The Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation is extending its real estate mentorship platform into Indianapolis, marking the organization’s first formal expansion of the program into Indiana. The move introduces a new structured pathway for local college and university students to connect with experienced commercial real estate professionals active across the industry.
Based in the northern suburbs of Chicago, the foundation has already supported more than 2,200 students through its mentorship initiatives. The program has also engaged over 100 industry professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to help prepare emerging talent for careers in real estate. With the Indianapolis launch, that framework is being applied to a new market with its own growing base of real estate activity.
The mentorship program is designed to expose students to the full spectrum of career paths that exist within the commercial real estate ecosystem. Participating mentors bring experience in brokerage, capital and financial markets, development, investment, and property management, giving mentees direct access to practitioners who work across the deal cycle. The intent is to provide practical insights into how decisions are made, how projects and transactions are structured, and what skills are needed to succeed in the field.
In Indianapolis, the program will be overseen by a group of local industry leaders representing different corners of the business. Luke Lonneman of JLL, Ralph Shiley of Scannell Properties, and John Snell of Snell Real Estate Evaluation Company have been named to help guide and support the rollout. Their involvement connects the initiative to established firms with on-the-ground knowledge of the Indianapolis commercial real estate landscape.
Program organizers emphasize that the Indianapolis launch is intended to strengthen the region’s talent pipeline by pairing students with seasoned professionals who can provide mentorship, networking opportunities, and real-world context for classroom learning. By creating more structured engagement between higher education and the industry, the foundation aims to help students better understand career options while giving local practitioners a direct role in developing future colleagues.
Commenting on the expansion, Ralph Shiley of Scannell Properties framed the initiative as an opportunity for the Indianapolis real estate community to invest in its own long-term depth of talent. He noted that the mentorship program is designed to help cultivate the next generation of real estate leaders while keeping that talent connected to opportunities within the local market.
For Indianapolis-area students with an interest in commercial real estate, the program’s arrival offers access to experienced mentors working across brokerage, investment, development, and asset management disciplines. For participating professionals, it provides a structured platform to share market knowledge and career guidance with the next wave of industry entrants, aligning educational exposure with the needs of a dynamic real estate ecosystem.
