Archives: Podcasts

So thrilled to share this global construction leadership report that highlights the thinking of 50 global construction leaders with a combined 1354 years of experience. Angela Hucker, CEO of Australia-based EPIC – Empowering People in Construction, joined IIWIC Founder Dr Gretchen Gagel and IIWIC Advisory Board member Doreen Bartoldus on the Women Thriving in Construction podcast to share key insights from the report, including that 86% of those interviewed “identified gender inequity and exclusion as persistent industry challenges. Angela’s 30 year career included time as a FIFO (fly-in, fly-out) worker in a 2000 person remote camp with 100 women working 28 day rotations. She shares her passion for ensuring our industry values everyone and that no person should have to endure the challenges she and others face. Angela’s advice for industry leaders is to engage with grass roots change agents, and that we must “all band together” to make this work. We need everyone to “be a good human”. Great advice. Enjoy!

Few industries exhibited as much agility during the pandemic as the hospitality industry. As a fifth-generation hospitality/construction leader, Sarah Treadway, President/CEO of Stout Street Hospitality, discusses how they kept every hotel open after dropping from 600 to 86 employees in March 2020 in an effort to take care of as many of their employees as possible. Sarah shares amazing insights on leadership and how her organization maintains a “family culture”; on her strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome as she balances her role as mom to four young children; and on how her company is investing in their greatest asset, their people, via strategies such as paying for the higher education of all dependents.

I’m so grateful to our collaborative partners, the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) and NAWIC Australia, and to Dr. Helen Lingard of RMIT and SHINe and her co-author Dr. Michelle Turner for sponsoring and authoring our first country-specific white paper, which highlights several initiatives to support women in construction in Australia. Helen joined us on the Women Thriving in Construction podcast to share insights from the paper, things she said even she wasn’t aware were happening. Given her extensive industry experience, Helen has many insights to share that are relevant throughout the world.

Sam Clark, CEO of Clark Construction in Lansing Michigan, candidly shares his organization’s six year diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Would you like for your organization to have a 99% engagement score? Or to grow from $200 million to $500 million in three years? Understanding “dominant culture” and learning how to build an inclusive organization has women and minorities beating down their doors and has significantly contributed to these business results. As Sam states, this isn’t “white male bashing”. It’s understanding the barriers to success that people outside of the dominant culture face, addressing these barriers through inclusivity, and unleashing the tremendous innovation of diverse organizations.

In this episode, we’re joined by Howard Ross — author, activist, and longtime leader in the field of diversity and inclusion — to explore unconscious bias and what meaningful inclusion looks like in practice.

Howard challenges organizations to consider a powerful question: What if inclusion were approached with the same rigor and accountability as safety in the construction industry?

Drawing from decades of experience, he shares insights on recognizing bias, strengthening leadership responsibility, and building cultures where inclusion is embedded — not optional.

This conversation offers practical perspective for leaders committed to driving lasting cultural change.

In this episode, we’re joined by Denise Burgess, a respected construction leader and recent inductee into the National Academy of Construction, to discuss her 30-year journey as an African American woman in the industry.

Denise shares candid reflections on often being the only woman of color in the room, navigating bias, and persevering through intense scrutiny — including 1,200 audits on a major project that ultimately found no wrongdoing. Her story is one of resilience, integrity, and staying grounded in your values.

This conversation underscores why listening to lived experiences matters. It builds empathy, exposes unconscious bias, and strengthens leadership. Denise’s advice is powerful and practical: be true to yourself, truly hear others, and actively practice allyship.

“Start with the attitude that it’s possible.”

Such great advice from three extraordinary leaders in the construction industry. While each of us wants to be known simply as a leader who is good at her craft, women thriving in construction requires a long-term investment in women—a vision that supports women not at the expense of men but in support of everyone—to make it work. And it requires out-of-the-box thinking. When Elizabeth came back to work thirteen years ago part time in the field it was unheard of, but it worked.

The vision for this podcast began when I saw a picture of the all female Mortenson Construction winning proposal team for the Denver Summit women’s professional soccer program. Men will lead and thrive on this team as well, but a long-term investment in women made it possible. Many thanks to Maya Erickson, Elizabeth Erfling, and Jessica Ostoyich for sharing your wisdom with our audience.

How exciting to be joined by co-host and fellow author Brent Darnell for this amazing podcast with UK construction industry leader and author Faye Allen to discuss her book, “Building Women: How Everyone In Construction Can Win”. This book is a gift to the industry. Faye speaks from experience when describing an industry that is “not great for men either,” as evidenced by UK construction suicide statistics. Two male construction workers die by suicide daily, four times the national industry average. We discuss how our culture and project pressures contribute to this staggering mental health challenge, and the importance of allyship as an “active role” in shifting this culture and supporting the success of both men and women. You can learn more here – https://fayeallen.co.uk/

In this episode, we explore how one moment of leadership accountability sparked lasting change in the pipeline industry.

At an industry conference, APGA CEO Steve Davies publicly acknowledged the absence of women on a senior leader panel — and challenged the industry to do better. That moment led to the creation of the APGA Women’s Leadership Development Program, modeled after a similar initiative at the American Gas Association.

The program, designed to retain and advance women in the pipeline industry, sold out its first cohort in 24 hours. Seven cohorts and 175 participants later, 90% report increased confidence, and many have experienced measurable career growth.

This conversation highlights how courageous leadership and intentional investment can drive meaningful progress in inclusion and workforce development.

In this episode, we’re joined by Bill Proudman, co-founder of White Men as Full Diversity Partners (WMFDP), an organization that has worked for over 30 years at the intersection of leadership, equity, and inclusion.
WMFDP partners with leaders to build cultures rooted in courage, consciousness, and competency — environments where people feel seen, connected, supported, and proud to belong.

Bill shares the origin of his work, recognizing that people experience systems differently, and emphasizes that inclusion is not about blame or shame. It’s about acknowledging systemic unearned advantages and equipping leaders to steward meaningful, sustainable cultural change.

This conversation challenges leaders to engage thoughtfully and lead inclusively.