Her Story
About Sounita
I come from an immigrant family, which made my path a little different than most. I started my career working at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento in facilities, which is where construction and project management really kicked off for me. I was originally talking to the Army Reserve about joining the Army or Marines to get my education paid for and gain experience. While working at the base, I ended up with Sears Holdings managing their home services center, where I got into regional management of HVAC and home services on the residential side, still within the construction trades. From there, I networked within the base and made my first big jump to San Francisco with CBRE. I worked on the general contractor side as a senior project engineer to get that out-of-field experience, and I'm very proud of making myself well-rounded by working across different aspects of construction - not just standard interior build-outs or tenant improvements, but also campus planning, development, and city planning work when I was on the Google account. That experience took me full circle back to the ownership side. Now at Berkeley Partners, I manage construction and capital projects across the western and southwestern regions, covering everything from due diligence and budgeting to acquisition pre-planning and full project life cycle management. I work across different markets and property types, from light industrial to commercial and tech organizations. A lot of my success comes from networking, using my resources, and having people in the Bay Area take me under their wing. I've learned hands-on throughout my career, and I'm always looking to continue growing professionally and personally.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sounita
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the value I've been able to add across different types of projects and organizations. I've worked hard to gain experience in different areas - not just one type of construction, but across light industrial, commercial, and tech organizations. What's really made a difference is having arms in different markets, not just California, but being able to reach across multiple states and regions. That broader experience and reach has been a big highlight of where I'm at now in my career. I've also been fortunate to work with different firms and on various types of capital projects, which has given me a well-rounded perspective and skill set.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received came from folks in Sacramento who took me under their belt when I was making that leap and jump in my career. They told me to push hard and work hard, because that work will bring rewards as you put in the effort. They emphasized the importance of networking and continuing to be consistent and resilient - that it will pay off. That advice really shaped how I've approached my career. I've focused on believing in myself, networking, using my resources, and keeping myself moving forward. It was really tough in the beginning, like it is in any field, but doing your research and reaching out to any type of resource that you have makes all the difference.
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