Cushman & Wakefield Sponsors Leading Social Impact Platform to Empower Students from Underrepresented Communities through Training in Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship and Real Estate.
New York, NY – Cushman & Wakefield announced that the real estate services firm is sponsoring fifteen students this fall from Project Destined, a leading social impact platform that empowers students from underrepresented communities through training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and real estate.
Starting in the fall, Cushman & Wakefield will provide fifteen students from diverse backgrounds from the tri-state area with mentorship and hands-on experience for nine weeks to teach them about the real estate industry and equip them with the tools needed to be successful. After sponsoring students from Project Destined for the first time last fall, Cushman & Wakefield was excited to welcome a Project Destined alumni to participate in the firm’s prestigious summer internship program.
“We are pleased to once again be sponsoring and working with Project Destined; they have created a truly impactful program to help eliminate barriers to entry for students interested in real estate,” said Toby Dodd, President, NY Tri-State. “Our relationship with Project Destined allows us to invest in the future generation of leaders and mentor emerging talent to ensure underrepresented students have the opportunity to become leaders in their communities.”
Project Destined leverages a work-based learning approach where students join executives to evaluate actual commercial real estate deals in their community and compete in a pitch competition to industry leaders to earn scholarships. Throughout the nine-week program, interns are supported by their mentors as they invest over 50 hours learning about the real estate industry through property tours, analyzing live deals and participating in multiple pitch competitions.
“We are excited to expand our relationship with Cushman & Wakefield to grow our work in the New York City market,” said Cedric Bobo, Co-Founder of Project Destined. “The Cushman & Wakefield team has invested incredible resources to provide this group of students with mentoring, exposure and networking opportunities. We are proud to collaborate to prepare students for potential careers in real estate.”
Having already mentored 20 Project Destined students, Cushman & Wakefield will continue to sponsor new students each semester from local colleges in the tri-state area. With the insight, feedback and coaching provided by Cushman & Wakefield mentors, students leave the program prepared with the tools to begin a successful career in real estate.
Keith Tito, Program Manager for the Fall 2022 Cushman & Wakefield team, said, “Cushman & Wakefield has been an incredible collaborator highlighted by mentors dedicated to student success and early career outcomes. I am excited to work with mentors and Cushman & Wakefield leadership to build a pathway to commercial real estate for this outstanding group.”
Project Destined has helped launch students’ careers, gaining them internships and full-time employment at top-tier real estate firms in 35 cities across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Europe.
“We are dedicated to exposing students and next generation talent to the commercial real estate industry and are looking forward to our continued collaboration with Project Destined,” added Dodd. “Our goal is to recruit best-in-class talent and we hope to inspire these innovative students to continue their real estate careers after graduation in our various internship, early career and associate broker programs.”
Cushman & Wakefield offers various programs for up-and-coming professionals interested in the real estate industry, including summer internship and early career broker associate programs. With over 180 interns expected for summer 2023 across the United States, the summer internship program has hired participants in a variety of services lines throughout the company and has been a success on a global scale. The summer internship program consists of an executive speaker series, a mentorship program partnering with Cushman & Wakefield’s Future Leaders employee resource group and other meaningful opportunities for participants to be mentored and learn about the business while growing their professional networks.
Cushman & Wakefield’s best-in-class early career broker associate program provides entry-level brokers with training and development led by expert professionals from around the firm. Centered around five modules of building/market, technical skills, professional skills, technology and the Cushman & Wakefield platform, participants learn about all aspects of the brokerage business and are provided with the tools needed to develop new business and become a trusted advisor to clients.
About Project Destined
Project Destined is a leading social impact platform that provides training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and real estate. Project Destined partners with corporations, schools, and non-profits to deliver training using its proprietary e-learning platform and live courses. Project Destined leverages a work-based learning approach where students work with executives to evaluate live deals in their community and present them in a pitch competition to industry leaders. Scholars emerge with the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks that prepare them to secure a strong first job and become stakeholders in their community. For more information, please visit projectdestined.com. If you are interested in partnering, please visit https://bit.ly/3Lr5vUH.