1 Table of contents 132

Women Building the Future V. II | Official Summit Edition

SPECIAL EDITION		1
WOMEN		1
BUILDING THE FUTURE		1
THE INDUSTRIES		1
TOP		1
RENA KLIOT		1
INFLUENTIAL WOMEN		1
MATTLANE CONSTRUCTION		1
WINTON MACHINE		1
From the		2
Executive Publisher		2
Tamara Bellamy		2
Tamara Bellamy		2
Chief Financial Officer		2
Publisher		2
Director of Operations		2
Business Development Managers		2
Editor-in-Chief		2
Production Manager		2
Chief Digital Officer (CDO)/Digital Strategy Manager		2
CONTACT US		2
www.builtamericamagazine.com		2
Built America Magazine		3
DEAR		3
READER		3
Built America Magazine:		3
WOMEN		3
BUILDING THE FUTURE		3
INSIDE		4
WOMEN BUILDING THE FUTURE		4
FBMA WOMEN’S SUMMIT EDITION		4
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS & MUST SEES		4
FBMA - TAKE UP SPACE		4
106		4
S.I. CONTAINER BUILDS		4
JEWEL TONED INTERIORS		4
WILD ABUNDANCE		4
MATTLANE CONSTRUCTION		4
WOMEN		4
BUILDING		4
THE		4
Future		4
116		4
WINTON MACHINE		4
126		4
OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNERSHIP		4
WOMEN		4
BUILDING THE FUTURE		4
Built America Magazine		5
SHARE		7
YOUR STORY		7
CONNECT. ENGAGE. INSPIRE.		7
EDITORIAL		7
EDITORIAL IMPACT, INFINITE REACH		7
ADVERTISING		7
MULTI-LEVEL PRICING, UNMATCHED VALUE, MAXIMUM EXPOSURE		7
For More Information :		7
editorials@builtamericamagazine.com		7
689-800-7291		8
Questions? Call us!		8
INTERESTED IN BEING		8
FEATURED?		8
WHETHER YOU’RE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING OR SHARING YOUR IMPACTFUL STORY WITH LIKE-MINDED INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS - WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED		8
OPENING		12
LINES		12
OFFICIAL WELCOME TO THE EDITION		12
AHEAD IN OPENING LINES		12
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS & MUST-SEES		12
FBMA – TAKE UP SPACE		12
ANDREA MESIS BRUNO – REWRITING THE RULES OF THE DEAL		12
Keep reading for more: the Top Influential Women segment and our featured editorials carry the story forward.		12
WOMEN		12
BUILDING THE FUTURE		12
AND BUILDING MATERIALS SUMMIT		13
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS		14
& MUST SEES		14
SPEAKERS		15
TO WATCH, PANELS TO SEE		15
WOMEN OF LUMBER & BUILDING MATERIALS SUMMIT		16
2026 FBMA WOMAN’S SUMMIT STUDENT & INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP PANEL		16
Thursday - Sept 17th, 2026		16
10:45AM- 11:45AM		16
Margaritaville Resort Orlando 8000 Fins Up Cir, Kissimmee, FL 34747		16
Ann McNeill		16
Cindy Hall		16
Kym Nosbish		16
Perlla Deluca		16
MODERATED BY		16
Kristina Berano		16
JOIN US FOR		17
AT THE 2026 FBMA WOMEN'S SUMMIT		17
September 18th		17
7840 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy Kissimmee, FL 34747		17
You don't have to attend the full Summit to join the fun!		17
The Pickleball Event is available as a standalone registration, so grab your paddle and join us for an afternoon of networking, friendly competition, and fun on the court led by a pro-pickleball instructor!		17
SPOTS ARE FILLING FAST!		17
REGISTER HERE!		17
Click Register Now		17
Select The Standalone Pickleball Event Add It To Your Cart & Complete Checkout		17
OR VISIT: fbma.org/fbma-womens-summit-2026		17
WOMEN OF LUMBER & BUILDING MATERIALS SUMMIT		18
2026 FBMA WOMAN’S SUMMIT CONFIDENCE PANEL		18
Thursday - Sept 17th, 2026		18
4:15PM - 5:00PM		18
Margaritaville Resort Orlando 8000 Fins Up Cir, Kissimmee, FL 34747		18
Amanda Van Meter Burch		18
Anela Arcari		18
Carly Steiman		18
Cherylyn Harley Lebon		18
Gloria Ebey		18
MODERATED BY		18
Kizzy Ferrer		18
Inaugural		20
WOMEN OF LUMBER & BUILDING MATERIALS SUMMIT		20
Featured Speakers		20
BARB ALLEN		20
Keynote Speaker | Host of Constructive Behaviors Podcast		20
SUMMIT SPONSORS		20
PERLLA DELUCA		21
CHERYLYN HARLEY LEBON		21
Founder | The Pink Hardhat Foundation		21
Partner | Cohen Seglias		21
DENA CORDOVA-JACK		21
AMANDA VAN METER BURCH		21
President and Founder | Cordova Jack Consulting		21
Portrait&Branding Photographer | Avy Productions		21
EMILY OVERSON		21
Strategic Growth Analyst | Emily Overson Consulting		21
ANELA ARCARI		21
Award Winning Author | Becoming All You Can Be		21
GLORIA EBEY		21
Co-Founder | International Driven Women		21
YEARLY PARTNERS		21
Education never ends, It’s important to		22
TAKE UP SPACE,		22
“I started saying yes a lot.”		22
ladies.		22
“I just started saying, whatever comes my way, I’m just going to say yes to it.”		23
“You can’t do anything without building materials,” she says. “Nothing can be built without us.”		23
BUILT ON MORE THAN MATERIALS		24
Because building the future starts with investing in the people who will create it.		24
BERANO AND HER FATHER		24
WOMEN		24
BUILDING THE FUTURE		24
JOIN FBMA		25
Become a Member		25
JOIN A COMMUNITY THAT BUILDS MORE.		25
Scan to Learn More		25
AND THIS TIME, THE WOMEN		25
WALKING INTO IT ARE BEING CALLED INTO		25
TAKE UP EVERY		25
INCH OF SPACE		25
They have earned.		25
ANDREA		26
MESIS-BRUNO:		26
REWRITING		26
THE RULES		26
OF THE DEAL		26
From decades spent inside commercial real estate relationships to a new chapter shaping the future of deal-making, Andrea Mesis Bruno enters this edition with a message for women: know your value, understand the numbers and never confuse visibility with authority.		26
ndrea Mesis Bruno has spent decades learning an industry from the inside out.		26
Her career was built close to the people operating commercial properties, solving problems in real time and learning what decision-makers actually need before a deal ever reaches the table.		26
“I spent decades as a solutions provider servicing commercial properties, which gave me an insider’s view of exactly what real estate portfolio operators expect,” Bruno says.		26
WOMEN		26
BUILDING THE FUTURE		26
“Today, my motivation is taking that boots-on-the-ground knowledge and stepping fully into the real estate world to drive the actual deal-making.”		26
That evolution has led her to eCore, where she is helping bring operators, capital and innovation into the same environment. “eCore isn’t just another conference; it’s an exclusive, curated, experiential deal-making event for real estate power players,” she says.		26
Walk in		27
with authority		27
and let your competence dictate your value.”		27
