Bridging the Gap: Insights & Innovations in Construction

A Journey into Industrialized Construction

How do you reconcile different opinions, economies, and levels of experience in the field? Join host Todd Weyandt and guest Simon Waldren as they discuss the world of modular prefab, the challenge that comes with different perspectives about the industry, embracing the mindset that it’s okay to fail, and how to “check your ego at the door.”
Simon Waldren is an Operations Director at Apex Wiring Solutions. He has experience in modular, DfMA, and LEAN. Apex and Simon work hard to advocate for modular construction, helping to drive the industry to better identify challenges, while providing solutions to adapt to meet future market needs.
When thinking through the ROI for industrialized construction, remember this is a long-term play. It doesn’t mean that you won’t find immediate benefits, but you do need to have realistic expectations. IC is a marathon not a sprint. You are bridging the gap from what can be done to what will be done in the future.
This leads me to my second take. It is important to give yourself the freedom to fail if you are learning from those mistakes. Simon had a great line that “innovation stands on the shoulders of the people before you.” Find those 1% improvements that you can make. They add up to be a monumental change.
Finally, don’t try to hide your mistakes. People are going to know. When you do make a mistake, own it, address it and then roll up your sleeves to fix it and learn from it. You will garner so much more respect from others in the end.

Interoperability in Construction

When you look at your professional field, do you see a need for improvement? How about room to grow? We can all benefit from improvement, though we might not realize it at the time. Join host Todd Weyandt and guest Slater Latour as they discuss sharing information cross-industry, the need for data standardization and organization, and the progress we’ve made towards streamlining information.
Slater Latour is the Chief Marketing and Product Officer at Newforma. He is focused on helping Newforma continue to build a great business by delivering valuable solutions to the AEC industry. Slater has held multiple corporate strategy and cross-functional leadership roles at vertical software, financial technology, and financial services organizations ranging from early-stage start-ups to one of the ten largest diversified financial services providers in the world.

The Path to Data Security

What is your data strategy? Join host Todd Weyandt and guest Kevin Soohoo as they discuss the huge overlap between manufacturing and construction, working towards a single source of data in the industry, protecting and prioritizing data against ransomware and the differing mindsets that surround data in construction. 
Kevin Soohoo is the Director of construction and engineering at Egnyte. With 15-plus years of experience, Kevin is responsible for supporting Egnyte’s newly-formed construction and engineering vertical and its growth efforts within AEC. He also has a history of leading technology and innovation at E&R Ranked, specialty trade contractors, and context startups.

An Executive’s Guide to Prefab Innovation

What role should curiosity play in the construction executive’s day-to-day? As it turns out, a lot. Join host Todd Weyandt and guest Cory Borchardt, Sr., VP of Operations at Fisk Electric, as they chat through embracing ConTech and prefabrication from an executive’s vantage point. They also discuss how to build out consistent processes, high-five worthy software providers for the field, attracting a younger generation. and more. 
Cory Borchardt joined the Fisk Electric team in 2019 as Senior Vice President of Operations with over 20 years of electrical construction experience. Cory brings an innovative approach to construction utilizing prefabrication, technology and project management skills to drive for operational excellence. Cory received a B.S. Electrical Engineering Technology from Michigan Technological University, holds a Master Electrician license in multiple states, and is a certified Project Manager Professional (PMP).

Defining Industrialized Construction

What does Industrialized Construction mean to you? Join host Todd Weyandt and guest Clay Freeman as they discuss the future of the assembly line, the common misconceptions that surround industrialized construction, how to see the best ROI from production, how to keep your expectations at the right level, how data flow goes through the supply chain in industrialized construction, and much more. 
Clay Freeman is VP of Products at eVolve MEP. Freeman brings 25 years of experience to the eVolve MEP team. Previously the co-founder and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Solidspac3, a San Francisco-based construction technology and services provider. Freeman held executive, product, and engineering leadership positions with Autodesk, Webcor Builders and Vico Software/Graphisoft.

