MHN’s Laura Valean talks to the woman shaping neighborhoods others once overlooked. Tune in for a conversation about risk, instinct and legacy.
When she was a little girl, Lissette Calderon used to walk hand in hand with her father on construction sites, dreaming of one day opening a company together. After he passed away while she was in high school, she carried forward his lessons about grit, work ethic and tenacity. Today, his influence remains present in every project she builds, and even in the next generation of her family.
This month, Mission Success: Women in Multifamily Host Laura Valean sits down with Calderon, founder & CEO of Neology Group, and one of the few women leading large-scale residential development in South Florida.
READ ALSO: Where Is the Most New Construction in the US?
Calderon reflects on leaving investment banking, a decision that once felt like failure but ultimately became the first time she truly trusted herself. She also revisits the risk of launching her first project, Neo Lofts, at 28, the fear of losing her lender after 9/11 and the conviction behind her long-term bets on the Miami River and Allapattah neighborhoods in Miami.
Beyond the buildings, Calderon speaks candidly about the responsibility developers carry toward residents, investors, teams and communities. She also talks about being a woman in real estate, why ambition should never be downplayed and what she hopes the next generation of women never has to prove.
Her story is one of vision, resilience and legacy, but also of learning how to build a healthier, stronger version of herself.
Here’s what Calderon and Valean talk about:
- (0:58) The influence of Calderon’s father
- (5:11) Understanding failure
- (7:40) Breaking ground on her first development
- (9:45) Seeing potential in new development areas
- (13:19) The moment that scared her the most
- (16:03) Intuition vs. spreadsheet
- (19:16) The emotional weight of bringing a project to life
- (21:10) Being a woman in the multifamily business
- (23:28) The next generation of female developers
- (28:12) What she’s building within herself
Follow, rate and review MHN’s podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and don’t forget to subscribe to MHN’s YouTube channel!
