RiverRock Real Estate Group (RREG) has announced a new partnership with America Needs You (ANY), a national nonprofit organization that fights for economic mobility for first-generation college students through transformative mentorship and intensive career development. Working together, RREG and ANY will develop a summer internship program for their students as well as help to introduce young people to career opportunities in the property management field.
Over the last ten years, ANY has grown from a local program to a national organization, with sites in New York, New Jersey, Illinois and California. In 2016, ANY launched a strategic plan to maximize its impact through continued geographic expansion and a college partnership model.
RREG is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in its company. To that end, the firm has sought to encourage more women and people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to choose commercial real estate as a career choice. RREG has made positive strides toward this goal with many women in leadership positions, a significant percentage of Asian Americans as part of its workforce, and growth opportunities for all employees as they gain valuable skills.
“With America Needs You, we can increase our focus on encouraging more people of color to consider commercial real estate as a career of choice. This is a strategic partnership with an outstanding organization that has made a real difference in young people’s lives,” said RREG Founder John Combs.
“We are thrilled to be working with RiverRock to provide opportunities for incredible first-generation college students. It is a pleasure working with a partner who takes a truly holistic approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion work. From our first conversation, it was clear that the RiverRock team is committed not only to creating access, but also to building a true sense of belonging within the company and across the industry for first-gen college students and students of color,” said America Needs You CEO, Marianna Tu.
As part of the partnership, ANY will provide training to RREG employees about the benefits of continuing to diversify its workforce and enriching its culture by providing avenues for greater participation. ANY will help to establish a college internship program with a goal of recruiting two summer interns each year. In turn, RREG will participate in opportunities with ANY to promote property management to its students and share insight on the array of career options.
“I’ve been honored to chair our task force on this issue and have already enjoyed getting to know ANY and their success. I think there is tremendous opportunity in bringing our organizations together to make a difference not just for RREG but for our industry,” said RREG Committee Chair Anne Hinz.