Making innovation work: A conversation with JLL Spark’s Carolyn Trickett

Carolyn Trickett, Growth Principal at JLL Spark Global Ventures, has lived and breathed the intersection of real estate operations and technology innovation at ground level for many years. 

With over 30 years of experience driving technology transformation across a range of industries, Carolyn brings a unique perspective shaped by hands-on systems delivery. Prior to joining JLL Spark, Carolyn spent 12 years leading technology strategy for JLL’s Asia Pacific Property & Asset Management business, where she directed multi-year enterprise platform rollouts across nine countries. 

Deep operational experience of how real estate technology can enhance business productivity now informs her role at JLL Spark, where she helps built world tech startups navigate the complex realities of enterprise adoption.  

Which parts of JLL do you work with most? 

Each growth lead looks after a portfolio of startup companies, appropriate to specific JLL business lines. 

My primary focus is the property management division, but some of my portfolio companies are also relevant for other divisions as well.  This means our team works very closely to support each other, and I’m constantly learning about different parts of our business. 

How does the Growth team differentiate JLL Spark from other corporate VCs? 

We are not just investors – we are active partners genuinely focused on making these technologies work within JLL, and through JLL, to our clients.  

Our collaboration with the business starts early, when we are assessing a potential investment.  We learn about the product, exploring potential use cases within the business, and work with stakeholders to get buy-in. Through these discussions, we also gain insights into our business teams’ strategic priorities and operational challenges, which helps us identify where technology solutions might have the greatest impact.” 

Once an investment is closed, the assigned Growth Principal works closely with the company to understand the product and design a growth strategy. 

An important part of this step is helping them navigate working with a large organization. JLL can sometimes be a jungle and I see my role as helping to swing the right vines to get to the best fruit. 

Corporate scaling challenges and successes  

What are the biggest scaling challenges within JLL? 

One big challenge is change management when adopting new technologies in such a large business.  JLL’ s property management business has well-established workflows within an ecosystem of applications. We can’t just give thousands of people access and ask them to start using a new tool.  Introducing a new product requires a specific approach to understanding the impacted business process, the people involved in that process, and analysing how their process will need to change to incorporate the new technology. This activity requires dedicated staff with the right skill set – and the budget to support them. 

Can you share examples of how you’ve helped portfolio companies scale? 

One great example of this is our work with HqO, a tenant experience platform. Their product integrates perfectly into JLL’s property management service – everything from tenant communications and work order management to access control and facility booking.  

Partnering with JLL provides access to our global portfolio of managed properties, giving them scale and market reach that would take years to build independently.  Our Property Management teams have embraced HqO and it is now included as part of their service offerings when pitching to new clients. It’s become a differentiator – we can walk into a pitch and show prospective clients a comprehensive tenant experience solution.  A recent example of this was in Australia, where the strength of JLL’s technology stack was a decisive factor in winning the management for a portfolio of 10 assets. That’s exactly the kind of value creation we’re aiming for – where a portfolio company’s technology becomes a genuine business advantage for JLL. 

Future vision & technology trends 

What do you see as the biggest opportunity? 

I’m excited about AI and machine learning moving beyond hype into practical applications for operational efficiency. The Property Management industry is very administration-heavy and thus well poised to achieve massive benefits by incorporating AI-powered products into manual workflows. 

What’s your vision for the future of built world technology? 

“We’re still in the early stages of real estate’s digital transformation. I’m excited about technologies that make buildings more responsive to how people use them and tools that genuinely improve the building experience. 

But we need thoughtful implementation. The startups that will succeed long-term understand that commercial real estate is a multi-layered, relationship-driven industry with complex stakeholder needs.  They need to build solutions that work with these realities, not against them. 

Connect with Carolyn via LinkedIn.

Interested in a strategic partnership with JLL Spark? Apply for an investment here.