Bess Freedman

Sometimes business leadership is about the choices you make that don’t have anything to do with business. Prioritizing a culture of inclusion and political participation in 2021, Bess Freedman recognized Juneteenth as a company holiday and gave every employee the day off for Election Day, enrolling Brown Harris Stevens in the Time to Vote movement, a non-partisan initiative meant to encourage greater election participation in the business community.

Freedman also spearheaded the company’s involvement in the Business Coaltion’s support for the federal Equality Act codifying protections for the LGBTQ+ community. Recognizing her efforts and powerful voice, Freedman was awarded the New York Real Estate Board’s Kenneth R. Gerrety Humanitarian Award, recognizing her “outstanding service to the community.” The 2,500 agents spread across 55 offices that look to Freedman for leadership could not have asked for a better example of empathy, participation and activism in 2021.