The Goldie B. Wolfe Miller Women Leaders in Real Estate Initiative (“The Goldie Initiative”), a nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing women to advance as leaders in commercial real estate by providing financial and professional support, recently announced scholarship winners for the upcoming school year. Since 2007, The Goldie Initiative has created a professional community of over 250 women with extraordinary academic and leadership potential, known as Goldie Scholars.

The Goldie Initiative received a record-breaking 145 applications, a 51% increase over the previous year, making the 2026-2027 selection cycle the most competitive in the program’s history. Following a rigorous four-stage review process conducted with the support of nearly 70 volunteers from across The Goldie Initiative community, 34 new Goldie Scholars were selected for the upcoming academic year. Together with 11 returning scholars, the program will support a total cohort of 45 outstanding women pursuing graduate degrees relevant to commercial real estate.

“The Goldie Initiative continues to elevate and empower the next generation of women in real estate, and this cohort is a powerful example of that mission in action,” said Julie Thick, 2026 Board President. ” We are excited to see the impact you will make in the future.”

The Goldie Initiative has been able to expand the Goldie Scholar cohort in 2026-27 thanks to the generosity of charitable foundations and individuals who have supported the scholarship fund. This year, The Goldie Initiative is proud to recognize two outstanding scholars through noteworthy scholarship partnerships. Thanks to an ongoing partnership with the Debbie Frank Legacy Fund and CREW Chicago, The Goldie Initiative has named Priscilla Gil, a student at Northwestern University, as the Debbie Frank Legacy Fund and CREW Chicago Goldie Scholar. Debbie Frank, who passed away in 2020, was a respected and accomplished leader in Chicago’s commercial real estate community and was deeply committed to advancing opportunities for women in the industry.

The Goldie Initiative is pleased to welcome the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust as a named scholarship partner for the 2026-27 school year. Tiffany Kim, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has been named the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust Goldie Scholar. In 2015, The Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust was established, with the primary goal is to improve people’s lives and to strengthen sundry communities where Flying Food Group – the company that Sue Gin founded – has a local presence. The Foundation hopes to create community awareness through charitable giving and to make a profound and sustainable difference in the lives of individuals and families.

For a third year, The Goldie Initiative has joined forces with the Annexstad Family Foundation, in support of multiple Goldie Scholars. The Goldie Initiative is also pleased to partner with numerous other individual donors to support the Dedicated Scholars program, which offers major donors the unique opportunity to personally connect with the Goldie Scholars they support.

The 2026-2027 Goldie Scholar cohort represents 23 universities across the United States. Notably, this year’s cohort welcomes Goldie Scholars from several universities for the first time, including Baruch College, Dominican University, Hofstra University, Johns Hopkins University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. These additions reflect The Goldie Initiative’s continued success in expanding its reach and identifying emerging female leaders from a broader range of graduate programs nationwide. A full list of the 2026-27 Goldie Scholar cohort is indicated in the photo below.

The applicant pool demonstrated significant geographic growth, with applications arriving from both the Midwest and Northeast regions at record levels. Applications from Midwest institutions increased by 57%, while Northeast applications increased by 53%, highlighting the expanding awareness and impact of The Goldie Initiative nationwide.

A major driver of program growth was The Goldie Initiative’s continued investment in university partnerships and outreach. More than half of applicants learned of the scholarship opportunity through university faculty, administrators, student organizations, and campus events, underscoring the importance of educational partnerships in identifying future industry leaders.

The incoming Goldie Scholars will be recognized and welcomed by industry leaders, alumnae, mentors, and supporters at Goldie Gala Chicago on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at Union Station Chicago. The annual celebration brings together the commercial real estate community to honor the newest Goldie Scholars and support The Goldie Initiative’s mission. In addition to welcoming this new cohort, Goldie Gala Chicago will celebrate this year’s Shero award winner: Lisa Konieczka, Executive Vice President at CBRE Chicago.

About The Goldie Initiative

Founded in 2007 by Goldie B. Wolfe Miller, The Goldie Initiative prepares women to

advance as leaders in commercial real estate by providing financial and professional

support. Through scholarships, mentorship, leadership development, and networking opportunities, The Goldie Initiative empowers talented graduate students to build successful careers and advance into leadership positions throughout the industry. Since its founding, the organization has supported hundreds of emerging women leaders and continues to expand its impact across the commercial real estate profession. For more information, visit www.goldieinitiative.org.

The 2026-27 cohort of Goldie Scholars represent the following universities:

Baruch College

Zicklin School of Business

Columbia University

Columbia Business School

Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Cornell University

Baker Program in Real Estate

DePaul University

Kellstadt Graduate School of Business

Dominican University

Brennan School of Business

Georgetown University

School of Continuing Studies

Harvard University

Harvard Kennedy School

Hofstra University

Maurice A. Deane School of Law

Johns Hopkins University

Carey Business School

Loyola University Chicago

School of Law

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Center for Real Estate

Department of Urban Studies and Planning Sloan School of Management

New York University

Stern School of Business Schack Institute of Real Estate

Northwestern University

Kellogg School of Management McCormick School of Engineering

Roosevelt University

Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate

University of Chicago

Booth School of Business

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Gies College of Business

University of Maryland

School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Smith School of Business

University of Notre Dame

Mendoza College of Business

University of Pennsylvania

The Wharton School Weitzman School of Design

University of Virginia

Darden School of Business

University of Wisconsin – Madison Wisconsin School of Business Law School

University Wisconsin – Milwaukee

Lubar College of Business

Wentworth Institute of Technology

School of Management