Why I Joined PS wrx

Solving Real Estate Blind Spots (and Breathing Easier)  By Jeannemarie Hendershot, VP of Partner Success

Our extraordinary team at PS wrx is solving one of the most common and expensive problems I faced during my career as a Chief Operating Officer (COO) of a small charter school network. 

Real estate blind spots.

As an educational leader, it's nearly impossible to make good real estate decisions when you don't know what you don't know. 

This was true for me. Real estate projects span many disciplines, ranging from engineering, architecture, financing, governance, construction contracts, zoning and regulatory compliance, to start the list. What I didn’t know could have cost us millions.

My Story Avoiding A Real Estate Hole 

When I became the COO of a network of charter schools in the Bronx we were in an exciting period of growth. This included opening a new girl’s school and managing the real estate project. 

Our broker found us a temporary space that "checked all the boxes," two floors in the right neighborhood at workable rent. 

We had a project manager ready to execute the renovations. 

School leadership was focused on preparing for the arrival of our new students.

Time was of the essence and my CEO and I felt pressure to execute the two year lease. 

But Ahkilah Johnson and Diane Flynn (then consulting for us on a minor unrelated issue, and today the founders of PS wrx) asked us for a quick call. They had heard through the grapevine that we were about to sign a lease. They shared that they had looked at the very same building and walked away.

We were due to sign the lease that afternoon, and we had been told by people helping us that we were good to go. Yet, Ahkilah and Diane were telling us something different - and something we didn’t really want to hear.  That fifteen minute call went on for an hour as we interrogated Ahkilah and Diane’s reasoning with more questions. But they ran us through the probabilities and their assessment of risks with such clarity and integrity that the decision we needed to make became clear. 

Even though we had put in months of work and money into this process we walked away from the lease. 

The very next day, part of the building’s facade collapsed.

That night, ABC 7 NY aired a story about falling bricks in the Bronx.

We had narrowly escaped safety risks to our new students, losing parents’ trust, and a financial blow that would have hurt our operations.

Yet, we'd been doing everything right. Like other schools we followed the recommended playbook. We had hired a broker, secured a qualified project manager, conducted site visits, and checked references.

But the playbook was missing the most critical piece: independent expertise that can see the whole picture and assess for feasibility and risk.

That's when I came to understand why PS wrx CEO Diane says the standard playbook is missing a critical piece - "an eye in the sky"—skilled expertise with the job of watching all of the pieces and how they intersect, not just each vendor's narrow scope.

Hiring PS wrx before they became PS wrx 

After that, instead of hiring a full time real estate manager we hired Ahikilah and Diane on a consulting basis to guide us through a complex web of real estate decisions. I am always careful when spending charter school operation dollars, wanting our resources to be put to the best use, so I admit I was nervous about the cost and the need for this expense. 

But, within a few months of working with Ahkilah and Diane the value became clear. Not only did we have access to their deep experience and guidance, they also brought with them a network of experts we tapped into when we needed. 

I was no longer scrambling or guessing on how to manage escalating real estate challenges. 

My CEO and I were breathing easier. 

Why I joined PS wrx 

I know what it is like as a charter school leader to be faced with monetary constraints while navigating complex and potentially expensive facility issues. 

This is why when PS wrx invited me to join, I said yes! I want to be part of the solution. 

PS wrx offers real estate and finance expertise (from the smallest detail to the widest lens) as part of their Plug In Services. Supporting  school leaders in navigating real estate and finance, and avoiding expensive and dangerous blind spots. 

Now, as the VP of Partner Success at PS wrx, I help brilliant charter school leaders spend wisely up front, so that mistakes are avoided and dollars are invested smartly. 

To make real estate decisions that support the long term success of their school with confidence.

To breathe easier. 

To focus on what they do best: educating the next generation of students.