Women at WIRC

As Construction Suicide Prevention Week approaches, the founder and CEO of The Wounded Workforce and executive director of its Center for Construction Mental Health helps builders and contractors create a safe haven to manage mental health.

Groundworks Chief Human Resources Officer Laura Mueller joins the Women at WIRC podcast to discuss employee ownership, workforce development, and the challenge of finding and retaining skilled construction workers.
Groundworks, a foundation repair and water management company with roughly 7,000 employees, distributed $31 million to nearly 5,000 employee owners earlier this year. Mueller explains how the company’s ownership program works, why it doesn’t require employees to buy in, and how Groundworks is using it alongside internal training and promotion programs.
She also discusses the company’s effort to create its own pipeline of future leaders, the case for skilled trades as an alternative to a four-year degree, and why Groundworks is looking to bring more women into the skilled-trades workforce.

At a recent Women in Residential Construction Conference, Allison Guido, the president of Almar Building & Remodeling in Hanover, Massachusetts, spoke about the "Who Moved My Cheese?" effect. The topic comes from a book of the same name, and Allison walks us through the story of the four central characters' different attitudes toward changing conditions.
The “moving cheese” in her story was a new sales strategy based on information she gleaned from Pro Remodeler's Pinnacle Experience in 2024 (Thanks for the plug, Allison).
But there is a whole new kind of cheese on the scene, and it is moving fast: AI Cheese.
Considering where your next Munster is coming from and how you can parmesan it into revenue is an example of two puns that did not land, but Allison’s presentation from the 2025 Women in Residential Construction Conference certainly did.

This episode features Laura Sullivan, founder of design firm ID.ology in Asheville, N.C., talking about the importance of thinking beyond what’s beautiful in residential design and focusing on how the built environment can support overall wellbeing.

On this episode of Women at WIRC, we sat down with Gena Hoyt, owner of Big Dog Construction and Executive Director of BS and Beer Canada, for a discussion on the origins of her company, how she navigates her role as a woman in construction, and the importance of building science education.

In this episode of Women at WIRC, architect, contractor, tech expert, and author Grace Mase demystifies integrating AI to help boost predictability and profitability. 

In this episode of Women at WIRC, we talk to Ashley Sheaffer, principal of the Maitland, Fla.-based remodeling and design firm KBF Design Gallery. Sheaffer shares with us how AI is helping improve their performance and better meet client needs.

Labor remains a critical challenge in residential construction. We just don't have enough boots on the ground. At the same time, thousands of service members are transitioning into civilian life each year. With the exact discipline and leadership skills that the trades are seeking.
Joining us today are two people working to bridge that gap. Torri Broderick manages military and veteran services at the Home Builders Institute, which provides tuition free training in the building trades. Jess Maldonado is a carpentry instructor there and a longtime residential trade professional in her own right. She trains former military members and prepares them for life on a job site. 

In this episode of Women at WIRC, you'll hear from three women working in rebuilding and recovery in different parts of the country. DXA Studio's Allysa Taylor, lowernine.org's Laura Paul, and KAA Design Group's Lisa Copeland, share their stories, experiences, and strategies that help them create thriving communities in the aftermath of disaster. 

We spend 90% of our time indoors—but how much thought do we give to how our homes affect our health?
In this episode, Pauline Hammerbeck sits down with Liz Miles, Vice President of Residential at the International Well Building Institute (IWBI), to explore how the built environment passively impacts our wellbeing every single day—from the air we breathe to the lighting we're exposed to, the water we drink, and even that noisy neighbor next door.
Liz shares her 12-year journey with IWBI, from the 2015 launch of the commercial WELL Building Standard to the development of WELL for Residential—a certification program specifically designed for homes, not just offices. She breaks down why residences needed their own approach (hint: raising kids and sleeping are very different from working), and reveals the surprising results from their pilot program.