With inherent risk and the need for substantial up-front capital, real estate development is not for the faint of heart. Yet Adre founder Anyeley Hallová, a Black woman, has tackled those challenges and more since entering the industry four years ago.

“Its legacy of institutionalized racism and sexism, including the disproportionate lack of access to land and building ownership, discriminatory lending and a history of oppressive land use practices, is one that impacts Adre today,” the firm states.

Adre is an equity-centered real estate development company that creates social, environmental and economic benefits for Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities. Construction of Adre’s first project is under way. Five other projects are in pre-development and a handful are in the pipeline. To date, the firm has raised $24 million in funding for support of projects.

In addition, Hallová earlier this year wrote “A Kids Book About Real Estate Development.”

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Sellwood Medical Clinic is a family medicine and pediatric care practice with four locations in the Portland-metro area. After 21 years, the 100 percent women-owned business now has 44 employees. Revenue was $8.7 million last year.

CEO Lisa Whitlock highly prioritizes partnerships and collaborations with local women entrepreneurs.

“Moreover, we advocate for and participate in networking events, mentorship programs, and workshops designed to empower and uplift women in business,” the firm states.

However, difficulties have sometimes arisen. Leaders have encountered biases and stereotypes.

“Despite these obstacles, being woman-owned has empowered us to bring unique perspectives and innovations to the medical field,” the company states.

And as a testament to Sellwood Medical Clinic’s commitment to public health and community service, during the COVID-19 pandemic it successfully administered more than 8,000 vaccines via drive-throughs in two parking lots.

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Since being founded in 2017, Ink Built Architecture has created more than 500 housing units in the Pacific Northwest. Last year, the nine-person firm’s revenue was $1.14 million. Co-owners Melynda Retallack and Andrea Wallace have maintained a mission to “deliver responsive architecture, planning and development addressing the triple crises of economic and social inequity, climate change, and housing affordability.”

It isn’t always easy.

“Even now we feel like we must work harder to gain the trust of our clients, consultants, and contractors and prove we have the experience and tools to do our job effectively,” the firm states.

Meanwhile, Retallack and Wallace aim to help women and underrepresented minorities enter the building industry.

“We believe that the quality of relationships we build with the people we serve is fundamental to the quality of design we provide and how we measure our success,” the firm states.

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Eleven years ago, ACMS Northwest joined the building industry. Now the Oregon-based company has 53 employees. Revenue totaled $5.8 million in 2023.
ACMS Northwest is a women-owned, minority-owned construction management, inspection, and civil design firm; Laurie Allen is CEO and Monique Allen is president.

Looking back, the company at times struggled to secure a spot on project teams as a subconsultant as well as cover payroll when receivables were slow. The COVID-19 pandemic also caused difficulty. But as the firm states, “keeping faith isn’t always easy, but it is the only way forward!”

Now the perseverance is paying off. In addition to Monique Allen receiving the 2023 Woman of the Year award from WTS’ Portland chapter, Oregon Business earlier this year named ACMS Northwest one of the 100 Best Companies to work for in Oregon.

“We’re most proud of our people; we’re nobody without them,” the firm states.

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After 34 years in business, RJS Construction is thriving. The woman-owned, Native American-owned small business is a full-service general contractor based in Yakima, Washington, but with an office in Vancouver as well. RJS, with Shannon Sevigny as president and CEO, has grown significantly in the past few years and totaled $26 million in revenue in 2023.

The company is continuing to meet challenges such as navigating the complex and competitive world of federal contracts and then complying with regulations while meeting project deadlines. Meanwhile, Sevigny is running the business while raising a large family.

But the 50-employee firm is still gaining attention. Recently, RJS, led by one of its female project managers, completed seismic upgrades in Eugene and Vancouver ahead of schedule and under budget. The client praised RJS, the firm states, for exceptional construction services and management.
Also, 23 percent of RJS’ employees are women, and many fill leadership roles.

