AGENDA

 

We’re putting the finishing touches on an exciting lineup of sessions designed to inform, inspire, and empower. Topics include home building, remodeling, and residential construction, as well as sessions focused on leadership, communication, and personal development.

Wednesday, September 24, 2025
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
 
 

Badge Pick-Up is located at the bottom of the escalators, outside of the Zilker Ballroom.

 
 
1:00 PM - 1:10 PM
 
Zilker Ballroom 2-4

Welcome to the 2025 Women in Residential Construction Conference! Over the next three days you'll hear from inspiring keynote speakers and knowledgeable and connected people in the residential construction industry. This is your time to learn something new, make new connections, grow the community of women in residential construction.

 
 
1:10 PM - 1:55 PM
Keynote
Zilker Ballroom 2-4

Check back soon for details of our exciting kickoff keynote speaker! Stay tuned for an inspiring session to launch the conference with energy and insight.

 
 
1:55 PM - 2:00 PM
 
Zilker Ballroom 2-4

Get rapid-fire insights from our Platinum Partners. Hear about their expertise, solutions, and industry outlook. It’s a unique opportunity to hear concise, impactful takeaways from the best in the business—don’t blink, or you might miss something great!

 
 
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
 
 

Spend time talking with our Sponsors by visiting their tables and connecting with the businesses that support our industry. This is your chance to learn more about their products, services, and innovations while building valuable relationships. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how our Sponsors can help elevate your business!

 
 
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM
General Session - Residential Construction
Zilker Ballroom

We’re all juggling limited resources: people, time, and money. Whether it’s getting your kids out the door in the morning or managing a residential project with a tight deadline, the key to doing more with less is having the right process. Let’s explore how process mapping can help you streamline both your personal routines and your business operations. You’ll learn to identify inefficiencies, eliminate wasted effort, and create systems that free up your most valuable resources. With real-world examples from residential construction and everyday life, you’ll walk away with simple, effective tools to bring clarity and calm to your chaos.

 
 
3:15 PM - 3:20 PM
 
Zilker Ballroom

Get rapid-fire insights from our Platinum Partners. Hear about their expertise, solutions, and industry outlook. It’s a unique opportunity to hear concise, impactful takeaways from the best in the business—don’t blink, or you might miss something great!

 
 
3:25 PM - 3:55 PM
General Session - Residential Construction
Zilker Ballroom 2-4

Universal design is a broad term that involves the craft of designing, remodeling, or building a home that’s usable, accessible, comfortable, and safe for people of all ages and abilities—without calling unnecessary attention to itself. It’s a growing segment of the remodeling market and poised to get bigger.

 
 
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM
 
Zilker Ballroom 2-4

We end Day 1 where we’ll get to know each other and set the stage for meaningful connections. It’s the perfect opportunity to start networking and discover common interests!

 
 
4:45 PM - 5:00 PM
 
Zilker Ballroom

We'll highlight key takeaways, share a few reflections, and give you a preview of what’s coming next. It’s a great way to reflect, recharge, and reconnect before the next day begins!

 
 
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
 
Zilker Ballroom

Join us for our Welcome Reception sponsored by Samsung! Meet new friends and reconnect with old ones while enjoying drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

Sponsored by:

 

 
 
Thursday, September 25, 2025
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
 
Zilker Foyer
 
 
 
8:00 AM - 8:10 AM
 
Zilker Ballroom 2-4

Welcome to day two of WIRC! We're excited to announce our Woman of the Year for 2025. After the presentation, get ready for a full day of learning, connecting and personal growth.

 
 
8:10 AM - 9:10 AM
Keynote
Zilker Ballroom 2-4

In this session, you'll learn how the strategies of Gentelligence®  can help your organization leverage generational diversity as an opportunity and a competitive advantage. Discover how this approach can help your organization succeed and thrive. Featured in Harvard Business ReviewThe Washington Post, the Chicago TribuneInc Magazine, and more, Megan developed the Gentelligence® concept to help organizations change the way they approach generational differences.

Dr. Megan Gerhardt, Ph.D.
 
9:10 AM - 9:55 AM
General Session - Residential Construction
Zilker Ballroom 2-4

There are many ideas for helping solve America's housing affordability crisis, but Bree Jones and Vanessa Cole are actually doing the work to make homes more attainable and build communities across a wider spectrum of homeowners. While Jones' Parity Homes breathes new life into abandoned homes and neighborhoods in Baltimore, Cole's company works to bring innovation, such as 3D-built micro homes, to the Houston market.

