful outdoors.

Sophia Fromell

Performance Coach, Speaker, Writer, Sophia Fromell Executive Change Management

If you want to have something you haven’t had before, you need to do something you haven’t done before. So ask yourself: are you really willing to do what it takes to achieve your goals? Are you really willing to find the open door and venture out in the unknown?

Doing whatever it takes doesn’t mean you will have to do some-

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The H

wer

s r a l l o D n o i l l Tri

Pote c i n a isp

of 1.7

g Po l Buyin

ntia

The goal of every business is to make a profit and the real estate industry is no different. An often undermined market is the Hispanic and this article will help you uncover the potential within the Hispanic market that most overlook, which means millions of dollars for businesses looking to invest in this market.

Tap into the 1.7 Trillion Dollars Market

The U.S. houses an ever-growing Hispanic population resulting in an increase in potential purchasing power that is generally overlooked. Statistics from Pew Research Center, as at 2015, indicate that about 57 million Hispanic people live in the U.S.; that is 18 percent of the whole U.S. population, compared to 1980 when the percentage stood at a mere 6.5 percent. Additionally, the Census Bureau in 2014 predicted that the Hispanic population will double to about 119 million come 2060.

If you are looking to invest in the real estate market, it would seem now is the perfect time to key in into this market and make an early gain. To further highlight the potential the Hispanic market hold, a report from the University of Georgia collected from 1990 to 2017 indicates an increase in the buying power of Hispanics, from $210 million to $1.7 trillion. This further corroborated by another report by the specialized journal Statista that this is 10 percent of the general market purchase, according to Nielsen.

It is estimated that by 2060 Hispanics will account for about 28.6 percent of the whole U.S. population, which can only

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mean more business opportunities for you as a business owner as their purchasing power is expected to rise given the recent trajectory. In 2015 alone, Statista reported that about $1.5 trillion were spent on retail and packaged goods just in the Hispanic market alone, and their purchasing power further increased to a whopping $1.7 trillion in 2017. This places the Hispanics as a key element of the economy that should not be ignored by businesses.

Why You Need the Right Advertisement Campaign

It is quite clear the enormous potential that the Hispanic market holds for your investment, but it is quite important to know how to get your brand across to the market. Advertising your brand requires you choose the right strategy or at least partner with

Homeownership those that do. It can be the deciding factor for the successful launch of your brand into the consciousness of your target audience, which is why it is not a matter to be taken lightly.

Your advertisement campaign should have a unique feel about it that can relate and appeal to Hispanic values and inclinations. Your brand must have elements of Hispanic culture reflected through your advertisements, be it in English, as this makes your potential customers feel your brand can relate to them and understand their cultural background. It is no surprise that major retailers and famous brands are now paying more attention to this flourished market. The importance of the Hispanic market to any brand is quite clear and it is a market you should certainly exploit.

However, for your brand to reach the Hispanic community and establish its presence successfully, there must be an understanding of who they are, how their time is spent, which platform they spend more time on, and, lastly, their content consumption pattern. Additionally, brands should include Spanish in their ad-

“It is estimated that by 2060 Hispanics will account for about 28.6% of the whole U.S. population...”

have as much information on how to assist the future and possible Hispanic homebuyers that could patronize your brand.

NAHREP’s 2015 State of Hispanic Homeownership report shows that Hispanic households grew by 245,000. That is 69 percent of total the United States household growth. Now that you know the potential that the Hispanic market currently possesses, it’s a great resource to your real estate business. Besides the number of dollars in business, we are also expecting that millions of homes are going to be sold to a Hispanic family. That is why companies like yours must be ready and prepared to serve this market to gain a huge database of Hispanic customers. The key to success or failure of current and future companies within the industry of real estate is to learn how to properly serve and fulfill the Hispanic market. Otherwise, you can miss out on a big piece of the cake in company revenues.

Additionally, another very interesting report from The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate & NAHREP Hispanic Women Survey shows that the purchasing power and the primary decision makers in a Hispanic home are the women. A staggering 61 percent think they will make most of the decisions in their next home buying process. This is not only limited to traditional family settings alone, but also in families where the woman is the head of the household. Apparently, being single mothers do not limit them in fulfilling the American dream of buying a house.

Another discovery is that 61 percent of respondents don’t think it’s important for their real estate agent to speak Spanish, but, of the participants currently searching for a home, 48 percent prefer a Spanish-speaking agent. Seventy-three percent of women who responded to the survey clearly said that they prefer to work with a female real estate agent instead of a male one.

That means hiring more Spanish-speaking agents can give your company an edge over the competition, and even better if they are women.

