Spaulding Ridge’s Post

Having interns with you, even for a short period, is always worthwhile and works both ways. Making time and space for the next generation can be as illuminating for you as it is for them. Here's a lovely short blog from our most recent intern, Robert Getley, whose career progress we will follow with interest!

6 useful personal behaviors I’ve instilled during my Woodson Equity internship thus far. 1. Arrive before everyone else; using that quiet time to get settled and focused. Being ready to go as my colleagues arrive sets a productive tone for my day. 2. Breaking my day into hour-long segments. Tracking my activities this way helps me maximize tasks and maintain productivity throughout the day. 3. Use Excel to log my tasks and progress, ensuring everything is organized and easy to follow. Regularly give situational reports my current status on taskers. The work I input into software is almost anonymous, helping my team stay aligned on ongoing projects and responsibilities. 4. Further my connections both in and outside the office. For instance, during my summer I was selected for jury duty in the Northern District Court of Illinois, I met amazing individuals, some whose paths have since crossed with mine during my daily commute. Our mutual commonality in being veterans and working in finance truly demonstrates the power of maintaining connections in unexpected places. 5. Take detailed notes during meetings, tracking key conversations, and sharing those thoughts with my leadership. Asking questions will uncover valuable insights and develop a deeper internship experience. 6. When communicating electronically, always aim for clarity, conciseness, and professionalism. Avoid poor habits like using overly casual language, or unclear phrasing. Review emails and messages to ensure they reflect my best self and convey my thoughts effectively. I’m glad to be apart of this team of skilled individuals while still unraveling so much to learn. #TheWoodsonWay #PrivateEquity #InsideAnInternship

As summer is coming to a close and university is in session, we want to highlight our summer 2024 interns for their hard work and commitment to our firm.   We asked each intern to provide what they learned this summer and their most memorable experience at Caldwell. Today, we highlight Zac Driscoll from Western University.   What have you learned? A memorable experience I had at Caldwell was the weekly Chairman meetings. I found during these meetings I was able to learn so much valuable knowledge that I can use to better myself, not only in the world of business, but also as a person. What was your most memorable experience at Caldwell? Something I learned during my time at Caldwell is how to improvise and find new ways to complete tasks. I found that the easiest or most obvious way isn’t always the best. Sometimes you need to think outside the box and do something you would have never thought of doing. By doing this you can find new creative ideas and help spark innovation and invention.

As summer is coming to a close and university is in session, we want to highlight our summer 2024 interns for their hard work and commitment to our firm.   We asked each intern to provide what they learned this summer and their most memorable experience at Caldwell. Today, we highlight Zac Driscoll from Western University.   What have you learned? A memorable experience I had at Caldwell was the weekly Chairman meetings. I found during these meetings I was able to learn so much valuable knowledge that I can use to better myself, not only in the world of business, but also as a person. What was your most memorable experience at Caldwell? Something I learned during my time at Caldwell is how to improvise and find new ways to complete tasks. I found that the easiest or most obvious way isn’t always the best. Sometimes you need to think outside the box and do something you would have never thought of doing. By doing this you can find new creative ideas and help spark innovation and invention.

