The Goldie B. Wolfe Miller Women Leaders in Real Estate Initiative, an organization focused on preparing women for senior leadership roles in all sectors of commercial real estate, celebrated the 2026-2027 Goldie Scholars, a cohort of 45 women in graduate-level real estate programs at top universities across the country, at its annual Goldie Gala on Sept. 17 in Chicago.
More than 1,100 attendees celebrated The Goldie Initiative’s achievements at the event, which contributed to the over $1.6 million in donations the organization has raised this year. These funds support the organization’s mission of increasing the number of women in senior leadership positions throughout commercial real estate. The organization advances this mission through scholarship funding, mentorship, networking opportunities and professional development programming for women pursuing careers in the industry. Goldie Scholars undertake graduate studies in business, law, architecture and design, and property management at some of the country’s most respected real estate programs. Many Goldie Alumnae later return to the organization to help with programming and serve as mentors, advocates and supporters of future scholars.
“As a testament to The Goldie Initiative’s impact since 2007, I’m proud to say this year’s Goldie Scholars program application was the most competitive in our history, highlighting our growing influence nationwide,” said Megan Abraham, chief executive officer of The Goldie Initiative. “We saw a 50% increase in applications this year through strengthening our partnerships with various universities and utilizing our vast network of commercial real estate professionals around the country to spread the word. The 2026-2027 Goldie Scholar cohort has grown to include a record number of universities across the United States – several of which are new to the program.”
First-time participant schools include Baruch College, Dominican University, Hofstra University, Johns Hopkins University, Wentworth Institute of Technology and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition, the program regularly draws from other top institutions including Columbia University, DePaul University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Roosevelt University, University of Wisconsin-Madison and dozens of others.
The hallmark event also recognized the organization’s Shero, an annual honor awarded to a top female leader in commercial real estate who demonstrates a commitment to supporting and advancing women in the industry. This year’s Shero Award recipient was Lisa Konieczka, executive vice president at CBRE Chicago. Among the many ways Konieczka has supported women in commercial real estate is through the establishment of the CBRE Women’s Network more than 25 years ago. Under her leadership, the network grew to 8,500 members across the Americas and 10,000 globally, helping shift CBRE’s culture and leadership focus by championing pathways for women into senior roles. Over a distinguished career spanning more than 35 years, Konieczka has advised corporate, professional services and financial industry clients on more than 38 million square feet of transactions totaling over $4.1 billion, helping shape Chicago’s office landscape and serving as a trusted strategic advisor on some of the region’s most significant real estate decisions.
For more information about The Goldie Initiative and how to support its mission, visit www.goldieinitiative.org.
