IndyCREW Spotlight: Carrie Sermersheim, A People Person

While commercial real estate is the driving connector between the women and allies in our network, at IndyCREW, we take tremendous pride in elevating the individuals who work tirelessly to advance their communities and those around them. Carrie Sermersheim embodies these ethos—leveraging her life experiences, career opportunities, and passions to energetically push women to reach their fullest potential. Today, we’re thrilled to spotlight Carrie’s story.

Carrie is often described by others as a people person. She’s someone who is fiercely committed to elevating and uplifting others. However, many are surprised to learn that her passion for community-building stems from a lack of community earlier in her life.

“My upbringing lacked some supportive systems, and it’s not lost on me that the gap of support motivated me to be overly supportive of others,” Carrie reflected. “I recognized very early on that not having a support system left me disadvantaged when preparing to graduate, to navigate college, and to begin my life as a young professional. In many ways, those isolated moments really inspired me to lean more deeply into others and to help them navigate their lives with the support system I lacked.”

And despite the lack of support, Carrie has built an incredible career in the commercial real estate industry. After navigating college as a single mother, Carrie graduated from IUPUI- Indianapolis with a degree in construction management from Purdue University, and a passion for the CRE industry. Today, Carrie works on the Architecture team at American Structurepoint, focused on project development.

“I’m motivated by problem-solving, and I’ve found that the CRE industry offers me countless opportunities to creatively approach problems and identify solutions,” Carrie said. “At the same time, as my career has advanced, I’ve been able to forge meaningful industry connections that propel me professionally while fulfilling me personally.”

Like many professionals working in Central Indiana, Carrie was searching for ways to deepen her connections within the CRE industry—however, through IndyCREW, she found a space where she could also connect with other women who were balancing motherhood while building a career.

“IndyCREW has provided an incredible network where I’ve had access to women who have challenged, taught, and inspired my career journey,” said Carrie. “Over the last few years, as I’ve continued to deepen my involvement in IndyCREW, I’ve cultivated this special place where I can lean on the women around me when I face any challenge—in the boardroom or around my kitchen island.”

And it’s without question that IndyCREW has benefited from Carrie’s investments in the organization.

“One aspect of IndyCREW that makes the organization so unique is that our members truly are stewards of the organization—helping to create events and build meaningful experiences at every touchpoint,” said Kristin Hornberger, President of IndyCREW, and Director of Marketing, Cornerstone Companies, Inc. “As an IndyCREW committee chair, and a previous member of our Board of Directors, Carrie has had a tremendous impact on growing our organization and fostering greater community within the network.”

In various volunteer capacities, Carrie has rolled up her sleeves to help improve IndyCREW—pushing the chapter to evolve the 2023 marquee fundraiser; the Golf Outing. She creatively organized an event theme that permeated through the experience, offering activations at every hole on the course. Her contributions to the event helped drive registration and attendance of the event creating a buzz of momentum throughout the network.

Furthermore, Carrie has played a tremendous role in IndyCREW’s strategic planning efforts working alongside CREW Network Chapter Services. The strategic planning activities have promise to provide a tactical roadmap to ensure the organization's sustainability and success well into the future.

And finally, with a nod to her passion for investing in others, Carrie’s impact can be seen in the advancement of women through UCREW and through her support of the CREW Network Foundation. In 2022 and 2023, Carrie served on the global CREW Scholarship Review Committee. She now advises Indiana scholarship applicants seeking CREW Network scholarships and internships in CRE.

“My participation in IndyCREW, and other organizations in the community, isn’t just rewarding—it’s inspiring,” Carrie reflected. “This industry has provided me with a career with meaningful opportunities to advance my purpose as a mother of three, a woman, and a wife. I’m honored to support other women in commercial real estate as they look to make their mark at home, at work, and in their communities.”

To learn more about Carrie, we invite you to connect with her on LinkedIn. Be sure to connect with IndyCREW on social media to catch our next spotlight!