The ULI Washington Young Leader Group’s Mentorship Program held their annual kick-off event for the 2017-2018 program at WeWork White House in September. There were a record 300 attendees this year between mentees, mentors and ULI staff. The event was a chance for each group to network, meet their respective mentors and fellow mentees, and begin planning their groups’ events for the year.   

The Mentorship Program’s primary goal is to connect Young Leaders (“Mentees”) with Associate and Full Members (“Mentors”).  This year’s program consists of 293 Mentees and 41 Mentors who represent all aspects of the real estate industry in Washington, DC. The program’s membership is comprised of 189 unique companies, with work focusing in development, finance, asset management, brokerage, consulting, design/engineering, construction and other disciplines within the industry. Roughly 53% of participants are returning to the program this year and almost half are joining for the first time. The year’s mentees have an average of 4.5 years of experience, while mentors have each spent nearly 25 years or more in their field.   

Program participants are organized into small groups (6-8 Mentees with 1-Mentor) that meet monthly throughout the year.  Groups have full autonomy to program their meetings based on the group’s interests. Typically meetings consist of project tours, case studies and networking events.  Mentees primarily join the program to network with peers, create relationships with a Mentor and learn more about other industry roles, or peer organizations.  Mentors typically participate to give back to the real estate community as well as gain different perspectives on issues and topics from the Young Leaders. The Mentorship Program is entirely run by a committee of Young Leaders with assistance from ULI staff.