—ANDREA MESIS-BRUNO		27
Relationships With Weight		27
OCTOBER 26-28 | MIAMI, FL		27
FROM		28
VISIBILITY		28
TO		28
AUTHORITY		28
WOMEN		28
BUILDING THE FUTURE		28
“Women need to perceive		28
their diversity		28
as a strategic advantage,”		28
Do not settle for being invited into the room. Know the numbers, know your value and speak with enough authority to help decide what happens inside it.		29
—ANDREA MESIS-BRUNO		29
Know the Numbers. Take the Room.		29
Connect With Andrea at eCore		29
For owners, operators, investors, lenders, and industry partners looking to become part of the conversations shaping the future of multifamily real estate, Andrea Mesis Bruno is helping connect the right people, opportunities and ideas through eCore Summit.		29
Connect with Andrea to learn more about eCore Summit and opportunities to participate.		29
U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION		32
America is a nation of builders again.		32
We know how to build things.		32
We make things.		32
And you can’t innovate if you can’t		32
build.		32
WOMEN		32
BUILDING THE FUTURE		32
A NEW CHAPTER OF		33
LEADERSHIP		33
for America’s Small Businesses		33
“I saw not only what that small business meant to that family, but to the community.”		33
“And that’s why small business makes up 99% of all businesses in this country,” she says. “Because that is the American dream.”		33
“I think the Small Business Administration is probably the least understood agency in the federal government,” she says, “but I would say we’re the most free enterprise agency as well.”		34
The SBA’s connection to American industry runs deeper than many realize. Loeffler points to its roots in the Small Defense Plants Administration and to President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s understanding that America’s economic and national strength were tied to its ability to manufacture, build and maintain a strong domestic industrial base.		34
“He understood how the defense base powered not just America’s economy, but our ability to be strong around the world,” Loeffler says.		34
When that predecessor agency became the Small Business Administration in 1953, its mission expanded around another pressing need: helping returning veterans and aspiring entrepreneurs gain “access to the capital, counseling and contracting that would make them successful.”		34
More than seven decades later, those functions remain central to the agency. The SBA helps small businesses access financing through federally guaranteed loans made by participating lenders, while also providing counseling and guidance around federal contracting.		34
“So many good things come out of times of change.”		34
WOMEN		34
BUILDING THE FUTURE		34
Loeffler says she visited roughly 40 states over the past year, meeting entrepreneurs who are expanding, hiring and manufacturing domestically.		35
Among them was Lisa Winton of Winton Machine in Georgia, one of the women Loeffler points to when discussing the strength of female leadership in American manufacturing.		35
“I’ve met so many incredible women builders of great businesses,” Loeffler says, citing Winton and other female manufacturing leaders she has encountered. “And they’re expanding and growing.”		35
For an edition devoted to Women Building the Future, those encounters carry particular significance.		35
Women may increasingly occupy leadership positions across construction, manufacturing and the skilled trades, but Loeffler understands that ambition does not always erase the uncertainty that comes before beginning.		35
She has stood in that place herself.		35
For women considering starting or scaling a company, her advice begins with the fundamentals: understand the market, test the concept, surround yourself with people capable of executing the vision and build a team you can trust.		35
“I can’t say enough about having the right team in place to help execute,” she says.		35
Then comes the part no business plan can completely solve. “At the end of the day, there’s never a perfect time to start a business.”		35
It is a truth familiar to nearly every entrepreneur. There will always be another uncertainty, another risk, another condition that could be better.		35
For a contractor looking to finance equipment, a manufacturer preparing to expand production, or a business owner trying to move beyond the limits of personal capital, those resources can become a bridge between where a company stands today and where it is capable of going next.		35
“What do they need to hire those workers or to add that plant and equipment?” Loeffler asks. “They need capital.”		35
She points to SBA loan guarantees, revolving credit programs and financing designed to support builders and manufacturers as practical tools for companies preparing to expand. Loeffler’s conviction that government should understand the realities of entrepreneurship was shaped by her own experience.		35
“I have been a business owner. I’ve built businesses. I’ve grown them. I’ve succeeded and failed at them. I bought and sold them,” she says. “So, I understand. And that’s why I’m so passionate. It’s a very personal issue for me.”		35
It was also part of what drew her into public service.		35
“We need people in Washington that understand the realities of running a business, of signing the front of a paycheck, of paying taxes, being subject to massive regulations,” she says.		35
For the builders, contractors, suppliers and manufacturers who make up much of Built America Magazine’s readership, Loeffler’s message is particularly direct.		35
“America is a nation of builders again,” she says. “We know how to build things. We make things. And you can’t innovate if you can’t build.” That belief has been reinforced as she has traveled across the country meeting the people behind American companies.		35
“So many good things come out of times of change,” she says. “We’re at an important inflection point of time and change where we’re reversing 50 years of shipping know-how and jobs and industries overseas. We are bringing it back home to America.”		36
“I think women are extremely well positioned to seize on it because we know that if you want something done, ask a busy woman.”		36
THE		36
