AEC Women on Top

Lauren Homme
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There are so many powerful women shaping architecture, engineering, and construction. But too often, we only see one version of success. This podcast explores the real career trajectories of women across AEC — from strategy and business development to design, operations, and executive leadership. In each episode, we talk about: • How they got to where they are • The support they wish they had • The pivots that shaped their path • The challenges no one prepares you for • The advice they’d give the next generation If you’re building a career in AEC — or leading others who are — this podcast is designed to give you visibility, perspective, and practical insight. Because there isn’t one way to rise in this industry. There are many. And it’s time we hear about them.

Episodes

  1. 13h ago

    Anne Marie-Redefining Leadership and Strategy in AEC

    In this episode, host Lauren Homme sits down with Anne Marie, the Director of Business Development and Marketing for SV Design Architecture and Interiors, to discuss her non-linear career path and insights on navigating the AEC industry. Moving from early experiences in community advocacy to product design, and eventually returning to her architecture roots, Anne Marie shares the unique challenges of balancing an "artist's heart" with corporate strategy. The conversation dives into the operational distinctions between business development and marketing, the impact of prioritizing community-centric projects like affordable housing, and why the industry must shift away from traditional, masculine-skewed definitions of leadership to embrace "sleeper leaders." Packed with moments of vulnerability and sharp professional advice, this episode serves as an empowering guide for women looking to lead authentically, champion empathy as a strength, and build lasting, trust-based relationships in a highly competitive field.

    Anne Marie-Redefining Leadership and Strategy in AEC

  2. 13h ago

    Halina-Mastering Scale, Subconscious Detail, and Client Guidance in Luxury Residential Design

    In this episode of the AEC Women on Top podcast, host Lauren Homme sits down with Halina Mark, the Lead Designer for Refined Design—the specialized, in-house interior design studio at DJK Custom Homes. Drawing from her unique professional trajectory and structural eye for residential environments, Halina pulls back the curtain on the complex operational orchestration required to build and execute high-end custom homes. The conversation targets a critical tension within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries: the delicate balance between a homeowner's idealized digital vision and the harsh technical, financial, and spatial realities of construction execution. Halina discusses the strategic evolution of Refined Design Studio, which was developed over three years ago to serve as a vital protective layer and consultative roadmap for luxury residential clients. Moving past surface-level aesthetics, she explains how a dedicated professional design resource protects clients from the costly, cascading errors that often arise during multi-phased custom builds. The episode breaks down why custom residential architecture cannot simply be handled independently by a layperson, drawing a clever structural parallel to leaving a vehicle at a mechanic shop, establishing design as an empirical, technically disciplined field rather than a casual hobby. Listeners will gain tactical business insights into how Halina and her team navigate the widespread cultural phenomenon of the "Pinterest Fail." Halina dissects how subconscious structural components—specifically spatial scale, color undertones, material transitions, and microscopic detailing—dictate how a human being experiences a physical space. By prioritizing proactive alignment and seamless structural collaboration with DJK's construction crews, Halina provides a masterclass on how women leaders in AEC are leveraging empathy, analytical precision, and deep system guidelines to redefine client trust, drive financial efficiency, and protect both the creative vision and the bottom line of major capital developments.

    Halina-Mastering Scale, Subconscious Detail, and Client Guidance in Luxury Residential Design

  3. 13h ago

    Linda-Living in the Gray, Driving the Bus: Redefining Leadership in Real Estate and AEC

    In this episode, Lauren sits down with Linda, General Manager of the Spring District, a massive 1.6 million square foot mixed-use development. Linda shares her inspiring "slow and steady" career trajectory, starting from answering phones at the front desk in 2008 to managing a multi-million square foot community asset. The heart of this conversation dives deep into the realities women face in traditional corporate environments. Linda opens up about the friction of being told to "just settle into being a mom" instead of advancing her career, the structural barriers that impact single mothers, and how she is actively rewriting those rules today by leading her team with radical flexibility and holistic empathy. It’s a powerful masterclass in owning your value, marrying corporate responsibility with community purpose, and refusing to let others define your path.

    Linda-Living in the Gray, Driving the Bus: Redefining Leadership in Real Estate and AEC

  4. 13h ago

    Margi-Challenging the Linear Career: Power Moves, Hidden Motherhood, and the Velocity of Modern Design

    In this high-impact episode, Lauren Homme sits down with Margi Kaminski, the firm-wide Health Practice Leader at CannonDesign, to pull back the curtain on what it truly takes to build a lasting legacy in the AEC industry. Spanning four decades of professional evolution, Margi shares her circuitous path from launching her own interior design firm in the 1980s to navigating a high-stakes corporate buyout and leading hyper-specialized healthcare modalities for global firms. Moving past standard corporate talking points, this raw conversation dives deep into the multi-generational shifts in work-life balance—from an era where women entirely hid their children to protect their careers, to the modern, often exhausting pressure of "having it all" while presenting to a firm with a baby on your hip. Together, Lauren and Margi confront the unsustainable intensity and frenetic velocity of the modern workplace, delivering a validating, essential roadmap for women striving to protect their time, claim their power, and redefine success in an evolving industry.

