Human-Centered Leadership 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 leadership culture shapes how teams work, perform, and respond to change. Yet across the construction industry, burnout has quietly become an accepted measure of commitment, leadership, and success. But what if burnout isn't evidence of high performance? What if it's evidence that we've accepted the wrong standard? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with executive leadership coach Julie Riga to explore construction leadership development, workplace cult...

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...

Affordable housing isn’t just about building more homes—it’s about whether people can actually sustain a place to live. In this bonus episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Nneoma Albert-Benson, founder of BEFA Women and Child Care Foundation, to explore how construction leadership and change in the AEC industry must go beyond supply and into the systems that determine long-term stability. This conversation challenges a common assumption: that homelessness is the problem. I...

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...

Leadership in construction isn’t just about getting work done—it’s about how you bring people with you. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Andrea Janzen, Founder of Ambition Theory, to explore how transformational leadership is reshaping construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry. This conversation challenges a long-standing norm: construction has traditionally relied on transactional leadership—focused on control, output, and experience....

Construction doesn’t have a people problem—it has a connection problem. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Angelo Suntres, founder of The Human Side of Construction, to explore how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry must evolve to better support the people behind the work. This conversation challenges a long-standing norm: that toughness and technical skill define success in construction. Instead, Angelo highlights how empathy, co...

Curiosity isn’t a soft skill—it’s a leadership advantage in times of change. In this bonus episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction leaders in the AEC industry can use curiosity to navigate uncertainty, reduce resistance, and lead change more effectively. In an industry shaped by constant disruption—new technologies, shifting delivery models, and evolving workforce expectations—leaders are often trained to seek control. But this episode challenges that instinct, h...