In a year fraught with challenges, this tenacious group of businesswomen rose to the occasion, overcoming obstacles placed in their paths through creative thinking and ingenuity. That’s the same spirit with which they have led their entire careers.
The Philadelphia Business Journal is proud to announce our 2021 Women of Distinction.
Scientists, lawyers, educators, doctors, philanthropists – this year’s honorees come from vastly different backgrounds and professions, but they all share common qualities: leadership and vision.
In a year fraught with challenges, this tenacious group of businesswomen rose to the occasion, overcoming obstacles placed in their paths through creative thinking and ingenuity. That’s the same spirit with which they have led their entire careers.
Representing industries including banking, higher education, engineering, health care, nonprofit, aviation, biotechnology, hospitality and law, each of these women have demonstrated professional aplomb time and again.
Now in its 26th year, the Women of Distinction program recognizes women in the business community who are blazing a trail at their respective companies, are respected for accomplishments within their industries, give back to the community and are sought out as respected advisors and mentors.
The honorees were selected by the Philadelphia Business Journal’s editors from nominations made by the public. This year’s nominations totaled more than 160.
In addition to our Women of Distinction honorees, we are also recognizing four individuals as our “Rising Stars.” Sponsored and selected by the Forum of Executive Women, these Rising Stars are 35 years of age or younger and have demonstrated excellence early in their careers.
The Business Journal will recognize all of these distinguished women at a live event at the Crystal Tea Room on Nov. 18 and in a special print edition of the paper on Nov. 19.
Congratulations to this year’s Women of Distinction Honorees!
Partner, MPN Realty
Education: B.S., economics and Spanish, UCLA
From an early age, Veronica Blum was exposed to business and real estate. Both of her grandmothers invested in apartment buildings in Los Angeles, near where Blum grew up. Following in their footsteps, Blum began her career in real estate over two decades ago. With Philadelphia-based MPN Realty for 16 years, Blum has continually worked to expand its team, launching a retail leasing division in 2008. Her goal is to not only aid clients, but the people she works with. “Helping people build passive income portfolios that eventually lead to generational wealth is a major motivator,” she said. Throughout her career, Blum has become instrumental in numerous transactions, which range from retail and restaurants to multifamily and mixed-use development. She’s worked with the restaurateurs behind concepts like Sabrina’s Café and Vedge, as well as business giants like Citizens Bank, Gopuff, and Sherwin Williams. One of the youngest women to become a partner in a Philadelphia CoStar Power Broker Firm, she’s completed over $1 billion in sales and more than 550,000 square feet in leases over the past five years. “I love the challenge of encouraging thoughtful commercial corridors in our residential communities,” she said.
The biggest challenge women face: I believe we often get in our own way. Sometimes being a woman is an advantage. Other times, it can be an obstacle. It is usually a situation I can control with my own attitude and negotiation skills.
How she’s uplifting other women: I truly believe our great culture is made stronger and deeper in sisterhood. Women can bring calm, problem solving, supportive energy to the playing field. To uplift others, I make myself and my knowledge available to my teammates and to women at residential or other commercial firms.
How the pandemic has changed how she leads: Empathy is the baseline. We are all striving for happiness and security.
A piece of advice she’d give her younger self: Trust your intuition.
If she could dedicate more time to something it would be: My garden.
A distinguishing moment in her career so far: In my first career, I was offered many title promotions but my compensation was always subjective. I wanted to have more control over my income and insisted on production-based compensation. Putting together the successful argument that the change was in the owner’s best interest was a breakthrough moment for me.
Something she’d like to achieve in the next year: I would like all 14 agents in our office to surpass their commission goals in 2022.
Hobbies: I love go to flea markets abroad and bring home small pieces of glass or art.
