Lisa Picard is a woman with a vision. Thanks to technology, the office development space has evolved from a B2B market to B2C, and she’s on the front lines of in an industry resistant to change.
“We’re really not producing products per say; we’re creating ideas. And so, … organizations’ access to ideas is really through collaboration, connection, of having really high-quality talent.”
CuriosityLisa grew up in Southeast L.A. County with her twin sister and Depression-era parents who taught her to cherish and respect her resources. This instilled in her a fascination for her urban environment, and she went on to study Urban Planning at California State Polytechnic University.
After graduation, she worked closely with the City of L.A., and she saw how developers had a different view book than she did. She wanted in and applied to MIT to dive deeper into development, planning, urban economics, and finance.
Just before heading to MIT, at the age of 22 her father suddenly died and her mother the summer after, and Lisa had what she calls her mid-life crisis at 22. As painful as the grieving process was during her time at MIT, it taught her the importance of embracing each moment fully and staying true to herself.
Navigating the Development FieldAfter MIT, Lisa moved back to San Francisco and began her journey with the Bristol Group where she had the freedom to grow and learn what a deal looked like and how to create one. From there, she joined the Hines team in Seattle and rode out the rollercoaster of the dot-com era. Next, she was approached by Canyon Ranch, where she learned the power of experience and brand.
“Humanistically, there’s always got to be an invitation… when I say an invitation that’s the brand piece, that’s the promise of whatever it is, when I have that engagement with a piece of real estate.”
When she was let go by Canyon Ranch, she felt like she had lost her sense of identity. She moved back to Seattle, and learned how to value herself as simply “Lisa Picard.” She started Muse Developments focused on multi-family development, and was soon approached by Skanska to expand their business in Seattle. She agreed and joined them in merchant building.
Her vision for bringing humanity and experience-driven spaces into each of her projects made a big impact on Seattle, but she felt called to influence other cities. So when Equity Office approached her, she was ready to join them.
TodayAs the CEO of Equity Office, Lisa is focused on the vision and positioning of projects, like the Willis Tower in Chicago, in a way that satisfies the desires of the market.
She looks at it with the mindset that every worker needs a balanced diet of productivity: concentration space, collaboration space, and community space. This is what the modern workforce desires, and that is the value and level of service she is striving to deliver as she repositions assets.
Being a WomanAt first, Lisa admits that she tried to fit in. But thanks to her mentors who instilled confidence in her and empowered her to believe in herself, she learned her worth. She hopes to do this for other women.
AdviceWhen you work in the urban environment and real estate, what you put into the environment affects people. It changes the urban environment and you have to give a sh*t. You have an obligation to people and your surroundings.
This episode is made possible by our sponsor JLL. Learn more at jll.com/voices.
Jesse Stein | Global Head of Real Estate at Airbnb
Hamid Moghadam | Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Prologis
Sharon Wilson Géno | President of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC)
Alice Carr | CEO of April Housing
Francis Najafi | Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pivotal Group
Doug Weill | Co-Founder and Co-Manager of Hodes Weill & Associates
Steve Kimmelman | Founder, CEO and Executive Chairman of Redwood Living
Gary Beasley | CEO and Co-Founder of Roofstock
Brad Inman | Founder of Inman
Michael Covarrubias, Chairman and Co-CEO of TMG Partners | Cyrus Sanandaji, CEO of Presidio Bay Ventures
Mark Zandi | Chief Economist at Moody’s Analytics
Daniel Radek | President of First Washington Realty
Deb Harmon, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Artemis | Anar Chudgar, Co-President of Artemis
Amanda Fajak, President of Walking the Talk | Larry Krema, Managing Director of ZRG
Rick Caruso | Founder and Executive Chairman of Caruso
Stephanie Biernbaum, Chief People Officer of Hines and Doug Holte, CEO of EXP by Hines
Scott Rechler | Chairman and CEO of RXR
Colin Connolly | President and CEO of Cousins Properties
Caroline Johns | Director of Sustainability at Pembroke
Brad Dockser | CEO and Co-Founder of GreenGen
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