In the latest installment of Getting to Know Who’s NEXT, NEXT Americas is featuring Andrew Starr and Jackie Knight. They are both members of the Leadership Steering Committee, serving as chair of the Integrations subcommittee and a member of the Programs subcommittee, respectively.

Andrew Starr is the senior product manager for CoStar Suite, leads the conception, design, and implementation of product enhancements, features, and tools specifically for retailers and commercial real estate owners. Andrew joined CoStar in October 2023 after being a user of CoStar Suite in various roles for the better part of a decade. 

Prior to CoStar, Andrew was the director of project and impact analytics at Gensler, the world’s largest architecture and design firm. There, he managed a team of data analysts and data engineers delivering new workflows, automated processes, and insights into the performance and impact of the buildings and spaces the firm created. Previously to this role, he was a regional director of Gensler’s real estate advisory businesses delivering a variety of analytics services to developers, large corporate occupiers, and asset owners informing a range of capital planning, financing, site selection, and design decisions. 

Andrew is a passionate member of the Urban Land Institute, engaged at the local level within the Virginia district council, sits on the Technology in Real Estate Product Council, and serves as Integrations chair for the NEXT Americas LSC. He earned an MBA and a master’s degree in finance from Boston College and a bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary.  

Jackie Knight is president of Ackerberg in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ackerberg focuses on best-in-class service and design in commercial real estate; developing, managing, and leasing properties that its tenants and communities can be proud of.  Jackie provides oversight for the Commercial Services division, overseeing the Property Management, Maintenance, Construction Management, and Administrative Services teams. Jackie plays an active role in new development activity as the operational liaison and directs the development and implementation of programs and strategies for the department. Her focus is on transitioning new properties into the portfolio, maximizing property cash flow, and tenant and customer satisfaction.  In Jackie’s words, “I basically spend a lot of time in meetings, and when I’m not in meetings I’m reviewing budgets or leases, and then in my free time, I get to be a part of building and renovating high-quality real estate across the country!”   

   In addition to being honored as a top Woman in Business by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal in 2013, Jackie holds her Certified Development Design and Construction Professional designation through ICSC, her Certified Property Manager designation through IREM, and her LEED Green Associate designation through USGBC. 

 Jackie is very involved with ULI, both on the local and national levels. On a national level, she is on the NEXT Americas LSC, sits on the Urban Revitalization Product Council, and is a Health Leaders Alumni. She is also currently serving as a juror for the Americas Awards for Excellence. Locally, Jackie serves on the REDI Steering Committee for ULI Minnesota.       

 In the following Q&A, Starr and Knight explore their passion for the commercial real estate industry and their experiences with ULI. 

 Q1. ULI: So many of us in real estate fall into the industry and hence CRE professional organizations. How did you get involved with ULI?  

Andrew Starr (AS): I began my ULI journey with the [Young Leaders Group (YLG)] in Boston when I was a site selector for a large retailer. I was looking for a professional organization that addressed the wide spectrum of commercial real estate functions and roles, and ULI clearly fit the mold. I showed up cold to the first YLG meeting at 33 Arch Street in Boston, knowing no one. And it was a wonderful decision! 

Jackie Knight (JK): The owner of my company (and my mentor and friend) Stuart Ackerberg has been actively involved in ULI at a local and national level for year. He knew I am active in a number of other groups, but not really finding a space where I felt like I fit, so he started encouraging me to give ULI a try. So much of real estate is just head down/transactional, so I love within ULI that we can explore the intersection of sustainability, health, community, and the built environment. 

Q2.  ULI: What is the most interesting project you’ve worked on over your career in real estate?  

AS: I was the design manager for GE’s new headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, which took two turn-of-the-century brick warehouses, connected them, and converted them into 21st century workplaces. I learned the hard way that there are likely few things more complicated in our industry than retrofitting an old building. 

Q3. ULI: What are you most excited about in regard to the future of the industry?  

AS: Data literacy. Yes, really! Our industry has lagged behind others in the adoption of technology-enabled efficiencies in part because of limited understanding of the power of data. There are many reasons for this, but our industry with recent graduates is reversing this trend and I am excited to see what the future holds. [Artificial intelligence] is only enabled by widespread understanding of data can be harnessed for insight. 

JK: I think it’s a time of really intense change within our industry. I’m excited to see the evolution and the creativity we’ll get to show up with, to be successful in this new world. 

 Q4. ULI: What are you currently reading/watching?       

AS: The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larsen is about the events that led up to the bombardment at Fort Sumpter.   

JK: Right now, I’m reading My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, as a book club at work. And I’m rewatching West Wing.