Waltham, MA — The Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts (AGC MA), together with leading industry organizations and partners, will host the inaugural Built to Lead 2026 Women’s Summit: Power, Progress & Presence in the Built Environment on May 20 at Bentley University in Waltham.
The full-day summit will bring together women and allies from across the architecture, engineering, construction, development, and real estate industries for a day of leadership development, mentorship, networking, and cross-sector collaboration designed to strengthen the future of the built environment.
“The built environment depends on collaboration across every discipline, and this summit was created to reflect that reality,” said JoEllen Villari, BWIC chair. “Built to Lead is about creating meaningful opportunities for women to connect, lead, influence outcomes, and build long-term careers shaping our communities and industry.”
The summit will feature opening and closing plenary sessions, breakout discussions, leadership programming, networking opportunities, and a closing cocktail reception. Topics will include mentorship and sponsorship, leadership presence, project development, career longevity, women’s health, and navigating influence and decision-making within the industry.
Featured sessions include:
- Mentorship, Sponsorship & Cross-Industry Alliances — exploring how strategic relationships accelerate career growth and leadership opportunities.
- Concept to Capital — a case study examining the development of Franklin Cummings Tech’s new campus and the importance of collaboration from project inception through delivery.
- Presence, Confidence & Professional Identity/Power & Influence Without the Title — focused on developing leadership presence and influence at every career stage.
The event is designed for professionals across all levels of experience — from emerging leaders seeking mentorship to seasoned executives focused on advancing and supporting the next generation of women in the industry.
Partner organizations supporting the summit include CREW Boston, Professional Women in Construction Boston, NAWIC Boston, Women in BIM, BSA Women in Design, Building Women in Construction (BWiC), and WISE.
The summit will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Bentley University, located at 175 Forest Street in Waltham. Registration is now open, with both full-day and half-day attendance options available. Space is limited. For registration and sponsorship information, visit: https://members.agcmass.org/events/details/built-to-lead-2026-women-s-summit-power-progress-presence-in-the-built-environment-4612.
