By: Wanda Dunaway, Vice President of Marketing, Sossego
Interviewee: Sarah D’Annibale, Senior Client Services, M Moser Associates + Chair of CoreNet NYC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Sarah D’Annibale, CoreNet NYC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair, spoke with InSite about the chapter’s DEI initiatives.
Tell us about the mission of the CoreNet NYC DEI committee.
“The mission of this committee is to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the New York City Real Estate industry across race, gender, age, religion, creed, and identity;
as well as create an intentionally inclusive committee that utilizes differing gender, race, sexual orientation, and multigenerational perspectives; and to support the NYC Chapter’s broader goals & initiatives.”
How did you get involved in this mission?
DEI has always been important to me; I have been involved in volunteer and advocacy groups since I was a teenager. But as an adult, and as my career progresses, I’m exposed to more and more opportunities for strategic solutioning in this space. I worked in recruitment in the built environment sector for long enough to be dismayed over and over again as candidates from underrepresented groups got passed up or were not even given a seat at the table to be a part of the conversation. It was eye-opening in a very lasting way. That is my professional answer. The personal answer is that I am a mother of six children; four of whom are on the Autism spectrum, one of whom has mobility issues, and five of whom openly identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. They are my teachers, my reasons, and my toughest critics. I see their struggles and successes, and it is apparent that they walk through the world in a very different way from me. My proximity to power as a cis-gendered, white-presenting, able-bodied woman working in CRE in NY makes it my responsibility to try to move the needle for those who don’t enjoy the privilege my situation allows me to enjoy.
What initiatives does the DEI committee have for 2023?
Some exciting ones! We just wrapped up an incredible event: Celebrating Black Leadership in CRE and Inspiring the Next Generation. We had a panel of four amazing Black women from Google, Bridgewater, Genesys, and Hines speak about their career successes. We invited 30 young people (high school through college age) from underrepresented groups to come get inspired and network with our panelists and our guests. It was phenomenally successful; we sold out and then some. The young people were exposed to and motivated by a new potential career path, and the crowd of attendees was very diverse and largely new faces to CoreNet events. The feedback has been pretty great! In addition, we host a monthly Open Forum call for anyone who wants to chat DEI and make community with us. We hope to have a casual drop-in Juneteenth & Pride cash bar get-together with the Open Forum attendees in June. Similarly, as a follow-up to the very successful International Women’s Day event for which we supported the Women’s Leadership Committee, we are planning to host a quarterly coffee with the attendees in the offices of a few of the committee volunteers to keep the conversation going. We have found as a committee that we are able to put on much more successful big events and get larger initiatives pushed forward when we do more frequent smaller get-togethers to build community and strengthen our friendships. We are also looking to put on an educational event toward the end of the year focused on Universally Inclusive Design speaking to end-users who have made this a priority in their built spaces.
What tips do you have for our members who want to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in their companies but don’t know where to start?
This is a great question, and actually from where some of the most impactful change comes! First of all, it’s important that we understand that in order to create change we have to be intentional. Positive change doesn’t come about just because we are good and caring people; it is thoughtful and purposeful. The best way to learn how to champion change is to do some research. Read books, do internet searches, and consume content that is created by minority creators about their lived and learned experiences. Ask your hiring managers about their diversity initiatives – if there aren’t any, ask why. Start or join employee resource groups (ERGs). Even if you don’t feel that you need an ERG, joining one shows that you support others in that group and creates a sense of belonging. Use inclusive language and educate yourself on microaggressions. If you don’t know what these terms mean, then I am talking to you!!
Suggest that your company theme regular get-togethers and town halls around world holidays that are being celebrated in that month and have marketing send out company-wide Happy (Holiday) emails on the day or include a celebratory mention in any regular newsletters. These gestures make people celebrating those holidays feel honored without singling them out or tokenizing them. One of the most important things you can do in your workplace is to ask people who don’t usually get a voice what they think. Publicly give them credit for the great work they produce. Give them the opportunity to present and speak to decision-makers. And lastly, offer and receive mentorship from people who don’t look and think like you. It is rewarding and enriching for everyone!
