Build Better

02/22/2024

We have another amazing podcast to share with you, our listeners! Meet Amin Najjar of Veolia North America.
Amin sat down with to to discuss how Veolia is improving building energy efficiency, citing the company's work in Boston to help buildings meet new requirements. Listen to the full episode.

Veolia’s mission is to resource the world, helping its customers address their environmental and sustainability challenges in energy, water and waste. Najjar talks about how Veolia is helping companies improve energy efficiency, including upgrading the buildings in the city of Boston to achieve ma...

01/09/2024

https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season-4-episode-1-transforming-underserved-communities-through-technical-education

The new year marks a new season for the Build Better podcast. Aisha Francis, Ph.D. the groundbreaking president and CEO of Franklin Cummings Tech kicks off Season 4!

Dr. Francis discusses her historic role as the first woman to lead the college in its 115-year history and the importance of gender parity in technical fields and shared insights into the college's success in preparing students for roles in the construction industry.

Dr. Francis shares her dedication to breaking gender stereotypes and promoting economic equity, which led to her recognition as an Extraordinary Woman by the city of Boston in 2019.
Now stop reading and start listening!

Anastasia talks with Dr. Aisha Francis, the president and CEO of Franklin Cummings Tech in Boston. In 2021, she became the first female president in the more than 100-year history of the college.

06/02/2023

It's been almost a year, but we have finally launched our first episode of Season3!

Matt O'Malley, the Chief Sustainability Officer at Vicinity Energy sat down with Anastasia Barnes to discuss his background serving on the Boston City Council, the significance of the Building Energy Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO), , and Vicinity's decarbonization plans.

Listen to the episode using the link below👇

On season 3, episode 1 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Matt O’Malley, the first-ever chief sustainability officer for Vicinity Energy. He discusses Vicinity’s Clean Energy Future, Net Zero Carbon plan, and how the company is working with its customers, communities, and local go...

09/21/2022

MHSA released the latest edition of The Cornerstone! Inside this edition: Message from MHSA’s Board Chair Ben Josephson MHSA’s appearance at a Worcester Red Sox game The newest project from A Bigger Vision Films: “Beyond the Bridge: Solutions to Homelessness” Ways that you can help end homel...

07/11/2022

We're back with another episode! 🎉

In season 2, episode 16, Anastasia talks with Reverend Jeffrey Brown, co-founder of My City at Peace and associate pastor at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, and Tom O’Brien, founding partner and CEO of The HYM Investment Group.

They recently presented a proposal to the City of Boston for Parcel 3 in Roxbury that would set an example of a truly diverse and equitable development for the city.

Brown and O’Brien share more about this unprecedented development, and the ways they are ensuring that it would have a positive impact on those that live and work in Roxbury for years to come.

Listen now at https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season2/episode16, or on any podcast platform.

On season 2, episode 16 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talked with Reverend Jeffrey Brown, co-founder of My City at Peace and Associate Pastor at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, and Tom O’Brien, founding partner and CEO of The HYM Investment Group.

06/19/2022

Happy !

Learn more about the newest federal holiday below, and consider what you can do to celebrate and uplift the Black community — not just today, but every day.

06/01/2022

June is Pride Month. It's time to celebrate the LGBTQ community.

Learn about its history, and how to celebrate in wild, and colorful ways! Visit https://nationaltoday.com/pride-month/ to learn more.

04/26/2022

Happy Tuesday!

We are back with our latest podcast episode with Marc Margulies, principal and senior partner at Margulies Perruzzi and Joe Finn, president and executive director of the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance.

They are working to change the ways in which homelessness is addressed in , something that continues to be a complex issue and one that demands immediate solutions.

Listen now:
https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season2/episode15

On season 2, episode 15 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Marc Margulies, principal and senior partner at Margulies Peruzzi , and Joe Finn, president and executive director …

04/05/2022

We are back with another episode! This week's episode is all about GHOST KITCHENS!

On season 2, episode 14 we welcomed Meredith Sandland, co-author of the book, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant.”

Meredith has served as the chief development officer at Taco Bell and as the COO of Kitchen United.

Sandland has created and driven disruptive growth at both Fortune 100 and start-up companies, and has spent a decade navigating changing consumer demands and real estate environments for restaurants.

She shares more about the recent shifts in consumer behavior, and how the emergence of ghost kitchens and other methods of food delivery are impacting the restaurant industry.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW: https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season2/episode14

On season 2, episode 14 of the Build Better Podcast, Anastasia welcomes Meredith Sandland, co-author of the book, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant.” Previously, she served as the chief development officer at Taco Bell, and as the COO of Kitchen United…

03/15/2022

Tune in to our latest episode: Achieving Sustainability Goals with CLT Building Projects with Jonathan Rossini and Marc Perras! 🎧

On season 2, episode 13 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Marc Perras, associate principal at Jones Architecture, and Jon Rossini, project manager at BOND Building Construction, about the new building for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA).

