Crain’s Chicago Business invited Collete English Dixon, executive director of Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate, to author commentary for its Crain’s Forum on neighborhood vitality. The end result was a Crain’s op-ed that expands on how the built environment can advance equity, sustainability and resilience in communities.
Read the full article here: Crain’s Commentary.
Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, received the 2025 Civic Leadership Icon Award, and David Doig, president of Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, was honored with the Community Development Leadership Award at the 24th Annual Real Estate Gala on Oct. 16.
A big thank you to all the generous sponsors and attendees of our 24th Annual Real Estate Gala, which raised $255,000 to help fund our programs and support our students!
A round of applause for our sponsors:
Equity Residential; CIBC, Chicago Title Insurance Company; FitzGerald; JAMES AND BRENDA GRUSECKI FAMILY FOUNDATION; Alison Young; Bridge; CBRE; Colliers; Conor Commercial Real Estate; Deloitte; Farpoint Development, Habitat; Hispanic Housing Development Corporation; JLL; JRG Capital Partners, LLC; Mayer Brown; Mid-America Real Estate; Q2; Ryan; Tully & Associates Ltd.; Valley Bank; Waterton; Wintrust Bank Chicago; ADREANI FAMILY FOUNDATION; Chicago Architecture Center; Chicago Association of REALTORS®; First Eagle Bank; Ginsberg Jacobs LLC; The Goldie Initiative: Goldie B. Wolfe Miller Women Leaders in Real Estate; Golub & Company; Spaceco; Becovic Management Group; Chicago Community Loan Fund; Graham Grady; and Tiffiny Higgins.
Collete English Dixon, executive director of Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate at Roosevelt University (MBIRE), has launched Brick, Grass (&) Steel, a podcast exploring how the built environment can support equitable, sustainable and resilient communities.
“From my days working in commercial real estate investment to my current role at the institute, I’ve seen firsthand that the built environment is never neutral.” said English Dixon. “Every decision about what gets built, where, and for whom shapes the fabric of our communities — impacting equity, sustainability and resilience. Experiencing this directly throughout my career inspired me to start this podcast.”
The series kicked off Monday, Sept. 22, with Eric Klinenberg, sociologist and New York University professor, whose groundbreaking book “Palaces for the People” examines how libraries, parks and other social infrastructure can strengthen democracy and reduce inequality. Klinenberg’s research and commentary have been featured widely in The New Yorker, The New York Times and other leading outlets.
New episodes are released biweekly, with a total of 10 episodes this season, each running 35–45 minutes (except for the 60-minute finale). Most episodes will spotlight a single guest, with one episode featuring a two-guest conversation. Confirmed participants include:
– Samuel Stein, urban planner and author of “Capital City”
– Richard Rothstein, author of “The Color of Law”
– Leah Rothstein and Richard Rothstein, co-authors of “Just Action”
– Dr. Robert D. Bullard, widely recognized as the father of environmental justice
– Nina Idemudia, CEO of Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)
“In this first season, we’re reflecting where we’ve been and what can be improved,” English Dixon said. “We’re asking: What can we do better? Why are these conversations happening? Each episode offers a different lens on equity, sustainability and resilience in the built environment.”
Episodes will address how physical spaces influence survival and recovery in the face of climate change and natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfire, as well as how redevelopment affects equitable rebuilding. The conversation also explores how inequities in communities were created and prolonged.
“Brick, Grass (&) Steel comes from a place of both urgency and hope,” English Dixon said. “Urgency, because the choices of the past still shape our world today — highways splitting neighborhoods, industries polluting without consequence, and disasters disproportionately affecting certain communities. And hope, because I have witnessed the impact that people, ideas and policy can have on reimagining our cities. Equity and resilience are within reach, but only if we confront the past honestly and take bold steps forward.”
Episodes are available on major platforms, including Spotify or Apple Music.
The goal of the Scholarship is to recruit, educate, financially assist and support the next generation of real estate leaders who are committed to working for the preservation of neighborhoods and affordable housing.
Applicants must meet the current admission requirements of HCB. In particular, applicants will have completed an undergraduate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have 2-3 years of work experience in real estate or a related field. Employer recommendation letter requested.
Students will be required to (a) maintain a GPA of 3.5; (b) be continuously registered; (c) take two classes each regular semester; (d) complete the Institute’s professional training courses; (e) fully participate in the Institute’s Rho Epsilon Real Estate Club and other student events sponsored by the Institute.
The selected student(s) are eligible to receive a scholarship of $5,000/semester for up to two years (or a maximum of $20,000).
Students will be assigned an advisor from the Institute to provide guidance concerning their academic choices, as well as other counseling during their studies.
All students are expected to participate in the Institute’s mentoring program. Mentors can provide shadowing, attendance at events, exposure to the industry, and professional advice and interaction.
The Institute will involve the students in all of its educational and program activities. A student membership in an industry organization will be provided.
Each semester the student will have an opportunity to review career options with the industry mentor. It is expected that scholars who are not employed on a full-time basis will pursue internships during their studies in the real estate program to obtain “hands on” experience.
Students will be informed of full-time, internship and other job opportunities through the Institute.
All scholarship students under the Institute’s real estate programs are required to attend any on-site Institute training courses. The courses are free and may include:
Recipient will also have the opportunity throughout the academic year to:
Upon graduation, scholars will receive a special certificate as a scholar of the CIC FUTURE LEADERS IN NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION.