What drew you to commercial real estate, and what keeps you passionate? I have a strong interest in commercial development because these are spaces people use in their daily lives - whether they are restaurants, retail locations, or mixed-use developments. Working with national tenants or local developers is always rewarding as we work through project visions and bring them to life. As we move through entitlement and design, we can apply our expertise from past projects to current ones and offer advice on what we see as strong options to overcome obstacles. DiPrete has years of experience in commercial development, and I am glad to be a part of it.

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in commercial real estate? Large commercial projects rely on a team of experts all working together toward a common goal during design, permitting, and construction. My advice to a young woman entering the profession is to work on a variety of projects in different locations to help build your knowledge base. Throughout your career, you will be pulling from past projects and experiences. On a soft-skill note, do not be shy - make your voice heard on each project by working hard, making good decisions, and providing stellar client service.

What’s a challenge you faced early in your career, and how did you overcome it? One of the biggest obstacles I faced early in my career was my age and gender. When I started in commercial development and civil engineering, there were not many female engineers. At that time, projects had a tendency to gravitate towards older males. With hard work and by making our expertise known, there is less of this today. I overcame this obstacle by building my knowledge base, gaining project experience, and developing confidence.

What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? My firm has had the honor of working on some of Rhode Island’s largest commercial projects in the last decade. These projects had large external teams and were often very fast-paced. It was both challenging and rewarding to lead such dynamic and fast-paced projects from conception to construction. Specifically, DiPrete Engineering was involved in land selection, site planning, site engineering, town/state permitting, land survey, public project meetings, and construction assistance on these large projects.