Jean Carroon, principal at architecture firm Goody Clancy, wants to save our world by saving our buildings.

A devotion to social justice has guided Elyse Cherry’s decisions and helped shape her career. From her upbringing in working-class Revere to her onetime role as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, the CEO of Boston Community Capital has long had a passion for helping others.

Don’t let her inclusion in the 2018 Best Lawyers in America fool you: Lydia Chesnick’s original career plan had nothing to do with the law.

Whenever an agent gets an offer accepted at True Home Partners at Coldwell Banker, the Cambridge-based team has a ritual, said founder and team leader Lisa Drapkin: Everyone dances to the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.

Cheryl Eidinger-Taylor was looking for a new house for her family in 1990 when she asked her real estate agent if she enjoyed her job. Eidinger-Taylor, who had just given birth to her second child, was on a leave of absence from her supervisory position at an electronics firm in Hopkinton. Encouraged by the agent, she decided to take the plunge and try a new career path.

With a demanding job in the construction industry, a young son at home and her first daughter due in a matter of days, Krista Evans says late-night email sessions are one of the only ways to keep on top of her job.

After helping lay the groundwork for Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s 1.8-million-square-foot Kendall Square redevelopment, Meredith Harris has settled down in the suburbs and is maintaining Marlborough’s momentum as a Metrowest economic development success story.

Barbara Heinemann never thought of herself as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Throughout her career, including over 17 years at Eastern Bank, Heinemann worked hard, provided results and was recognized for them.

Mary Marshall was exposed at an early age to real estate development by both her father and mother.

Janice Morse has spent almost 41 years at Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank. She started as a teller in 1974 and worked her way up to president and CEO in 2011.

It’s not often that someone gets involved with real estate by way of raising taxes, but that’s the story for Linda O’Kowniewski, CEO of Leading Edge Real Estate.

When Marie Presti describes herself as a lifelong learner, the broker/owner of The Presti Group and 2017 Greater Boston Realtor of the Year is not using the phrase lightly.

After giving she had her son, Dorothy Savarese was looking for a job that would allow her to cut back on the frequent traveling that came with her first career in economic development and spend more time with her family. But what started as a way to settle down quickly turned into a thriving career.

When it comes to urban planning, some might say the best part of a project is the design phase, the groundbreaking or the opening. For Lisa Serafin, however, the best part is what comes after.

Regan Shields Ives was attracted to a career in architecture very early in life.

Debbie Sousa, executive director of the Massachusetts Mortgage Bankers Association, learned political and community involvement at an early age from her parents: Her dad was a Haverhill city council, and her mom ran the local hospital. By the time she was 5, Sousa was already a seasoned campaigner, attending rallies and holding signs for various causes. She says her mom, in particular, was an inspiration.

A self-described washed-up music major, Julieann Thurlow didn’t exactly choose her current career. But after learning about community banking and lending, she was hooked.