For the first time in US history, women are the majority of the workforce. Last week, The New York Times endorsed not one, but two candidates for president. Both women. In Finland all 5 party leaders are women. The #metoo movement has finally brought about a global awareness of the challenges and abuse women face (and exposed how so many men are such big assholes). The voice of the next generation is spoken through the voice of Greta Thunberg. Promising signs, but there are still major disparities everywhere we look. Especially in real estate.
This industry remains a white male-dominated business. With the exception of the brokerage side of the business, every segment of the industry is dominated by white men. Yes, there are a handful of female “starchitects”, designers, developers, and engineers, but seats at the table are still mostly void of minorities and women.
At CORE, the majority of our company is female. Why? Because our policy has always been to hire the best in class regardless of gender or race. That’s our guiding principle. I don’t understand why so many men who are industry “leaders” still act like Neanderthals and refuse to hire women – and if they do, they expect to pay them less than their male counterparts. My daughters both know that there is NO job a man does that a woman can’t do – and they should expect equal pay.
Antonia Devine is an architect and one of the few women leading the way in development. She is an architect at JDS and making a significant impact by delivering magnificent work with her team. This is work you should pay close attention to. Their projects are beautiful and nothing like a lot of the tacky, overpriced inventory that we see being built around us.
I spent some time with her at The Fitzroy – their project in West Chelsea. This building is a masterpiece and a complete labor of love. No bullshit. Roman and Williams, JDS, and Largo did it right.
Below is my interview with her. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.