The building is the Commonwealth’s first project of this scale, using only public funds, to use cross-laminated timber in its construction. Perras and Rossini talk about the sustainable design elements of the DUA building, and how cross-laminated timber can be used to achieve sustainability goals in a variety of construction projects.

Listen Here: https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season2/episode13

On season 2, episode 13 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Marc Perras, associate principal at Jones Architecture , and Jon Rossini, project manager at Bond Building Construction , about…

03/08/2022

Happy ! Today is all about celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

We are celebrating all the amazing women we featured in our latest season of our podcast. Take a listen to some of the episodes:
S2 #1 - Elevating Women in Architecture with Julia Gamolina of Madame Architect
S2 #2 Building the Framework for Equitable and Inclusive Workplaces with Yiselle Santos Rivera
S2 #3: A Commitment to Giving Back with Bolanle Williams-Olley
S2 #4: Building the 'Hazard Girls' Community with Emily Soloby
S2 #8: Achieving Equitable Diversity in Architecture with Pascale Sablan of Beyond the Built Environment

03/01/2022

We're back with another episode! 🎉

On season 2, episode 12 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Barry Reaves, the BBoston Planning & Development Agency’s (BPDA) first ever director of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

He is responsible for the development and oversight of the racial equity and diversity priorities and works to establish collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to foster a more inclusive, equitable, welcoming, supportive, and diverse agency.

Reaves shares what the BPDA is doing to encourage minority- and women-owned businesses to participate in contracting opportunities, and the ways industry stakeholders can contribute to achieving equitable outcomes in the long term.

Listen Here: https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season2/episode12

11/24/2021

Our next episode is here!

On season 2, episode 11 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Edward Palleschi, the undersecretary for the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Mass.gov

Palleschi instituted OCABR’s Licensee Recognition Program, which highlights businesses licensed or registered in Massachusetts. He shares more about the program, and the companies that have been recognized for continuing to reach high standards through their work and commitment to their consumers.

Listen here:
https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season2/episode11

Special thanks to our sponsor Interstate Electrical Services Corporation!

On season 2, episode 11 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Edward Palleschi, the undersecretary for the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

11/09/2021

🚨 New Podcast Alert 🚨

On season 2, episode 10 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Jason Jewhurst, partner and principal at Bruner/Cott Architects, and Patrick McKenna, senior project manager at Community Solutions to talk about the adaptive reuse conversion of the former Swift Gold Leaf Factory in Hartford, Conn.

Jewhurst and McKenna share how they reimagined the factory into a venue generating opportunities for job creation and training, educating youth, improving resident health, and spurring economic growth, and how the conversion of these historical buildings can serve as an example for future preservation projects.

https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season2/episode10

On season 2, episode 10 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Jason Jewhurst, partner and principal at Bruner/Cott Architects , and Patrick McKenna, senior project manager at Community Solutions, to talk about the adaptive reuse conversion of the former Swift Gold Leaf Factory in Ha

10/05/2021

We are back with yet another episode 🎙

On episode 9, we welcomed Scott Burnham, author, entrepreneur, consultant, and founder of Reprogramming the City.

With the recognition that adaptive reuse is an important approach to sustainability and addressing climate change, Burnham is engaging urban planners and city leaders to create unique ways to respond to limited resources with an abundance of creativity.

🎧 Listen now 🎧
https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season2/episode9

On season 2, episode 8 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia talks with Scott Burnham . He is an author, entrepreneur, consultant, and founder of Reprogramming the City

09/21/2021

New episode! Check it out 🎙

On season 2, episode 8 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Pascale Sablan, associate at Adjaye Associates in New York City, and the founder and executive director of Beyond the Built Environment , an organization that addresses the inequitable disparities in architecture and withi

09/01/2021

We are live with another podcast! Check out season 2, episode 7 of the Build Better podcast, where Anastasia welcomes Dan Diehl, CEO of Aircuity.

Key topics include:
🌇 The ways both new and existing building projects can have a focus on energy efficiency while prioritizing indoor air quality
🌇 How the pandemic has fast-tracked this important issue, with owners and CEOs urgently seeking solutions as they strive to keep building occupants safe as they return to work.

and lots more!

https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season2/episode7

On season 2, episode 7 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Dan Diehl, CEO of Aircuity , a company providing accurate ventilation for healthy and sustainable buildings.

06/30/2021

When it comes to taking the nontraditional track encouraging people to look into apprenticeship programs can be beneficial.

