Some people say it’s never too late to start something new—that is proving true for women in the construction technology realm. Sarah Lawrence and Danielle Lucas of IMAGINiT Technologies are bringing that turn-of-phrase to life by turning their years-long career paths in construction onto paths of construction technology, with the help of mentors and other women along the way.
Lucas, who has held roles ranging from construction administrator and project manager to director of construction solutions, now works with contractors on improving preconstruction, estimating and project management workflows, and Lawrence, who is currently serving as a construction account executive, previously worked as a project engineer with general contractors in the Pacific Northwest and began her career managing painting crews.
Each woman established their careers in the construction industry before advancing into their newfound roles in the construction technology sector in late 2025. Were they expecting to level up when they did? Was this next step even on their radar? Were they content with their careers up to this point? Will they continue to advance beyond these new roles?
Construction Executive sat down with the women to learn more about their journeys—and how those journeys can affect progress for the future of the construction workforce as well as for construction technology.
“We are starting to see more representation of women in all facets of the construction industry,” says Lawrence. She attributes the slow—albeit steady—pace of the gender-shift in construction to “women thinking there’s not a place here for them. But there certainly is.”
How have you worked your way up to your current role?
Danielle Lucas: I actually started out on the operations side and then became a construction administrator. I’ve worked with both an HVAC specialty subcontractor and a general contractor in Florida where I used to live. So, I got a really good ground-level view of what happens on a project and I fell in love with the technology there while also learning the daily reality of RFIs and change orders and contracts. After that, I moved into project management and then finally over to construction technology itself. Before I joined IMAGINiT, I was a director of construction solutions. Today, I’m a construction engagement engineer and I specialize in preconstruction. I get to work closely with firms to improve how they’re approaching their estimating, takeoff, collaboration and construction administration.
Sarah Lawrence: It all started with a desire to gain work experience applicable to any career. I started as a residential exterior house painting intern. I was then recruited by a commercial painting subcontractor, which hired me as a project engineer. I never intended to have a career in construction; I never formally went to school for construction management. I’ve learned everything on the job and through my mentors—from interpreting contract documents to managing projects. Working for the commercial painting company was a great opportunity and I got great experience that set me up for a successful career in commercial construction.
From there I switched to the general contractor side, so I worked with a smaller firm doing 16-week tenant improvements. Then I accepted a role with Balfour Beatty, starting in their preconstruction department and supporting a couple of large projects from there. My role with IMAGINiT has exposed me to how technology is transforming our industry and I’m passionate about driving tech adoption across construction.
Did you study technology or did you organically work your way up in the tech sphere of construction?
Lucas: I did not go to college and I didn’t study technology—I simply fell in love with it. If you want to learn, there are so many people who will help you do that.
Lawrence: Most of what I’ve learned and have been exposed to has been on the job. Technology-wise, I’ve encountered various tools to support my role. Working in construction and being an end-user has given me the unique perspective to understand how I can support my clients at IMAGINiT. It’s exposed me to the thought process that goes behind every decision when selecting and adopting new technology.
I’ve struggled through antiquated processes and contractors not fully trusting technology. I’m passionate about breaking stigmas and helping contractors streamline their operations by embracing technology. I felt like there was an opportunity to help enable teams to use their tools to their fullest potential.
AI is transforming the way that we work, there’s even more urgency around evaluating new tech tools and making sure that we’re adopting and embracing them. One of the things that contractors are good at is being adaptable to change. We’re starting to see more contractors leading the charge on tech adoption and driving innovation.
Contractors ‘being adaptable to change’ is a rather striking statement, because the opposite of that has been the trope in construction. It’s usually, ‘This is the way we’ve always done it.’ Are there any examples that stand out in your mind that make you say that?
Lawrence: I was listening to a podcast; the guest surveyed about 400 contractors, of which 60% said they were adopting AI. It was reassuring to hear that a majority of firms are trying to use it. It’s powerful to see contractors developing their own AI software specific to their needs. There are contractors leading the charge of the digital-era, wanting to be innovative and creative with technology.
Would you say that technology is attracting women to the industry?
Lucas: These new roles that are emerging, like ours, are more focused on strategy: process improvement, workflows, systems, many focus areas where women naturally excel. So, we’re getting a lot more meaningful innovation that’s happening because we can become leaders on that path. And that path is not following a field-first trajectory—a trajectory which traditionally doesn’t attract women. We’re seeing a lot more people come into the tech sector directly.
Lawrence: Both the construction and the technology industry are male-saturated. Tech is revealing more opportunities for people of different backgrounds to collaborate and contribute to the thought that goes behind workflows and operations.
What efforts is IMAGINiT taking to draw more women to this industry and these types of roles? What—or who—drew you to this company and this role?
Lucas: What drew me to IMAGINiT Technologies is the level of expertise of the team overall and the software development they were doing. They were my biggest competitor! Folks like Sarah and I get to work together on opportunities and get into those rooms with other women. However, my former position was as a director at a company in New York City and the owner of that company was a male—someone doesn’t have to be a female to be a great mentor. People who give you that opportunity—even if it’s a stretch—and they believe in you, that is really what matters. And coming to the table, being confident in what you know from your industry experience will get you so far. It doesn’t really matter what your gender is, if you know what you’re talking about.
Lawrence: Part of what drew me to IMAGINiT was the women in leadership, both our director of construction and one of our construction team managers. I appreciate having those influences and women represented in leadership positions. Throughout my career, I’ve had both male and female mentors, all of whom supported me as I navigated my career in male-dominated industries. It’s important we embrace everyone’s contributions, the value we all contribute from our different experiences and backgrounds. Overall, both the construction and the tech industry promote and embrace diversity of thought.
Would you consider yourselves mentors today?
Lucas: Oh, for sure. Especially on my team and even in what I was doing before IMAGINiT, we’re sharing knowledge. We’re bringing people into that bubble of the construction world. I have colleagues on my team who are stronger in other areas of the industry than I am and vice versa. So, we’ll get together and share our strengths—there’s no shame in that. We stay curious about not just the technology, but how things are built. We don’t shrink ourselves and we know that because we’re in this seat and we’re in this room, we did earn it.
Lawrence: Absolutely, I’m always open and willing to support others in the industry. I make an effort to extend the same support I received to others—pay-it-forward—ensuring that folks entering the industry feel welcome and I provide guidance when needed. Ultimately, I want to highlight the importance of promoting psychological safety across your teams. One of my favorite construction-specific courses was through Arcade Construction Academy. They introduced 10 core precepts that I believe should be upheld by every team. To name a few: Stupid questions are a requirement for entry; It is the responsibility of leadership to create a safe space to fail; and, All mistakes should be discussed and dissected, never hidden. In construction and technology, things are constantly changing and you’ll never be an expert, not 100%. There is always something to learn and every project is different. It’s incredibly important to create an environment where teams can collaborate, exchange knowledge freely and admit mistakes.
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