    Margi-Challenging the Linear Career: Power Moves, Hidden Motherhood, and the Velocity of Modern Design

  5. 13h ago

    Rachael-Designing for the Mind: Mental & Behavioral Health Innovation in AEC

    In this episode of the AEC Women on Top podcast, we sit down with Rachael Rome, the Global Director of Mental and Behavioral Health and Studio Practice Leader for the Dallas Health Practice at HKS, Inc. Rachael shares her professional journey leading transformative design strategies across the full spectrum of high-acuity healthcare environments. With a collaborative, research-driven approach, she discusses how she translates complex client needs into performance-driven architectural solutions that blend profound empathetic design thinking with rigorous operational insights. The conversation dives deep into the high-stakes, technically complex portfolio Rachael manages across the behavioral health continuum. Listeners will gain an inside look at the architectural planning required for specialized spaces, including pediatric outpatient clinics, neurodiverse sensory labs, interventional psychiatry platforms, inpatient units for medically complex patients, forensic psychiatry settings, and memory care environments. Rachael explains her involvement from early concept through construction and occupancy, illustrating how women are driving execution, continuity, and vision at every stage of major capital projects. Furthermore, Rachael details how she leverages advanced operational methodologies—such as simulation modeling, behavioral mapping, and long-range campus master planning for multi-phased developments—to establish technical authority and challenge traditional spatial designs. This episode serves as an inspiring blueprint for women in technical industries looking to merge human-centric advocacy with executive strategy, demonstrating how to lead complex corporate spaces and reshape the future of healthcare infrastructure.

    Rachael-Designing for the Mind: Mental & Behavioral Health Innovation in AEC

  6. 13h ago

    Rhonda-Redefining the Boardroom and the Tee Box

    In this feature episode of AEC Women on Top, host Lauren Homme sits down with Rhonda Pollard, a 26-year veteran of the commercial construction industry, to dissect the deep-seated architectural and social biases built into the corporate landscape. Moving chronologically through Row's multi-decade trajectory—from a 19-year-old communications graduate facing intimidating leadership in Kentucky to a Strategic Operations Lead overseeing multi-state partnerships for PCL Construction's hundred-million-dollar Northwest district in Seattle—the conversation acts as an unvarnished analysis of corporate gaslighting, glass ceilings, and the emotional double standards forced upon technical women. The core of the discussion explores the strategic intersection of networking, leisure, and executive access. Row shares the systemic revelation that inspired her board work with The Pro Shop, a nonprofit established after realizing women accounted for fewer than 3% of participants at industry-wide charity golf tournaments. Lauren and Row break down why traditional corporate advice often fails women, detailing how executive "leapfrogging" occurs on the golf course where critical, five-hour business interactions happen entirely out of reach of middle management. From confronting a regional "boys' club" culture to navigating chronic autoimmune conditions while facing strict corporate expectations of presenteeism, this episode provides an open blueprint for human-centric boundary setting. Ultimately, it serves as a masterclass on how modern leaders can shed the traditional corporate script, undo decades of conditioning, and confidently lean into their authentic professional identity.

    Rhonda-Redefining the Boardroom and the Tee Box

  7. 13h ago

    Cherise-Resilience, Respite, and the Power of Speaking Up

    In the fast-paced world of AEC, it’s easy to feel like you need a technical degree just to have an opinion. But what if your most valuable asset isn’t your credentials—it’s your instinct and your willingness to stay in the room?  In this episode, Lauren Homme sits down with Cherise Poulin, Vice President of Strategy at Moore Group, for a candid conversation about the reality of being a woman on the business and strategy side of architecture and construction. Cherise shares her 30-year trajectory, from pivoting out of a traditional architecture path to becoming a strategic leader in healthcare design.

    Cherise-Resilience, Respite, and the Power of Speaking Up
  • 7 Episodes

About

There are so many powerful women shaping architecture, engineering, and construction. But too often, we only see one version of success. This podcast explores the real career trajectories of women across AEC — from strategy and business development to design, operations, and executive leadership. In each episode, we talk about: • How they got to where they are • The support they wish they had • The pivots that shaped their path • The challenges no one prepares you for • The advice they’d give the next generation If you’re building a career in AEC — or leading others who are — this podcast is designed to give you visibility, perspective, and practical insight. Because there isn’t one way to rise in this industry. There are many. And it’s time we hear about them.

Information

  • Creator
    Lauren Homme
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 AEC Women on Top
  • Show Website
    AEC Women on Top