There's real progress to report: Seeking to achieve greater representation of women in such fields as architecture, engineering and construction, the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) is hosting their Industry Leaders Roundtable, from March 24 to 25, at a venue near DuPont Circle in Washington, D.C.

Bringing together dynamic architects and thought-leaders from varied fields, the summit will highlight how the full integration of women into the workplace produces firm-wide benefits, including expanded markets, improved recruitment, and retention of key talent. The speakers will share research, information, and action-oriented programs for design, architecture, human resources, academic, and other professional attendees. Takeaways include targeted plans to advance cultural change for a widening representation of women in the AEC industries, at all levels.

Among the 12th annual event’s forward-thinking panelists in psychology, sociology, law, architecture, and engineering are keynote speaker Stephanie Duncan of Stonebridge Associates, along with session moderators and panelists Bolanle Williams-Olley of Mancini Duffy, Angelica Baccon of SHoP Architects, Julie Kantor, PhD, PJ Kantor Consulting, among others. Networking meals and a museum tour will provide further opportunities for discussion and collaboration.

"The Industry Leaders Roundtable program is designed to encourage firms and their representatives to undertake institutional change within their organizations, by providing them research, tools, and support to be change agents," according to Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation's executive director Cynthia Phifer Kracauer, AIA.

A New Podcast, Too

The summit comes as BWAF is launching a major new podcast series with a fast-growing national audience. Since 2002, Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation has worked to remedy the lack of representation of women in the history books, through research, creating websites, making short films, and now … a podcast. Welcome to New Angle: Voice. 

The engrossing and scholarly effort brings Pioneering Women of American Architecture, edited by Mary McLeod and Victoria Rosner, to the podcast platform. Historians, family members, colleagues, and the women architects and designers themselves, describe in vivid detail how it was to be an architect coming up in the early 20th century. "These pioneering women opened up the magic of the built environment professions to all who had the gifts, grit and persistence to endure," says BWAF.

About the Event

With the new theme in this the summit's 11th year, of "Flexibility: Chaos, Change, Opportunity," the Industry Leaders Roundtable brings together thought leaders in organizational psychology, sociology, law, architecture and engineering to change culture by providing research, information and action-oriented programs to achieve greater representation of women in the AEC industries.

Attendees to the annual conference include principals in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC); directors of human resources in the AEC industries; attorneys in related fields; academic leaders in business management, architecture, planning, and engineering; and leading people and NGOs promoting women in related fgields.

To apply to the Industry Leaders Roundtable, visit this link. 

Note that space is limited. Registrants will receive complete agenda and bibliography in advance of the event. All registrants will be listed as sponsors in the final schedule.

• Who:     The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation
• What:    2022 BWAF Industry Leaders Roundtable Retreat
• When:   Thurs., March 24, 10am-5:15pm and 7pm cocktails/dinner, and Friday, March 25, 10am-2pm
• Where: 2050 M Street, Washington D.C. (Event registration is found at https://bwaf.org/programs/industry-leaders-roundtable-retreat.)

BWAF: Advocacy for AEC Gender Equity 

Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) is leading a cultural revolution in the building industry that will acknowledge, cultivate, and value women’s contributions and achievements—past, present, and future.

BWAF advocates for gender equity in leadership and recognition in the architecture, design, landscape, engineering, technology, real estate and construction industries. BWAF achieves its mission by researching and documenting women’s contributions and achievements in the built realm, educating the public, and transforming industry practices.

Through exhibitions, websites, media, public and invitation-only programs, BWAF collaborates with museums, universities, professional organizations, and other groups to advance women. We cultivate leaders at all levels. Through our work, we seek to build global change.

For press inquiries, contact Chris Sullivan at 914-462-2096 or Karen Maserjian Shan at karen@ccsullivan.com.