Workforce Development Episodes

The construction industry has a changing workforce. But are the ways we recruit, hire, and develop people changing with it? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Bryce Batts, Co-Founder of Career Collective and a recruiter with 20 years of experience in the AEC industry, to explore a different question: Can construction really hire its way through a changing workforce? Bryce has watched the AEC recruiting and talent landscape shift dramatically over the past two d...

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 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...

The future of construction isn’t just about technology—it’s about how leaders respond to change. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Brian Turmail, Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), to explore what construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry will require moving into 2026 and beyond. This conversation reframes a common challenge: many change initiatives fail not...

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...