Successful 8th Annual Women in Construction and Project Development Event Celebrates Female Mentorship in the Industry

On May 18, nearly 200 attendees gathered at River Winds Farm and Estate in Saco, Maine to celebrate the 8^th annual Women in Construction and Project Development Event, with a specific focus on female mentorship.

This year’s theme, Paying it Forward to the Next Women Leaders of the Industry, brought perspective from three trailblazers in the industry: Danielle Betts, President of Knickerbocker Group; Christina Consigli, Senior Project Manager at Consigli Construction Co.; and Emily Mottram, Founder and Principal of Mottram Architecture. While providing different perspectives and journeys to success, each presentation had a similar thread that encouraged attendees to recognize and understand their values and know their power, and to use that power to sponsor and uplift others. Moderator and Bernstein Shur Real Estate attorney Suzanne Breselor Lowell facilitated a lively panelist discussion and audience Q&A, demonstrating the relevance of the mentorship topic to attendees.

“This event has never failed to inspire me and I was thrilled to participate as a speaker this year,” said Danielle Betts. “Hearing the collective stories and experiences from so many women in our industry, it is affirming and empowering to simply know they are there, to know we are not alone. This event nurtures lifelong connections that will help us all raise the bar and show how female leadership can positively impact the future of Maine’s construction, design, and project development industry.”

The idea for this milestone event began more than eight years ago, when Asha and former colleague, Meredith Eilers, recognized an opportunity to provide a special forum for this niche community of women working in a male-dominated industry. Since, the event has expanded in scope and refined its model to feature panelists sharing PechaKucha style presentations—a fast-paced, visual form of storytelling inspired by the idea to “talk less, show more” using images—related to the unique annual theme.

“At this event, I often overhear attendees saying they haven’t seen each other in years, since the last project they worked on together,” said Asha. “In the construction and project development industry, rare instances occur when women get to work with other women. To me, this event serves as a reminder, and a chance, for each of us to make those interactions less rare. I hope that what I eventually overhear is, ‘It’s great to see you outside of our weekly project meetings!’”

Please click below to watch the presentations from this year’s event.