Real Perspectives Podcast

Ashley Gidel’s involvement with a company her father and partner started began at an early age. A family business that grew out of a necessity for extra work, the two founders were teachers in need of extra cash in the summer, Gidel & Kocal today is a well-known construction business serving the greater Bay Area in a number of sectors. Ashley just became the company’s President and looks to change the face of construction across the industry and across the region.

Here is her story of how she came to the company and how an improbable time led to an improbable role, but one that will set an example for others in the industry.

Prior to co-founding Hamilton Zanze in 2001, Mark Hamilton sponsored the acquisition, ownership, and development of nearly 40 properties in the Bay Area. Mark’s main focus has always been locating value-add properties in changing urban neighborhoods and then re-working them into higher-quality buildings with higher incomes, improved tenant profiles, and higher resale values. 

Mark has considerable experience in partnership formations and operations, project planning and implementation, asset management and management oversight, landlord-tenant and rent-control issues, risk management, and zoning and building department matters. Before forming his own commercial brokerage and investment business in 1994, Mark worked in the San Francisco office of Marcus & Millichap, subsequently co-founding Property Resource Group (real estate brokerage) and Quantum Land Company (development).

Retail veteran James Chung launched the econic company in 2021 with a singular goal in mind: to provide seamless, bespoke services to landlords and tenants alike in a landscape unlike any other in recent memory. To do that, he draws on a fierce work ethic, an innate knowledge of the commercial real estate landscape, and an uncanny ability to close deals in even the most challenging market conditions.

The way James sees it, a storefront is a “living organism” — from its impact on jobs, supply chains, and the community around it. He views his role as a connector and place-maker, and relishes the opportunity to curate some of the most unique, engaging retail environments in the country.

James brings more than 20 years of experience as one of the top retail brokers in the country to his role as Founder and Principal of Econic. Prior to launching the firm, he spent 18 years with global CRE brokerage Cushman & Wakefield, most recently in the position of Executive Managing Director and as the head of retail for the Western United States. He was consistently a top C&W producer and was named National Retail Broker of the Year firm-wide in 2014.

Cyrus Sanandaji is the founder and managing director of Presidio Bay Ventures, a commercial real estate investment and development firm focused on the design, construction and long-term operation of a diverse set of product types for private and public sector tenants across the United States. 

Headquartered in San Francisco, Presidio Bay's primary expertise is in new construction and major renovation of complex, mid to large-scale office buildings, mixed-use urban infill multifamily communities, industrial distribution centers, and other special-use facilities. 

On the show today, we have the honor to speak with Patrick MacLeamy, who led global architecture and engineering firm HOK from its San Francisco office. Patrick started at the firm as a junior designer and eventually became its CEO, witnessing the firm’s growth from a single midwestern office to 27 locations across the globe offering architecture, interiors, engineering, planning and more.  

MacLeamy joined HOK St. Louis in 1967, then helped establish the firm’s San Francisco outpost in 1970, later becoming managing principal of that office and then the firm’s CEO in 2016. MacLeamy led many signature projects at HOK, including Moscone Center in San Francisco and King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia. Over the years, he worked as a designer, project manager and even marketer at HOK, soaking up knowledge of all three disciplines. Trained as an architect, MacLeamy is a self-taught executive, who attributes his success to his ability to communicate clearly and his interest in “boring” things like financial metrics and digital standards, that architects often ignore.

You may not know this yet, but Kristina Lawson and Jennifer Martinez are the future of law. Not in a way that introduces some new legal theory or innovation in code, but in a way a law firm is run. Kristina Lawson recently became the managing partner of San Francisco-based Hanson Bridgett, and one of her initiatives was to task Jennifer Martinez with running the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the firm. And not just as a secondary role, but as a full-time employee focused on these issues.

Hanson Bridgett is trailblazing a path for others to follow, and its work is already receiving recognition throughout the industry. How they got there and what they plan to do at the firm is the subject of our conversation.

Paul Ferro is a co-founder, principal, and Chief Executive Officer at Form4 Architecture. Committed to creating architecture that is rational, empowering and dynamic, Paul’s expertise ranges from office shells and interiors, athletic facilities, mixed-use, churches, and residential. Paul maintains his dedication to clients and the success of projects through his direct involvement with the design and final implementation of every project he leads. His hands-on approach ensures that concepts and goals are carried through and ultimately realized.

James Shannon has a storied career as an entrepreneur and technology leader. He possesses a deep passion for applying his knowledge and experience to create innovative and inspiring products. His experience includes the development of large-scale cloud services, award-winning mobile apps, integrated smart devices and cutting-edge consumer hardware for leading global brands. James leads the vision and strategic direction of the essensys platform. With extensive experience in enterprise SaaS and product development, James plays a key role at essensys in enhancing the user experience for flexible workspace operators and occupiers alike.

Murphy McCullough is the regional manager for commercial development in Skanska’s Seattle office, where he has worked for the past decade. He’s delivered Skanska’s first development projects in the region, including the urban-inspired apartments at Alley 111 in Bellevue, the Brooks Sports headquarters and flagship store at Stone34 in Fremont, and Tommy Bahama’s headquarters at 400 Fairview in South Lake Union. But it was the company’s largest global investment ever that really gave McCullough an opportunity to make an impact on Seattle and the greater Puget Sound region - the 38-story 2+U tower in Seattle’s central business district.

McCullough sits down with us to talk about those initiatives and how Skanska’s global vision aligns with his efforts in the region, as well as to give us a preview of a couple of upcoming developments that he’s embarking on shortly.

On today’s podcast, we have the pleasure of talking with Chely Wright, Unispace’s recently minted first Chief Diversity Equity & Inclusion Officer. Chely brings a background that fuses advocacy, business, real estate and communications, and has worked with companies such as Procter & Gamble, Southeastern Grocers and Morgan Stanley to advance their DE&I programs, having established relationships with organizations such as GLSEN, GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, and Interfaith Alliance.

But, if you seem to know Chely’s name, it’s because before taking this role, she was a renowned country music artist and activist for LGBT rights but also working with military members and veterans, which she’ll reference in our conversation. 

Welcome to the podcast, Chely!