MARY GOLDSMITH–MAHONEY
Women Light The World began as a dream for Mary Goldsmith–Mahoney.
In 2015, she took a short break from her high-octane professional life and participated in a medical mission to Nepal. Mary has always been committed to giving back: She has successfully completed four New York City Triathlons, raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; she volunteers regularly at Gotham's Burden Center for the Aged and works the galley detail at the Rutgers Soup Kitchen.
Mary has always been incisive at identifying situations where her skills are a match for charitable work, where she can make a real difference.
Observing the lack of reliable energy in the fabric of the daily lives of the Nepalese village residents whom the mission was serving, she started musing about what she could do to change that. She lit upon the idea of bringing "power to the people" in the form or renewable, sustainable solar power. More importantly, she was eager to support and empower the women of these remote and isolated villages. She was determined to find the solution to two problems at once.
And, she did: She formed the nonprofit WLTW and teamed up with India-based Barfoot College International. Together, they were able to identify the women who would be the agents of change, train them, and transfer all that knowledge and know-how to the sites in Nepal where the need for solar power was greatest. Over the course of two years, they overcame unexpected challenges thrown at them, to bring this solar power [hyperlink to the story of the first installations from Mary's trip] to these remote, rural villages,
Mary is a veteran problem-solver: Two words that do not exist in her lexicon—"no" and "impossible." She began her career with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Pratt Institute and landed a coveted position at Swanke, Hayden, Connell Architects, the prominent international architecture, interiors, and historic-preservation firm; Mary became the first female associate principal, in the 75-year history of the prestigious organization. She also worked for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, New York, the legendary architecture firm. Armed with this solid CV, and nearly 40 years in various aspects of commercial real estate, she is accustomed to meeting challenging and complicated situations head on. She has managed teams of disparate professionals, forming a cohesive unit as they undertake complex, challenging projects worldwide, always achieving successful conclusions.
A licensed, commercial real estate broker, Mary started her own firm in 1999, Great Circle Real Estate, LLC, providing her international clients with turn-key services, from market and financial analyses, site assessment, lease-negotiation, construction management, interior design, and branding/marketing. She has served clients as chief operating officer and interim president, offering vital and valuable services, in her specialty areas—hospitality, retail, and food service.
For Mary, finding ways to meet the obstacles presented by working remotely from halfway around the world is a snap. She knows how to get things done, regardless of how daunting the task may be. She sees a problem and shines a light on it. And in WLTW, she is doing just that—literally, virtually, and figuratively.