About the Women’s Leadership Initiative

The Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) was founded in 2011 to encourage greater diversity in the real estate and land use industry. A variety of global research demonstrates that gender diversity in a company’s leadership ranks correlates with improved performance compared with peer organizations that lack diversity. Economic research also illustrates the increased productivity possible if industry sectors fully use the female population in the workforce. Yet membership statistics for ULI reflect a lack of diversity, with only one in four members being a woman. In order to build a vibrant and sustainable organization, that lack of diversity must be addressed.

The mission of WLI is to raise the visibility and number of women leaders at ULI and in the real estate industry. This mission is achieved through the following objectives:

• Promote the advancement of women, throughout their careers, as leaders in the real estate industry.
• Increase the number of women serving in leadership positions in the real estate industry and at ULI.
• Increase the visibility of women leaders in the real estate industry and at ULI.
• Increase the number of women who are active full members at ULI and support the development of young women members as leaders at ULI and in their professions.

WLI is a global initiative with local chapters throughout ULI’s district and national councils. Programming includes panel discussions on real estate trends, networking events, leadership training, mentorship, and scholarships. For more information on WLI, visit www.uli.org/WLI