Jordan Davis, BBA ’17: Giving Back by Guiding Forward
Facilitating mentorship has been a passion for Jordan Davis, BBA ’17 since his days at the Ross School of Business. Now, through his role on the Weiser Center for Real Estate advisory board, it’s become a powerful way to give back and pave the way for others.
Building a stronger foundation for real estate at Ross
As a second-generation University of Michigan alum, Davis’s decision to choose U-M and, more specifically, Michigan Ross, was a no-brainer. He’d grown up dreaming of one day working in real estate and was eager to make his mark and start forging valuable connections in the industry.
“Real estate is a relationship-driven field, which perfectly aligns with who I am,” Davis said.
At my core, I am a people person, and I am dedicated to investing the time it takes to build lasting relationships.
As a BBA student at Ross, Davis leaned into his strengths and poured his energy into learning as much as possible about real estate and creating connections with peers, professors, and alums. However, as he became increasingly involved, especially as co-president of the Michigan Real Estate Club, Davis realized that there were opportunities to add even more to his experience and the experiences of other students interested in real estate.
“One of the most compelling aspects of a Michigan education is its holistic, multidisciplinary approach, which really broadens your perspective,” Davis explained. “At the same time, I was continually inspired by the strength of our real estate alumni network, one of the largest and most influential in the world. I was always looking for ways to harness that energy and reconnect it to the student experience.”
He was looking for mentorship: direct connections to the generations of influential real estate giants who had graduated from Michigan Ross. Beyond the school’s eponymous Stephen M. Ross and Jeff T. Blau, Davis recognized that there were countless U-M real estate alums that students could benefit from having in their network. So, he decided to help his peers find them.
Davis played a key role in transforming the Michigan Real Estate Club into a networking hub, connecting students across Ross and U-M with industry professionals aligned with their interests. After graduation, the impact of building these bridges between students and alums in the real estate field stayed with him, along with many of the professional relationships he had cultivated, and he was determined to carry that dedication into his career.
Giving back and moving forward
Davis’s dedication to his work and passion for developing professional relationships were brought back into the sphere of Michigan Ross in 2024 by a close U-M connection — Cynthia Radecki, the assistant dean for advancement at the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at U-M.
With the Weiser Center for Real Estate at Michigan Ross expanding its advisory board, Radecki encouraged Davis to reconnect with his Michigan Ross roots and introduced him to Bill Bubniak, faculty director of the Weiser Center. Davis was offered an opportunity to rejoin the real estate community he had once helped strengthen, this time from the alumni side.
“I am immensely grateful to Cindy, a mentor of mine over the last decade, for making the connection to Bill,” Davis said. “The Weiser Board is filled with incredible alumni who share a common goal of making Michigan’s real estate program the best in the country. I consider it an honor to support this effort.”
Mentorship momentum
Determined to strengthen the real estate ecosystem at Ross and U-M, Davis recommitted to a mission he first embraced as a student: helping current students build meaningful connections with alums. It’s a mission rooted in one of the greatest advantages of being a Ross student, he says — the strength of the school’s strong and supportive alumni network.
“The thought process was simple: create a program I would have loved as a student, tapping into the best advice from alums at amazing companies,” Davis said.
What could be more practical than unfiltered advice from a recent graduate or seasoned alum? For a student, I felt it was invaluable.
Davis devoted weeks of his personal time to building a meaningful, structured mentorship program. Driven by a commitment to student success, he set out to ensure the experience wouldn’t feel transactional or overwhelming for the alums offering their time. His solution: a one-to-one model, where every student who signed up would be paired with a single, dedicated mentor.
“I think initially there was a little healthy skepticism of, ‘Do you really think that that's feasible?’” Davis laughed. “But I said ‘absolutely’. One of the most fulfilling aspects of the process was conducting organic outreach to identify great mentors. Through LinkedIn, I connected with dozens of alums I never would have met if not for this program. Funny enough, many are now close friends; a lesson in itself!”
Davis personally matched 150 students with 150 alumni mentors in the real estate space, including 90 students from Michigan Ross alone. With 300 students and alums participating, the mentorship program is now the largest active program of its kind at U-M and one of the largest in the country.
The impact was immediate and mutually rewarding, delivering real value to both students and alums. Students gained trusted mentors to help navigate the early stages of their careers and alums were introduced to a pipeline of talented, motivated individuals eager to learn and make their mark in the industry. And, for Davis, it satisfied a goal he’d been working on since he was a BBA himself.
“The response has been tremendous,” said Davis. “We have alumni participating from 120 unique real estate firms, 15 major cities, and virtually every discipline of the industry. It’s exactly what I could have hoped for: grassroots engagement across the Michigan real estate community. What could be better?”
The intentional, community-driven approach was felt by program mentors, too.
“From the moment I was paired with my mentee, I could tell that a great deal of thought and intention had gone into creating these matches,” said Spencer Dziuba, BBA ’23, a mentor participating in the program.
For students, the experience succeeded in providing meaningful connections that went far beyond a single meeting.
“This was the first time I was able to build a genuine relationship with a senior manager in the industry,” said Kabir Singh, BBA ’25, a participating student. “In a low-stakes environment, I could learn what it takes to succeed.”
“I learned about the mentorship program through a faculty member in U-M’s athletic department and immediately submitted my application. I didn’t know it then, but that decision would become one of the most impactful I’ve made during my time at U-M,” added Philippe Lapointe, BA ’24, Real Estate Development ’25, Davis’s mentee. “Jordan guided me through every aspect of professional development. He even helped identify real estate modeling opportunities I could pursue during the school year.”
This experience exemplified the strength of the U-M network and reminded me how powerful support and mentorship can be. I hope to one day pay it forward by mentoring U-M students just as Jordan did for me.
Connection is the greatest investment
To students and alums interested in pursuing careers in real estate, Davis’s advice is simple: make connections, real ones.
“One of my favorite lyrics is from a song by U2: ‘You don’t have to go it alone.’ That sentiment perfectly captures my experience at Michigan Ross, where I was continually supported by alums who invested in my success. To hear that students’ trajectories are being positively impacted through this program is incredible. My advice to students: Focus on building long-term relationships today. It can make all the difference.”
Get involved as a mentor or mentee
To learn more about how to get involved with the Weiser Center's real estate mentorship program as an alum or current student, please contact Jordan Davis or Natalie Keene.
