About Us

Our Approach

 

A push forward. A leg up.

The Women's Development Collaborative (WDC) is a network of women leaders who inspire, promote and support women who lead transformative real estate developments. Our members and sponsors are committed to advancing WDC's mission and our collective capacity to champion and catalyze women-led developments.

Our Vision
We envision a world where women developers receive the inspiration, collaborations and resources they need to build transformative projects that enable our communities to thrive.

Our Mission
WDC works toward the advancement of women’s success, leadership, innovation and collaboration in building developments that make real estate better.

What We Do

Inspire, support, promote collaborations, provide resources, and advance knowledge sharing and best practice across the globe.

Over 300 women participate in the Women’s Development Collaborative. Our initial strategic plan expands our capacity, reach and impact by raising funds to support our initiatives:

  • Events- showcase women-led developments
  • Scholarships- provide funding for scholarships for young leaders to attend WDC events and, ultimately, ULI meetings and training programs
  • Network- cultivate a global network of women leaders who share our mission
  • Leadership- develop leadership skills that empower us to reach our individual and collective goals
  • Publications- publish articles and blog posts that promote women-led developments and the inspiring women who lead them
  • Knowledge Sharing/Best Practice- serve as information clearinghouse for publications, websites and emerging tools featuring women-led developments
  • Funding Resources- provide seed capital investment and broad range of technical advisory services for women-led developments

Our Story

who are the women of wdc?

We are professionals, public servants and students who are enthusiastic about real estate and land use industry. We are involved in real estate development and finance, law, urban design and land use, education, property management and non-profit organizations. We actively engage through outreach, public policy, education, economics, design and construction.

how wdc came to be

WDC started as a group of women gathering informally at the conclusion of the ULI Spring and Fall Meetings to build connections among women leaders and to showcase projects being developed by women in the host cities of the ULI Meetings. Many women are members of the ULI WLI National and/or Local Steering Committees and were part of the impetus of starting WLI. As WLI has developed into a wonderful place within ULI for women, the WDC network has continued to expand. Women have invited more and more women to join our WDC events, which include online programs and events that showcase women developers and transformative developments led by women.

How is WDC connected to Urban land Institute (ULI)?

Though not formally linked to Urban Land Institute (ULI), WDC includes many members who are also actively involved in ULI. WDC leaders helped launch ULI's Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) and continue to support, promote and advance WLI activities locally and nationally. Among its other activities, WDC sponsors events and programs that showcase women-led development projects in the host cities of the annual Fall and Spring meetings of ULI and supports scholarships for ULI’s young women leaders to attend WDC and ULI events.

Many thanks to our WDC sponsors and members for their support!