Apprenticeships help you find the essential answers:
💡Which career path should I take?
💡What is my passion?
💡Where do my skills lie?

Mask Girls Industry helps women explore this career path, answers their questions, and encourages them to pursue different aspects of trades by teaching them that women can do it too!

Mary Vogel, executive director of Building Pathways, and Andrea Dunn, a sprinkler fitter apprentice at E.M. Duggan (a graduate of the BP program) talks about the benefits of the Building Pathways program and how it is changing lives and contributing to much-needed diversity in the construction indus

06/23/2021

The number of women in apprenticeship, in union trades, in the states has tripled over the last 12 years.

Initially, the number of women in the construction field was anywhere between 2-3%, and now it is at the highest it’s ever been, 9.22%!

Thanks to the dedicated work of the Policy Group on Tradeswomen's Issues (PGTI) and their co-founder Elizabeth Skidmore, a business representative with the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and co-founder of one of the leading organizations.

They are committed to helping women educate and receive career opportunities in a prominently dominant male field.

Join Anastasia Barnes and Elizabeth Skidmore as they detail what it means to be a part of PGTI means, how their mission to inform and educate young girls and women about how working in a trade could be beneficial to them.

The type of accomplishment they will feel with the job training they receive.



Listen to Season 1 Episode 18 Today!

https://buildbetter.space/episodes/liz-skidmore

Elizabeth Skidmore, a business representative with the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC), and co-founder of the Policy Group on Tradeswomen’s Issues (PGTI) talks about the achievements in recruiting and hiring women in the trades, how she and many others are working to ...

06/22/2021

The term Diversity has gained popularity over the last few years. We see new measures being put in place across industries to make our day-to-day lives more inclusive.

Diversifying teams and companies can be difficult at first.

Does your company tend to struggle with diversifying its employees?

Do you get overwhelmed and have no idea where to start?

Join Anastasia Barnes and Alicia Washington, the Director of Marketing at HRP Associates, Inc. and president-elect of the SMPS CT Chapter in Season 1 Episode 22.

They will give you a mini crash course on all the benefits of diversity, details on how it can set you aside from the competition, how to get started, and more!

Listen today!



https://buildbetter.space/episodes/alicia-washington

In episode 22 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Alicia Washington, director of marketing at HRP Associates, and president-elect of the Society for Marketing Professionals Connecticut chapter (SMPS CT). Alicia talks about SMPS CT’s new Diversity and Inclusion Initiative and shares her

06/17/2021

We all hope for a safe space from when we wake up in the morning to when we go to sleep.

We all want to feel good knowing we can leave our homes without thinking something terrible will happen to us.

With gun violence on the rise, more and more parents and children worry about their safety.

During this podcast hosted by Anastasia Barnes, Julia McFadden of Svigals + Partners, LLP talks about:
⚠️School Safety
⚠️Addressing policies & procedures to students in preparation for an event
⚠️Equipping teachers with the layout of the school to be able to find the nearest exit
⚠️Rebuilding places where people find peace
⚠️Discussing what productive playgrounds are
⚠️How biophilia design is connecting us back to nature and the unique role it played in the redesign of the Hook School

Those unfamiliar with Biophilia design was created to connect humans with nature to promote productivity and overall wellness.

After Sandy Hookin 2012, the school rearranged to invite the curious young minds of tomorrow with the safety parents want.

Julia McFadden, an Associate Principal with Svigals + Partners talks about how her firm found their voice behind their approach to design, what the firm means by a productive playground and how biophilia design is connecting us back to nature.

06/15/2021

In Season 1, Episode 13, Paul Rocha & Kyle Reagan of DECCO, Inc. discuss recruiting, hiring, and training qualified workers.

Rethink your future and embrace the opportunities built within a construction career.

Paul Rocha, Group Manager for DECCO, Inc.’s Fabrication Services Group “DECCOFab” and Kyle Reagan, Executive Vice President at DECCO, Inc. discuss the company’s boot camp, apprenticeship program, and the success behind it.

06/15/2021

Have you noticed the recent rise in sea level? Within the next 50 - 100 years it is predicted that the sea level will rise by 6 ft!

If nothing changes there will be permanent changes to cities like Boston.

Without creating a plan, the streets of Boston will be permanently flooded... yes... permanently.

Mark Reed and Stephanie Goldberg, founding principals of the Boston-based architecture and design firm, LAB/LSA, talk about the threat climate change poses to the city of Boston, and their proposal for a permanent solution to rising sea levels.

Who is willing to participate to help combat this evolving problem? Are you?

Tune in to Season 1 Episode 19 to listen to the work that's currently being done to combat this and how YOU can get involved and do your part.

