Meet The Women Spearheading The Projects Defining The Chicago Skyline
The women leading Chicago real estate in 2026 have transformed millions of square feet, brokered big deals and created mentorship networks for others in the industry.
They have worked on a wide range of projects throughout the Chicago area, including the Obama Presidential Center, the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park and the LaSalle Street Corridor.
On March 26, 28 of Chicago’s top women leaders, dealmakers, innovators and rising stars will be honored at the annual Chicago Women Leading Real Estate ceremony that celebrates their contributions to the industry.
Bisnow asked this year's honorees to tell us about a deal, project or initiative they worked on recently that they are particularly proud of. Below are their responses, edited for length and clarity. We have also included the names, titles and companies of other honorees.
Leader of the Year
Alexandra Cole, Real Estate Partner, Perkins Coie LLP
A long time client recently gave us two deals, one a programmatic senior housing vehicle and the other a purchase of a major hotel in support of the new team we have assembled for them. This was a very proud moment as it indicated their continuing support.
Catherine Sierakowski, Group Head-North American Real Estate, BMO Capital Markets
I am most proud of my work to spearhead our data center lending initiative at BMO across North America. It has been a very rewarding challenge and new growth experience.
Cindy Malone, SVP & Director of Sales, Chicago Title Insurance Co., NCS Chicago
I am incredibly proud of my involvement with The Goldie Initiative, where I have had the privilege of serving on the board and as a Gala Co-Chair for the past two years. Each year, hearing directly from the Goldie Scholars and seeing the tangible impact this organization has on their education and career paths reinforces the importance of our work.
I am also proud of my role in the development and expansion of Fidelity National Financial’s women’s leadership mentorship program. This national initiative spans all FNF Family brands and roles—from executive leadership to entry-level positions—and has created powerful opportunities for connection, growth, and advancement across the organization.
Claudia Welp, Director of Operations-IL, CAGE Engineering
One project that I am particularly proud of is an affordable housing development in the north suburbs designed to serve veterans and individuals with disabilities. While modest in scale, the project delivers a meaningful and lasting impact by supporting populations that are often underserved while strengthening the surrounding community.
Jennifer Sweeney, President, Millbrook Properties
We recently executed a large renewal and expansion deal that took 2 years to get done. Never give up even if they say, "time kills all deals".
Lisa Konieczka, EVP, CBRE
The initiative I am most proud of is the formation of the CBRE Women's Network, which I founded in 2000. I led this organization for 23 years and we just surpassed 10,000 members in our 25th anniversary year. With a mission of advancing the success of women through growth, connection, mentorship and advocacy, we have had a transformational impact on thousands of women's careers. That is a legacy that surpasses all other accomplishments in my career thus far.
Karoline Eigel, Executive Director, Cushman & Wakefield
I’m immensely proud of the team and portfolio we have built from the ground up over the last four years. It’s an unmatched opportunity that has proven to be both incredibly fulfilling and more importantly, fun! It’s not about the biggest deal or the best building for me, it’s about a quality of work life and the absolute pleasure it’s been crafting that quality with the best of the best in company, teammates and clients.
Other honorees include:
- Jessica Sherwood, SVP, Leopardo
- Lauren Posey, Executive Director, Property Operations, Clear Height Properties
- Timnetra Burruss, Founder, The Evolution Collective
- Melissa Copley, Vice Chairman, Newmark
Rising Star
Bella Campise, Co-Founder, CEO, Aigentless
Since launching our next generation, self-guided tour proptech platform last year, Aigentless has been adopted by some of the nation’s leading multifamily owners/operators, already reaching 30,000 units across the country where owners and operators have been able to lower costs through staffing efficiencies and free up leasing teams to focus on providing concierge-level services to prospects.
I’m particularly proud of our recently announced partnership with Cardinal Group, one of the largest student housing owners and operators in the U.S., to deploy Aigentless across its entire national student housing portfolio, and the co-development of a custom version of our AI-powered software designed specifically for the unique needs of student housing providers.
Corinth Jackson, Chief of Staff, OPC Operations, Obama Foundation
I am particularly proud of my work providing strategic and operational planning for the Obama Presidential Center. We are preparing for a grand opening in June 2026, building a space designed to facilitate inspiration, connection and action for all who visit. My role focuses on ensuring that the operational framework is robust enough to handle the scale of a world-class institution while staying true to its mission.
What makes me most proud, however, is the local impact. This is more than a cultural institution, it’s a vital economic anchor for Chicago’s South Side. As someone who grew up in South Shore, contributing to a project that intentionally invests in its own backyard through the creation of jobs and a sense of place, is deeply personal. It has been the most rewarding experience of my career to help build a legacy in the neighborhood that shaped me.
Isabella Spinell, Senior Associate, JLL
I currently represent approx. 7.5M SF of high-profile product in the CBD representing owners like Beacon Capital, La Caisse (Ivanhoe Cambridge), 601 W Companies, Shvo and others. We've had a lot of positive leasing activity and momentum over the past year at 180 N. LaSalle and it has been particularly fun seeing the initial effects that Google has on the neighborhood since the acquisition of The Thompson Center. I'm eager and excited to see how it continues to impact and benefit the Central Loop once they occupy the building upon completion of construction.
