Curiosity In Construction Episodes

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...

Construction delays are often blamed on labor, cost, or materials—but what if the real problem starts much earlier, during design? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Robb Andrade of Overcast Innovations to explore how siloed design decisions create downstream friction, rework, and unnecessary change. Instead of focusing on what happens in the field, this conversation shifts upstream—where critical decisions are often made without full visibility into how they im...

What happens when architects and construction leaders stop accepting the limits of traditional building materials—and start asking better questions? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Allison Dring, CEO and Co-Founder of Made of Air, to explore how discomfort drives curiosity, innovation, and change in the built environment. Explore how biochar is becoming a key tool for sustainable building practices and climate action in the construction industry. With the con...

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....

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...

Mini Series Part 5: Curiosity isn’t a soft skill—it’s a leadership advantage in construction. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how curiosity drives effective change leadership in the AEC industry and why it’s essential for navigating uncertainty, overcoming resistance, and building stronger teams. This conversation reframes a common challenge: leaders often focus on managing change, but overlook how people experience it. Instead, Ryan highlights curiosity as the br...

Mini Series Part 4: Leadership in change management often fails not because teams lack initial alignment, but because commitment fades when motivation does. In this mini-series installment of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction and AEC leaders can shift from motivational fixes to building sustainable commitment—the daily disciplines, rituals, and accountability structures that keep teams executing change long after the launch energy wears off. Learn mindful change manag...

Mini Series Part 3: Clarity doesn’t come before change—it’s built through it. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry often stall because leaders wait for clarity that never arrives. This conversation reframes a common belief: that teams need full clarity before taking action. Instead, Ryan highlights that clarity is personal, evolving, and developed through movement—not planning alone. Through th...

Mini Series Part 2: Control feels like safety—but in change, it’s often an illusion. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry are shaped by our relationship with control—and why holding onto it can limit our ability to lead effectively. This conversation reframes a common belief: that more control leads to better outcomes. Instead, Ryan highlights that control often masks fear—especially when change is i...