---
title: "Activating Curiosity: Change Leadership for the AEC Industry"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/05cbc1bc-08b4-40bc-aed6-65862e79c869
source_url: "https://www.activatingcuriosity.com/"
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summary: "Activating Curiosity is a top-rated construction podcast hosted by Ryan Ware that explores leadership, change management, and innovation in the AEC industry through conversations with industry leaders. The page also promotes the Becoming Human Again event series by Collective Leadership Co-op, with one-day events in Denver, Savannah, and Phoenix in 2026."
tags: "construction-leadership, aec-industry, podcast, change-management, prefabrication, burnout, leadership-development"
key_entities: "Ryan Ware (person), Connective Consulting Group (organization), Connective Coaching (organization), Collective Leadership Co-op (organization), Becoming Human Again (event), Activating Curiosity (event), Josh Mensinger (person), Integrity Built Texas and Prefab (organization), Julie Riga (person), Robb Andrade (person), Overcast Innovations (organization), change management in construction (concept), prefabrication (concept), construction leadership development (concept), Denver, CO (location), Savannah, GA (location), Phoenix, AZ (location)"
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# Activating Curiosity: Change Leadership for the AEC Industry

Ready to Slow Down and Lead with Clarity? Becoming Human Again invites leaders in AEC to reconnect, reflect, and lead with authentic human connection in a high-performance world. 3 One Day events in Denver, CO on Friday 9/18/26, Savannah, GA on 10/16/26 and Phoenix, AZ on 12/4/26. Buy your tickets now. Sponsorships are available. Hope to see you there. Learn More Register Now for Collective Leadership Co-op's Becoming Human Again Event Series! Search Activating Curiosity™ Activating Curiosity™ | Leading Change in the construction Industry is a top construction podcast for forward-thinking AEC and construction industry leaders who want to elevate their leadership in change management, strengthen construction leadership development, and navigate change management in construction with clarity, connection, and confidence. Hosted by Ryan Ware, AEC industry coach, keynote speaker, and founder of Connective Consulting Group and Connective Coaching—the show dives into conversations with innovators and industry shapers to ask one core question: What’s the most important problem you’re trying to solve and why? Each episode uncovers real stories, hidden challenges, and practical tools to help you lead through change, build psychologically safe teams, and stay ahead in an industry that’s transforming faster than ever. New guest episodes drop twice per month, along with bonus insights designed to help you apply what you hear immediately. If you’re committed to building the future of construction leadership, this show is for you. Listen. Follow or subscribe. Share it with someone navigating change. Let’s build what’s next — together. Choose your favorite podcast player Top 10 Construction Leadership Podcast Activating Curiosity™ | Leading Change in the Construction Industry Activating Curiosity™ is a top-rated construction podcast for forward-thinking AEC leaders who want to strengthen leadership, navigate change with confidence, and challenge the assumptions shaping the future of the built environment. Hosted by Ryan Ware, each episode features conversations with the leaders helping shape the future of construction through better questions, fresh perspectives, and meaningful conversations. Recent Episodes View all 32 July 14, 2026 The Hardest Truth About Prefabrication: It's Not the Technology For over 20 years, the construction industry has discussed prefabrication, modular construction, and industrialized construction as solutions to labor shortages, productivity challenges, and project inefficiencies. Yet, adoption has been slower than many expected. Why? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Josh Mensinger, President of Integrity Built Texas and Prefab, to reveal a hard truth often overlooked: The biggest barriers to prefabrication aren't tech Listen to the Episode 31 July 2, 2026 The Burnout Trap: Why Leaders Accept the Wrong Standard Construction leadership culture shapes how teams work, perform, and respond to change. Yet across the construction industry, burnout has quietly become an accepted measure of commitment, leadership, and success. But what if burnout isn't evidence of high performance? What if it's evidence that we've accepted the wrong standard? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with executive leadership coach Julie Riga to explore construction leadership development, workplac Listen to the Episode 30 June 23, 2026 Construction Delays Start in Design—We Just Don’t Talk About It Construction delays are often blamed on labor, cost, or materials—but what if the real problem starts much earlier, during design? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Robb Andrade of Overcast Innovations to explore how siloed design decisions create downstream friction, rework, and unnecessary change. Instead of focusing on what happens in the field, this conversation shifts upstream—where critical decisions are often made without full visibility into how the Listen to the Episode 29 June 18, 2026 Construction's Energy Wake-Up Call: Designing for an Uncertain Future In this bonus episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Tom Raftery—speaker, sustainability strategist, and host of the Resilient Supply Chain and Climate Confident podcasts—to explore how global energy disruptions are reshaping construction, supply chains, and the future of resilience. Using lessons from the 1970s energy crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and today's geopolitical uncertainty, Ryan and Tom examine what happens when critical systems becom Listen to the Episode 28 June 9, 2026 Construction Productivity: Reframing the Real Challenge Construction Productivity: Reframing the Real Challenge In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, we confront a critical reality within the construction sector: the challenge isn't solely a lack of labor, but a profound issue with productivity. While the industry may appear busy, projects are increasingly falling behind schedule, exceeding budgets, and proving more difficult to complete. This discussion probes beyond the superficial, highlighting how the industry often engages in 'firefighting' Listen to the Episode 27 May 26, 2026 Discomfort to Innovation: How Architects Can Lead Climate Action with Biochar What happens when architects and construction leaders stop accepting the limits of traditional building materials—and start asking better questions? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Allison Dring, CEO and Co-Founder of Made of Air, to explore how discomfort drives curiosity, innovation, and change in the built environment. Explore how biochar is becoming a key tool for sustainable building practices and climate action in the construction industry. With the Listen to the Episode 26 May 21, 2026 What If It’s Not a Staffing Problem in AEC—But a Work Model Problem? What if the AEC industry’s biggest challenge isn’t a staffing shortage—but a work model problem? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Erin Fantozz, Founder of EFDesigns, to explore how architecture and construction firms are navigating a deeper shift in leadership, change management, and the future of work. As workforce pressure continues across the AEC industry, many firms focus on hiring more people without rethinking how work is structured. This conversation c... Listen to the Episode 25 May 12, 2026 Scaling Offsite Construction: Overcoming Visibility Challenges in Prefab Manufacturing In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Vikas Murali, Co-Founder and CEO of Offsight, to explore why limited visibility inside prefab factories remains one of the biggest barriers to scaling offsite construction. As contractors and manufacturers expand into prefabrication, modular construction, and industrialized construction, many still rely on manual processes, disconnected systems, and limited production transparency. This lack of real-time visibility creates unc Listen to the Episode View all Episodes Join the list! or Get updates on new episodes Join other listeners and get updates on new episodes. Email has been submitted. By signing up, you agree to receive email from this podcast. Please complete the reCAPTCHA verification Subscribe Listen On Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music Youtube Music Goodpods iHeartRadio Deezer Castro Castbox PocketCasts Audible RSS Feed Support On Goodpods Top 100 Change Management Podcasts  Listen now to Activating Curiosity™ | Leading Change in the Construction Industry podcast Goodpods Top 100 Leadership Coaching Podcasts  Listen now to Activating Curiosity™ | Leading Change in the Construction Industry podcast Construction Leadership Episodes The Hardest Truth About Prefabrication: It's Not the Technology Construction Productivity: Reframing the Real Challenge See all → Change Management Episodes The Hardest Truth About Prefabrication: It's Not the Technology The Burnout Trap: Why Leaders Accept the Wrong Standard See all → Innovation in Construction Episodes The Hardest Truth About Prefabrication: It's Not the Technology Construction's Energy Wake-Up Call: Designing for an Uncertain Future See all → Industry Challenges Episodes The Hardest Truth About Prefabrication: It's Not the Technology Construction Delays Start in Design—We Just Don’t Talk About It See all → construction financials Episodes Projects vs. Business: Construction Financial Clarity | A Leadership Imperative mindset shift Episodes Construction Productivity: Reframing the Real Challenge Discomfort to Innovation: How Architects Can Lead Climate Action with Biochar See all → curiosity in construction Episodes Construction Delays Start in Design—We Just Don’t Talk About It Discomfort to Innovation: How Architects Can Lead Climate Action with Biochar See all → leadership coaching Episodes Human-Centered Construction Leadership: Moving Beyond the Industry’s Toughness Culture Leading Change in Construction: Why Culture Matters, Not Just Technology See all → Browse episodes by category Construction Leadership 27 Change Management 29 Innovation in Construction 17 Industry Challenges 16 construction financials 1 mindset shift 19 curiosity in construction 11 leadership coaching 4 construction industry 13 building trust 3 See all → About the Host Ryan Ware Ryan Ware is Founder and CEO driving construction leadership development. With over two decades of experience across every segment and level of management in the construction industry, Ryan’s career journey began in architecture and expanded into construction and prefabrication manufacturing. Throughout, he encountered consistent challenges with change management implementation. Driven by passion and purpose to advance the construction industry, Ryan took to the stage to support as many leaders as possible. He helps audiences build stronger relationships with change and challenges the way leaders think about change, innovation, and leadership. His mission as a speaker, coach, and consultant is simple: to help the construction industry evolve by empowering those who shape it to better navigate change. Recent Blog Posts July 14, 2026 Beyond Batteries: Exploring Diverse Energy Storage for Construction Sites The construction industry faces a growing need for reliable, scalable, and sustainable power solutions. While batteries dominate the conversation, a world of diverse energy storage technologies offers unique advantages for job sites. This post explo… Read the Blog Post July 7, 2026 Beyond Firefighting: How Design Manufacturing Integration Transforms Construction This post explores how Design Manufacturing Integration (DMI) offers a strategic alternative to the reactive 'firefighting' common in construction, detailing its principles and benefits for improving project delivery and efficiency. Learn how integr… Read the Blog Post June 23, 2026 Biochar: The Carbon-Negative Material Revolutionizing Construction Welcome back to the Activating Curiosity podcast blog! In our latest episode, we delved deep into a topic that has the potential to fundamentally reshape the construction industry and, by extension, our planet's future. We sat down with Allison Drin… Read the Blog Post View all posts Coming Soon on Activating Curiosity™ These conversations have already been recorded and will be released in upcoming episodes. 🎙️ Rory Rubin, S.I. Container Builds Affordable Housing Starts With Better Questions: Purpose, Community & Construction Can solving the housing crisis begin by changing the questions we ask? 🎙️ Josh Dorfman, Supercool People Don't Buy Sustainability. They Buy Better Buildings. People don't buy sustainability because it's sustainable. They adopt solutions that solve real problems and create better buildings. 🎙️ Timber Barker, Boom Interactive AI Is Personal: Why the Human Still Matters in Construction As artificial intelligence becomes more capable, what role becomes even more valuable for people? Follow Activating Curiosity™ on your favorite podcast platform to be notified when new episodes are released. Reviews Creating positive change! "This podcast is fantastic. I love how Ryan Ware is creating awareness and motivating people in the AEC industry (and beyond) to think differently. Be curious. There is a better way and he is bringing…" croberdeau | Dec. 2, 2025 See all reviews Sponsors