Sheilah Carroll, VP, Development and Design, Knickpoint Ventures
The Fields Studios is a large-scale adaptive reuse and mixed-use campus that transforms approximately 2M SF of former industrial space into the Midwest’s first purpose-built film studio campus. The project introduces a purpose-built studio campus model to the region, integrating soundstages, production support, flexible commercial space, retail, and public-facing amenities within a cohesive creative ecosystem. As Vice President of Development & Design, I have led the project from early feasibility and master planning through design, branding, leasing strategy, and phased delivery. The Fields Studios positions Chicago as a competitive production market and demonstrates the potential of industrial reuse at campus scale.
Whitney Bell, Senior Designer, Madison Rose
As an in-house graphic designer within a brokerage, I focus on using design as a strategic tool to reposition office assets and support leasing. Over the past year, I’ve led the design and creative execution for several landmark Chicago buildings, helping translate architectural character into clear, modern visual identities.
I’m especially proud of my work on LaSalle Street Corridor assets including The Rookery and 33 North LaSalle, where I served as the primary designer across branding, marketing collateral, email campaigns, and digital assets. I’ve also played a key role in bringing the identity of 150 North Michigan Avenue (The Diamond Building) to life post-launch, leading ongoing marketing, email design, and creative direction to ensure the brand remains cohesive, elevated, and effective.
Other honorees include:
- Aly Wolff, VP, Investments, Cabot Properties
- Brigid Sofen, VP, Transactions, LaSalle Investment Management
Dealmaker of the Year
Candace Green, Managing Director, Caton Property Management
I recently led the transition and management of a commercial portfolio exceeding 1M SF across retail, medical office, and industrial assets. My focus was on driving operational efficiency and scalable growth, including streamlining client retention and new business development processes to strengthen the sales pipeline and improve client engagement. I also implemented a third-party accounting platform that reduced manual processes, improved reporting accuracy, and increased team productivity. Collectively, these initiatives enhanced service delivery and positioned the portfolio for sustained performance and growth.
Penelope Campbell, Partner, Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres
This year, as counsel to PsiQuantum, Inc., I had the opportunity to handle the leasing, construction, and financing negotiation for a first-of-its-kind facility to build utility-scale quantum computers—an anchor of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park on the former U.S. Steel South Works site in Chicago, and co-led (with David Reifman) the regulatory strategy, incentives, and government relations. In connection with this, I successfully negotiated a build-to-suit lease and construction documentation, including a comprehensive work letter and ancillary agreements for a $250M facility designed to support the development and deployment of the first 1 million qubit, fault tolerant quantum computer in the United States.
Other honorees include:
- Aubrey Englund, EVP, NAI Hiffman
- Keely Polczynski, Senior Managing Director, Newmark
- Karen Kulczycki, SVP, SVN Chicago Commercial
Innovator of the Year
Alisa Kolodizner, Managing Director, Prairie Hill Holdings
One deal I’m particularly proud of is Prairie Hill’s Wheeling Industrial acquisition, not only because of the asset itself, but because of how the opportunity was sourced, structured, and enhanced. We were able to source an off-market industrial property in Wheeling, and to complete the acquisition, we structured a joint venture that combined the investor’s 1031 exchange capital with capital from the Prairie Hill fund.
Post-acquisition, we launched a cold-storage expansion, which increases both income and long-term asset value. The investor had successfully managed triple-net assets himself for years, and his decision to partner with Prairie Hill Holdings was a strong validation of our sourcing, underwriting and asset management approach.
LaVon Johns, Partner, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila
I recently represented the Austin HOPE Center in a $22M development project that is dedicated to providing pediatric services on Chicago's West Side. The Business Transactions team and I advised on land use and zoning, scofflaw challenges, and tax matters. The Austin HOPE Center is the culmination of ongoing efforts to identify and address unmet health care needs in the Austin neighborhood.
Thru Shivakumar, CEO & Founder, Cohesion
Our company's new offering, SpacePulse, reflects a broader shift happening across industries toward faster, evidence-based decision making. Many organizations are being asked to justify major operational choices with real data, but the tools to do that are often slow, expensive and built for specialists. SpacePulse makes high-quality utilization insights accessible quickly and with minimal friction.
Organizations can get real, defensible data within weeks, without large upfront investments or complex integrations, and use it to confidently evaluate how much space they actually need. It’s a practical example of how analytics and service-based delivery can help teams make smarter decisions before taking on long-term costs or operational changes.
Tracy Scanlon, Principal & CEO, Edge and Up
What I’m most proud of isn’t a single transaction, but building systems that support good housing, strong communities, and women leading this industry with intention. Through Women Housing & Income Providers (WHIP), I’ve helped create a space where women stop asking for permission, share hard-earned knowledge, and shape the future of housing on their own terms.
Other honorees include:
- TJ Edwards, Executive Director, Illinois Capital Development Board
