Chapter Meeting Recaps
May Chapter Meeting // Thursday, May 17th // Santa Clara
Blockchain 101 What is it? What does it mean to me? How will it impact CRE?
CoreNet Global Northern California Chapter members and guest explored the forward thinking topic of crypto currencies at the May Chapter meeting on Thursday, May 17th at Palo Alto Networks in Santa Clara. Addressing this much discussed and often controversial subject was guest speaker Ragnar Lifthrasir, Founder of velox.RE, a startup that uses the Bitcoin block chain as a vertical platform for fundamental real estate applications. Lifthrasier, an entrepreneur and block chain advocate shared his belief that block chains could prove advantageous for the commercial real estate industry because they can record transactions between two parties in a verifiable and permanent way. He educated the crowd of 150 about how a block chain ledger could provide added transparency and simplicity for title, sales and certification of commercial real estate. Lifthrasier shared an overview of the Cook County Blockchain Deed Pilot Program which his company is involved which is currently the only one in the world.
Key take-aways included:
1. Bitcoin is limited
- Less will be produced each year
- Only 423 million will ever be created
2. It is an open source consortium
- No one and everyone is controlling
- The developer of bitcoin created the rules
- Transactions are sent in a network by miners who produce it
- Secured by the fact that its distributed
3. Advantages for real estate
- Multi signature smart contracts
- Allows escrows without an escrow agent
- Works peer to peer with money in situation where trust is issue
- Time locked
- Would enhance security of deposits
- It’s a ledger
- Tracks of ownership of assets
4. Lifthrasier’s Recommendations
- Get skin in the game – buy some
- Be prepared for volatility
- Start small – accept rent
- Download a wallet and give tenants the address
- Employ a third party services such as Bit pay
- Recommends bitcoin above other crypto currencies
June Chapter Meeting // Thursday, June 21st // Mountain View
How Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics Affect You in the Near Term and the Future?
Over 130 CoreNet members and guest got a glimpse into the future and met some interesting new “friends” at the June Chapter meeting. Held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View on June 21st, the fascinating program explored how robotics are being used in corporate real estate. Stuart Appley, Managing Director, Global Workplace Solutions at CBRE moderated a panel of experts currently deploying robots as embedded members of their clients’ teams including:
At the conclusion of the program, attendees interacted with robots during networking reception. References to Westworld were made!
Key take aways included:
Trends
1. Unstructured data is exploding
- 700% increase in volume stored in databases from 2012-2016
- 93% of data will be unstructured by 2022
- 90% of worlds unstructured date created in past 2 years
2. AI usage today is dominated by machine learning
- Machine learning (ML) 22%
- Natural language process (NLP) / Natural language generating (NLG): 14%
- Voice recognition – 14%
- Virtual personal assistant (VPA) / Chatbots: 11%
- Diagnostic / Recommendation Engines: 11%
3. Democratization of AI
- Data explosion
- Machine learning as a service (MLaaS)
- $$$ Flooding to AI start ups (including CRE)
- Cost of sensors plummeting
- Accelerated graphics processing unit (GPU) Development & Usage
- Every decreasing cost to compute
- Advancement of AI graphical interfaces
- Growing open source machine learning libraries
4. Where AI stands in commercial real estate today
- Deep Learning
- Robotic Process Automation
- Robotics
- Machine Learning
Young Leaders Update
Summer Happy Hour
The June Summer Happy Hour for Young Leaders was hosted by Steelcase in their SF Showroom. A casual, entertaining evening fostered great networking in a classic SOMA brick and timber building.

Summer Party
The CoreNet Young Leaders held their Summer Party on July 24 at the San Jose Giants game. 36 young leaders, including 8 new members, enjoyed baseball, beer and BBQ as they mingled in their own private deck. Save the date for the next Young Leader event, held on August 20. More information will be available soon.
 |
 |
Mentorship Kick-off
On June 19th, the mentorship program kicked off its annual program by hosting an event at the Genentech offices in South San Francisco. Mentees were able to tell the group their career aspirations and what they are hoping to learn from their mentors, while the mentors shared their journeys in the corporate real estate industry. There was also a speed networking component at the end of the event, which gave mentors and mentees the chance to get better acquainted with each other on an individual basis. After the event, the mentorship committee helped pair mentees with their mentors based on their preferences, connections, and how they can learn from each other.

Women of CoreNet Update - Save the Dates!
Women of CoreNet Day of Service // Saturday, August 18th // San Carlos
Join WOC for a Day of Service at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore in San Carlos. As their saying goes the ReStore is “a good deal for you, your community and the environment.” Let’s spend a few hours together volunteering in Habitat for Humanity’s home improvement store and donation center that sells new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials and more to the public at a fraction of the retail price. For more details click here.

