Fellowship Program Allows Firm to Cultivate Next Generation of Leaders, Benefit from Exceptional Talent
(January 24, 2023 – New York City) – OPEN Impact Real Estate LLC (OPEN) is pleased to announce that Isabel Lewis has joined the firm as an Associate, under the firm’s new Gap Year Fellowship Program. Ms. Lewis will support the firm’s goal of delivering strategic commercial real estate brokerage and advisory services to social-minded, mission-driven clients.
“We conceived the Gap Year Fellowship Program as a way to help cultivate the next generation of leaders in the nonprofit business world and for our firm and clients to benefit from the exceptional people who are rising through the early stages of their careers,” said Stephen Powers, co-founder of OPEN. “Isabel brings a unique perspective to each engagement that enables us to better serve our clients.”
Ms. Lewis graduated from Princeton University, with a major in Politics and certificates in African American Studies and French. During her time at Princeton, she studied abroad at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and was active with Princeton Model Congress, the Undergraduate Housing Advisory Board and the Commencement Committee. Despite having only recently graduated from Princeton, she brings to her role at OPEN significant experience including working at the New York City Ballet on the membership and development team, as well as with Google and JPMorganChase. After participating in OPEN’s Gap Year Fellowship Program, Ms. Lewis plans to attend law school in 2023.
“I am excited to be a part of a team that supports the country’s leading nonprofits through mission-driven real estate projects,” said Lewis. “I’m looking forward to matching my passion for helping nonprofits make tangible impact on their communities. Given the wide range of clients that OPEN serves, this experience will be invaluable during my time at law school and beyond.”
Ms. Lewis joins OPEN amidst significant growth as the firm expands to serve its clients in the education, social services, government and social impact corporate markets. A woman-owned business enterprise, OPEN was founded in 2021 with the commitment to help mission-driven organizations, including nonprofits and corporations, implement strategic real estate solutions that further their organizational goals. Since its founding by Lindsay Ornstein and Stephen Powers, the firm has grown to nearly 20 team and support members, from a wide range of backgrounds spanning think tanks to fortune 500 executive leadership.
“We are growing our firm intentionally, building a diverse group of exceptional team members who can best serve our clients and one another,” said Ornstein. “We’re pleased to say that more than half of our team members are women, which is unique in the brokerage space.”
About OPEN Impact Real Estate LLC
OPEN Impact Real Estate (OPEN) is a certified woman-owned business that delivers a comprehensive range of commercial real estate brokerage and advisory services, with a focus on supporting social-minded, mission-driven organizations. Based in New York City, OPEN serves clients across the United States, particularly those that value the benefits of working with an M/WBE with deep expertise in furthering mission through physical space. OPEN is an affiliate of Transwestern Real Estate Services. For more information, please visit www.openregroup.
# # #