Having all these statistics and living a reality of our economy, it’s important for your company to take into count all these factors to project their revenues.

vertisement campaign. A report from Forbes indicates that only 44 percent of Hispanics specified that they only consume online content in English; that leaves 56 percent that either consume content in both languages or only Spanish.

Here are some interesting facts for you to consider before taking the plunge into the Hispanic market. Hispanic people are empowered in all levels. Their access to obtain capital influence and, from the statistics earlier discussed, their buying power will also increase simultaneously and will impact our economy drastically.

At the moment, it is tremendously important for your brand to

“At an estimated population of 70 million by 2020,” your advertisment campaign should be in the hispanic market.

There are a few things about the Hispanic market that you should know to make the right decision for your brand, and below are the top ten reasons why you must advertise your business in the Hispanic market: • A booming population is good for real estate business: With a population of 58 million in 2016, the Latino population in the United States has been the principal driver of United States demographic growth. They account for almost half of national population growth since 2000, comNAWRB MAGAZINE |

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•

•

•

•

•

•

• •

•

prising over 17% of the population.

Status of the Hispanic population: Hispanic people hold the title of the largest minority in the United States, with only Mexico boasting a larger Hispanic population than the United States.

Knowing the state to target is important: California has the largest Hispanic population holding an estimated 15 million Hispanics. This is followed by Texas and Florida. These three states alone cover 55% of the Latino population.

Just how many people are we talking about here? The following states are where more than an estimated 30% of the population is Hispanic: Arizona, 30.5%; California, 38.6%; New Mexico, 47.8%; and Texas, 38.6%.

Know your customer preferences: According to Forbes, 56% of Spanish-speaking Hispanics specified that their loyalty is afforded more to companies that have Spanish advertisement, which emphasizes the importance of brands to relate with Hispanics in their own language.

The projections favor your business: By 2020, the Hispanic population is expected to reach 70 million, and by 2050 one in four Americans will be Hispanic.

The consumption pattern: 79% of Hispanics speak Spanish in the home, and 70% watch TV, listen to the radio, read Spanish language newspapers and other media outdoors.

Cultural background: Hispanics share a strong commitment to family, religion, and heritage Online content Interaction: 78% of Latinos who are English-dominant and 76% of bilingual Latinos use the internet, compared with 32% of Spanish-dominant Hispanic adults.

Go digital: Hispanics spend close to 10.5 hours on their smartphones. That is two hours more per week than the overall average of 8.4 hours when using the Internet.

It is clear as daylight that the Hispanic market is a force in terms of population and increasing buying power. There is no doubt that the Hispanic market is a gold mine for any company, large or small, to tap into. It is a market you should consider vehemently.

Patricia Lara Ladd Media & Marketing Consultant Power Media and Associates

Are you a professional in the housing and real estate ecosystem who wants to cultivate deeper relationships, gain Leadership Opportunities/Sustainable Business Opportunities & Growth or learn about the Latest Developments and Resources in your industry? NAWRB offers all that and more through our memberships for both women and men and advanced platforms.

Multiple levels of membership: Engage Membership: Joining as part of the line Elite Membership: Joining at the front of the line—Eligible to join a Board Committee and apply as NAWRB Certified Delegate Spokeswoman As a NAWRB Certified Delegate Spokeswoman, you can elevate your business on the national stage, drive conversation with industry leaders, non-profits and government entities, and become a vetted industry speaker.

Save your space today!

For more information, contact us at info@nawrb.com or call (949) 559-9800

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upcoming

EVENTS CES Conference Jan 8-11 | Las Vegas, NV

CES is the global center for businesses of consumer technologies, serving as the foundation for innovators and breakthrough technologies for the last 50 years. This event features 150,000 tech aficionados, 4,000 exhibitors and over a majority of Fortune 500 companies. To learn about the next-generation of innovations coming to the marketplace, this is the place to be.

NAWRB sheCall - The New Way Women Are Earning Down Payments Jan 9 | Irvine, CA Join us for our NAWRB sheCall featuring Angie Weeks, Realtor, First Time Buyer & Move Up Specialist, who will be addressing the new way women are earning down payments and crowdfunding with Vow2Save. Our sheCalls deliver listeners the hottest industry topics through casual conversation. To listen in, call 949-209-6642, and RSVP at info@nawrb.com.

Global Woman Business Conference Jan 13 | Los Angeles, CA Global Woman Club is a fast growing global network, with 24 clubs in 16 countries by the end of 2018 and more launching during 2019.

These are monthly networking events for women with the aim to empower them locally and connect them globally. Connect and network with like-minded business professionals at this specialized event for women entrepreneurs.

