Episode 149: ACE Houston Build It Forward
Hosts Jessica Rogers and Norgerie Rivas step outside their usual format to highlight organizations, ideas, and events shaping the built environment. Recording together in person for the first time in Houston, Texas, they capture the energy of the ACE Houston Mentor Program’s “Build It Forward” event. ACE, a national organization with over thirty years of experience, focuses on introducing high school students to careers in architecture, construction, and engineering.
The hosts share their excitement about being on-site in a portable recording studio, generously provided by Debner, SILEN, and MDI Resources. Despite the controlled recording environment, they note the lively atmosphere just outside, where students are actively building beds to donate to charity.
Invited as part of the event’s Tech Fair, Norgerie and Jessica engage with students to find out their excitements and motivations about ACE and Build It Forward. Through the She Builds Podcast, they offer participants a hands-on introduction to podcasting by inviting them to join the show. The episode emphasizes community involvement, mentorship, and exposure to career pathways in the built environment, all while highlighting the collaborative spirit of the event.
Major thank you to:
Rudy Martinez, Microvellum Product Engineer at MGC, Inc. and Build it Forward extraordinaire, who invited us to participate in the Build it Forward Tech Fair. Then to Amy Hufnagel, Executive Director of the ACE Mentorship Program Houston who gave us the idea to host a podcast experience for students. Osman Herrera, ACE Houston Downtown Lead Mentor who suggested seeking vendors to lend us a phonebooth. Danielle Wurtz, Interior Designer at eStudio Architecture for contacting vendors on our behalf and setting the stage for success. eStudio, for their continued support of our mission. Amanda Campos from MDI who said yes and coordinated quickly with Debner to lend us their SILEN office pod/ phonebooth. Dustin Carberry with Debner who moved at the speed of light to coordinate between his team to disassemble, deliver, to the Build it Forward Event, and then assemble the pod so all Jessica and I had to do was show up. Everyone at MGC Inc who made time to receive the pod and then secured it like it was their baby. SILEN for building such an amazing product I wish we had at every office. And finally to anyone I missed mentioning that made this all possible and everyone who continually supports our mission to make the stories of women in our field visible.
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