Arbor Sponsors LGBTQIA+ Career Growth Events

Our Team Partnered with Real Estate Pride Council and the Ali Forney Center to Create Meaningful Connections

Speed Networking with Real Estate Pride Council Joins LGBTQIA+ CRE Finance Students with Industry Mentors

Building on an organizational commitment to the inclusion of individuals from all backgrounds, Arbor — in partnership with the Real Estate Pride Council and Dr. Sam Chandan, Founder of Chandan Economics, Founding Director, NYU Stern School of Business C. H. Chen Institute for Global Real Estate Finance, and Co-Chair of the Real Estate Pride Council — hosted a speed networking event in Manhattan on November 20 for local LGBTQIA+ students and commercial real estate mentors.

Arbor and Chandan organized Pride Visibility in CRE Finance Speed Networking, an event designed to connect students from colleges and universities in the New York metropolitan area with Real Estate Pride Council mentors. Since Arbor’s founding more than 30 years ago, we have been committed to growing long-term financial partnerships built on trust and respect. Our team strives to form respectful working relationships and inclusive workspaces that enhance Arbor’s strength as a top multifamily lender.

“It’s important to try to live authentically and your people will find you,” said Tres Seippel, Director, Construction Management at Arbor, who attended the event as a mentor. “Having an established firm like Arbor host this event is important because without evolving and creating ways to attract the highest quality talent, we can’t be as successful.”

Students from schools across the New York City metropolitan area, including New York University, Columbia University, and Yale University, attended the event. In addition to speed networking rounds, attendees also participated in a roundtable discussion to share experiences of navigating careers with their identities, how to live authentically and support colleagues, and advice for interviewing and expanding their professional networks.

CRE Finance students and members of the Real Estate Pride Council at Arbor’s Pride Visibility in CRE Finance Speed Networking Event.

“There is no similar program currently offered in support of LGBTQIA+ real estate students as best we know,” said Chandan. “Pride Council’s partnership with Arbor is an example of the impact our industry can have in connecting LGBTQIA+ students to peers, mentors, and other resources that will benefit them at every stage of their careers.”

Real Estate Pride Council was launched to advocate for LGBTQIA+ visibility and representation in commercial real estate. The group also supports the advancement of LGBTQIA+ professionals at every stage of their careers and serves as an education and policy resource for the industry. Arbor firmly supports the Pride Council’s mission, and following our sponsorship of the Pride Council’s 2024 Real Estate Pride Roundtable, we are proud to show that inclusion has year-round significance across our company.

To learn more about the Real Estate Pride Council and to get involved in future events, sign up for their mailing list at https://www.pridecouncil.org/.

Mentoring LGBTQIA+ Homeless Youth with The Ali Forney Center

Arbor also recently co-hosted a mock interview service event in New York City with Dechert LLP as part of the Ali Forney Center’s (AFC) Unity Works job readiness program. Mentors from Arbor’s Treasury, Technology, Legal, Marketing, and other departments joined youth clients from AFC to practice responding to common interviewing questions and shared career advice and feedback on acquiring in-demand job skills like effective communication and time management.

AFC is the largest agency dedicated to LGBTQIA+ homeless youths in the country — assisting over 2,000 youths per year through a 24-hour drop-in center that provides over 70,000 meals annually, medical and mental health services through an on-site clinic, and a scattered-site housing program. The Unity Works program, a partnership between the Ali Forney Center and the Center Youth Program at The LGBTQ+ Center, is a six-month multidimensional vocational and educational preparation course for homeless and at-risk homeless LGBTQIA+ youth ages 16-24. Unity Works helps AFC’s most at-risk youth develop skills to help them become independent adults.

A group of Arbor mentors pose for a group photo with Ali Forney Center staff. — Mentors from Arbor Realty Trust, Dechert LLP, and other financial services firms at the Ali Forney Center’s Unity Works Job Readiness event.

“These young people, despite being in vulnerable situations, have so much promise and showed courage and determination by participating in this opportunity,” said Leah Fisher, Managing Director, Special Projects, Governance, and Risk at Arbor, who helped organize Arbor’s participation. “My favorite part of the afternoon was listening to the clients’ reflections on what they learned, with many speaking about career goals and business plans they discussed and how they felt validated. These opportunities truly make a difference in people’s lives, and I’m proud that Arbor is making this impact.”

Thank you to Dechert for participating in the event and hosting our team and the AFC team in their beautiful New York office. For more information about AFC and how you can get involved, visit aliforneycenter.org.

Learn more from Arbor on how your firm can help increase LGBTQIA+ visibility by watching this video. Visit arbor.com/esg to learn more about Arbor’s corporate responsibility and dedication to Environmental, Social, and Governance priorities.

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