Yes – BuildIT has a book club, and we couldn’t be prouder to announce the recommendation that you shouldn’t walk – but RUN – to order Dr. Rueben C. Smith’s newly published book called ‘Right Turns Only.’ Order his book here: https://readerdepot.com/books/right-turns-only/ In his own words, Dr. Rueben describes his book as: “…a reflection on the measure of a complete and beautifully imperfect life, as illustrated through my own vulnerabilities, shared experiences, thoug

From Day 1, BuildIT has always said that we didn’t want to be just the best ‘community-based industry association’ we wanted to be the best industry association that drives discussion on topics that are relevant to the entire AEC industry. One of our key partners in this initiative has been CalInfra. CalInfra, formally known as the California Infrastructure Delivery Coalition, is a non-profit coalition of public agencies, private-sector firms, and labor organizations dedi

BuildIT’s LGBT Workforce Development Team would like to showcase the work of several of our key partners in the following event: Join us for the 2026 Bay Area Construction Workforce Conference as industry leaders, public agencies, contractors, labor, educators, workforce partners, and community organizations come together to explore how we prepare for the opportunities ahead. Building A Stronger Bay Area & Beyond: Partnerships, Pathways, & Policies This conference is centered

We're proud to celebrate Dr. Vigor Lam, who just earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University — all while working full-time at Jacobs, being a Founder of BuildIT along with Co-Chairing our 2026 Founders Day event that hit historic attendance and managing to have a personal life as well! In short – he makes us all look like we are standing still while he is planting the seeds to transform key aspects of our AEC industry for future generations.

BuildIT is proud to join with several of our key industry partners in an event produced by ENR to honor and celebrate Talin Espinoza who has had an enormous impact on the heavy civil industry throughout the United States. This reception will take place on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, during the annual Beaverdilly which is a multi-day event, held in Napa, California, hosted by The Beavers, an honorary organization for the heavy civil and engineering construction industry. For

BuildIT congratulates Kabri Lehrman-Schmid (she/her) on her promotion to General Superintendent with Hensel Phelps. A longtime supporter of BuildIT's mission and advocate for opportunity-building initiatives across the construction industry, Kabri has dedicated much of her career to helping people find pathways to growth, leadership, and belonging. Her promotion reflects years of field leadership, operational excellence, and service to the profession, and BuildIT is proud t

BuildIT wishes to amplify the invitation from our partners at FlatironDragados and Aecon (known as the Duwamish Guideway Constructors JV) to a Small Business Outreach event for: Sound Transit W200 Duwamish River Crossing & Aerial Guideway - A Heavy Civil GC/CM Pursuit Thursday, July 9, 2026 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Tukwila Community Center – Banquet Hall 12424 42 Avenue South Tukwila, WA 98168 The purpose of this Outreach Event is to build relationships related to current o

With the vision of Sean Wahidi and his team at InnoActive Group, we are proud to share with you a remarkable ‘conversation’ with LGBT AEC leaders from around the globe focused on the topic of workforce development, career development and thriving in an ever-changing design & construction industry. We are thrilled that the InnoActive Team captured conversations with: Kelly Canterford - Freehold+ (UK) Scott Parsons - Freehold+ (UK) Christina Riley - Building Equality (UK) K

With special thanks to the creative genius of Quron Reeves and his team at Kennek Media we share with you this 1.5 minute video ‘after-action’ summary of our June 4, 2026 Founders Day VIP Reception held in the world-class Grand Hall of the TJPA’s Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco. This event recognized, honored and celebrated the Equity in Infrastructure Project for their work across the nation challenging public and private organizations to increase contracting oppo

Bay Area Contractors & Partners Meet Up, and this is the Small Business Takeover Edition! Thank you to our sponsors— ANCO IRON & CONSTRUCTION INC, Digital Disclosure, Q & A Consulting, LLC, Tulum Systems, MAR CON Builders, Inc., and BuildIT —for making this event happen. We truly appreciate each and every one of you!

