The past year has been incredibly challenging, especially for any young professionals trying to gain their footing in a complex industry traditionally built upon relationships and in-person interaction. Thankfully the ULI Rising Leaders Scholarship has made my past year a little easier to navigate. With the ability to drop into endless happy-hour Zoom sessions and virtual market updates, the scholarship has allowed me to say focused and join the premier events that the best professional organization in the industry has to offer.

Most recently, it gave me the chance to participate in the 2021 Emerging Trends Conference. The event included high profile speakers including CEOs, a former Mayor, and a former Olympian. Our industry tends to be eternally optimistic, but it is always reassuring to see numbers back up those feelings. Conversations featured positive data points for the future of cities and urban land use, such as the PWC survey stating that 51% of CFOs through they will need more office space because of COVID-19.  That said, it was not all sunshine and roses, as the latter two panels featured the specific impact of COVID on urban retail, as well as racial equity, or the historic lack thereof, within our industry. The event concluded with breakout sessions, allowing for networking and conversation with other ULI Members.

The Emerging trends conference also served as wonderful inspiration for the YLG Programs committee that I serve on, as we planned our most recent event: Planes Trains and Toll Lanes- Development Along the Silver Line. We took the que of having a diverse panel of industry leaders and hoped that were able to create similar high-quality virtual content.

While I cannot wait to get back to in-person events any more than the next person, the scholarship has made this virtual, socially isolating world feel a little more connected. I am incredibly thankful to have been awarded the ULI Rising Leaders Scholarship, which has only added to my motivation to be an active member of such a wonderful professional organization and community.

Luke Koczela

Senior Associate, EJF Capital LLC
Member, ULI Washington’s Young Leaders
Member, ULI Washington’s YLG Programs Committee