FUTURE IS INCREDIBLY BRIGHT.		36
BUILDING WHAT COMES NEXT		36
From Main Street to the jobsite, the future is being built in communities across America.		36
WOMEN		36
BUILDING THE FUTURE		36
The American Dream Loeffler first witnessed on a family farm was never the promise that building something would be easy. It was the possibility that someone willing to work, risk and begin could create something of her own.		37
And somewhere today, a woman is deciding whether she will be the next one to try.		37
Learn more about SBA financing, counseling, contracting opportunities and local support		37
at SBA.gov.		37
BUILT AMERICA SUPPORTS SMALL BUSINESS		37
Written by: Skyler Grey, Editor-in-Chief		38
Built America Magazine		38
WOMEN		38
BUILDING THE FUTURE		38
“Women have always been integral to the success of this industry, whether		39
we were given the spotlight		39
or not.”		39
“Have we done a good job? Nope. Are we getting better at it? I believe we are. Do we have a tremendous amount of work still to do? Absolutely. But is it critical? Without a doubt.”		40
“At any one point in time, we are always both” mentor and mentee.		40
WOMEN		40
BUILDING THE FUTURE		40
Build Your Career. Strengthen the Industry.		41
Learn more about NAWIC, find a local chapter and explore membership opportunities at NAWIC.org.		41
Women have already helped build America.		41
Now they are claiming their		41
PLACE		41
in the record of who		41
BUILT IT.		41
CHERYLYN		42
HARLEY		42
LeBon		42
Partner and Chair of the Government Contracts		42
Practice at Cohen Seglias		42
A leader shaped by curiosity, preparation and the discipline to keep learning.		42
“Success can be a very broad word, we need to define success for ourselves.”		42
WOMEN		42
BUILDING THE FUTURE		42
Her path has moved through Capitol Hill, federal agencies, international business, private practice and some of the most complex corners of government contracting and construction law. At each stage, the title changed. The environment changed. The stakes changed. What remained was her instinct to keep learning.		43
“I’m a lifelong learner,” LeBon says. “Whenever I decide to choose a particular path, I always think about how is this next role going to enhance my career and what skills am I going to learn and how is this particular next journey going to help me in life?”		43
Today, as she leads the Government Contracts Practice at Cohen Seglias, that instinct has become more than a career philosophy. It is the way she has learned to move through uncertainty, complexity and leadership itself.		43
“I think it’s really important to continue to learn additional skills and to take on new challenges because for me, I think that’s what makes life exciting.”		43
Her career has given her a rare vantage point on leadership. She has watched it up close in government, politics, business and international settings, learning as much from what she did not want to emulate as from what she admired.		43
When the stakes are high, however, her own philosophy becomes remarkably simple.		43
“Be decisive, be clear, and be consistent.”		43
There are careers built by following a straight line, and then there are careers built by curiosity.		43
Cherylyn Harley LeBon belongs to the latter.		43
Cherylyn Harley LeBon, Speaking at Canisius Univserity		43
Image provided by: Emily Braun Photography		43
That same adaptability is critical for the businesses she advises.		43
In government contracting, where administrations, budgets and priorities can shift quickly, LeBon says the companies most likely to thrive are the ones willing to accept change and adjust accordingly.		43
Businesses must “follow the money,” she says, understand new budget priorities and be prepared to rethink strategic and business-development goals when necessary.		43
For companies considering government work, her advice is practical.		43
“The most important thing that I would say to those entering this industry is simply put, you need to find the appropriate advisors who can help you scale and grow and be compliant in this industry.”		43
That means bankers, accountants and attorneys who understand government contracting, because the rules, financial structures and contracts differ from those in ordinary commercial work.		43
The opportunity, however, is substantial.		43
“The government contracting industry is a trillion-dollar industry, and the government is the largest procurer of goods and services,” LeBon says.		43
“People in your team look for you to be able to make decisions,” she says. “When you’re communicating to your team during a crisis, it’s important to be clear.”		43
Consistency, she believes, is what allows people to trust the person leading them when circumstances around them are changing.		43
“I’m a mother and I’ve had a pretty demanding career with raising children,” she says.		44
She does not frame the experience as extraordinary. Instead, she speaks about the reality many women know well: trying to honor professional ambition without pretending personal responsibilities disappear when the workday begins.		44
For women entering traditionally male-dominated fields, LeBon’s advice is grounded in preparation.		44
Earlier in her career, she often found herself in rooms where few people looked like her.		44
“I thought it was always important to have the knowledge and be always prepared for the task before me,” she says.		44
Her standard was simple: arrive prepared, produce strong work, remain present and keep taking the next step. “Showing up as your best self, working hard to produce the best work product, volunteering for assignments, being eager to take that next extra step.”		44
And when something is unclear?		44
“If you don’t understand it, ask questions,” LeBon says. “Because if you don’t ask, you may not know.”		44
She is equally deliberate about the word success.		44
“Success can be a very broad word,” she says. “We need to define success for ourselves.”		44
One person’s definition does not have to resemble another’s.		44
That philosophy becomes even more meaningful when LeBon speaks about legacy.		44
