TCC Expands Partnership With Project Destined, Launching Mentor Program in Phoenix

Trammell Crow Company (TCC), a global commercial real estate developer, has further expanded its partnership with Project Destined, a social impact platform created to provide underserved, diverse students with apprentice-style training in the real estate industry. The TCC Phoenix team, led by Senior Managing Director and TCC Executive Committee member Cathy Thuringer, will launch a partnership with Project Destined this fall to mentor undergraduate students in the local Arizona market, supporting students in their journey to become the next generation of commercial real estate leaders.

“TCC Phoenix has a long history of supporting our communities and we are eager to kick off our partnership with Project Destined in Phoenix,” said Thuringer. “TCC and Project Destined have already done great work in other U.S. markets and we are excited to bring this partnership to life in our community. This mentorship program will help us further our firm-wide goal of developing the pipeline of diverse talent in the commercial real estate industry, allowing us to educate students early in their career journey on the opportunities available to them in our industry.”

Project Destined leverages a work-based learning approach where students join executives to evaluate actual commercial real estate deals in their community and compete in a pitch competition to industry leaders to earn scholarships. TCC Phoenix mentors – Vicente Ruiz, Jim Mahoney, Mona Nanda and additional rotating TCC team members – will prepare, engage, and guide students to help them develop a range of fundamentals designed to aid them in obtaining internships, certifications, and full-time employment, launching their careers in commercial real estate. Students will partner with the TCC mentors in evaluating live, local real estate transactions over an intensive 10-week program that culminates in a pitch competition to a panel of senior industry executives.

Thuringer will additionally serve as an executive speaker for the National Project Destined program, in which TCC became a sponsor earlier this year.

“As part of our broader DEI aspirations to lead the real estate industry in growing and supporting diverse talent, we are excited to expand our relationship with Project Destined into another market,” said James Holt, TCC Senior Associate and Lead on the firm’s partnership with Project Destined. “We are particularly enthused about the Phoenix launch, given our local team’s 40+ years of market knowledge and industry relationships we can leverage to empower the next generation of diverse leaders in real estate.”

Project Destined, founded by a former Carlyle executive Cedric Bobo, has partnered with 250+ real estate firms and 300+ universities across the US, Canada, UK and Europe in its mission to provide diverse students with hands-on experience working in the commercial real estate industry.

About Project Destined

Project Destined is a leading social impact platform that provides training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and real estate. Founded in 2016, Project Destined partners with corporations, schools and non-profits to deliver training using its proprietary e-learning platform and live courses. Project Destined leverages a work-based learning approach where students work with executives to evaluate live deals in their community and present them in a pitch competition to industry leaders. Scholars emerge with the skills, confidence, experiences and networks that prepare them to secure a strong first job and to become stakeholders in their community. For more information, please visit projectdestined.com.