Bree Jones
 
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Breakout Session - Home Building
Zilker Ballroom 2-4

There's a lot of talk about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help home builders, but does it? These three presenters have launched start-ups leveraging AI that address real and persistent challenges facing builders and developers, from clarifying municipal building codes, streamlining the land acquisition process, and automating building design, specifications, takeoffs, and estimating.

Gillian Sowray Tomas Garcia Cherif Algreatly
 
Breakout Session - Remodeling
Zilker Ballroom 1

Three remodeling and home improvement professionals lift the lid of AI Tips and Techniques. How to incorporate new tools into old processes that take too much time.

 
 
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
 
 

Take a break and grab a snack. It’s a great time to connect with fellow attendees and chat with our sponsors to learn more about their products and services.

 
 
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Roundtable - Home Building
 

Navigating collaboration between builders, architects, and designers (and clients, too).

 
 
Roundtable - Residential Construction
 

Have a universal design detail you've had trouble with? Bring it to the group for a discussion of potential solutions, workarounds, and alternate routes.

 
 
Roundtable - Home Building
 

Give us your insights about the types of content and delivery channels you prefer and need from Pro Builder to help your business stay current and sustain success.

 
 
Roundtable - Home Building
 

What are the barriers to building more affordable housing for missing middle and workforce families, and how can the industry overcome them?

 
 
Roundtable - General Topic
 

Explore more detailed solutions to the challenge of change leadership. Learn from fellow leaders how they've overcome obstacles and implemented change at their companies.

 
 
Roundtable - Home Building
Texas Ballroom #5

Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), this facilitated discussion is designed to gather your impressions, preconceived notions, and experience with a variety of off-site construction methodologies.

Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki
 
Roundtable - Home Improvement
 

Bring problems in need of solutions, and the group will explore.

 
 
Roundtable - General Topic
 

What are the keys to a "great company culture" and how do you get there? 

 
 
11:45 AM - 12:00 PM
 
 

A WIRC tradition! Each year we capture the energy of this event with a group photo and we would love to see your smiling face as part of it!

 
 
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
 
 
 
 
 
1:05 PM - 1:40 PM
Breakout Session - Remodeling
 

Creating a homeowner experience with a blend of personalized service, thoughtful design, and emotional connection can set you apart and create raving fans who are eager to refer you to their friends. At Quartersawn, we believe JOY should be the lasting impression of every remodeling project.

Leslie Nicholson
 
Breakout Session - Home Building
 

Storytelling is the keystone to achieving world-class sales, marketing, and customer relations. Our three presenters, all expert storytellers, will provide their insights into why storytellling matters, using it effectively, and integrating it across your organization.

Genevieve Benson Alyssa Titus
 
1:45 PM - 2:20 PM
Breakout Session - Remodeling
 

Three sales and marketing professionals share experiences on how new technology is shaping old marketing ideas and methods. Is AI killing SEO? Is social still the Wunderkind? How do these platforms align with tried-and-true marketing intelligence?

Amanda Venditti
 
Breakout Session - Home Building
 
 
Carla Ferreira Marie Watkins
 
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM
Roundtable - Home Building
 

Navigating collaboration between builders, architects, and designers (and clients, too).

 
 
Roundtable - Residential Construction
 

Have a universal design detail you've had trouble with? Bring it to the group for a discussion of potential solutions, workarounds, and alternate routes

 
 
Roundtable - Home Improvement
 

Bring problems in need of solutions, and the group will explore.

 
 
Roundtable - Home Building
Texas Ballroom #5

Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), this facilitated discussion is designed to gather your impressions, preconceived notions, and experience with a variety of off-site construction methodologies.

 
 
Roundtable - Home Building
 

What are the barriers to building more affordable housing for Missing Middle and workforce families, and how can the industry overcome them?

 
 
Roundtable - General Topic
 

Explore more detailed solutions to the challenge of change leadership. Learn from fellow leaders how they've overcome obstacles and implimented change at their companies

 
 
Roundtable - Home Building
 

Give us your insights about the types of content and delivery channels you prefer and need from Pro Builder to help your business stay current and sustain success.