Pairing Construction with AR and VR

How soon do you think augmented reality and virtual reality will be commonplace on the field? It may be sooner than you’d think. Join host Todd Weyandt and guest Amy Peck as they discuss the acceleration of technology adoption, a continual focus on human needs in tech, the benefits of wearable tech, and much more. Amy Peck is the founder and CEO of EndeavorVR. From healthcare, education, retail, hospitality and entertainment to government and industrial use cases, her personal goal is to bridge the gap between the leading edge tech and clients ready to adopt the myriad solutions in the AR/VR stratosphere.

Leveraging the Impact of Construction

Where do you think we’re headed in the construction industry? What do you think encourages our potential? Join host Todd Weyandt and guest René Morkos as they discuss ALICE—an AI-powered construction platform, the potential in efficiency and cost savings when it comes to artificial intelligence, the construction industry’s historical reluctance to adopt new technology, where the current market is headed, and much more. 
René Morkos is the founder and CEO of ALICE Technologies and teaches at Stanford University's Ph.D program in Construction Management. The son of a civil engineer, René grew up in the construction industry. He has worked on construction projects worldwide. His professional experience ranges from working as a project manager in Afghanistan to building an underwater pipeline project in Beirut, from driving automation engineering on a $350 million gas refinery expansion project in Abu Dhabi to leading the development of a virtual design and construction model for Amsterdam’s cruise ship terminal. René received his Ph.D in Construction Engineering and Management from Stanford University, his MSCE in Construction Management from USC, and his BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from American University of Beirut.

The Question of Commissioning

Are you familiar with commissioning? If so, you might have a few questions about it. Join host Todd Weyandt and guest Ryan Lean as they unpack common industry misconceptions around commissioning, how the process of commissioning is and should be “all about people,” how efficiency and operability in projects has been impacted in the last year, and more.
Ryan Lean serves as Associate Partner at JB&B and leads JB&B Field, a division of JB&B incorporating ten specific field-related services into one comprehensive service offering. Since joining the firm in 2004, Mr. Lean has garnered extensive experience in building commissioning and related services for commercial, mission-critical, educational, laboratory, healthcare and LEED green buildings. He sees building commissioning and related field services as a means of fostering relationships with owners and operators, and of guiding them through the challenges of transitioning to a new facility.

The Utility of Construction Data & Analytics

Join host Todd Weyandt and guest Dan McCarthy of Dodge Data & Analytics as they discuss digital transformation's effects on construction, how the industry can make the best use of data and analytics to drive future success, the “bleed” and “lag” that has become obvious in the construction industry, the essential nature of gathering the right data, and where in the world technology adoption is taking us. 
Daniel (Dan) R. McCarthy is CEO of Dodge Data & Analytics, North America’s leading provider of commercial construction project data, market forecasting, analytics services and workflow integration solutions for the construction industry. Having started his career as a business analyst covering the technology, data and business information markets for Communications Trends, Inc., he has since led major growth transformation for multiple business-to-business and business-to-consumer firms in the data, information, paid content and marketing services sectors and has completed more than 50 transactions and financings to date.

Mental Health Awareness in Construction

Is mental health a priority to you and your company? How can you raise awareness for those who may not get represented in the construction industry? Join host Todd Weyandt and guest Darcy Gruttadaro as they discuss the importance of Mental Health Awareness Month, addressing common stigmas around mental health in construction, how “Zoom fatigue” may be affecting just about everyone these days, and how essential it is to identify and manage burnout. 
Darcy Gruttadaro is the director of the Center for Workplace Mental Health. As director, she works with her team in developing high impact trainings, guides, resources, and case studies to support mentally healthy workplaces. The Center’s work includes working in consultation and collaborating with employers in raising awareness, creating mentally healthy organizational cultures, and improving access to mental health services and supports. The Center works with organizations of all sizes from Fortune 100 companies to small family-owned businesses in creating effective approaches to improving the mental health and well-being of employees and their families.