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Niki Cordell

Connecting D2C Brands to Physical Retail - National Director of Retail Development - Brookfield Properties

Professional Background

Niki Cordell is a highly accomplished professional with a passion for excellence and a commitment to fostering growth in Direct to Consumer brands and digitally native vertical brands (DNVBs). As the Director of Retail Development at Brookfield Properties, Niki has developed a reputation for her strategic insight and negotiating prowess in real estate. With over 11 years of transactional deal-making experience, Niki specializes in leasing street storefronts, urban mixed-use developments, and regional shopping centers. Her deep understanding of the retail landscape allows her to provide valuable guidance to brands seeking to expand their physical presence while navigating the complexities of real estate investments.

Niki's skill set is particularly notable when it comes to flagship locations, pop-up shops, mobile truck tours, and kiosks. She has honed her expertise in curating beautiful shopping destinations that resonate with consumers while addressing the unique pain points that online brands often face when venturing into the brick-and-mortar space. Niki's ability to recall pertinent factual information and analyze market economics makes her a valuable asset to any team she collaborates with.

Education and Achievements

Niki Cordell's educational foundation is built on her studies in Business Administration at the University of Iowa’s Henry B. Tippie College of Business, which provided her with a strong grounding in business principles that serve her well in her professional endeavors. In addition, Niki enhanced her educational experience by studying at the University of Newcastle, further broadening her perspective on global business practices and retail developments.

In her 11 years in the industry, Niki has distinguished herself not just through her professional accomplishments, but also through her unwavering commitment to mentorship and community service. Her involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters demonstrates her dedication to empowering the next generation. For the past six years, Niki has played a crucial role in revitalizing the Site Based Mentoring Program at Brookfield, offering individualized support to 20 at-risk youth. Furthermore, her leadership contributions as an Officer of the Leadership Board and Co-Chair of the Funds Development Committee from 2012 to 2014 helped raise over $400,000, showcasing her ability to leverage her skills for philanthropic efforts.

Achievements

  • Over 11 years of experience in transactional deal-making focusing on retail real estate.
  • Expertise in flagship location leasing, pop-up shops, and mixed-use developments.
  • Successfully negotiated leases that have led to the formation of unique shopping experiences for retail brands.
  • Instrumental in the revival of Brookfield's Site Based Mentoring Program, positively impacting at-risk youth in the community.
  • Contributed to fundraising efforts exceeding $400,000 for community initiatives during her tenure with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Niki Cordell continues to make significant contributions to the retail development field with her strategic insights, negotiation skills, and a strong commitment to community service.

Highlights

Aug 21 · linkedin

📣 Life Update (getting personal and vulnerable)…I started a kids cooking school on the side and am now going all in!!

Junior Chefs Kitchen provides hands-on cooking classes infused with nutrition education for ages 2-18.

Some of you know that I opened the JCK brick-and-mortar Studio in Lincoln Park, Chicago November 2023 while still working full time in tech sales (and trying to be a present mother to my 3 young kids). As of last week, I have decided to go for it and work full time at JCK!!! This is a nerve racking decision but the right one for me, my family and JCK. The demand has exceeded expectations and there are big growth plans so I want to be "all in" (a la Scott Galloway or the sharks on #sharktank).    And in the 9 months we’ve been open, we’ve done some incredible things:  📚 Doubled our after school partnerships - now in 16 north side programs, both CPS and private schools 🎉 Forged a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago 🥑 Created over 200 teaching recipes 👨‍🍳 Cooked, ate and taught over 150 kids per week in studio classes and after school programs 🌞 Summer camp was 90% sold out (our first summer!!) teaching over 1,250 kids! 🍽 Partnered with 15 restaurants for Field Trips  🍪 Helped a few Girl Scout Troops earn badges (more to come there!!) 🧁 Baked tens of thousands cupcakes for our Birthday Parties.  🥫 Donated over 400 pounds of food via our partnership with Nourishing Hope 🥦 Composted over 815 pounds with WasteNot, Inc.

Here’s why you should check us out - in person, on social or subscribe to our weekly newsletter:    💙 We give parents a break from battling with their kids to try new foods!!  💜 Our Junior Chefs learn life skills - like knife safety, cooperation, patience, teamwork, collaboration, math, and science. ❤️ We are the only kids cooking school in Chicagoland that cooks with meat, fish and poultry as young as 2 years old.  🧡 JCK works with a Registered Dietitian that ensures our recipes are nutrient dense and provides the curriculum for staff to share these factoids.

