Thinking about a career shift but not sure where to begin? Join us for an inspiring panel discussion with accomplished professionals that have successfully navigated mid-career transitions. Our diverse panelists represent various industries and backgrounds, each sharing their unique journey of transitioning into new fields, overcoming obstacles, and thriving in their new roles.
This session will offer insights, strategies, and tips for anyone looking to pivot in their career, whether you are seeking greater fulfillment, exploring new passions, or adapting to changes in your industry.
List of Panelists:
Ashley Anderson – Digital Media to Financial Services/Private Equity
Cathy Han – Management Consulting to Non-Profit to EdTech
Elliot Rishty – Law to Real Estate Investment and Development
Nicole Sue Low Chee – Marketing to Entrepreneur
Cyrus Sadiq - Finance to Tech Startup
Moderator:
Jennifer Lee – Wall Street to Tech Startup to Real Estate
Hosted by the NYC chapters of the Berkeley Real Estate Alumni Association and Berkeley Haas Alumni Network.
Location: Serhant House, 372 West Broadway, Soho
Schedule:
6:00pm-6:30pm: Networking.
6:30pm-8:00pm: Panel discussion followed by networking
Refreshments will be served.
We appreciate our valued sponsors for this event: Chris Miao, Esq. (Lee & Miao, PLLC) and Brian McNamara (Wells Fargo)
Panelists’ Bios:
Ashley Anderson
Ashley Anderson is on the Project Management team at Hodes Weill where she supports private equity real estate fundraising. Previously, Ashley worked in client relations at TD Epoch, after which she pursued an MBA in order to make the switch from long-only public equities into real estate. Before TD Epoch, she led business development efforts at digital media company Apartment Therapy. Ashley received a BBA from Baylor University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Cathy Han
Chief Learning Officer, IFC Global
Cathy Han is a Berkeley Haas alum with dual MPAs from Columbia University and the LSE. As Chief Learning Officer of IFC Global and Cal for All host for UC Berkeley's Cal Alumni Association, Cathy empowers executive and next-gen leaders to drive sustainable innovation and inclusive development. An accomplished executive and bilingual author, she has navigated dynamic mid-career transitions across management consulting, nonprofit leadership, tech startups, and education innovation. Cathy's journey—from Deloitte Consulting to nonprofit leadership and global sustainability initiatives—reflects her passion for social innovation, partnership building, and creating impact-driven career pathways.
Elliot J. Rishty
Managing Director & US CEO, Vanke
Mr. Rishty leads all aspects of Vanke’s US business, overseeing operations and investment strategies across the United States. He is responsible for developing and implementing Vanke’s strategic vision for expansion in the US market. Since joining Vanke in 2016, he has held key leadership roles, including US General Counsel and US Chief Operating Officer, before assuming his current position.
Prior to Vanke, Mr. Rishty served as Real Estate Counsel for the Hearst Corporation, overseeing legal matters related to its real estate portfolio and operations. Previously, he was an Associate in the Real Estate Department at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, representing developers, operators, private equity firms, and REITs in multibillion-dollar real estate transactions.
Founded in 2013, Vanke US is a sophisticated investment manager focused on commercial and residential real estate investments in US gateway cities. The firm invests in both equity and debt across the capital stack, deploying balance sheet and third-party capital. Vanke US also serves as a trusted advisor to institutional and private global investors seeking US market expertise in performing and distressed real estate investments and special situations. It is the US affiliate of China Vanke Co., Ltd., a Fortune Global 500 company and one of the world’s largest real estate firms, built on a foundation of professional excellence and ethical business practices.
Mr. Rishty holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University. He serves on the boards of AFIRE (Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate) and CGCC (China General Chamber of Commerce).
Nicole (Nikki) Sue Low Chee
Founder, Nicole Sue Low Chee Marketing LLC
Nikki Sue Low Chee is a B2B marketer with 20+ years of experience working with some of the world’s biggest brands, including IBM, SAP, J.P. Morgan, Apple, and HP. Most recently, as CMO of an insurtech startup, she helped drive 5X business growth in just two years. After scaling companies from the inside, she decided to take the leap and build her own—now helping startups as an independent consultant design and execute marketing strategies that fuel growth. Nikki holds an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business.
Cyrus Sadiq
CEO, Petter
Cyrus Sadiq is founder and CEO of Petter, a technology company empowering insurance companies to create loyalty with their policyholders.
He has 20+ years of expertise in corporate finance; at Goldman Sachs, he advised financial services companies on M&A, structured loyalty programs and also advised and invested for the firm's largest family office clients. He's been an investor at several multi-billion-dollar hedge funds as a portfolio manager in both equities and credit and started his career in consumer finance at Wells Fargo. He delivered an 8x return to investors during the Great Financial Crisis and helped scale the fund from $100mm to $1.5bn in two years. Cyrus graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S in Systems Engineering.
Moderator:
Jennifer Lee
Team Lead | New Development Sales
Licensed Associate RE Broker, Serhant
Jennifer brings professionalism and market analytics to an industry that is often lacking it, which is why she's sold over $600mm in less than 10 years. Her Wall Street background and MBA help her approach Manhattan and Brooklyn real estate from a valuable analytic and investment standpoint.
A native of Los Angeles, CA, Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies with a Minor in Business Administration from the University of California - Berkeley, and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School. She spent 10 years working on Wall Street in various roles research analyst, securitized products sales, and emerging markets rates trader. Jennifer later established her own e-commerce startup which was accepted into the highly selective Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator. She transitioned into real estate with another startup where she consistently ranked as the top sales agent with $15 million in sales in her first year alone.
