BGO, Walker & Dunlop and Project Destined Launch New Certificate Program
New York, [April 30, 2024] – BGO, Walker & Dunlop today announced its commitment to serve as the first partners with Project Destined to launch its new Real Estate Certificate Program. This partnership will enable college students to earn academic credit and a scholarship, lowering the barrier to accessing top roles in the commercial real estate industry. Project Destined is a social impact platform that provides students in underserved communities with training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and real estate.
Through this innovative collaboration, BGO and Walker & Dunlop will sponsor an inaugural cohort of 50 students who will be able to select from more than 10 courses including real estate development, capital markets, asset management, real estate law, financial modeling, affordable housing finance, among others. The students will have the opportunity to earn college credit, a scholarship stipend, and participate in speaker series and site visits with program sponsors.
“The search for top diverse talent demands that we create new opportunities through active engagement and relationship building. That is what has drawn BGO to Project Destined from the very beginning, with their emphasis on delivering practical learning opportunities for students that create pathways to meaningful employment opportunities in real estate,” said Sonny Kalsi, co-CEO of BGO. “The Certificate Program is a thoughtful approach that will fill learning gaps and equip hard-working students with the knowledge and skills to compete in an increasingly challenging job market. Supporting the Commercial Real Estate Certificate Program is about meeting students where they are in their academic and life journey and helping to better prepare them for a bright career in our industry.”
This program builds on the long-standing partnership of BGO and Walker & Dunlop with Project Destined. Since 2020, the three organizations have launched real estate training programs that have supported 8,000+ students across 1,300+ universities. Since its inception, Project Destined’s has delivered credit bearing courses with more than 500+ students (from universities including Florida A&M, DePaul, Morgan State, Lehman College-CUNY). The new Certificate Program with BGO and Walker & Dunlop will expand this opportunity to students at two-year and four-year colleges across North America.
“As a leading commercial real estate finance and advisory services firm, we are proud of our long-standing relationship with Project Destined and the ability to offer real life experiences to passionate local students. We want to attract and encourage more diversity in our industry, and one way of doing that is giving young people exposure to all that CRE has to offer at a time when they are deciding their career paths,” said Susan Weber, executive vice president, community engagement at Walker & Dunlop. “Not all universities have a real estate curriculum and internships don’t always result in college credits. This is a win-win. These students will get credit, experience, and access to a whole network of experts who can help mentor them on their journey.”
Since its founding in 2016, Project Destined has worked with more than 8,000 students across 1,300 universities in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
About BGO
BGO is a leading, global real estate investment management advisor, real estate lender, and a globally recognized provider of real estate services. BGO serves the interests of more than 750 institutional clients with expertise in the asset management of office, industrial, multi-residential, retail and hospitality property across the globe. BGO has offices in 27 cities across thirteen countries with deep, local knowledge, experience, and extensive networks in the regions where we invest in and manage real estate assets on behalf of our clients in primary, secondary and co-investment markets. BGO is a part of SLC Management, the institutional alternatives and traditional asset management business of Sun Life. For more information, please visit www.bgo.com
About Walker & Dunlop
Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is one of the largest commercial real estate finance and advisory services firms in the United States. Our ideas and capital create communities where people live, work, shop, and play. The diversity of our people, breadth of our brand and technological capabilities make us one of the most insightful and client-focused firms 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. 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 become stakeholders in their community. If you are interested in partnering, please visit projectdestined.com.