“I get up every day, and I want to help these companies grow their businesses. I want to protect them. I want to help them manage risk and also create a legacy of wealth for themselves and their family.” Across government, law and business, that thread has endured: helping people navigate complexity so they can build something stronger on the other side.		44
“These are seasons of life you have to go through, and you’ll be stronger for it.”		44
— LeBon		44
“The government buys everything.”		44
She describes government contracting as “the essence of public-private partnership,” where private companies help government deliver products and services more effectively.		44
But technical knowledge alone does not build a career.		44
“Relationships are everything.”		44
LeBon believes relationship-building evolves as a professional grows, but authenticity has to remain at the center. “You want the sustaining of your relationships to be authentic,” she says.		44
That human side of success became especially clear as she built a demanding career while raising children.		44
WOMEN		44
BUILDING THE FUTURE		44
“You can have mentors within your company. You can have mentors outside of your company. And you’re going to have mentors outside of your industries.”		45
In the end the most enduring leaders are not remembered for how far they rose, but for how much stronger others became in their presence.		45
“I fell in love with the legislative process. I couldn’t believe you could have a job where they pay you to help people. And I really loved that.”		46
Written by:		46
Tamara Bellamy		46
Executive Publisher		46
WOMEN		46
BUILDING THE FUTURE		46
Rita Ferris did not grow up imagining a career in lumber and building materials, much less becoming the first woman to lead the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association. Looking back, she laughs at the idea that any of it was carefully planned.		47
“Absolutely not,” Ferris says. “I think my career in the industry started the same way most people’s career in our industry starts. And it was a complete accident.”		47
Her professional life began in the New York State Legislature, where she discovered something that would quietly shape everything that followed.		47
“I fell in love with the legislative process. I couldn’t believe you could have a job where they pay you to help people. And I really loved that.”		47
From there came the New York State Association of Realtors, then an opportunity with the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association. Ferris knew little about the industry. What convinced her was the people.		47
“I did meet the people before I even interviewed for the job,” she recalls. “And I thought, these seem like really great people. I would love to know more about it.”		47
“So that’s how I fell in. Total fluke.”		47
Thirty years later, that accidental beginning has become a career defined by service, resilience and the belief that strong industries are built when people solve problems together.		47
Ferris joined the NRLA in its legislative department and held several roles before becoming president in 2007. Almost immediately, leadership stopped being theoretical.		47
The Great Recession arrived.		47
“The housing market dropped like 80 percent and the members were in a crisis,” she says.		47
“We really needed to be agile and turn things around and change our whole course of action in terms of how we’re going to serve the members.”		47
The NRLA responded by bringing the supply chain together, strengthening communication and helping members navigate the crisis. Years later, COVID would demand that same adaptability.		47
“Every time something bad happens, there’s always an opportunity,” Ferris says.		47
Those experiences strengthened a philosophy she still carries today.		47
“Viewing obstacles as opportunities is critical to our future,” she says. “And that doesn’t mean ignoring the problem, but it means acknowledging it, figuring it out, and then spending all of your energy on what the solution is.”		47
It is a philosophy closely tied to the NRLA itself.		47
The association’s mission is to “unite, represent, train, and lead independent building materials suppliers in the Northeast United States.” Ferris says its purpose has endured for more than a century because the principle behind it is timeless.		47
“The point of this association is bringing people together to achieve as a group what cannot be achieved alone.”		47
Independent lumber yards and building material suppliers, she says, are rooted in the communities they serve.		47
“When you work with a local yard, they know your local building codes, your inspectors, which products are going to hold up the best in your area,” Ferris says.		47
“I felt like as long as I could do the job and deliver, that my opportunities were limitless.”		48
Still, she remembers the women who showed her what was possible. Before joining the NRLA, she met industry leaders Linda Nussbaum and Diana Perenza.		48
“They were so naturally focused on solutions,” Ferris remembers. “They had such a positive attitude. They had some fun doing their work. They were so authentic and their knowledge was so authentic and their passion was so authentic that they were so incredibly successful in all aspects of their work.”		48
“They were there,” she says. “And I think like minds are attracted to each other. So that’s what attracted me here.”		48
For students reading Women Building the Future, Ferris’ story carries an important lesson: a career does not have to begin with certainty to become meaningful.		48
She believes education is what transforms an entry point into a profession.		48
“Workforce development [is] the introduction to our industry, but I also see education as the thing that keeps people in it,” she says. “Educating your staff is an investment in people. It’s what differentiates a job from a profession.”		48
“And they know the builders and the builders’ families that even came before them.” Their value comes down to expertise, reliability and trust.		48
“Our success relies on our reputation to deliver what we said we were going to deliver when we said we were going to deliver it.”		48
Ferris calls these suppliers “anchors” in the construction industry. For all of her professional milestones, becoming the first woman president of the NRLA is not something Ferris frames as a story about gender.		48
