ULI Orange County/Inland Empire

What ULI Orange County/Inland Empire does

ULI Orange County/Inland Empire is a district council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a nonprofit education and research organization founded in 1936 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The district council serves nearly 1,000 public and private sector members across the Orange County and Inland Empire region of Southern California, with a small professional staff of approximately two to seven people led by Executive Director Kendra Chandler and District Council Manager Katie Holst, operating from Irvine, California.

The organization delivers a portfolio of programs centered on real estate and land use education, networking, and policy advisory. Core offerings include eight Local Product Councils spanning asset classes and disciplines (Capital Markets, Healthcare & Institutional, Housing, Industrial, Multi Housing in two councils, Office & Commercial, and Resilient Communities), Technical Assistance Panels providing multidisciplinary advice to municipalities, and leadership-pipeline programs including the Center for Leadership (8-day intensive), NEXT (mid-career ages 35-45), the Women's Leadership Initiative, and the Young Leaders Group. Education and outreach include UrbanPlan for high school and university students, while the 2025-launched California-Nevada Technical Assistance Leadership Exchange extends the council's footprint across six Western U.S. district councils, underwritten in part by a $10 million gift from longtime ULI member Randall Lewis.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring and transactional streams: annual corporate sponsorships at Platinum/Gold/Silver/Bronze tiers ranging from $5,000 to $15,000; individual membership dues (with roughly 10% retained locally); event registration fees; program tuition such as the Center for Leadership ($3,000 members / $3,500 non-members including Associate Membership); Local Product Council placement fees ($250 annual / $500 two-year); and Women's Leadership Initiative annual dues ($250). The organization is governed by a volunteer Advisory Board chaired by Aram Chahbazian with Rob Reitenour as Advisory Board Chair, and does not develop proprietary technology products.

Name

ULI Orange County/Inland Empire

Legal name

Urban Land Institute

Website

https://orangecounty.uli.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ULI Orange County/Inland Empire is a nonprofit district council of the Urban Land Institute serving nearly 1,000 real estate and land use professionals in Southern California through Local Product Councils, Technical Assistance Panels, leadership development programs, and annual events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Sponsorships: Annual sponsorships ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 provide companies exposure to the region's key real estate, government, and community stakeholders. Sponsors receive recognition benefits at various levels (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) and 100% of sponsorship dollars stay local to support ULI's regional programs, community outreach, and educational activities.
2. Membership Dues: Individual membership dues provide revenue, with approximately 10% of membership dues staying in the local Orange County/Inland Empire district. Members receive discounts on events, access to exclusive programming, eligibility for committees and Local Product Councils, and complimentary subscription to Urban Land Magazine.
3. Event Registration Fees: Fees from events such as Emerging Trends conferences, TAPs, workshops, and networking programs. Pre-registration typically closes 2-3 days before events with fees increasing by $10 post pre-registration for most events.
4. Program Tuition: The Center for Leadership program charges tuition of $3,000 for ULI members and $3,500 for non-members (which includes a ULI Associate Membership). The 8-day curriculum-based program cultivates next generation real estate and land use leaders.
5. Local Product Council Fees: LPC placement incurs a $250 annual fee ($500 for full two-year term) with placement and selection. These exclusive groups of 30-40 mid to senior-level members meet quarterly to network and share best practices.
6. Women's Leadership Initiative Dues: WLI Council annual dues are $250 per year, paid up in full at start of the two-year term. The council focuses on promoting advancement of women throughout their careers as leaders in the real estate industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ULI Orange County/Inland Empire is a nonprofit district council of the Urban Land Institute that serves nearly 1,000 real estate and land use professionals in Southern California. It provides members with education, networking, leadership development, and Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) for public agencies, delivered through Local Product Councils, conferences, the NEXT conference, the Center for Leadership, the Women's Leadership Initiative, the Young Leaders Group, and UrbanPlan classroom programs.

