Build Different

Technology is changing faster than many organizations’ systems, processes, and security strategies can keep up. 

Construction organizations increasingly depend on connected systems, shared data, and extended project and supply chain networks. As technology, cyber threats, and compliance expectations evolve, resilience is becoming a business and leadership priority. 

In this episode, Kahua welcomes Katie Arrington, a cybersecurity and emerging technology leader whose work spans defense policy, CMMC, supply chain resilience, and quantum technology. 

Drawing on her experience across government, industry, and emerging technology, Katie explores how construction and infrastructure leaders can prepare their organizations for changing expectations around security, data, and digital transformation. 

The conversation will examine CMMC as one example of the current shift toward greater accountability and data protection. It will also look ahead to quantum computing and the questions it raises around encryption, sensitive information, long-term risk, and critical infrastructure. 

Nicholas Johnson leads a practical conversation about how organizations can understand their dependencies, evaluate technology and supply chain partners, build security into everyday workflows, and prepare for what comes next without chasing hype or waiting for change to force the conversation. 

Innovation is everywhere. Turning it into meaningful business impact is much harder. 

As organizations navigate rapid advances in technology, evolving customer expectations, and constant pressure to move faster, leaders face a growing challenge: determining which ideas are worth pursuing and then successfully turning those ideas into results. 

In this episode, Kahua welcomes James Hatfield, Chief Revenue Officer at LiveSwitch and an innovation-focused leader with experience spanning product strategy, revenue growth, technology, and team leadership. 

Drawing on his experience building products and leading high-performing teams, James explores what separates innovation that creates real value from innovation for innovation’s sake. The conversation examines how leaders can balance vision with execution, keep customer and business needs at the center of technology decisions, and create teams capable of navigating continuous change. 

From evaluating new technologies and using data to inform strategic decisions to aligning product, revenue, and customer priorities, the discussion offers a practical perspective on what it takes to move an organization from a promising idea to measurable impact. 

Elyssa Steiner leads a conversation about how leaders can approach innovation more intentionally and why successful transformation ultimately depends on people, execution, and business value as much as technology. 

For decades, the construction industry has focused on productivity as its primary measure of success. Faster schedules. Lower costs. More output per labor hour. Yet despite billions invested in technology, construction continues to become more expensive, not less. 

In this episode, Kahua welcomes entrepreneur, investor, and industry thought leader KP Reddy to challenge one of construction’s most accepted assumptions: that productivity is the industry’s biggest problem. 

Drawing on his recent thesis that the industry is measuring the wrong outcomes, KP explores why productivity gains alone have failed to transform construction economics and why owners should shift their focus toward Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), lifecycle performance, and long-term asset value. 

The conversation examines how the industry’s emphasis on first cost, schedule, and project delivery often overlooks the decades of operational expenses that follow substantial completion. From asset lifecycle planning and facilities management to technology adoption and capital program strategy, this discussion reframes how owners, contractors, and technology providers should define success. 

Nicholas Johnson leads a forward-looking conversation on what happens when the industry stops optimizing for project completion and starts optimizing for ownership outcomes. 

For many organizations, the success or failure of a capital program is often decided long before construction begins. While the industry tends to focus on execution challenges in the field, the reality is that many of the biggest risks are introduced much earlier, during planning, governance setup, and delivery strategy decisions.

In this episode, we sit down with Arthur Terechtchouk, Partner, Capital Advisory & Transformation at Superset Infrastructure, to explore why capital programs struggle to meet expectations and what owners and project leaders can do differently. Drawing from his experience advising on large-scale infrastructure and nuclear programs, Arthur shares insights into how early-stage decisions shape outcomes across the entire lifecycle of a project.

We discuss where misalignment typically occurs between stakeholders, how governance and delivery models influence performance, and why many organizations underestimate the complexity of managing risk at scale. We also explore what leading owners are doing differently to improve predictability, accountability, and overall program success.