“Being a female in the industry has never been a focus of mine,” she says. “I have always focused on providing the best value possible to the membership.”		48
“If your staff isn’t growing, you’re not growing.”		48
Today, the NRLA is intentionally bringing students into lumber yards and trade shows, introducing young people to opportunities that previous generations often discovered only by accident.		48
Ferris is particularly optimistic about what they will bring. “I think they are way smarter than the young people of my generation at that age,” she says.		48
WOMEN		48
BUILDING THE FUTURE		48
“They are going to bring so much more innovation and energy. And they’re just as dedicated as past generations.”		49
Her message to them is even more direct.		49
“Change is not the enemy.		49
Complacency is		49
“To the young professionals, we need you in this industry. There is room for you to build a real career and it’s not just a job or a fallback. It’s actually a foundation industry. And this industry has never been more essential or full of opportunity than it is right now.”		49
For a woman whose own career began by accident, perhaps one of the most meaningful parts of Ferris’ journey is that she is helping make sure the next generation can enter this industry deliberately, knowing there is a place for them before they ever walk through the door.		49
When asked what Women Building the Future means to her, Ferris does not hesitate.		49
“The doors are open. Everyone is welcome. The opportunities are endless. And the future is bright.”		49
For the students holding this book, those words are more than encouragement. They are an invitation.		49
The door is open. The next step belongs to you.		49
For more than a century, the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association has supported independent lumber and building material dealers through advocacy, education, workforce development, industry leadership and connection.		49
Whether you are an established company, an emerging leader or looking to become more deeply involved in the future of the building materials industry, NRLA membership connects you to the people, resources and collective voice helping move the industry forward.		49
Learn more about the NRLA and membership opportunities at NRLA.org.		49
Build Stronger. Grow Together.		49
SPECIAL SEGMENT		50
A Strategic		50
Place to Build		50
Rena Kliot		50
MARKET		50
“South Florida’s growth story is no longer a short-term trend. It’s a structural shift.”		50
“Many companies relocating from New York prioritize speed, flexibility, scalability, and long-term growth.”		51
VOICES		51
For Rena Kliot, the movement of companies from New York to South Florida is no longer something that can be dismissed as a temporary reaction to taxes, politics or lifestyle. It is changing where businesses invest, where employees build their lives and where developers are positioning themselves for the next cycle of growth.		51
“Over the last several years, we’ve seen a significant migration of companies from New York to South Florida driven by a combination of tax advantages, business-friendly policies, and quality-of-life considerations,” Kliot says.		51
The effect is visible across nearly every major real estate sector.		51
“Within the real estate and construction sectors, this movement has created strong demand for office space, mixed-use developments, multifamily housing, and industrial facilities.”		51
Miami remains an obvious destination, but Kliot points to West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale as increasingly important markets. Miami offers global connectivity. Palm Beach County continues to attract financial services firms and corporate headquarters. Fort Lauderdale provides strategic access between both markets with comparatively lower operating costs.		51
For many companies relocating from New York, however, the appeal of South Florida goes beyond geography.		51
“Many companies relocating from New York prioritize speed, flexibility, scalability, and long-term growth,” Kliot says. “They’re often looking for larger footprints and opportunities to create collaborative work environments that support both their current operations and future expansion.”		51
That ability to scale may be one of the region’s greatest competitive advantages.		51
“Perhaps the greatest distinction is land availability,” she says. “In many parts of South Florida, businesses can still acquire larger sites and develop campuses or facilities that align with their long-term vision.”		51
That has become increasingly difficult and expensive in New York.		52
At the same time, South Florida itself has changed.		52
“What was once viewed primarily as a transient market has evolved into a destination where people are building careers, raising families, and establishing long-term roots.”		52
Few corporate moves have illustrated that evolution more clearly than Citadel’s decision to relocate its headquarters to Miami.		52
Kliot describes the move as significant because it represented more than one company changing addresses. It demonstrated that South Florida had matured into a credible destination for major financial institutions and corporate headquarters.		52
“Citadel’s move helped validate South Florida as a serious business market and encouraged other firms in finance, technology, real estate, and professional services to establish or expand their presence here,” she says. “It became a catalyst for additional investment, development, and economic growth throughout the region.”		52
Rapid growth, however, brings pressure with it.		52
“The influx has accelerated development across virtually every asset class,” Kliot says, while also placing strain on housing affordability, labor availability, infrastructure and development timelines.		52
“We are in a growth phase and that includes the obvious growing pains associated with growing so quickly and needing to adjust.”		52
For companies entering the market, that makes local knowledge increasingly important. “One of the biggest challenges is understanding local entitlement, permitting, regulatory requirements,” she says.		52
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA		52
WOMEN		52
BUILDING THE FUTURE		52