And if you’re still reading 🤣, here’s what’s next: scouting two (2) additional studios in Chicago (West Loop, South Loop, Wicker Park) with the goal to start franchising in late 2025. I want to give local entrepreneurs a way to tap their network with a proven, scalable business model that earns 30% + net margin with a powerful mission.

Please join me in this adventure: ✔️ Subscribe to our weekly Wednesday newsletter full of recipes, nutrition info and happenings around town. ✔️ Follow us on Instagram / Facebook for daily info & bts reels. ✔️ Join a class! Your first class is 40% off with code JCKFall2024

And there are SO many people that have helped along the way I’d like to thank: Jonathon Cordell Amy Hoffar Cheronis Genevieve Custer Weeks Abby Phelps Philip Rosenzweig Lena Eliopoulos Michael Wexler Michael Chin David Blitz LG Group & many more!

Happy Cooking!

https://lnkd.in/gN8e8peD

Aug 21 · linkedin

📣 Life Update (getting personal and vulnerable)…I started a kids cooking school on the side and am now going all in!!

Junior Chefs Kitchen provides hands-on cooking classes infused with nutrition education for ages 2-18.

Some of you know that I opened the JCK brick-and-mortar Studio in Lincoln Park, Chicago November 2023 while still working full time in tech sales (and trying to be a present mother to my 3 young kids). As of last week, I have decided to go for it and work full time at JCK!!! This is a nerve racking decision but the right one for me, my family and JCK. The demand has exceeded expectations and there are big growth plans so I want to be "all in" (a la Scott Galloway or the sharks on #sharktank).    And in the 9 months we’ve been open, we’ve done some incredible things:  📚 Doubled our after school partnerships - now in 16 north side programs, both CPS and private schools 🎉 Forged a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago 🥑 Created over 200 teaching recipes 👨‍🍳 Cooked, ate and taught over 150 kids per week in studio classes and after school programs 🌞 Summer camp was 90% sold out (our first summer!!) teaching over 1,250 kids! 🍽 Partnered with 15 restaurants for Field Trips  🍪 Helped a few Girl Scout Troops earn badges (more to come there!!) 🧁 Baked tens of thousands cupcakes for our Birthday Parties.  🥫 Donated over 400 pounds of food via our partnership with Nourishing Hope 🥦 Composted over 815 pounds with WasteNot, Inc.

Here’s why you should check us out - in person, on social or subscribe to our weekly newsletter:    💙 We give parents a break from battling with their kids to try new foods!!  💜 Our Junior Chefs learn life skills - like knife safety, cooperation, patience, teamwork, collaboration, math, and science. ❤️ We are the only kids cooking school in Chicagoland that cooks with meat, fish and poultry as young as 2 years old.  🧡 JCK works with a Registered Dietitian that ensures our recipes are nutrient dense and provides the curriculum for staff to share these factoids.

And if you’re still reading 🤣, here’s what’s next: scouting two (2) additional studios in Chicago (West Loop, South Loop, Wicker Park) with the goal to start franchising in late 2025. I want to give local entrepreneurs a way to tap their network with a proven, scalable business model that earns 30% + net margin with a powerful mission.

Please join me in this adventure: ✔️ Subscribe to our weekly Wednesday newsletter full of recipes, nutrition info and happenings around town. ✔️ Follow us on Instagram / Facebook for daily info & bts reels. ✔️ Join a class!  Your first class is 40% off with code JCKFall2024

And there are SO many people that have helped along the way I’d like to thank: Jonathon Cordell Amy Hoffar Cheronis Genevieve Custer Weeks Abby Phelps Philip Rosenzweig Lena Eliopoulos Michael Wexler Michael Chin David Blitz LG Group & many more!

Happy Cooking!

https://lnkd.in/gN8e8peD

Related Questions

How did Niki Cordell develop her expertise in real estate growth strategies for DNVBs?
What inspired Niki Cordell to become involved in mentoring young people, particularly through Big Brothers Big Sisters?
How does Niki Cordell utilize her educational background in Business Administration to inform her work in retail development?
In what ways has Niki Cordell's experience with urban mixed-use developments shaped her approach to curating shopping destinations?
What challenges does Niki Cordell face when transitioning online brands to physical retail spaces, and how does she address them?
Niki Cordell
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Location

Chicago, Illinois, United States