Reflections from the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit

In November 2025, Sally Cohen, Director of Design at ConstructConnect, and I had the privilege of attending the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit in Atlanta, representing ConstructConnect. Over three days, we joined a whole lot of girls from the Structure, Engineering, and Development (AEC) business to connect, learn, and grow.

Whereas neither of us are architects, we’re girls working within the building business. The occasion reminded us how a lot we share throughout roles—advocating for daring concepts, exhibiting up authentically, and supporting one another’s progress.

Probably the most inspiring moments got here from Vernice “Flygirl” Armour, the primary Black feminine fight pilot. Her keynote challenged us to take motion, bluntly saying, “Gutsy strikes with out motion are simply gutsy ideas.”

Armour’s message was clear: it’s straightforward to have daring concepts, however the actual work occurs after we act on them. She inspired us to align our work with our values and keep centered on what issues.

One among her strongest questions stayed with me: “What’s at stake whenever you take your focus off of why you might be right here?” As girls in a male-dominated business, it’s straightforward to get caught up in proving ourselves or navigating politics. However after we keep anchored to our function—serving customers, fixing issues, creating higher outcomes—we do our greatest work.

One other spotlight was the Design for Influence panel, which provided insights that resonated deeply with our work as product designers. Dr. Alyssa Provencio emphasised main with an assets-based mindset, not a deficit-based mindset—specializing in what communities have to supply moderately than what they lack. This shift from problem-solving to partnership applies whether or not you’re designing buildings or software program.

The panel reminded us that “the most effective concepts can come from anybody on the desk” and to “deal with lived expertise as information.” They bolstered that adaptation comes on the pace of belief, and that constructing robust relationships with customers and groups is important for significant innovation.

The openness of the occasion created house for reflection—each on the business we serve and the way we will develop as an organization. From sustainability to inclusivity, there’s important work ahead, and I’m proud ConstructConnect is a part of the dialog.

The summit jogged my memory that after we share what we be taught and help one another’s improvement, everybody advantages. Let’s hold lifting one another as we climb.