A celebration of record-breaking fundraising, attendance and class of Goldie Scholars
The Goldie B. Wolfe Miller Women Leaders in Real Estate Initiative (‘The Goldie Initiative®”), a nonprofit organization designed to prepare women for senior leadership roles in all sectors of commercial real estate, hosted its ‘Goldie Gala’ fundraising evening last night at Chicago Union Station. The 8th annual power networking event brought together leaders from across commercial real estate to raise funding for The Goldie Initiative’s innovative scholarship and career development programing for women in the industry as well as their women’s mentorship programs.
At the 2024 Goldie Gala, The McShane Companies Chief Executive Officer, Molly McShane was honored as the 2024 ‘Shero,’ an award presented annually by The Goldie Initiative to a woman executive whose achievements inspire the next generation of female commercial real estate professionals.
“The Shero award is a great honor, and I will be in great company with other incredible female leaders, but what I love most is the opportunity to get to know so many of this year’s scholarship winners,” Ms. McShane said. “They are the future leaders in this industry, and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact on their career development.”
Goldie Scholars and Alumnae with Goldie B. Wolfe Miller (center)
The Goldie Gala is an opportunity to celebrate Goldie Scholars, valued stakeholders, and the commercial real estate industry. It is often referred to as ‘the networking event of the season,’ attracting the best and brightest throughout commercial real estate. This year’s Goldie Gala raised over $1,140,000 in support of the organization’s mission and welcomed around 1,000 attendees, surpassing previous totals. A matching gift was announced at the formal program; donations received through the end of September will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a generous anonymous donor.
Founded in 2007 by Goldie B. Wolfe Miller, The Goldie Initiative has made a considerable impact on the commercial real estate industry and has created a professional community of women with extraordinary academic and leadership potential, known as Goldie Scholars, nationally. With a unique strategy of scholarship, mentoring, networking and skills development, The Goldie Initiative cultivates talented women into future leaders. The program supports women pursuing graduate-level studies in business, law, design, or management with a focus on real estate. Nearly 40 current Goldie Scholars are currently studying in real estate-related programs at nearly 20 universities nationwide.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to connect one-on-one with each Goldie Scholar as part of our program! And I am proud of how we are making a difference in their lives… and making a positive impact in our real estate industry. It is the honor of my life to provide a new generation of women with the funds, professional network and female role models they need to forge a path to success in the commercial real estate industry,” said Goldie B. Wolfe Miller, iconic commercial real estate broker and Founder at The Goldie Initiative.
Scott McKibben and Cindy Malone, two of Chicago’s leading CRE professionals, are the co-chairs for this year’s Goldie Gala. Mr. McKibben is CEO at Matterhorn Venture Partners and Ms. Malone is Senior Vice President and Director of Sales at Chicago Title Insurance Company.
“We would like to extend our appreciation to our Presenting Sponsors in addition to our Diamond Sponsors, for their investment in the next generation of female leaders. We are grateful for the nearly 200 additional Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze sponsors that have contributed to the event,” said Mr. McKibben.
Presenting Sponsors ($50,000+)
- The McShane Companies
- Chicago Title Insurance Company
- Jack Miller Family Foundation / Jack and Goldie Wolfe Miller Fund
Diamond Level Sponsors ($25,000):
- Brennan Investment Group / Wisconsin School of Business
- Millbrook Properties
- Wintrust
To see a full list of sponsors, visit: https://goldieinitiative.org/gala/
About The Goldie Initiative
Founded by Goldie B. Wolfe Miller in 2007, the mission of the Goldie B. Wolfe Miller Women Leaders in Real Estate® Initiative (“The Goldie Initiative®”) is to prepare women to advance as leaders in commercial real estate by providing financial and professional support. The Goldie Initiative does this by providing scholarship support for graduate study, mentorship, and networking opportunities to women with high potential who are committed to becoming leaders in the real estate industry.
For further information about The Goldie Initiative, visit https://goldieinitiative.org/.