Mark Reed and Stephanie Goldberg, founding principals of the LAB/LSA talk about the threat climate change pose to the city of Boston, and their proposal for a permanent solution to rising sea levels, titled The Blue Necklace. They also outline steps industry professionals can take to approach this c

06/11/2021

When it comes to acting, active listening is important for many different reasons. However, this is not the only area where this skill is required.

As a leader being an active listener is truly important.

Through conversations, people feel human when they are talked WITH rather than talked AT.

When soft skills are applied, people are then able to feel heard & valued.

Emotional Intelligence allows for self-awareness and provides effective communication among coworkers & bosses.

Without having emotional intelligence, it would be hard to achieve goals and keep a level head when things become difficult.

Listen to Season 1 Episode 19 to learn more about how you can foster growth and productivity by building connections through humor and more.

Rob DiNinni, a founding member of StageCoach Improv talks about some of the major challenges facing leaders and sales professionals today, and how they can overcome those, fostering growth and productivity. He also talks about how focusing on soft skills, teams can cultivate relationships, empower c

06/09/2021

The construction industry has changed a lot in the past 50 years. From better safety practices to protect its employees from sudden death to including and empowering more women to become part of the ever-growing industry.

Even though women have come a long way to work in the construction industry, the industry hasn't made them feel inclusive with the protective gear they supply, which is mainly tailored to just men.

Join Anastasia Barnes and Jane Henry, Founder of SeeHerWork a safety consultancy and product manufacturing company that designs workwear, safety equipment, and other job-specific products sized to the unique body needs of both women and men.

They will discuss best safety practices for all and tap into your company’s demographics for better retention.

Listen to Season 1 Episode 23 Today!

In episode 23 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Jane Henry, founder of SeeHerWork, a safety consultancy and product manufacturing company that designs workwear, safety equipment, and other job-specific products sized to the unique body needs of both women and men.

06/07/2021

Does your company take the extra step in ensuring your employees and clients WELL BEING?

In this episode of Build Better Space, Anastasia Barnes and Antonia Ciavarella, an architectural designer with Tecton Architects, talk about being WELL Certified and what it means to have people be the main focus of sustainability to your entity.

Listen in for tips for how the WELL certification can help to improve your building on being environmentally friendly, employee retention, Child learning in schools, and mental relaxation.

In this podcast you will learn about:
♻What it means to be WELL certified
♻ The beneficial changes you can make to your building to have a more significant impact
♻ How it will benefit your Wellbeing and your business

Listen to Episode 1 Season 16 today!

https://buildbetter.space/episodes/antonia-ciaverella

Antonia Ciaverella, an architectural designer with Tecton Architects talks about WELL, the first rating system to focus exclusively on the impacts of buildings on human health and wellness. Ciaverella talks about the specific ways a company or organization can achieve WELL certification or make posi

03/11/2021

The design and industry is not just about buildings, it's about the people behind the buildings.

Know any innovative and emerging leaders in the A/E/C industry? Email [email protected] to suggest a feature or pitch an idea for a episode.

03/03/2021

!

Visit https://buildbetter.space/episodes/season2/episode6 to listen!

On season 2, episode 6 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Rohan Freeman, founder and president of , a multi-disciplinary design and services firm in .

In 2014, he established the School of Engineering “Freeman Companies BRIDGE Endowed ,” to support minority and female students with an interest in civil engineering who have overcome obstacles such as socioeconomic or educational disadvantage.

Rohan talks about the challenges low-income students face when attending college, and the ways others can provide opportunities for these students to pursue careers in the industry.

02/25/2021

Stay up to date with by listening to our latest episode!

Lisa Ulbrich, vice president of management firm Commodore Builders speaks with host Anastasia Barnes about overcoming and Commodore's partnership with the Herren Project to help industry workers move towards the path of recovery.

You can listen to the episode at https://buildbetter.space/season2/episode5.

11/24/2020

We are live with S2E5! Anastasia welcomes Lisa Ulbrich, vice president for Commodore Builders, a management firm based in .

In addition to her career in , Lisa is passionate about addressing alcohol and substance use disorder. She is a certified and executive recovery coach, and has personal experience with overcoming addiction. She talks about Commodore's partnership with Herren Project and shares how they are helping provide those struggling with substance use disorder a long-term path to recovery.

Special thanks to our sponsors Building Trades Employers' Association - BTEA!

To listen to the complete episode, go to https://buildbetter.space/season2/episode5

On season 2, episode 5 of the Build Better podcast, Anastasia welcomes Lisa Ulbrich, vice president for Commodore Builders, a construction management firm based in Boston. In addition to her career in construction, Lisa is passionate about addressing alcohol and substance use disorder.