AEC Doesn’t Discriminate: Breaking Down Barriers for Women in Construction, Design and Engineering with Tiffany Sharp

Most industries don’t discriminate. People do! There are hardly any jobs that require a specific gender (think of roles in the entertainment sector, a few sport careers, catholic priests). And so, one might wonder: “Why are most industries/jobs male-dominated?” The truth is that it has nothing to do with the capacity of women. This phenomenon is more related to the amount of guidance and support that women receive in terms of finding a career/securing their place in almost any given industry, including the AEC. Thankfully, many agencies in the private and public sectors have been working on ways to tear down these barriers!

Educational institutions have come up with better programs, like career counseling and mentorship programs, that provide women with the knowledge and information they need to be competitive in different male-dominated industries. The government has also done its part by passing laws that combat discrimination.

However, we’ve still got ways to go before we can achieve a state of equity in career opportunities. This issue isn’t a single organization’s battle…it’s ours, as a society, as humans.

Tiffany Sharp, Owner of Sharp Construction, LLC, a young woman-led fast-growing commercial general contractor in Phoenix, AZ, is one of many great leaders attending to this cause.

Sharp Construction pioneered the “Girls Can Build” Initiative – a program for girls with workshops, tools and mentorship that teach building skills, basics of the design and build process and career opportunities in the industry – in partnership with the Girl Scouts – Arizona Cactus-Pine Council.

The hope is that these programs will empower women, even from an early age, to pursue careers in AEC, find success in the industry, all while filling a huge gap in the demand for multiple positions across the industry.

This initiative is but one of many benefits that Sharp Construction gets to experience (and share with the community) as a result of scaling their business!

What experiences paved the way for Sharp Construction’s success? How has the company’s investment choices impacted their scalability? What other benefits come from scaling your business?

Learn more from the source!

Check these out to learn more about Tiffany Sharp, Sharp Construction, and Girls Can Build Initiative:

Connect with Tiffany:

Arizona Business Initiative | Girls Can Build

Commercial General Contractor | Sharp Construction | Arizona

https://www.linkedin.com/company/girls-can-build/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanypixler

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sharpconstruction/

Connect with the Justin & Will:

Website: https://spotmigration.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spot-migration

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spotmigration

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/Spotmigration

Will's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willforet/

Justin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justneagle/

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(0:00) Introduction to the podcast, hosts, and guest Tiffany Sharp (7:32) Transitioning to commercial construction and decision to start Sharp Construction (14:33) Vision for Sharp Construction's future and importance of empowering employees (17:10) Tiffany's use of Procore in managing projects and the role of technology in growth (27:31) Discussing the Girls Can Build initiative and addressing the gender gap in AEC (30:08) Importance of a board of advisors and succession planning for business success (38:52) Labor shortages in the construction industry and the solution through Girls Can Build (43:28) Partnership between Sharp Construction and the Girl Scouts: the birth of Girls Can Build (49:20) Reflection on a 20-year career and overcoming barriers as a woman in construction (54:50) How to contact Tiffany Sharp and get involved with Girls Can Build (55:57) Mention of AEC resources page at spotmigration.com (Sponsor: Spot Migration)