 | THE SPECS:
Company: Rise Pittsburgh
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Property Type: Industrial & Office Specialist
Year Built with SIOR: 2020
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OVERVIEW - Why She’s the Real Deal
From serving up points on the pickleball court to scoring the deal in the office, Kim Ford, SIOR, plays to win. As CEO at Rise Pittsburgh, Kim holds over 25 years of leadership experience in commercial real estate. In 2022, she was named a CREi Top National Twitter Influencer, and reached #14 on the list of top 140 LinkedIn Influencers in CRE. Out of the boardroom she is a mother, a triathlete, and an amateur pilot. She’s more than just an SIOR.
HIGHLIGHTS - Get to Know Kim
SIOR Report: What’s the first job you ever had?
Kim Ford, SIOR: My first job was take-out food at a Chinese restaurant from behind the bar.
SR: What fictional place would you like to visit?
KF: The Big Apple City in Strawberry Shortcake.
SR: What unique skill you have that others might not know about?
KF: I am a FAA licensed small unmanned aircraft pilot. I’m not very good at it though.
SR: Describe yourself in three words.
KF: Determined, competitive, and passionate.
SR: What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever done? And / or describe a time you went out of your comfort zone.
KF: I live out of my comfort zone. I’ve learned to be comfortable being uncomfortable. My 13-year-old daughter and I rode our bikes 350 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. I hiked 35.1 miles in one day on very challenging terrain on the Rachel Carson trail.
SR: What is the weirdest way you’ve been injured?
KF: I play competitive pickleball and lose toenails quite often.
SR: Name three things you would bring with you on a desert island.
KF: A helicopter, pilot, and sunscreen.
SR: What life skill do you wish you had cultivated or were better at?
KF: I wish someone would have taught me that not all money is created equal. When I launched my start-up proptech company, I quicky learned that $100k from one person is not the same as $100k from another person. As an example, the first person might understand the business and read all your updates. The second person calls every week questioning everything you do.
SR: What inspires you?
KF: The endless opportunity to do better.
SR: What’s your favorite quote and why?
KF: I have so many, but one of my favorites is: “Your circle should want to see you win. Your circle should clap the loudest when you have good news. If they don’t, get a new circle.” - Wesley Snipes
SR: What problem or situation did TV / movies make you think would be common, but when you grew up you found out it wasn’t?
KF: TV and movies make success look so easy. Nothing amazing is easy.
SR: Who is someone who changed your life and why or how?
KF: My children. They’ve forced me to continually set the best example I can and provide them every opportunity for success.
SR: If you could have a personal motto, what would it be?
KF: I am not done.