16th Annual Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity & Private Funding Investing Jan 16-18 | Laguna Beach, CA There are significant shifts happening in commercial real estate, such as geopolitical risk, tax reform and industry disruptors. Tackling these fundamental issues, IMN is excited to once again host the largest event of its kind on the West Coast: 16th Annual Winter Forum On Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing at The Montage Resort & Spa.

mPower: Command Any Room Sell Yourself & Your Ideas Jan 23 | Webinar Ruth Sherman, CEO of RuthSherman.com and celebrity communications consultant, speaker and author, will help you rethink your approach to communication and provide techniques to motivate, persuade and inspire. Attend this webinar and learn how to command any room and sell your ideas. This event is perfect for industry professionals seeking to improve their communication skills for wider audiences.

Women in Cloud Annual Summit Jan 26 | Redmond, WA Women are key drivers of economic growth but still face substantial hurdles. The Women in Cloud Summit is one building block in the solution. This Summit will connect you, cloud industry leaders, women-led cloud companies and allies of all types. The 2019 Summit will explore hot topics such as enabling new innovations, personal and skill growth, networking and customer acceleration.

MBA’s Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference 2019 Jan 28-31 | San Francisco, CA The MBA’s Independent Mortgage Bankers (IMB) Conference is the largest annual gathering of IMB leaders in the nation. This must-attend event is created for IMBs by IMBs and takes place in downtown San Francisco. Important topics to the IMB community will be addressed, including gaining competitive advantage, managing operational costs, increasing efficiency, and the latest technology solutions.

Small Business Expo 2019 Feb 6 | Dallas, TX The Small Business Expo is America’s biggest business to business trade show, conference and networking event. As more than 40 colleges in the area, a growing economy, a diverse workforce and a pro-business community, entrepreneurship has exploded in recent years. As new technology and venture capital flows into the area, prospects for starting or growing a business in Dallas continue to rise.

IBM Think Feb 12-15 | San Francisco, CA IBM Think 2019 gives attendees the opportunity to sharpen their skills, get hands-on experience with the latest technology, and extend their professional network into one of the world’s most celebrated communities of technologists and thought leaders.

This is an incredible chance to explore how your business can leverage the world’s cloud-based data with built-in cognitive and business intelligence.

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Next Chapter:

Elder Financial Abuse

An estimated over $36.5 billion a year is lost in the U.S. due to Elder Financial Abuse. According to the National Adult Protective Services Association, only one in 44 cases is reported.

NAWRB Next Chapter will assist people over 55 years old to help prevent financial abuse before it happens.

Consumers and Providers - Be a part of NAWRB Next Chapter today.

For more information, contact us at info@nawrb.com or call (949) 559-9800 www.NAWRB.com/Elder-Financial-Abuse-2018

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Jessica Lautz

Victoria Gillespie has been named Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the National Association of REALTORS®.

Previously she was Senior Vice President of Enterprise Marketing and Communications at Northwest Federal Credit Union.

In this role, her innovative ideas will assist the association’s lobbying and policy team.

Shannon McGahn

Victoria Gillespie

Spotlight

Shannon McGahn has been appointed as Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Association of REALTORS, making her the first woman to hold that position. She previously served as Staff Director for the House Financial Services Committee and as Counselor to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

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The National Association of REALTORS® has promoted Jessica Lautz to Vice President of Demographics & Behavioral Insights, after previously serving as Director for the last nine months and a total of nine years with the company. Jessica manages an 11-person expert research team and manages research content on the company’s website and social media.

Ryder System has named Amy Federman as Vice President of Corporate Communications, and, as head of the global team, she will lead the company’s external and internal communication initiatives. She previously served as Director of Corporate Communications at Bacardi Limited, and she has her bachelor’s in communications from University of Miami.

Alexandra Elfmont has been appointed as Director of Operations at Compass Florida, where she will lead agent operations, product experts and listing and transaction teams across the state. She was formerly Executive Vice President of Engel & Völkers Miami.

Elfmont has a bachelor’s in cinema-television production from the University of Southern California.

Nicole Miller

Alexandra Elfmont

Nicole Miller has been named Vice President of Client Services at Nordis Technologies, based in Coral Springs, a customer communications management and payment technology solutions company. Her position prior to Nordis was as COO of Detroit-based Six Sents Inc., a position through NMMC, her Portland, Oregon-based startup strategy consulting firm.

Cheryl Casserly has been appointed as Senior Vice President at Transwestern. She previously worked at G&C Realty Advisors, LLC as Principal, where she provided office advisory services, including tenant representation and agency leasing for landlords. She earned her bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Lauri A. Smith

Cheryl Casserly Qun Xu

South Coast Botanic Garden welcomes Marylynn Mack as Chief Operating Officer, who will bring over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector. She is an industry trailblazer who will help the company achieve its vision of becoming one of the top botanic gardens in the region. Marylynn serves on the Board of Directors for the American Public Gardens Association.

