Several of the articles in this issue of Institutional Real Estate Americas take a look at diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the commercial real estate investment industry. This is not a new conversation, but it is an important one. The business case for DEI is clear, as is the moral one, so I won’t belabor it here.

These efforts are beginning to reach a critical mass. For example, Heather Fernstrom-Border and Jennifer Stevens, co-founders of Alliance Global Advisors, have been leading efforts to develop a framework for improving diversity, equity and inclusion in the commercial real estate industry.

At Institutional Real Estate, Inc., we are having conversations internally about how we can reflect a more diverse real estate industry — in our news coverage, in our industry advisory boards and in the panelists at our events. We are taking this issue seriously, and we are listening to our readers, our sponsors and our wider community about how we can