ULI Washington hosted its 9^th Annual “Learn From the Best” event this year with a virtual format. Fourteen Senior Executives from all backgrounds and sectors of the real estate industry were recruited to participate as “Mentors” over 2 different sessions, the first held on May 26th and the second on June 2nd. “Learn From the Best” is one of the most popular ULI Washington events for the Young Leaders Group and this year was no exception.

The event is formatted to allow the participants three 20 minute sessions where an individual mentor is paired with a handful of “mentees” for a small group discussion. The conversation is open-ended and mentees are welcome to ask the mentors any questions they have as it relates to the real estate industry and career growth. The result is a mutually rewarding experience that allows attendees of all ages and experience levels to learn from recognized industry leaders.

In light of current economic circumstances, the event this year was particularly well-timed as many of the Mentors have been through several real estate cycles in their career. For Mentees interested in advice on career transitions or weathering economic downturns, the Mentors had a wealth of experience and perspective that they shared with the group. This year’s mentors included:

• Casey Berman (Founder, Camber  Creek)
• Samia Byrd (Deputy County Manager, Arlington County)
• Yolanda Cole (Sr. Principal, Hickok Cole)
• Jason Fudin (CEO and Co-Founder, WhyHotel)
• Alex Iams (EVP, Fairfax County EDA)
• Brian “AJ” Jackson (EVP, JBG SMITH)
• Jane Mahaffie (Principal, Stonebridge)
• Bob Youngentob (CEO, EYA)
• Buwa Binitie (Managing Principal, Dantes Partners)
• Vicki Davis (President, Urban Atlantic)
• Andrew Trueblood (Director, DC Office of Planning)
• Julie Smith (Chief Administrative Officer, Bozzuto)
• Adam Weers (Principal, Trammell Crow Company)
• Jamie Weinbaum (EVP, MidCity)

The breakout groups each held a unique and personalized conversation. In one session, one speaker spoke about of the economy’s ability to recover from this recession and that the downturns of 1990 and 2008 felt far more uncertain. The speaker sees these times as an opportunity for people to adapt to the changes in the industry and take on different responsibilities in order to provide value to their business. In another session, another speaker discussed their transition from a stable job to starting their own company. In the end, their perseverance paid off and the new company has grown substantially.

These are just a fraction of the conversations and dialogues that were had during this year’s Learn From The Best and ULI Washington looks forward to hosting the event again in 2021.