Women of CoreNet August Happy Hour // Wednesday, August 22nd // Oakland
More details coming soon!
Women of CoreNet September Program // Wednesday, September 26th // Redwood City
Design Tech High School – An interview with the Project Team that delivered the school on Oracle’s headquarters campus

2018 CRE Honorees Announced

The Northern California Chapter is proud to recognize the 2018 CRE Award Honorees – Jay Bechtel of Google as Corporate Real Estate Executive of the Year and Bob McIntire of Nova Partners, as Service Provider of the Year. Save the date and plan to celebrate Jay and Bob on November 15th at the CRE Awards Gala at the iconic Westin St. Francis in San Francisco.

2018 Northern California Chapter Young leader of the Year

The Chapter is proud to recognize Michelle Lagos, Director, Client Solutions at CBRE, as the 2018 Northern California Chapter Young Leader of the Year! The Northern California Young Leader of the Year award celebrates and recognizes actively engaged young professionals who are implementing best practices and quantifiable achievements in the field and are pursing professional development opportunities. Learn more about Michelle’s contributions to corporate real estate and CoreNet.

Request for New Committee Members
Are you looking for a way to get more involved with CoreNet? Want to take charge of the first “Chapter Volunteer Recruitment Tool” in the country? We are looking for a volunteer to take on the responsibility of updating volunteer opportunities on this new website tool on a monthly basis. Responsibilities will be reaching out to committees to find out volunteer needs and adding or deleting the items from the website tool. Training included. If you’re interested, please contact Kris McFarland-Werner at krisw@hillhouseconstruction.com

Scholarship Deadline Approaching on August 10th!
The Chapter launched a scholarship program to allow members to pursue their professional development goals. The 2018/19 Scholarship Program is open to all NorCal members who would benefit from attending the 2018 Boston Summit, or earning the MCR/SLCR or QPCR designation. Applications due August 10.
Click Here to Apply!
Upcoming Events
August Chapter Meeting// Thursday, August 16th // Redwood City
Transportation Nightmares - What is Being Done?
According to the Bay Area Council, bad traffic ranks as the region’s second largest problem behind high housing costs. In 2014, only 24% of us complained about traffic, as of June of this year this number has jumped to 64%. Public transportation projects take years if not decades to fund and build, yet the problem is NOW. What is being proposed by both the public and private sectors in the short term to mitigate the frustration of commuters? What would the easing of this frustration accomplish in terms of the threatened exodus of essential human resources? Our panel of experts will tackle these questions and offer concrete solutions.
Venue: Electronic Arts: 209 Redwood Shores Pkwy, Redwood City, CA 94065
Schedule: 3:30p: Registration // 4:00p: Program // 5:30p: Reception
Cost: Member: $35.00 // Non-Member End User: $60.00 // Non-Member Service Provider: $85.00

New Member Happy Hour // Thursday, August 23rd // San Francisco
Join the CoreNet Global Northern California Chapter Board and Membership Committee for drinks and discussion on how to make the most of your new membership!
CONNECT - with CoreNet Members
GROW - get the most out of your membership
LEARN - about the NorCal Chapter
BELONG - become part of our community
Venue: CBRE @ Salesforce Tower: 415 Mission St, Suite 4600, San Francisco, CA 94105
Schedule: Registration: 5:30pm // Program: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Cost: Free to new members. Registration is required.
Committee Contact: Pierce Neinken (Pierce.Neinken@airbnb.com)
Parking is available in the garage below the building. Public transit is encouraged.

September Chapter Meeting // Thursday, September 20th // San Francisco
What the HEALTH is Happening?: Applying the WELL, Fitwel & RESET Building Standards
Over the last two decades, forward-thinking design, construction and operations practices have transformed the commercial real estate industry across the globe. Yet strategies to enhance human health and wellbeing have played a relatively small role in the evolution of the built environment. As the industry looks to what’s next, firms are elevating human health and comfort to the forefront of commercial real estate while reinventing buildings that are not only better for the planet, but also for the people that inhabit them.
Come join our diverse group of experts for an interactive discussion exploring leading wellness frameworks and how they may be applied to both individual projects as well as real estate portfolios.
Venue: Twitter, 1355 Market St #900, San Francisco, CA 94103
Schedule: 3:30p: Registration // 4:00p: Program // 5:30p: Reception
Cost: Member: $35.00 // Non-Member End User: $60.00 // Non-Member Service Provider: $85.00

Day on the Bay // Friday, October 5th // San Francisco
More than 400 colleagues embark on a Hornblower Yacht to spend the afternoon on the San Francisco Bay to watch the aerial magic of the U.S. Navy’s best pilots, the Blue Angels. Members have described the Day on the Bay as the single chapter event that provides a broad spectrum of peers and a relaxing, enjoyable environment to connect with old friends and make new ones. A buffet lunch, host bar, and ample supply of sunscreen round out keep guests fueled and protected for our four-hour tour and military spectacle. View highlights from last year's event!
Venue: Pier 3, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111
Schedule: 11:00a: Registration // 11:45a: Boarding // 12:00p: Departure
Individual tickets and reserved tables are on sale now!