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA		53
Insurance costs, construction pricing, labor shortages and evolving requirements around resilience and storm protection can all affect budgets and schedules.		53
“Successful companies typically overcome these challenges by partnering with experienced local professionals early in the process.”		53
The opportunity remains substantial. Kliot points to workforce housing, mixed-use developments, industrial facilities, infrastructure-related projects and redevelopment of underutilized properties as areas with continued potential.		53
She also sees opportunity extending beyond the region’s best-known urban cores.		53
“Investors and developers who focus on long-term demographic trends and community-focused development strategies will be well positioned to capitalize on South Florida’s continued growth.”		53
That may ultimately be the most important distinction in understanding the market today. South Florida is no longer simply benefiting from businesses looking to leave somewhere else. Companies are increasingly choosing the region because they believe they can build differently, scale differently and invest for the long term.		53
As Kliot puts it, companies now view South Florida as “a strategic place to build, invest, and expand.”		53
South Florida is no longer competing for attention as an emerging market. It is competing for the companies, capital and development that will define the next generation of American growth.		53
“Investors and developers who focus on long-term demographic trends and community-focused development strategies will be well positioned to capitalize on South Florida’s continued growth.”		53
Navigate the Market with Local Expertise		53
For companies, investors and developers evaluating opportunities across South Florida and New York, market knowledge can make the difference between simply entering a market and positioning for long-term growth.		53
Rena Kliot, Broker/Owner of Pulse International Realty, works with investors, developers and businesses navigating acquisitions, development opportunities, assemblages and strategic expansion across both markets.		53
Learn more about Rena Kliot and Pulse International Realty at PulseInternationalRealty.com.		53
Impactful		54
Women-Owned		54
Businesses		54
Building Beyond the Box		57
Inside Rory Rubin’s mission to redefine housing, sustainability, and community impact through modular construction		58
Construction is filled with inherited stories.		58
From families passing down trade knowledge, contractors raised on jobsites to leaders shaped inside generations of building culture. Rory Rubin, Founder and CEO of S.I. Container Builds, did not come from that world.		58
WOMEN		58
BUILDING THE FUTURE		58
Built America Magazine		59
Beneath the modular systems and manufacturing conversations is something more personal:		61
a company shaped by someone who never stopped thinking about the people buildings are meant to serve.		61
Rubin did not enter construction chasing industry trends.		61
The idea started with sustainability and curiosity.		61
“My dad was an architect. I was around construction, around building design,” she explains.		61
Built America Magazine		61
Seeing Potential in What Others Ignored		61
“We were about to become empty nesters and I felt the need to live more sustainably.”		61
As she explored sustainable living, she became fascinated by how other countries had already embraced and adapted shipping containers as residential and commercial structures.		61
“I realized that people in other countries have been utilizing the shipping container for amazing residential and commercial properties,” Rubin says. “And so I fell in love.”		61
What stayed with her most was the waste.		61
“There are more than 26 plus million containers laying around in waste. We’re an import-driven country and we don’t typically send them back.”		61
WOMEN		62
BUILDING THE FUTURE		62
Growing Beyond the Startup Phase		63
Built America Magazine		63
Today, S.I. Container Builds services projects nationally, transporting units efficiently through standard shipping dimensions that avoid many oversized-load complications.		64
WOMEN		64
BUILDING THE FUTURE		64
Built America Magazine		65
WOMEN		66
BUILDING THE FUTURE		66
And perhaps most importantly, she says, these developments do not need to visually feel industrial or temporary.		67
“It doesn’t even have to look like a container,” she says. “Now you have the structural integrity of steel that’s going to outlive a lot of the things we’re living in, and you have something that looks exactly like everything else so that it blends into the environment.”		67
Where Social Work and Construction Collide		67
Spend enough time listening to Rubin, and one thing becomes clear: she does not separate construction from social responsibility.		67
In fact, she believes her background in social work may be the very thing that prepared her to lead this company.		67
“The projects that we pick and the people that we’re serving and the relationships that we’re building and collaborating with are all socially driven, that community impact is really what’s meaningful to us.”		67
Then she says something that reframes the entire business.		67
“That’s social work. And so that’s truly where my two worlds have collided quite nicely.”		67
That philosophy shapes the company’s direction. Affordable housing. Workforce housing. Wellness-focused developments. Community-centered spaces. To Rubin, these are not simply project categories. They are environments capable of changing the direction of someone’s life.		67
Built America Magazine		67
Not in novelty, but in impact.		68
A Different Housing Conversation		68
WOMEN		68
BUILDING THE FUTURE		68
Built America Magazine		69
Leading While Still Having to Prove Yourself		69
modular construction,		69
manufacturing,		69
entrepreneurship,		69
and development,		69
WOMEN		70
BUILDING THE FUTURE		70
Built America Magazine		71
Building Something That Lasts		71
Built America Magazine		73
One Foot in Front of the Other		73
The company is not simply trying to build structures.		73
It is trying to build housing solutions, partnerships, and projects capable of improving the lives of the people inside them.		73
