The mood of the attendees at Illinois Real Estate Journal’s seventh annual Women in Real Estate Summit and CLINK! social hour? Positive.
Yes, the commercial real estate industry faces its share of challenges. But the speakers during this year’s WIRE event at Chicago’s Ivy Room were optimistic that the local market was overcoming these challenges.
The Chicago-area multifamily and industrial sectors remain strong, with demand for both asset classes steady, speakers said. The retail sector is solid and even the office sector is showing signs of hope, especially with Class-A properties with strong amenities.
Speakers also addressed the many opportunities for growth in this field. The commercial real estate industry is still heavily skewed toward men. But women continue to thrive in this field, too, they said, with many holding top positions in the Chicago industry.
Overall, then? This year’s WIRE event was a time of celebration, with participants looking forward to an even stronger 2026.
This year’s event kicked off with a fireside chat between Damla Gerhart, Executive Regional Director, Midwest Region, for Cushman & Wakefield; and Collete English Dixon, Executive Director, Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate, Roosevelt University. The two covered a wide range of topics, focusing on the state of the Chicago-area commercial real estate industry and the strides that women have made in this field.
Another highlight of the day was the Building the Future: Women Leading Commercial Construction in 2026 panel. Headlining this panel were Veronika Bocanova Diffley, Principal, Director of Landlord Services, Whitney Architects; Jessica Sherwood, Senior Vice President, Leopardo Construction; Alba Colavitti, Associate Principal, MG2; Shannon Sterne, Associate, Project Designer, Aria Group; Lena Kitson, Principal, Gensler; and Suzanne Karbarz Rovner, Partner, Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC, who served as the panel’s moderator.
The panelists of the State of the Market Update: Industrial, Office, Retail, Multifamily, Finance, Investments, & Property Management session focused on the progress being made in the Chicago area’s biggest commercial asset classes. Speaking on this panel were Yolanda Jeffries, Chief Executive Officer, Lux Life Realty; Susan Silver, Executive Director, Millennium Properties; Kirsten Bowersox, President, Xroads Real Estate Advisors; Caroline Firrantello, Senior Associate Broker, NAI Hiffman; and Karen Kulczycki, Senior Vice President, SVN Chicago Commercial, the session’s moderator.
The day’s sessions ended with the Influence, Impact & Advancement: Notable Women in Commercial Real Estate panel featuring the most important names in the local CRE industry. Participants included Maria Alexakis, Managing Director, CIBC; Regina Stilp, Founding Principal, Farpoint Development; Amy Galvin, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Luxury Living; Melissa Copley, Vice Chairman, Newmark; Stacie Young, President and CEO, Community Investment Corporation (CIC); and LaVon M. Johns, Partner, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP, the session’s moderator.
Regina Stilp with Farpoint Development and Sarah Cannella with Hiffman National.