Whether you are an owner, program leader, or part of a project delivery team, this conversation offers a practical look at what drives success in today's most complex capital programs.

What does it take for construction technology to actually get used, not just implemented? 

In this conversation, Nicholas Johnson sits down with Jeff Sample to explore the growing gap between the promise of construction technology and the reality of adoption in the field. While new tools are constantly entering the market, many fail to make it past rollout, leaving teams overwhelmed, undertrained and ultimately reverting back to old processes. 

This discussion centers on what separates technology that sticks from technology that gets abandoned. From leadership alignment to change management and training, we unpack the real drivers behind successful adoption and why simply “buying software” rarely solves the problem it was intended to fix. 

This episode highlights what’s actually working today (and what isn’t) when it comes to implementing technology across complex construction programs.

Construction has never talked more about innovation (AI, automation, digital transformation) but many organizations still struggle to turn that ambition into real, lasting change. 

In this episode, AJ Waters sits down with Bhragan, civil engineer at AECOM and Innovation Advisor to the Level Crossing Removal Project, to unpack the gap between innovation hype and on-the-ground reality. Drawing from his work supporting AI capability uplift programs and his widely read “Last Week in ConTech” newsletter, Bhragan brings a candid perspective on why the industry continues to chase new technology while struggling to adopt what already exists. 

AJ and Bhragan explore what actually gets in the way of meaningful technology adoption in construction, from organizational behavior and education to misaligned incentives and unrealistic expectations. They also discuss what it takes to successfully roll out innovation at scale and how leaders can move from experimentation to real impact. 

Whether you’re leading a capital program, evaluating new technology or trying to drive change within your organization, this conversation offers a grounded and practical look at what innovation really requires. 

For decades, construction companies grew their businesses the same way: strong relationships, repeat clients and a reputation built project by project. Those fundamentals still matter, but the industry around them is changing. 

In this episode, AJ Waters sits down with Jonathan Cor, Founder of Customer Growth, to explore how brand is becoming a critical differentiator in construction. As workforce expectations shift and information travels faster than ever, companies are realizing that reputation is no longer built only on the jobsite. It is shaped by how organizations communicate, how leaders show up in the industry and how firms tell the story of the work they do. 

AJ and Jonathan discuss how the concept of “brand” fits within an industry traditionally driven by relationships and referrals. They explore what leading construction companies are doing differently to build credibility, attract talent and stand out in competitive markets. 

Whether you lead a construction firm, manage major capital programs or work at the intersection of construction and technology, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on how reputation and brand are shaping the future of the industry. 

What does leadership look like when technology, data and collaboration are reshaping how capital programs are delivered? 

In this special Women in Construction Week conversation, we sit down with a female leader at the forefront of technology-driven construction programs to explore how women are influencing change across the industry. From leading complex programs to driving digital transformation, this discussion focuses on real experiences, practical leadership lessons and how technology can be used as a lever for better outcomes, not just better tools. 

This session creates space for candid dialogue around leadership, communication and career growth in a traditionally male-dominated industry. 

Rather than focusing on theory, the conversation highlights what’s actually working today, how women are navigating influence and decision-making and what the next generation of leaders should be paying attention to as construction programs become more connected and data-driven. 

In our Season 1 finale, we're closing the loop on what it really takes to deliver complex projects today. Alyce, AJ and Nicholas reflect on the voices, stories and discoveries that shaped this season, from owner perspectives to tech innovations and the human moments that challenged how we think about construction. We revisit standout episodes, unpack the surprises that emerged along the way and share the lessons we're carrying into 2026. This isn't just a recap; it's a conversation about what we've learned together, what's shifting in the industry and where we're headed next as we prepare to kick off Season 2.

Owners set the tone for every construction project. In a year defined by rising complexity, new technology, tighter budgets and workforce pressure, what separates a “good owner” from one who unintentionally holds projects back? In this episode, we explore what modern ownership looks like today and why the industry is shifting toward more collaborative, transparent and people-first leadership models.