For Rory Rubin, construction was never only about what gets built.		73
It was always about who gets protected when it does.		73
When Rubin talks about legacy, she does not immediately mention awards, revenue, or expansion targets.		73
She talks about endurance.		73
“It takes a whole heck of a lot more time and energy than you would have ever expected to start your own business and make a difference,” she says. “The low moments are going to come. But remember, the high moments will come after those. And you just kind of have to get through it.”		73
That perspective feels embedded into S.I. Container Builds itself.		73
To explore S.I. Container Builds' innovative approach to sustainable construction and community impact, visit their website at www.sicontainerbuilds.com and learn more about the projects shaping what's next.		73
Designing More Than Spaces, Designing a Movement		75
There are firms that design spaces. And then, there are firms that reshape the way we think about space itself.		76
WOMEN		76
BUILDING THE FUTURE		76
Built America Magazine		77
Designed for Harmony, Not Perfection		77
In the entrepreneurial world, we hear a lot about “balance.” Work-life balance. Growth vs. personal time. Family vs. ambition. But Joy and Jaclyn approach this differently.		77
“We don’t really believe in the word ‘balance,’” said Joy. “It sets up an impossible standard. Harmony is a better word. You do your best to be present—fully present—in whatever moment you’re in. Sometimes it’s motherhood. Sometimes it’s a meeting. Sometimes, it’s just allowing yourself to rest.”		77
As women building a business in a historically male-dominated space, the challenges were undeniable. But so were the moments of clarity, resilience, and grace that came along the way. From navigating the demands of leadership while raising young children to supporting one another through personal losses and professional pivots, Joy and Jaclyn never saw their identities as women as a limitation. Instead, they made it part of the design. “The experiences we’ve had—they’re what give us depth,” said Jaclyn. “They’re what make our leadership compassionate, our communication honest, and our work more meaningful.”		77
“We don’t walk into a project with a signature look. We walk in with curiosity.”		77
WOMEN		78
BUILDING THE FUTURE		78
Built America Magazine		79
Their presence in this space is powerful. Not because they push louder. But because they lead differently.		79
Listening as a Design Tool		79
At Jewel Toned Interiors, the process doesn’t begin with mood boards or swatches. It begins with questions. “Listening is our most important design tool,” said Joy. “We don’t walk into a project with a signature look. We walk in with curiosity.” Whether it’s a luxury office space, a wellness facility, or a residential community, the team’s first priority is understanding what success looks like for that client.		79
Sometimes, the client knows. Often, they don’t—yet.		79
That’s where the JTI Gems — JTI’s trusted and talented team — truly shine. Handpicked for their skill and heart, they work as one to turn questions into clarity and vision into reality. “Designing isn't just about how a space looks,” said Jaclyn. “It’s about how it feels. How it functions. How it honors the people who inhabit it.” “Designing isn't just about how a space looks,” said Jaclyn. “It’s about how it feels. How it functions. How it honors the people who inhabit it.” They ask the tough questions. They interview employees, tenants, stakeholders. They study workflow, lighting, acoustics. They make design feel less like a service—and more like a sacred exchange. And then, they deliver. Seamlessly. Soulfully.		79
WOMEN		80
BUILDING THE FUTURE		80
Built America Magazine		81
Signature Projects With Purpose		81
One of JTI’s most powerful examples of values in action is their work with ARC Culinary, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering adults with disabilities through culinary training.		81
The project—a multi-functional kitchen and event space—wasn’t just about aesthetics.		81
“It was about creating a space where dignity could flourish,” Jaclyn said. “Where their mission could come alive in every material, every layout, every finish.”		81
Another defining project is the global headquarters for beauty brand MONAT, located in Doral, Florida. The three-story, 52,000-square-foot transformation focused heavily on wellness design, sustainability, and biophilic integration.		81
“We curated every detail—from light and color to energy efficiency and ergonomic flow,” Joy said. “We helped them earn the WELL Health-Safety Seal.		81
That kind of recognition isn’t just for optics. It means the space works—for the people		81
in it, and the planet around it.”		81
Joy Lynskey | Jaclyn Szerdi-Morrison		82
WOMEN		82
BUILDING THE FUTURE		82
Building Trust, Not Just Buildings		82
Great design may start with vision—but it’s realized through collaboration. “Our general contractors are incredibly important,” said Joy. “Our work starts as ideas—visions on paper. But they’re the ones who help us bring it to life. When they value our input at every turn, the result is something the client truly connects with.”		82
Their vendor relationships are curated with as much care as their clients. Every partner is chosen for integrity, communication, and craftsmanship. “We’re not just sending a list and waiting for quotes,” Jaclyn added. “We’re engaging. We’re aligning expectations. We’re making sure the client experience is seamless, even when there are challenges behind the scenes.”		82
Built America Magazine		83
WOMEN		84
BUILDING THE FUTURE		84
Built America Magazine		85
This approach has earned JTI something rare in the industry: deep, enduring trust. Many of their projects come from repeat clients and referrals—especially from general contractors, a testament to the strength of their collaboration.		85
Women Elevating Women		85
Perhaps the most inspiring part of Jewel Toned Interiors isn’t the design at all. It’s the culture.		85
At the heart of the firm is a team affectionately known as “The Gems” — a name chosen intentionally to reflect how each member is both one-of-a-kind and deeply valued.		85
