Years of involvement in the women’s advancement organization have given Cadence a platform to support women in CRE
Founded in 1989, CREW, which stands for Commercial Real Estate Women, is a global nonprofit business network of men and women within the CRE field dedicated to helping each other succeed professionally. The goal of the organization is to advance women and level the playing field by providing leadership opportunities, mentorship, and a supportive community of peers.
A number of Cadence team members have been actively involved in the Denver Chapter of CREW for the past ten years. Through active participation, the Cadence team has leveraged the organization’s platform to give back to their community of CRE peers and help men and women like themselves advance in their careers.
Active Involvement in CREW
One of Cadence’s most involved CREW members, Sherri Rosselot, was drawn to CREW after noticing a disproportionately low number of women at the CRE networking events she attended. After hearing about CREW from a colleague, Sherri was intrigued by an organization with predominantly female members and leadership. While men are welcome as members, she liked the idea of women helping women advance their commercial real estate careers. According to Sherri, “Women can provide different insights and possess capabilities that are often underestimated. I believe that inclusivity is important for all industries.”
Once a member, Sherri quickly found her place on the networking committee, using her planning and organizational skills to help welcome other new members like herself. In the past, she has co-chaired a number of events for new members such as a wine tasting event, a cooking class, a book club, as well as submitted new member highlights for the CREW Denver newsletter and chaired a member event at TopGolf.
The men of Cadence are also avid CREW members and supporters, and have largely used the business networking organization to support the women in their field. Recently, six male Cadence team members attended the Denver CREW 28th Annual Golf Classic which takes place every June, and teed off for a day of networking golf, in which the women were in the driver’s seat. Each different way that Sherri and other Cadence team members have gotten involved has helped bring them closer to their community of peers, which is what the organization is all about.
The Benefits of Being A CREW Member
Being a member of Denver’s CREW chapter has also opened doors for new business development opportunities for Cadence. For example, Sherri once used a CREW Network online forum to source a Starbucks development deal in Seattle. In another instance, a networking event led to an introduction to a construction consultant as well as a CRE attorney, both of whom now frequently provide additional oversight on Cadence’s Colorado projects when needed.
Sherri believes that the main benefits of being involved in CREW are her ever-expanding network and the ability to meet with like-minded, career-driven individuals who want to help others succeed. At CREW, the men within the organization no longer have to outnumber women, providing equal opportunities to both genders to network and form valuable relationships. Member events like happy hours, leadership summits, award ceremonies, book clubs, and committee meetings all provide a chance for members to step up and get involved in growing the role of women as drivers and influences in commercial real estate.
