Jill Ferrari
Partner
Schenk & Bruetsch, PLC
Detroit
Jill Ferrari has spent her entire career focused on supporting women in commercial real estate and pushing creative initiatives to break down barriers that women face in the industry.
Ferrari’s entrepreneurial spirit has inspired many and she is a passionate advocate for those who are not represented at decision-making tables. She has consistently worked to promote change, driving support for diversity, equity and inclusion on an industry level.
As a professional, Ferrari has worked on some of the most complicated redevelopment projects in Michigan and developed important strategic initiatives designed to address our state’s biggest economic problems. She is a force in the commercial real estate industry and a beacon for female entrepreneurs.
“I’m driven by the challenge of solving complex problems, particularly those that require creative and strategic thinking,” Ferrari said. “This includes redeveloping highly complicated sites, structuring and nurturing unique partnerships, and assembling comprehensive, layered capital stacks that make deals pencil. I enjoy working at the intersection of constraints and opportunity, where technical, financial, and relational challenges converge—and turning that complexity into projects that are both viable and impactful.”
The commercial real estate development company that Ferrari co-founded, Renovare Development, was named the 2025 “Developer of the Year” by Michigan Real Estate Journal. Renovare is a commercial real estate development company that focuses on attainable housing and mixed-use projects that serve a deep community need with over $100 million of projects in development.
During her career, Ferrari helped build two startups to which she was deeply connected. But when the time was right, Ferrari transitioned control of them to other owners. These were tough decisions, but the right ones for Ferrari’s career.
“Giving up control of something you’ve built is a quiet kind of reckoning,” Ferrari said. “A company starts as an extension of your will, every decision, value, and risk filtered through you. Over time, it becomes larger than its founders, shaped by people, markets, policy and realities you can’t fully predict or manage. Letting go is an acknowledgment that creation and ownership aren’t the same thing.
“You release the belief that care requires control, and you accept that what you built can continue to grow without your hands on the wheel,” Ferrari said. “There’s loss in that, but also relief—and a certain pride in knowing the thing is strong enough to stand on its own.”
Ferrari is also an adjunct practice instructor at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and a member of the National Advisory Board for the Urban Land Institute Terwilliger Center for Housing. She is founding board member of the Women’s Sustainable Development Initiative, a nonprofit organization supporting emerging women developers working in low-income communities.
“My ability to adapt has been a defining factor in my success,” Ferrari said. “As the industry
continues to evolve, I’ve consistently responded by innovating quickly, identifying emerging tools, and refining strategies that keep my approach to CRE development relevant and effective. This has allowed me not just to keep pace with change, but to anticipate it and turn uncertainty into opportunity.”
Outside of her professional work, Ferrari enjoys traveling with her daughter, using these experiences as a way to explore new places, perspectives and cultures. She’s also an award-winning screenwriter who spends much of her downtime writing.
“Engaging in storytelling sharpens my creativity, deepens my empathy and strengthens the way I approach problem-solving in my professional work,” Ferrari said.
