Chalamala welcomes the chance to continue shaping budding PropTech club

Second-year MBA student Siddardha Chalamala has been appointed president of the MBA PropTech Club for the 2026–27 academic year. Chalamala holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture and has worked in architecture since 2011 in both India and Los Angeles. Before pursuing his MBA, he worked as a senior consultant for Gehry Technologies advising on advanced technology and project delivery strategies within the AECO industries.

We spoke with Sid about his vision for the club as it enters its second year as an official student organization and first year as a US PropTech Council student chapter.

What sparked your passion for PropTech, and how has it impacted your MBA journey?

I came to business school with a background in architecture and BIM consulting, including work at Gehry Technologies, where I saw firsthand how much technology could change what was buildable. While I came to Kenan-Flagler to learn about the capital structures behind the built environment, I’ve also been focused on the latest tools at the cutting edge of real estate.

Why did you choose to be part of the MBA PropTech Club, and what value do you think it brings to UNC Kenan-Flagler students?

I think students entering the industry today will be expected to understand both the fundamentals and the technology reshaping it. The PropTech Club is where those two conversations meet. Students get exposure to founders, investors, and operators in this space through the various club activities and events.

What inspired you to apply for the role of Club President?

We’re a budding club at Kenan-Flagler and the opportunity to genuinely shape what it becomes was hard to pass up. My background sits at the intersection of design, technology and development, so I felt I could help build a great resource for future cohorts.

PropTech Club is still relatively new to UNC Kenan-Flagler. What is your vision for the club during your term, and what initiatives are you most excited about seeing grow?

My goal is to build on our existing platform to have more consistent programming, industry relationships, and a pipeline of students who see PropTech as a viable career path. I am also very excited about our work to become the first US PropTech Council student chapter in the country, which would connect our members directly to a national network of operators and investors. The Housing Innovation Challenge is also something new and helped us explore modular construction in affordable housing. We’re excited to see our project come to life in Charlotte.

How do you hope to positively impact the UNC Kenan-Flagler community through your leadership?

I want the club to be accessible and interesting to all students, including those without a background in real estate or technology. The most useful thing we can offer isn’t another panel; it’s hands on sessions with tools and working on real life projects like the Housing Innovation Challenge. If the club can help someone have a clearer sense of where they fit in this industry, that’s a win.

Where do you see yourself professionally in five years, and how does PropTech fit into that vision?

Short term, I’d like to work in development or investments where I can leverage my experience in large scale, complex architectural work. Long term, I want to build my own development company where technology makes it economically feasible to build for communities, not just for returns.

What’s one PropTech trend or innovation you think everyone should be paying attention to right now?

While I’ve been tracking modular construction, robotics and AR/VR tools for a while, AI is reshaping our industry, as it is every other industry. Work that used to take an analyst a week can now be done in an afternoon and that changes which deals and how many of them are looked at. Anyone entering real estate should understand that shift.

What advice would you give to students who are curious about PropTech but unsure where to start?

Draw on your experience to find something inefficient in the real estate industry and get curious about how you might solve that inefficiency with technology. Our club will give you exposure to some really great minds to have conversations about your ideas and questions.

How can other students get involved with the club?

Come to our events, become a first-year liaison, or join our club meetings. Follow us on our communication channels like WhatsApp, LinkedIn and through the Wood Center. Feel free to directly reach out to me. We’re actively looking for students who want to help build our budding club!