Meet Our Leaders
Sara Sutachan
Sara is the Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for the California Association of REALTORS®. As head of the department, she oversees the association’s research and economics, industry and broker relations, membership development, fair housing and DEI efforts, and its charitable arm, the Housing Affordability Fund.
Sara is highly involved in the association’s strategic planning and has created several programs and strategic initiatives for its members.
She is a Co-Founder of WomanUP!®, C.A.R.'s Women's Initiative, designed to close the gender gap in the leadership of real estate firms. In her passion to affect change in this arena, Sara is dedicated to the empowerment of women through research, professional development, events, mentoring, and creating a community of advocates and support.
Sara is also responsible for identifying, building, maintaining, and reaching out to California Brokers in order to gain insights and spot emerging trends in the industry. In this role, she helps the Association establish vision, identify new and emerging opportunities and relationships, and is responsible for implementing key strategic initiatives.
​
When Sara is not strategizing or implementing new ideas, sharing her knowledge from the stage, or co-hosting the WomanUP!® weekly show, you will find her out adventuring and enjoying life with her two amazing children and loved ones!
Leslie Appleton-Young
Leslie Appleton-Young is a Co-Founder of the WomanUP!® initiative and former Senior Vice President and Chief Economist for the California Association of REALTORS®.
She is now semi-retired and working as a consultant at Keeping Current Matters while living her best life in Atlanta near her family - with her love, John.
She loves hosting her monthly WomanUP!® show "Coffee & Conversations with Leslie", joining us for the Shine a Light on Her interviews, mentoring the next generation, traveling with her loved ones, or riding her heart out on her Peloton!
​
​
Debra Trappen
Debra is an executive, intuitive consultant, women's initiatives creator, community builder, author, podcaster, and a dynamic, sought-after speaker at debratrappen.com. She has helped strategize WomanUP!® since the begininng.
​
Her days are divinely filled with events and projects allowing her to fire up and serve growth-minded leaders – with a passion for sparking women building their slice of the kingdom from the couch, carpool, cubicle, or corner office.
​
Debra's heart's desire is for every person to define and design their best life and thrive living it out loud, on purpose, and on their own terms. During her 19+ years in the real estate space, she has shared her truth, wrapped in grace with sides of sass, moxie, and fire with hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs in 60+ cities across the globe through her keynote talks, books, courses, workshops, retreats, and affirmations... and has been highlighted on dozens of podcasts.
When she is not idea-storming her next adventure, reading-writing-recording in her Fire Up! studio, or sprinkling moxie from the stage – you will find her in nature walking her pup, editing photos on her iPhone, writing haikus, or traveling wine tasting with her husband and her beloved circle!
Are you ready to engage, elevate, and empower yourself to live your best life?
She dares you!