I’ve learned, as my internship with Greystar is now complete, that development is rooted in community. From the in-office team to the on-site team, investors, consultants, and the tenants, it’s clear that to truly invest and grow in this sector of real estate, there must be a passion for connecting individuals to solutions. My goal was to develop a retroactive development cost yield model that could account for being accretive as interest rates and construction costs fluctuate. While this was my capstone, I learned and had a lot of help from teams in property, #construction, investment, and asset management with how to utilize capital efficiently to find the highest and best use for land. It all came down to a vision for dirt. As magnificent as the final product may appear, the diligence the teams take to prioritize investor’s demands while ensuring an opportunity to trade the asset in forecasted years is amazing work. I truly appreciated the opportunity to work alongside my mentors—Jordan Egan , Kurt Hoelscher, Ashley Zubizarreta, Remy Midkiff, Mai Olaussen, and Brian Herwald — as we navigated different underwriting processes, investments, and discussions about what it takes to achieve solutions in this business. I gained skills in market analysis, financial modeling with and without tax abatements, site and market analysis, contract litigation, quality control, valuation techniques, and observed cross-team leadership—all in just 10 weeks. From the first day, the train never stopped moving, and the learning was an inclusive and immersive experience. This opportunity has encouraged me to continue pursuing my career goal of introducing infrastructure-led development to communities in need of attainable mixed-use #housing. The view is from the office, one of the many to help the team decompress when the investments needed just a little extra time to pencil out. With all that said, I’ll be continuing to work alongside the Houston Development team as a program manager for Project Destined annual Greystar Development Cup. This opportunity will allow me to keep working with the Houston development team and encourage others to pursue their passions for becoming future real estate owners. #internship #realestate #engineering

The lesson I learned this week is that execution determines whether you’ll achieve your projected ROI. I was introduced to the collaboration that Greystar prioritizes to ensure deals are followed through to the end. This involves continually moving the project along with input from property managers to regional leaders, ensuring goals of successful asset management are understood, even when your job is to source and evaluate deals. I learned that an introduction to underwriting involves determining the potential a product can have in a market. This includes asking the initial question: “What does that piece of land and its surrounding areas offer to escalate lease-up potential and essentially improve the quality of life while also providing a return for shareholders?” I visited the property below to have a visual of the lessons learned this week. As it was a case study I did back in December of last year. #internship #realestate

What are Derek Galvan's key takeaways from transitioning from intern to full-time employee at Whittier Trust? Derek highlights the importance of being open-minded and acknowledging that you won't know everything. There are so many professionals at Whittier Trust with extensive experience to learn from who always have their door open for questions. Derek also mentions that Whittier Trust offers significant opportunities to gain invaluable technical skills while understanding the importance of emotional intelligence -- a critical skill in a company that prioritizes customer service and relationships. Read more about our interns turned employees here: https://lnkd.in/gqfMKict #WhittierTrust #TrustWhittier

Get to know our team! Today we are featuring Lucas Greenberg our summer intern from Case Western Reserve University! What do you do at UH Ventures in one sentence? - I've been interning with Matthew Zenker and the new UH Haslam Sports Innovation Center with their incoming deal flow. I research, analyze, and compile a variety of data and information to assess sports-medicine and health companies/markets to help accelerate and invest in them. I'm also working on the upcoming SportsLand event with Patricia Colella, MBA, by helping out in all areas of event management. What are your favorite things to do outside of school? - I love to exercise and try new workouts, but more importantly, I love to eat. During COVID, I began cooking and baking as a way to unwind; I try to make a meal four times a week. My favorite dish to make is my grandfather’s shrimp and pea risotto. Favorite binge-worthy TV show? - The Office. I have seen The Office over five times and I can quote certain scenes by heart! What is your favorite restaurant in Cleveland? - Batuqui; a fun Brazilian summer dinner spot. What do you love about Cleveland? - I was born and raised all around Cleveland, and throughout my time, there has been one constant: the people. Everyone from Cleveland has a unique and inspiring story, and I love meeting people from around the world. #Internship #HealthTech #Innovation #EventManagement #Innovation #CareerDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #Cleveland

Here is a thought..... find one or more local high school student, seed their success with meaningful mentorship and internship opportunities through college. Imagine the outcome and what those students will likely do when they are capable professionals? #Step&Repeat

Check out this informative video made by our talented summer intern, Katherine! 🌟 Explore the many features of MorePathways, including customizable search filters and an interactive training location map. What’s your favorite feature of MorePathways? Let us know in the comments down below.👇🏼 #MorePathways #CareerExploration #CareerNavigation #WorkforceDevelopment #TrainingPrograms #SkilledTrades