Product overview

ULI Orange County/Inland Empire is a nonprofit real estate and land development organization offering a portfolio of professional development and networking programs. The core offerings include Local Product Councils (8 specialized councils covering Capital Markets, Healthcare, Housing, Industrial, Multi Housing, Office/Commercial, and Resilient Communities), Technical Assistance Panels providing expert land use advice to public agencies, and leadership development programs including NEXT (ages 35-45), Young Leaders Group, Women's Leadership Initiative, and the Center for Leadership (an 8-day intensive). Additional programs include UrbanPlan (educational outreach for students) and the California-Nevada Technical Assistance Leadership Exchange. The organization also provides membership services, hosts events including the annual Emerging Trends conference, and publishes a regular newsletter. All programs are designed to connect, inspire, and lead in solving community and real estate challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UrbanPlan: A realistic, engaging exercise in which participants—high school students, university students, or public officials—learn about the fundamental forces that affect real estate development in communities.
• Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI)
• Young Leaders Group (YLG)
• Center for Leadership (CFL)

Products and services

• ULI Membership (Orange County / Inland Empire District Council)

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1,000 members supported through local programs, educational activities, and research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real EstatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025The program is made possible through a generous gift from longtime ULI member Randall Lewis. His $10 million gift to ULI set aside funds for District Council projects advancing sustainable and resilient land use in California and Nevada. The Center provides support for TAPs valued at $20,000-$35,000 at a $5,000 participation cost.
• City of NeedlescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025ULI Orange County/Inland Empire is partnering with the City of Needles to identify strategic opportunities for sustainable growth and resilience. The project focuses on how Needles can grow by attracting businesses and housing, thrive by addressing community needs, and mitigate extreme heat, infrastructure challenges, and safety concerns.
• ULI SacramentocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Six participating District Councils in the California-Nevada Technical Assistance Leadership Exchange program. Each government works with their closest ULI District Council to complete the program, fostering cross-regional collaboration on land use and climate resilience issues.
• ULI San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Six participating District Councils in the California-Nevada Technical Assistance Leadership Exchange program. Partnership aims to advance innovative solutions to regional land use and resilience issues through collaboration between governments and the real estate industry.
• ULI San FranciscocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Six participating District Councils in the California-Nevada Technical Assistance Leadership Exchange program. Collaborates on technical assistance panels and leadership exchange activities.
• ULI Los AngelescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Six participating District Councils in the California-Nevada Technical Assistance Leadership Exchange program. Works with local governments on resilience and land use challenges.
• ULI NevadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Six participating District Councils in the California-Nevada Technical Assistance Leadership Exchange program. Supports cross-state collaboration on climate resilience and land use issues.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BOMA International: Building Owners and Managers Association, a trade organization for commercial real estate professionals, with local chapters in Southern California. Closely comparable membership/conference model targeting the same real estate operators and asset managers.
• Lambda Alpha International: An honorary society for land economics and real estate professionals offering networking, lectures, and education. Comparable membership model focused on the same interdisciplinary land-use audience ULI OC/IE serves.
• NAIOP: The Commercial Real Estate Development Association, a U.S. trade association serving developers, owners, and investors of office, industrial, retail, and multifamily real estate — directly comparable to ULI OC/IE as a competing real-estate professional membership body serving the same OC/IE professionals.
• CCIM Institute: A leading commercial real estate association offering the CCIM designation, education, and networking to brokers, lenders, and investors. Comparable as a dues- and tuition-driven association serving commercial real estate practitioners.
• ICSC (Innovating Commerce Serving Communities): Formerly the International Council of Shopping Centers, ICSC is a member-based trade organization serving the retail real estate industry with networking, education, and events — a directly comparable membership-driven model targeting overlapping OC/IE real estate professionals.
• ULI San Diego: A neighboring ULI district council covering San Diego. Sister district council with shared programming, sponsorship models, and member profiles in Southern California real estate.
• CoreNet Global: A corporate real estate association serving professionals who manage real estate portfolios for major occupiers. Comparable as a membership/education/events model targeting the enterprise real estate community.
• ULI Los Angeles: Another ULI district council covering the Greater Los Angeles region. Most directly comparable as a sister district council with identical operating model, programs (LPCs, TAPs, CFL), and revenue structure.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Land Institute (ULI Global): The global parent organization of which ULI OC/IE is a district council. While not an external competitor, ULI Global is the closest functional analogue — a broader-incumbent real estate research/education organization whose brand, content, and infrastructure ULI OC/IE leverages and competes for member mindshare with.

Emerging players

• AIA Orange County: The local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, serving architects and design professionals in Orange County. Adjacent overlap with ULI OC/IE on built-environment programming, sponsorships, and joint events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ULIOCIE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-land-institute-ocie
• Instagraminstagram.com/uliorangecounty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ULI Orange County/Inland Empire