Dahlia Idris is a first-year master’s candidate in the Baker Program in Real Estate at Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business. At Cornell, Dahlia is an Editor for the Cornell Real Estate Review and the Vice President for the Association of Women in Real Estate (ACWIRE). Prior to Cornell, she worked as a Development Analyst for S P Setia Berhad, managing integrated mixed-use high-rise developments. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Civil Engineering. She also earned her certificate in Real Estate Economics and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2019.  

Originally from East Los Angeles and now based in San Francisco, Esmeralda Jardines joins the Urban Land Institute (ULI) while pursuing the Abbey Master of Real Estate Development + Design (MRED+D) degree at the University of California, Berkeley, College of Environmental Design (CED), where she previously received a B.A. in Urban Studies, after careers in both Architecture and City Planning.  

Esmeralda has joined ULI and is pursuing the Abbey MRED+D because she is interested in the intersection of real estate investment, finance, urban design, and land use law as well as the role that all aforementioned have in the built environment. She is motivated to learn to how to develop and build affordable, equitable, and climate-resilient buildings, neighborhoods, and cities. She hopes to utilize and access the multifaceted networks at ULI; Esmeralda is grateful and feels humbled, honored, and indebted to have been selected as a ULI Chamberlin Graduate Student Fellow. She recognizes that ULI will provide her with the resources needed to meet, expand, and invest in a network of like-minded real estate development professionals that are trying to make a difference, one crisis at a time, with the tools at their disposal, the built environment. 

She would like to convey her tremendous gratitude and appreciation to the Urban Land Institute! 

Ezra McPhail is a motivated, ambitious Master of Business Administration candidate at the University of Colorado – Boulder Leeds School of Business pursuing his passion for Real Estate with an emphasis in Finance. Prior to embarking on his pursuit of an MBA, Ezra worked in the media/advertising industry building and implementing his client’s strategies for their advertising campaigns. During his tenure, Ezra interpreted his client’s campaign goals and translated them into an actionable media placement strategy to accomplish their KPIs. He hopes to leverage the skills and experience gained at CU to pivot into the commercial real estate industry. Currently, Ezra has a full-time internship as an acquisition analyst and asset management analyst at a boutique multifamily investment shop in Denver. In this role, he’s tasked with underwriting multifamily assets nationwide along with preparing deal presentations for the investment committee. He also is tasked with keeping the asset management tracker updated with 12 properties in the recently closed Fund I as well as the new acquisitions in Fund II. Ezra hopes to continue down this path in either acquisitions or asset/portfolio management. In his free time, Ezra can be found adaptive sit-skiing at one of many Colorado ski resorts, backpacking with his dog in Lost Creek Wilderness, or preparing a new dish in the kitchen.

Diljot is a graduate from the University of California, Berkeley with a Masters in Real Estate Development and Design (MRED+D).

Prior to joining UC Berkeley’s MRED+D program, Diljot worked with WS Atkins- a multinational architecture and engineering firm- where she handled responsibilities in Engineering, Project Management, Operations & Strategy, and Information Management.

With a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, she managed infrastructure projects in the UK and Denmark. Her interest in urban sustainability and creating an impactful built environment led her to transition to real estate development.

She is a member of ULI San Francisco’s Young Leaders Group and is a ULI Chamberlin Graduate Student Fellow. She is thrilled to have received the opportunity to join ULI and looks forward to connecting with other ULI members. In her free time, Diljot enjoys traveling, baking, and creating digital illustrations.

Katherine Selch is a native of Pennsylvania with a background in corporate retail real estate. She attended Cornell University’s Baker Program in Real Estate, a two-year specialty graduate program, and graduated in 2022. During her time at Cornell, Katherine focused on impact development and investment, affordable housing, and sustainability. While in grad school, she interned with the affordable developer Pennrose and worked in research and consulting for HR&A Advisors and Simpson Impact Strategy. Following graduation, she joined Citi in their Community Capital group as an AVP focused on affordable housing. She remains active with ULI as a member of the Placemaking Council and serves on the national YLG Steering Committee.  

Amber is a 2022 MBA graduate from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 2014 with a BBA in marketing and management. Amber started her career with the Chicago Blackhawks Hockey Team in their marketing department and spent six years with the organization. Working for a professional sports team was an incredible experience, but she grew an increasing interest in the real estate industry and a strong passion for sustainability over the years. She went back to school to make that dream a reality.

Amber strives to create a fulfilling career in commercial real estate and one day hopes to manage an ESG fund or portfolio. She knows her strong work ethic, knack for building relationships, and problem-solving skills will make her a positive addition to the industry. Throughout her time in the MBA program, Amber served as the President of the Graduate Real Estate Association, the VP/Treasurer on the MBAA board, and is an Urban Land Institute Graduate Student Etkin Fellow. In 2021 she interned with a Colorado multifamily/mixed-use developer. This summer, Amber will be starting full-time with RCLCO Fund Advisors as an Investment Associate. Amber loves spending her free time with her dog (Cooper), hiking and snowboarding in the mountains, and searching for the best cookie skillet in the Rockies.