Culture In Construction Episodes

AEC professionals spend their careers solving complex problems. But are we applying that same problem-solving ability to our finances, businesses, careers, and lives? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Ryan Sullivan, founder of Off the Beaten Path Financials and Off the Beaten Path Advisors, to explore a different question: What if some of the financial realities we've accepted in AEC aren't rules at all? Ryan began his career as a mechanical engineer. At just ...

Construction has spent decades improving physical safety. Hard hats. Harnesses. Glasses. Training. Procedures. PPE. But what about the things we can't see? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Dina Fodero, speaker, certified Enneagram Practitioner, and creator of I-PPE™ (Invisible Personal Protective Essentials), to explore the human side of safety in construction. Together, they unpack why protecting people may require us to think beyond physical safety to psych...

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the construction industry—but technology alone won't determine who succeeds. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Timber Barker to explore why successful AI adoption starts with people, not software. Rather than asking whether AI will replace jobs, this conversation challenges leaders to ask a different question: How can AI help people do their best work? From architecture and engineering to construction and facilit...

Affordable Housing Starts With Better Questions | Purpose, Community & Construction Affordable housing is often framed as a construction challenge, with conversations focused on cost, speed, and supply. Yet behind every housing project is a deeper question about community, purpose, and the people those spaces are intended to serve. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Rory Rubin, Founder and CEO of SI Container Builds, to explore her unique journey from socia...

What if the AEC industry’s biggest challenge isn’t a staffing shortage—but a work model problem? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Erin Fantozz, Founder of EFDesigns, to explore how architecture and construction firms are navigating a deeper shift in leadership, change management, and the future of work. As workforce pressure continues across the AEC industry, many firms focus on hiring more people without rethinking how work is structured. This conversation c...

Construction leadership development today requires more than toughness—it demands a human-centered approach to leading change. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Ed DeAngelis, CEO and Founder of EDA Contractors, to explore how trust, emotional intelligence, and curiosity are reshaping leadership in the construction industry. As the AEC industry faces workforce challenges, change resistance, and increasing complexity, Ed shares why “humanity as a strategy” is not...

Mass timber isn’t just a material shift—it’s a mindset shift critical for construction leadership development. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Kristen Slavin, founder of Conifer Advising, to explore how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry must evolve to explore how construction leadership, change management, and modular construction in the AEC industry must evolve to successfully adopt innovative building systems like mass timber....

Mini Series Part 6: Change fatigue is real in construction—but it’s not caused by change itself. It’s caused by our relationship with it. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry can shift from resistance to resilience by building a stronger relationship with change. Discover proven change leadership tips and strategies for building resilient teams that thrive in evolving construction environments. ...

In this episode of Activating Curiosity™ | Leading Change in the Construction Industry, Ryan Ware sits down with Kristin Kautz of JAM Idea Agency to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the AEC industry—and why most firms are approaching it the wrong way. This conversation challenges a common assumption: that AI is a tool to implement. Instead, Kristin reframes it as something closer to “air”—an embedded capability that enhances how teams already work, rather than something separate...

In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Ali Salman of Workspace Modular Structures to explore how prefab and modular construction can help solve some of the construction industry’s biggest challenges. This conversation challenges a common assumption: that the industry’s current methods are sufficient. Instead, Ali reframes the opportunity—highlighting how modular construction offers a scalable path to address infrastructure, housing, and labor shortages. Together, th...