Women in Construction Unite at WIR+CC 2023

When Pro Remodeler and Pro Builder hosted the first Women in Residential Construction Conference in 2015, there were 75 attendees. The second year, that number of women in construction attendees doubled. This year, we combined forces with sister publication Building Design+Construction’s annual event, which also began in 2015. The result was a sold out conference drawing more than 350 women leaders across the entire sector.

Held in Nashville this October, the first annual Women in Residential + Commercial Construction Conference (WIR+CC) served women stakeholders in architecture, engineering, construction, and remodeling—industries where just 11% of the workforce is female.

Breakout educational sessions for each discipline—home building, remodeling, and commercial construction— were hosted on three different tracks. In the main ballroom, the content focused on leadership, management, and communication skills. These topics united all sectors, and together, the larger audience strengthened industry connections, and gained business insights.

"I left each session and roundtable discussion with at least one strategy to work to implement back at my business," said Alexa Lee, sales manager with GRO. "I would recommend this event for any woman looking to expand her community and learn from others."

women in construction conference 2023 — The event featured a variety of breakouts, including a remodeling track. Business leaders such as April Bettinger of Nip Tuck Remodeling (upper right); Tanya Donahue of RIKB Design Build (bottom); and Ashley Wainscott and Michelle Mullins of Simply Home (upper left) shared insights.

This event was a great experience and opened my eyes to all of the possibilities as a woman in the construction world. It was truly inspiring to hear the success stories of other women in the field,

- Taylor Nielson, Skolfield Homes

Content Geared for Success

The conference was keynoted by Kara Noonan with Dale Carnegie Training. Noonan spoke on identifying leadership blindspots, which may be undermining your workplace culture. Other notable speakers included HGTV’s “Good Bones” remodeler Mina Starsiak Hawk who discussed how to develop a sustainable work/life balance.

“This was my first year attending the conference and there were so many incredible and inspiring speakers,” says Chelsea Ericson, home repair manager at Gaspar’s Construction. “I acquired so much information that I’m going to bring back to my company.”

Woman of the Year

The annual Woman of the Year award went to Allison Iantosca, president of F.H. Perry Builder. Iantosca, who is a remodeler, was honored for her thought leadership and passion for improving the industry as a whole.

The 2024 Women in Residential + Commercial Construction conference is slated for September 18-20 in Phoenix.

For more information, visit WomensConstructionConference.com .