M E M B E R p ro f i l e
URBAN CAPITAL AND SPOTLIGHT DEVELOPMENT
Taya Cook (left) and Sherry Larjani
HIGHLIGHTING THE TALENTED WOMEN OF THE RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
BY EMILY FIELDEN, POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS ANALYST, CHBA
A
s Executive Vice-President of Urban Capital and President of Spotlight Development, Taya Cook and Sherry Larjani find themselves as part of only a few women sitting in top leadership positions in the residential development industry. Cook, who worked her way up the ranks at Urban Capital for 20 years, now oversees many of the company’s development projects from start-to-finish. Larjani founded Spotlight Development in 2010 with a vision to change the way development is done. Through partnerships with recognized builders in the Greater Toronto Area, the company, which has a for-profit and not-for-profit arm that follows a 70-per-cent affordable housing methodology, acquires properties for redevelopment into high-density residential and mixed-use projects.
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SPRING 2024
Both women are what anyone would consider professional powerhouses. They successfully navigate the challenges of being women in a male-dominated sector, while tackling the financial, labour and materials, and policy challenges that their companies face in their quest to build more homes and communities for Canadians. Both Cook and Larjani agree that there are opportunities for the sector to recognize the often-hidden achievements of women in residential development – so in 2019 they set out on a mission to highlight the talented women in the industry. Together, Cook and Larjani are the visionaries behind an all-female residential development team, which is leading the change for women in the sector, and girls interested in a future in residential construction.
CHANGING THE NARRATIVE The idea of an all-female development team was conceived when Cook was taken aback by a headline that featured 20 of Toronto’s “condo kings” – all of whom, as the name suggests, were men. “Seeing that headline sparked something in me,” says Cook. “I’ve worked with many accomplished women in the development industry who don’t get the credit they deserve or have a seat at the table.”
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