Mentorship program targets to enhance young talents

The Urban Land Institute Philippines (ULI) Young Leaders Group and the ULI Women’s Leadership Initiative are bringing something exciting to the table: the first ULI Philippines Mentorship Program.

Launched on August 8, the program is envisioned to be an enriching avenue through which young individuals with strong leadership potential can gain a unique firsthand experience learning from industry pillars. The target is to help them expand their networks, cultivate skills, and develop their understanding of real estate.

The program also aims to bridge traditional and new perspectives, foster ideas of innovation, and provide mentors the opportunity to share industry secrets gained from their years of experience to these emerging professionals.

When asked about what gave them the idea to put together a mentorship program in the Philippines, Mikko Barranda, co-chair of the Young Leaders Group (YLG), explained that other Asian countries like Singapore and Hong Kong have successfully implemented mentorship programs through ULI.

“It will give mentees exclusive access to industry experts in different fields of real estate and learn from their success and failures. The mentors will cover anywhere from finance, design and architecture, real estate development and consultancy, and even technology,” Barranda said.

Tina Samson, chair of the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI), meanwhile said they are pushing for this initiative to help educate the younger generation.

“I’ve always been a strong believer of education. I’ve had the benefit of having mentors during the course of my career. So I wanted to give back to society and provide this opportunity to the younger generation of people who would like to advance their career in real estate, particularly women in this industry,” Samson said.

The YLG and WLI have jointly put together a list of mentors—five men and five women—all of whom are leaders in their respective fields. And the list is indeed impressive as it included the likes of Joel Luna, previously of Ayala Land Inc. and now the principal of Joel Luna Planning + Design; Bhavna Suresh, CEO of Lamudi Group Philippines; Mario Berta, CEO of Flyspaces; and Hannah Yulo, chief investment officer of Double Dragon Properties Inc.

Aspiring mentees, from ages 20 to 35 years, will be chosen by the ULI committee through a set selection process. They must be able to show commitment, leadership qualities, and the drive to advance in the real estate industry.

Preferred applicants should be an undergraduate or must have work experience in the real estate industry or related field, including development, architecture, planning, government, transportation, engineering, finance, and sustainability.