BKM Capital Partners: Paving the Way for Women in CRE

At BKM Capital Partners, we embrace the richness of individual differences, treating everyone with fairness, equity, and respect. By integrating diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, we not only enhance our real estate services but also foster a vibrant office environment. Our inclusive culture empowers employees to share their ideas, driving consistent innovation and excellence. Unlike many larger CRE firms, BKM prioritizes engagement at all levels, cultivating meaningful connections and high-quality work. Notably, 70% of employees in surveys highlight our workplace culture as key to their workplace satisfaction, reinforcing our reputation for robust engagement practices.

Through focused initiatives like the BKM Women’s Network and strategic community partnerships, BKM actively advances DEI both internally and externally. Transparent accountability and continuous dialogue drive our commitment to equity, and this unwavering dedication reflects BKM's broader mission to create lasting, positive change.

Our organization and its team members have been widely recognized across various industry platforms for their contributions to the field and for advancing DEI initiatives:

 1) Partner with CREW Network to support our mission to advance women and begin your efforts now to make change

At BKM Capital Partners, we strive to provide a work environment that is free from bias and welcoming of all individuals, regardless of their physical, mental, and socioeconomic differences. We believe in partnering with organizations that share our values, including transparency in measuring progress and regular communication, both internally and externally. Since signing the CREW Pledge for Action in 2022, our firm has made monumental changes to its policies and procedures that aim to uplift and support both the women and other underrepresented groups at the organization. We are proud to report the following successful initiatives:

• Expanded Parental Leave Policy for both men and women at the organization

• Emphasis on Mental Health, including relevant Lunch and Learns, promotion of employee mental health resources, and annual wellness weeks

• Development of company ERG’s, including the BKM Women’s Network and the BKM Working Parents Group

• Creation of the BKM Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committee

• Deployment of AllVoices Anonymous Reporting Platform

• Implementation of various employee education programs including the Emerging Leaders Program, the Mid-Level Manager Program, and a variety of DEI trainings required for all employees.

2) Close the compensation gap in our industry by conducting a pay equity study in your company

At BKM, it is our utmost priority to ensure each member of the organization is compensated fairly, regardless of their gender, race, socioeconomic, status etc. In an effort to combat pay inequity, the firm created the BKM Compensation Committee, responsible for conducting annual pay structure audits and regularly updating BKM’s policies and procedures. Utilizing a new power-BI dashboard, the committee receives detailed salary and pay gap analyses, allowing them to make informed decisions on how to proceed and modify current policies when adjusting annual salaries and promotions. In 2023, 54% of BKM’s promoted workforce was female, attesting to the firm’s commitment to advancing every member of the organization without bias.

3) Increase inclusion in your company through senior executive sponsorship of women and/or other individuals in underrepresented groups within the company

Career development has taken center stage as one of BKM’s top priorities over the past few years, with key senior leadership positions taking heavily involved roles in these programs to ensure proper engagement and participation. Susan Rounds, Senior Managing Director of Operations, has devoted her time to lead numerous ERG’s and training programs at the company, including the BKM Women’s Network, the BKM Emerging Leaders Program, the Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committee, and the Compensation Committee. Each of these programs is specifically designed to provide support for both women and other underrepresented groups through emotional support, education and training, and policy evaluation.

4) Advance women to your company’s top roles to achieve gender diversity in leadership

At BKM, advancing women into leadership roles is a priority reflected in our diverse teams. Currently, 33% of our advisory board is female, while women make up 38% of our management team. Overall, senior management diversity stands at 25%, and we maintain a strong pipeline of female talent with 76% diversity at the mid and junior levels. Together, our recruiting and promotion efforts help to create pathways for women to ascend to top roles in the organization.

5) Increase diversity in your company and in the industry through intentional recruiting and hiring of individuals from diverse backgrounds

BKM actively increases diversity through intentional recruitment and hiring practices. In 2024, 69% of our new hires are from diverse backgrounds, with over half being women and 39% identifying as BIPOC. Currently, our workforce is 51% female, reflecting our ongoing commitment to gender diversity. Additionally, our partnership with SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) helps us recruit interns from underrepresented backgrounds, further enhancing diversity both within our company and the broader industry.

Implement accountability strategies in your company to measure progress

Numerous organizational initiatives have been set in place to ensure efficient growth and progress of both our employees and our daily operations. The creation of the BKM Advisory Board in 2022 reflects our commitment to fair and equitable investment practices, providing another level of oversight in the investment lifecycle. In addition, the creation of the Compensation Committee has proven effective in resolving pay disparities in the organization, providing pay transparency for new online job postings that delivers unbiased insight to potential job candidates. BKM also recently implemented a new training program focused on key DEI topics, including sexual harassment prevention, anti-discrimination awareness, diversity and inclusion, and more. These courses are required of all employees, driving our workforce to remain aware of common workplace incidents and how to avoid them for the future. Finally, bi-annual performance reviews are conducted to further measure employee growth and progress, driving accountability and continuous improvement across our teams.