 The origins of this event started several years ago when key General Contractors began to convene to build relationships with construction industry organizatio

At our June 4, 2026 Founders Day Gala Dinner & Awards Program, BuildIT recognized an extraordinary member of our LGBTQ community, Greg Sarris, who is not only an educator, philanthropist and grass-roots community advocate – but he is also the Chairman of the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria. We also acknowledged and celebrated the Graton Rancheria community which is a federation of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo groups recognized as a tribe by the US Congress. As Ch

82 Sponsors 52 weeks of planning 7 Extraordinary Honorees 3,157 hours of volunteer time logged 4 Major Event Segments and over 1,200 attendees for Founders Day 2026 9,697 Associates, Stakeholders and Industry Leaders from around the world engaged, on a weekly basis, with BuildIT! The words “thank you” can’t begin to capture the essence of how our Board of Directors, Founders and Partners from around the globe feel about the AEC industry’s embrace of BuildIT’s mission and vi

It was a glorious, and stunningly balmy, evening along the San Francisco Bay on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, when 12 AEC Industry Organizations and hundreds of professionals, contractors, program and construction managers gathered to recognize the extraordinary contributions and accomplishments of CMAA President Andrea S. Rutledge, CAE. In the worlds of Scott Seltz, Publisher of ENR: “For years, Andrea has been a tireless advocate for construction managers and for the professi

Tomorrow, Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the iconic TJPA Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco, BuildIT will proudly recognize and celebrate the Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP), a transformative national initiative aimed at reshaping public contracting by increasing the number, size, and proportion of contracting opportunities awarded to Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs), including firms owned by minorities, women, and veterans. EIP’s visionary founders r

BuildIT’s Founders Day 2026 events taking place June 3 and 4 in San Francisco will establish a new milestone for the AEC Industry when it comes to uplifting LGBT & Allied businesses, professionals, tradespeople, elected officials, public agency executives and industry influencers. It will be two days of events celebrating remarkable stories of achievement, advocacy and expanding our influence around the world. Our 2026 Founders Day theme is THRIVE! In the coming days and we

BuildIT is profoundly honored with its collaboration with Webcor which began in June 2020 when we launched our efforts across the West Coast, North America and Globally. Webcor’s history within the context of BuildIT began in September 2013 as the first contractor in the United States to produce an outreach event for a public works project (the $2.1B Phase One of the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco which will eventually be the northern terminus of the Cali

BuildIT was honored to be a Presenting Partner at ENR FutureTech 2026 Conference held from May 4–6 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square—an energizing gathering of leaders shaping the future of the AEC industry. 
 As a Presenting Partner, BuildIT was especially excited to be part of the conversations driving innovation forward. A big thank you to Scott Seltz, ENR Publisher, and ENR Editor-in-Chief Scott Blair for convening such a dynamic program of speakers and roundtables

BuildIT was honored to join our partners at Turner Construction, Flatiron/Dragados and the North Coast States Carpenters Union in Seattle on Wednesday, April 29th to discuss workforce development, training programs and the billions of dollars of infrastructure development taking place in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest (PNW). For several years BuildIT has been partners with the Northern California Carpenters Union under the leadership of Jay Bradshaw, Cesar Sanch

BuildIT is proud to highlight one of our most remarkable champions, advocates, connectors, and construction industry utilization experts on the ‘eve’ of his recognition by the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH). Mick Penn serves as the Northern California Regional Director of Community Relations for Swinerton, where he drives workforce development, small, diverse, veteran, and LGBT business engagement, and strategic community partnerships across the

On Wednesday April 22, 2026, BuildIT joined AGC of California to make the case for AB 1885 to the Assembly Government Organization Committee.Ural Yal, CEO of Shimmick Construction, and Paul Pendergast, president of BuildIT testified, in the California State Capital in Sacramento, in support of the AGC-sponsored State Contract Retention Reform Act, explaining in concrete terms what retention withholding costs California contractors: working capital tied up for years, financing