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For CIDA, the firm says, being women-owned is not only about certification but also “about valuing each team member for who they are.” CIDA, with Jennifer Beattie as president, has 43 employees – and 57 percent are women. After 33 years in business, the woman-owned architecture and engineering firm now has offices in Portland and Medford; it exceeded $9 million in revenue last year.

These days, tough tasks include “meeting each employee’s unique needs, removing employment barriers, and crafting personalized growth plans,” according to the firm. But CIDA is “committed to fostering a workplace that supports growth, work-life balance, and the ‘whole’ person.” The company even provides 32 paid hours for employees to contribute to a community organization of their choice.

Meanwhile, CIDA has increased the number of women in design roles as well as continued to partner with WBE (women business enterprise) consultant firms.

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Portland-based Stuart Collective is a 100 percent women-owned public affairs and strategic communications firm. Its founder, Kathleen Stuart, says her role is personally fulfilling but with recognition that she’s setting an example for future generations.

“Owning this business has allowed me to give back to the community, inspire others, and continually evolve as a leader,” she states.

However, one difficulty has been navigating the complexities of winning requests for proposals and securing state contracts.

“These processes often require substantial resources and expertise, which can be daunting for smaller, local businesses like mine,” Stuart states. “The competitive landscape can sometimes feel skewed against newer or smaller entities that lack the size and extensive experience of larger firms.”

Yet as team members have embraced leadership roles “with enthusiasm and skill,” transformation has occurred, according to Stuart. “Their growth has streamlined processes, strengthened client relationships, and enhanced service quality.”

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Mayer/Reed, an interdisciplinary design studio based in Portland, has operated for 47 years. Kathy Fry represents the firm’s second generation of woman ownership. “Personally, it means leading with integrity, empathy and through collaboration,” she states.

The company has 30 employees and hit $4.3 million in revenue in 2023. But maintaining WBE certification “can be onerous — burdening the women in leadership to take on extra administrative overhead,” according to Fry. Also, many government agencies have “complicated and delayed invoicing processes, which are a cash flow burden,” she states.

Mayer/Reed recently moved to a new, larger office in downtown Portland as part of a commitment to revitalizing the area. The company advocates for the communities it designs for, Fry says.

“I’m proud of my role in evolving our firm by formalizing practices, adjusting compensation and benefits, and fostering an inclusive workplace and design process,” she states. “We’ve made significant progress and will keep learning and adapting.”

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Lisa Keohokalole Schauer launched PointNorth Consulting as a woman-owned, minority-owned business in 2018. It has offices in Vancouver, Washington, and Tacoma. The company now has 22 employees and in 2023 had revenue of $3.2 million.

“We are very proud to lead strategic communications solutions, to engage with our community to build trust, to connect creatively and to build teams on … mega, multistate, multibillion-dollar projects,” the firm states.

PointNorth has faced financial obstacles. “As we grow, access to capital has been far more difficult than I experienced as a shareholder in a primarily male-owned firm,” Schauer states. “Creating family-wage positions helps our economy thrive, yet funding payroll and equipment has been a barrier to our continued growth.”

However, the self-described “small-but-mighty” firm is “dedicated to finding ways to cultivate a culture that relies on growth and learning, that welcomes mistakes being made, and that seeks to promote leaders from within the team.”

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Since starting five years ago, leaders have tackled human resources tasks such as attaining professional liability insurance and setting up an accounting system to help establish FAR-compliant indirect cost rates. But other hurdles persist.

“Being a certified WBE opens up opportunities,” the firm states, “but there is a lot of documentation and paperwork, and many contracts don’t require certified firms.”

Nevertheless, Northwest Watersheds has landed “rewarding” fish passage work for the Washington State Department of Transportation as well as other important jobs.

“We have been one of the leading firms on a large consultant team in completing designs efficiently for 11 culvert crossings on the Olympic Peninsula,” the company states.

Meanwhile, principal engineer Mary Larkin has volunteered as a mentor with Women in Environment.

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