Commercial real estate is among the least diverse industries on the planet, according to Adeola Adejobi, attorney and founder of New York-based Avant-Garde Network, an events company that advocates for diversity and inclusion for professionals of color. In July, Avant-Garde hosted its first Diversity in Commercial Real Estate Conference at Columbia University in New York City. The event drew more than 600 attendees to hear some of the industry’s top players of color, including former Real Estate Board of New York President John A. Banks, WeWork’s Global Head Craig Robinson, Goldman Sachs Partner and Urban Investment Group Head Margaret Anadu and Netflix Director of Corporate Real Estate London Kemp, among others. NREI recently spoke to Adejobi about some of the key takeaways from the event and the state of diversity in commercial real estate today.