Construction Industry Leaders Featured on Activating Curiosity™

Ali Salman is a seasoned investor, entrepreneur, and operator building transformative companies across legaltech, franchising, and industrialized construction. As an active partner in Lawtiq.com, founder of Global Franchise Brokers, and CEO of Workspace Modular, Ali’s work sits at the intersection of innovation, scale, and real-world problem solving.

Made of Air transforms wood waste into biocarbon building materials that turn structures into permanent carbon sinks. Our Sequoia facade panels lock atmospheric carbon into buildings for decades while delivering high-performance, durable solutions. Berlin-based with growing production capacity, we're enabling the construction industry to move beyond carbon neutrality to actual carbon removal at scale.

Helping the construction industry build leaders who create trust, purpose, and high-performing teams through transformational leadership. Andrea is a Certified Executive Coach with an MBA, the host of the Ambition Theory Podcast, a Forbes contributor and a top-rated speaker. She is passionate about coaching women in construction to develop themselves, set leadership goals and get results. Since 2018, Andrea has coached and trained over 1,000 construction professionals. Before becoming a coach, Andrea was a marketing leader that worked on some of the world's best-known brands.

Improving the human experience in construction through better leadership, empathy, and trust. Angelo is a seasoned operations leader, speaker and author with a passion for improving the construction industry at the intersection of strategy and people. With a career spanning leadership roles throughout construction, Angelo brings a unique and refreshing perspective on the future of the industry, reflected in his social media following of over 200,000 construction professionals. Angelo is also the author of “Human Side of Construction” and “Rebuild Construction” where he shares practical frameworks and insights for leaders navigating today’s complex business landscape. His engaging style combines storytelling, actionable strategies, and a deep understanding of human behavior, making his sessions both inspiring and practical. Whether speaking to executives or emerging leaders, Angelo’s mission is clear: to empower construction professionals to lead with connection, adaptabili…

Helping project teams spend less time recreating information and more time building through connected digital workflows. A Bachelor of Science in Architecture graduate from The Ohio State University, he guides how VDC delivers maximum value within design-build’s “whole team” approach. A digital construction innovator for 20 years, he defines how people, processes, and technology unite to transform collaborative project delivery. He also leads best practices for integrating BIM-enabled technologies and digital tools that enhance team performance and deliver lifecycle value across the built environment. An industry thought leader, he has contributed to national publications, spoken at global conferences, and served as past chair of the AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice community and on the BIMForum committee for the Level of Development (LOD) Specification.

Brian Turmail is Vice President of Public Affairs and Workforce at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), where he leads communications, marketing, member engagement, market insights, and grassroots advocacy for the association’s 27,000 members. He also supports AGC’s workforce development efforts, including career and technical education advocacy, immigration reform, national recruiting campaigns, and the annual National Construction Industry HR & Workforce Development Conference. Brian serves on the board of AGC Charities Inc., overseeing Operation Opening Doors projects that mobilize contractors to support veterans and the disabled community. He is based in Washington, D.C.

Ed DeAngelis is a recognized thought leader in emotionally intelligent leadership and organizational culture. He champions the idea of using humanity as a strategy, a philosophy shaped by his more than 25-year career as Founder and CEO of EDA Contractors, where he built a people-first culture and transformed the company into a leader in exterior envelope solutions. Ed serves on the boards of the Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey, the General Building Contractors Association, the Roofing Contractors Association, Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley, and Turning Points for Children. His leadership has earned recognition as one of Philadelphia’s Top 100 CEOs and C-Level Executives by Titan 100 in 2025 and as one of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs in 2024. GET TO KNOW ED DEANGELIS AND HIS HUMANITY AS A STRATEGY LEADERSHIP ADVOCACY: EDA has done so in a way that’s unique to the construction industry, with a focus on workplace cult…

Erin Fantozz is a single mom and recovering corporate burnout who accidentally built a business that's changing how architecture firm's scale. She spent years doing the "right things"—going to classes at Kent State while working full-time, grinding through corporate roles, commuting two hours a day—until she hit a wall. She was stuck in production when she should've been leading. Missing bedtime with her daughter. Working weekends. And watching firms around her struggle with the same impossible math: too much work, not enough people or the alternative, too many people and not enough work. (ebbs and flows of business), and a hiring timeline that takes six damn months. So, she built the solution she needed. EFDesigns is a strategic BIM execution firm that gives growing architecture practices what they're actually asking for—senior-level production capacity, US-based, no hiring risk, no turnover drama, one flat monthly fee. Her clients scale from 6 projects to 50 without adding …

Helping builders understand their business as well as they understand construction. Jessica’s passion for the construction industry stems from its place in her childhood, growing up in the family sheet metal business. Her career began in public accounting before she eventually became CFO for a Commercial Electrical Contractor based in Kansas City. While in that position, she realized the need for a specialized accounting firm within construction, one that understood the industry’s complexities, processes, and people. From that discovery, Jessica founded her firm, New Lyfe Accounting (NLA), in 2017. Jessica holds a Masters of Science in Accounting from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and has been a Certified Public Accountant for 15 years. She’s been a member of CFMA since 2013, holds a CCIFP designation, and is an active member of the Specialty Trade Committee of CFMA.

I started in commercial construction with a focus on prefab for over 20 years. Load Bearing LG Panels, Exterior Bypass Panels, Pods, Interior Finished Wall Panels and more. Success is a function of persistence. You can't give up the minute you hit a road block in this industry, you have to be willing to work hard to push through while everyone else has given up. I'm constantly reviewing change, to better equip myself and the company for the ever changing world around us. Motivated to exceed and excel in "everything" I do. Because my fear is not failure but succeeding at things in life that don’t matter!