Women in CRE: Katy Slade
The founder of Mintwood uses real estate to solve complex problems.
Katy Slade loves being creative and solving puzzles that have tangible outcomes. So, it’s no wonder she gravitated toward commercial real estate.
“Real estate allows me to piece together spatial and quantitative problems to build communities,” said the founder & principal of Mintwood, a Dallas-based developer of mixed-use, multifamily and hospitality projects.
Mintwood, which Slade started in 2018 with partner Nick Venghaus, has built or is developing 890 residences, 125,000 square feet of retail space and 64 hotel rooms. One of Mintwood’s recent projects is The Oakhouse, a 219-unit affordable and market-rate multifamily property at 900 E. Colorado Blvd. in Dallas. Other projects include Peridot Luxury Apartments, an award-winning conversion project at Santander Tower in downtown Dallas that transformed office space into 292 apartments.
Slade, who graduated cum laude from Harvard University and holds a master’s degree in urban planning and real estate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, has entitled and built award-winning mixed-use projects around the country for institutional owners. As a project manager for Western Development Corp. in Washington, D.C., she worked on the Georgetown Park Mall redevelopment and Washington Nationals baseball stadium public-private partnership.
Rising accomplishments
In 2007, she joined Gables Residential, serving as area vice president of investment for more than a decade. She sourced multifamily and mixed-use investment opportunities in Dallas and managed investments in Southern California. Project highlights included developing Gables McKinney Ave, a 239-unit mixed-use property with a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market.
“My favorite memory is walking down the streets of Uptown Dallas on the day that Whole Foods Market opened in our building and seeing previously empty sidewalks activated with people walking from their nearby office buildings to get lunch,” Slade recalled.
Slade said she knew she had the experience to start Mintwood after working on large, complex projects. She also had a teammate in Venghaus whose construction expertise complemented her skillset.
“I saw a lot of opportunities to create exceptional multifamily and mixed-use developments, and I wanted to be able to work with a variety of partners,” Slade said.
Her advice to aspiring leaders: Always be on your A-game and be open to possibilities. “Take every opportunity that comes your way to show people that you are reliable, inquisitive and will make the best of the situation. You will quickly rise to the top once you gain trust and confidence of those around you.”
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