 
 
Roundtable - General Topic
 

What are the keys to a "great company culture" and how do you get there? 

 
 
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
 
 

Grab some coffee and a snack while you get to know your fellow attendees.

 
 
3:40 PM - 4:10 PM
Breakout Session - Home Building
 

Join Margie Lavender, Architect and Partner at Kligerman Architecture & Design, for a revitalizing talk that recenters the heart of homebuilding on beauty, meaning, and human connection. Shaped by a transformative studio in Japan, Lavender explores five timeless principles: Connection to Nature, Craft, Surprise, Beauty, and Reinvention ‒ and how each fosters rich client engagement that is invaluable across all  fields of design and construction. Through the lens of five stunning projects, she invites us to rediscover the wonder that first drew us to this work, no matter which hat you wear.

Margie Lavender
 
Breakout Session - Remodeling
 

In today's fast-paced business world, change is the only constant. This interactive discussion will explore the timeless wisdom of Dr. Spencer Johnson's "Who Moved My Cheese?" to help you navigate change with grace, resilience, and success.

Allison Guido
 
4:20 PM - 4:55 PM
General Session - Residential Construction
 

Stay tuned for a dynamic session!

 
 
4:55 PM - 5:00 PM
 
 

Get rapid-fire insights from one of our Platinum Sponsors. Learn about their expertise, solutions, and industry outlook. It’s a unique opportunity to hear concise, impactful takeaways from the best in the business—don’t blink, or you might miss something great!

 
 
5:00 PM - 5:10 PM
 
 

We'll highlight key takeaways, share a few reflections, and give you a preview of what’s coming next. It’s a great way to reflect, recharge, and reconnect before the next day begins!

 
 
5:15 PM - 6:15 PM
 
 

Unwind and connect at Happy Hour! Enjoy drinks, light bites, and great conversation with fellow attendees and sponsors as we celebrate and strengthen our community in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.

 
 
Friday, September 26, 2025
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
 
 
 
 
 
8:00 AM - 8:05 AM
 
 
 
 
 
8:05 AM - 8:45 AM
General Session - Residential Construction
 

Natural disasters—hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and earthquakes—cause billions of dollars in property loss and require extensive rebuilding efforts that take years, even decades. Allyssa Taylor and Laura Paul know that world intimately from their work in Lahaina Town on Maui and in New Orleans' Ninth Ward, respectively, and bring their stories of recovery and resiliency—from both the built world and the families affected in those areas—to both inspire and enlighten us about the realities of disaster and personal recovery.

Allysa Taylor Laura Paul Lisa Copeland
 
8:50 AM - 9:20 AM
Breakout Session - Remodeling
 

 

Panel discussion on how information flows from sales to design to production—and back.

 
 
Breakout Session - Home Building
 

The home building industry isn't known for its early or mainstream adoption of innovation, especially when it comes to actually building homes. But Katy Reynolds is out to change that with her brand of off-site building technologies and processes that deliver homes faster and better than stick building. She'll discuss the challenges of being a disruptor in a reluctant (and sometimes aggressively resistant) industry, and share her vision for housing's future.

Katy Reynolds
 
9:25 AM - 9:55 AM
Breakout Session - Home Building
 

NAHB's 2025 Woman of the Year, Tanya Cromwell, recounts her 30-year (and counting!) journey as a residential designer and builder, from what inspired her to enter the industry and launch two companies to serving the industry at the local, state and national level and hosting a podcast.

Tanya Cromwell
 
Breakout Session - Remodeling
 

Failing her way to a successful small projects division launch, Mary shares lessons learned along the way, with some tech talk updates to keep the business humming after it is operational.

 

Mary Peters
 
9:55 AM - 10:15 AM
 
 

Grab some coffee and a snack while you get to know your fellow attendees.

 
 
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Keynote
 

This high-impact session is designed for women who are building big things--but feeling the weight of burnout, stress, and constant pressure. In an industry where pushing through is the norm, this session offers a refreshing reset. You'll walk away with practical tools to manage overwhelm, restore balance, and reignite purpose--without sacrificing your drive or your impact. It's time to build the life you've always wanted.

Jill Helwig
 
11:00 AM - 11:40 AM
 
 
 
 
 

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

ASSOCIATION SPONSOR