Sarah Thompson has been named Director of Blair Search Partners and will the firm’s executive search and recruiting engagements for nonprofit clients. Sarach has 16 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and youth programs. She was previously Executive Director of the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation.

Amy Federman

Sarah Thompson

Marylynn Mack

Erin Pulling

Erin Pulling has been named President & CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies, and brings over 20 years of executive experience after serving as President & CEO at Project Angel Heart, where she engaged the healthcare community to promote the wellbeing of people with life-threatening illnesses with medically-tailored meals and the power of food as medicine.

Lauri A. Smith was named Senior Vice President, Private Client Advisor at the U.S. Trust San Diego office. Under this role, Lauri will lead a team of financial professionals to provide integrated wealth management strategies to high net worth individuals, business owners and families. She previously served as Business Banking manager for seven years.

U.S. Trust has appointed Qun Xu, CFP, as Senior Vice President, Private Client Advisor. In her role, she will provide advisory services with digital innovation. Qun has over ten years of experience in finance with large corporations and start-ups. Previously, she was the Vice President of a medical device start-up company.

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Read it In Praise of Difficult Women

By Karen Karbo

Author Karen Karbo profiles 29 women from history and contemporary society, such as J.K Rowling, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Coco Chanel, and more, who tested boundaries, broke the rules and became the heroines of their own lives. Readers will be inspired by these relatable stories and motivated to be disruptors, challenging the status quo and pursuing their dreams, knowing they can overcome any obstacle they may face.

The Audacity of Veracity

By Nicky Dare

Author Nicky Dare takes us on a journey of her life in this travelogue recounting her travels through the United Kingdom, Scotland and Southeast Asia. Her story touches upon her experiences growing up with two different cultures, tragic loss, relationship issues and becoming a successful entrepreneur. Women professionals will receive a powerful credo in the form of iDARE—Integrity of Diversity, Adaptation, Resilience and Empowerment.

The Oz Principle

by Roger Connors, Tom Smith and Craig Hickman

Any business owner and professional would benefit from this comprehensive book that focuses on individual and organizational accountability in the workplace, from learning to avoid victim cycle and taking ownership of mistakes to performing above the line and leading with heart. These authors deliver powerful insight and tips with playful imagery to the Wizard of Oz, proving that the childhood favorite has lifelong lessons for personal and professional success.

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Watch it Mary Queen of Scots Starring Margot Robbie, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Chan

At the young age of 16, Mary Stuart became the Queen of England, only to be widowed two years later. With her newfound independence, Mary is forgoing marriage to take back her rightful reign of Scotland. However, her sister, Queen Elizabeth I rules both England and Scotland, causing the sisters to become complex rivals as they both try to navigate a world ruled by men.

Dumplin’

Starring Jennifer Aniston, Odeya Rush, Dove Cameron In this film adaptation of the novel by Julie Murphy, a plus-size teen daughter named Willowdean, otherwise known as “Dumplin’”, enters a local beauty pageant in her small Texas town in protest, that happens to be run by her former beauty queen mother. Dumplin’s entry inspires others to join the contest in hopes of revolutionizing the pageant and the community.

Second Act

Starring Vanessa Hudgens, Milo Ventimiglia, Jennifer Lopez

Frustrated forty-year-old Maya is stuck in a low-paying job and struggling to achieve her career ambitions until her fake Facebook account captures the attention of a private finance firm, who hires her as a consultant to land a pivotal business deal.

Given this second chance, she is determined to use her street smarts to navigate the corporate world and achieve success.

High-Intensity Interval

Training (HIIT)

No Equipment Needed 30-Minute Workouts Created for Business Professionals

High-Intensity Interval Training, otherwise known as HIIT, was a popular fitness workout in 2018, and it is expected to remain a trend well into 2019. HIIT workouts are usually 30-minutes or less and feature a series of short burst of high-intensity exercises with short breaks in-between.

A typical HIIT routine, for example, will include sets of squats, burpees, jumping jacks, planks and more, creating a full-body workout that targets all muscle groups. HIIT workouts offer an endless variety of routines, so you will always be challenged and never bored.

They are quick and efficient workouts that can be done at the gym, in a workout class, or at home, making it the perfect exercise for busy professionals of all fitness levels.

Check out www.fitnessblender.com/videos for free helpful workout videos.

Benefits

← Helps build endurance ← Burns fat and calories in a short time

← Boosts metabolism ← Lose fat not muscle ← No equipment needed ← Good for a healthy heart

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I N G O O D CO M PA N Y

Our AI, Your Companion Reimagining Care for AlzheimerĘźs and Dementia aabee@amicusbrain.com | www.amicusbrain.com

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