NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Girls Who Invest (GWI), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing gender diversity and inclusion within investment management through education, internships, mentorship and community, is thrilled to announce a grant from the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) Foundation, to further introduce real estate investing to first and second-year college undergraduate women and gender non-binary individuals. The grant will also support the acceleration of career opportunities within the GWI Online Intensive Program (OIP), a self-directed, asynchronous educational program.
PREA’s partnership with GWI is part of the Foundation’s ongoing effort to promote diversity and inclusion within the real estate investment industry. Kicking off in 2023, PREA’s generosity has reached over 400 GWI OIP scholars through an assortment of tailored real estate content and educational resources. Looking forward, PREA’s impact will aid GWI’s effort to provide frontline paid investing internships for its growing scholar and alumni population of over 2,500 young women.
“PREA Foundation’s commitment and partnership will play a vital role in advancing our inclusion efforts within real estate investing and, annually, expose hundreds of GWI participants to this compelling asset class,” said Katherine Jollon Colsher, President and CEO at Girls Who Invest. “Industry allies like the PREA Foundation are essential to GWI’s core programming and the long term retention of young women and non-binary investors. We are excited to be working hand-in-hand to create a path for GWI Alumni to reach the executive leadership level in the real estate industry.”
“The PREA Foundation is proud to partner with GWI to increase gender diversity in the commercial real estate industry. By enhancing GWI’s rigorous training programs with real estate industry content, this partnership will help to develop the next generation of real estate finance leaders,” said Dr. Ivan Barron, PREA Foundation Executive Director.
About PREA Foundation
The Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) Foundation was established to advance diversity and inclusion in the institutional real estate investment community. The PREA Foundation achieves its mission by funding the creation of career development programs and disseminating diversity and inclusion best practices to support career entry and advancement in the commercial real estate industry. To learn more about the PREA Foundation, visit preafoundation.org.
About Girls Who Invest
Girls Who Invest (GWI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the investment management industry by attracting and advancing women investors, change-makers, and leaders. GWI does this through tuition-free education programs for first and second-year college students. Once our scholars complete their program, GWI provides career advisory services, community building, and connections for our alumni at all stages in their careers, with a focus on the long-term professional development, retention, and advancement of our alumni. We believe, and studies show, that advancing diverse investors brings unique and previously excluded perspectives to the industry and leads to higher performance. To date, GWI has reached more than 2,500 young people in just eight years. To learn more, visit GirlsWhoInvest.org.
