This issue’s B/ACE Boss is Sharon Carter, Managing Director, Healthcare Real Estate at Ankura. With over 30 years of healthcare architecture experience, she has been a tireless advocate for diversity and inclusion in her industry and has spearheaded initiatives designed to provide more opportunities for women and people of color.

In her role at Ankura, Carter works with leading health systems on real estate solutions that allow them to develop and improve their facilities. She is currently bringing her experience to the development and construction of UI Health’s Outpatient Surgery Center and Specialty Clinic. The two-year project is anticipated to create nearly 500 construction jobs and allow for additional access to healthcare for the city’s West Side residents.

We spoke with Carter who reflected on her career and shared her excitement about participating in the UI Health project.

What inspired you to get into healthcare architecture?

My aunt was an architect, and I liked the contemporary modern designs she did. But my parents were physicians. They came here from the Philippines in the mid-1950s. I liked that my parents helped people, but I also wanted that creative side I saw from my aunt. That’s how I ended up in healthcare architecture. And seeing that my creativity and leadership could manage an idea into a facility that helps people, fit so nicely with what I wanted in my life. 

Who were your mentors? 

I worked with a gentleman at Northwestern Medicine. He was a strong leader and made sure I wasn’t micromanaged. He allowed me to work with my team to determine how to get to the desired outcome. This allowed for creativity and innovation, and we came up with a lot of cool ideas for many of the new hospital buildings we built. I also looked up to my mother. She came from a family of 13. I learned a lot about being a fighter from her. 

Your company is involved in the construction of the new UI Health Clinic. Can you talk about their diverse hiring initiatives? 

Ankura strongly supports the same diversity and inclusion initiative that the University always does. UI Health is on the West Side. And their staff, physicians, and administrators reflect the community. They felt strongly about everyone being local on this project. The goal was to hire 30 percent MWBE, but we’re already at 40 percent. And we’ve got so much more to bid out. It’s so exciting. 

Do you ever envision a world where diverse hiring initiatives aren’t necessary? 

Unfortunately, I think the world is not that forgiving. If you don’t make diversity and inclusion a requirement, it may not happen. It’s not any different from a sustainability requirement. You have to make sure it’s part of your Request for Proposal. 

What advice do you have for women of color in your industry?

When I was in college in 1980, there were only a few women and very few people of color. I had to learn how to work with white males and have them listen to me. But I remained independent, and over time, I was able to acknowledge their ideas, while sharing how my ideas could improve them. 

When applying for a job or asking for a promotion, women tend to look to their past to prove they can do the job. Whereas men convince the decision-makers by talking about what they’re going to do and how they’re going to do it. It’s like they’re already rolling up their sleeves. 

What do you like to do in your free time? 

My husband is a retired architect. Our sons are in college. One is a Junior at the University of Colorado-Boulder. We also have a 24-year-old who is in grad school at Harvard for Healthcare. We didn’t see each other as much in 2020, but twice a year, we like to go hiking in another country. In 2019, we went to Peru. We like to be somewhere we wouldn’t normally think about going and immerse ourselves in the culture.