The JTI Gems don’t just contribute to projects — they shape them. They bring diverse perspectives, collaborative energy, and a shared belief in doing things differently. Together, they create space not only for clients, but for each other, to grow, rise, and shine. “We’re working on an affiliate mentorship program for emerging women-led firms,” Jaclyn revealed. “Just like we’ve poured into our own team, we want to support other designers who are just starting out—who need guidance, tools, or simply someone to believe in them.”		85
“This wasn’t		85
built alone.		85
It was built by our Gems”		85
What Comes Next		86
WOMEN		86
BUILDING THE FUTURE		86
More Than Design		86
This feature isn’t just about two women in construction. It’s about a philosophy that redefines what success looks like: not just in square footage or style, but in service. In spirit.		87
It’s about a team that listens before it leads. Who honors beauty, but never at the expense of functionality. Who bring their full selves—compassion, resilience, humility—to every conversation, every client, every room. And it’s about the spaces they leave behind—crafted not to impress, but to empower.		87
Jewel Toned Interiors isn’t just building places to live or work. They’re building places to belong.		87
And that? That’s the kind of design that changes the world.		87
To explore more of Jewel Toned Interiors’ work or connect with the JTI Gems, visit: www.jeweltoned.com		87
Written by		87
Skyler Grey | Editor in Chief		87
Built America Magazine		87
“Designing isn't just about how a space looks, it’s about how it feels. How it functions. How it honors the people who inhabit it.”		87
Built America Magazine		87
Where Hands Reclaim What the Heart Has Always Known		88
In a world increasingly shaped by glass screens and fleeting digital moments, there are still places where people come to remember what it means to be human.		88
At Wild Abundance, the air hums not with notifications but with the rhythm of hands carving, hammering, planting, and shaping something real. Here, nestled in the green folds of ancestral Cherokee land outside Asheville, North Carolina, a quiet revolution is underway — one rooted not in technology, but in touch.		88
“People really want connection with other people and really want connection with their own bodies, to feel powerful and capable,” says Gaia, the newly appointed CEO of Wild Abundance.		88
“Our courses are practical… people come to learn something they’ve wanted their whole lives, and what surprises them is the community — the care, the compassion of the teachers, how held they feel here.”		88
That word - held - echoes throughout the Wild Abundance story. It’s a school, yes. But it is also sanctuary: for forgotten skills, for aching hands that have grown restless on keyboards, and for anyone who has ever been told they do not belong in the world of building and making.		88
From Gathering to Groundswell		89
Wild Abundance’s roots stretch back 16 years to the vision of its founder, Natalie Bogwalker. Before launching the school, Bogwalker created the Firefly Gathering, a five-day midsummer convergence of earth skills instructors teaching hide tanning, flint knapping, bow making, and other ancestral crafts.		89
“She started it just to bring her friends together - people who were skilled the way she’s skilled,” Gaia recalls. “And then she realized once a year was not enough. There were craft schools out there, but nothing that did exactly this. She was taking her passions and the things her friends liked to do and turned it into a school.”		89
“We’re still guided by a deep care for the earth, and a deep care for uplifting skills that are being forgotten”		89
Founded in 2009		89
10,000+ Students Taught		89
Permaculture-Centered Campus		89
Learning by Hand, Learning by Heart		90
WOMEN		90
BUILDING THE FUTURE		90
Honoring Land, Lineage, and Legacy		91
“People do well when they’re surrounded by beauty, and functional beauty is what permaculture is. ”		92
WOMEN		92
BUILDING THE FUTURE		92
The Power of Teaching Women to Build		93
WOMEN		94
BUILDING THE FUTURE		94
“You do something for the first time, and everyone around you celebrates. That feeling can’t really be spoken to. It’s what people carry home.”		95
A Day in the Life		96
WOMEN		96
BUILDING THE FUTURE		96
Roots in Community, Branches in the World		97
S P E C I A L E D I T I O N		98
WOMEN		98
BUILDING THE FUTURE		98
Teaching Regeneration by Living It		99
Building Toward the Future		100
100		100
WOMEN		100
BUILDING THE FUTURE		100
“I hope they carry the feeling of being capable, the feeling that they can shape their world with their own hands.”		101
A Legacy of Wild Abundance		102
102		102
WOMEN		102
BUILDING THE FUTURE		102
S P E C I A L E D I T I O N		102
And in a culture that has forgotten how to make, how to mend, how to move at the pace of care, that remembering might be the most radical act of all.		103
To explore hands-on courses in carpentry, permaculture, and earth skills, immerse yourself in their living campuses, or support their growing nonprofit efforts — visit wildabundance.net.		103
“On the hard days, that’s one of the things that will keep me going, knowing that I’m building something for my community.”		106
Some people inherit a business while others inherit a reason to build one.		108
The Career She Never Expected		108
108		108
WOMEN		108
BUILDING THE FUTURE		108
“At the time I thought he must be insane,” Matthews laughs. “But looking back, I think he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.”		109
MUDDY BOOTS, DEEP ROOTS		109
109		109
“I didn’t really know if I could do what I wanted, but I was sure that this is where I was supposed to be.”		110
Muddy Boots Leadership		110
110		110
WOMEN		110
BUILDING THE FUTURE		110
The Work Beneath Everyday Life		111
“I love being able to take my kids to school every day and pass multiple projects that my company has had a hand in, whether it’s a neighbourhood or a new school.”		111
MUDDY BOOTS, DEEP ROOTS		111
111		111
Built on Communication		112
Refusing the Box		112
112		112
WOMEN		112
BUILDING THE FUTURE		112
“If you want to do something that you love to do, that’s what you should do. There’s probably going to be hardships. The hardships are going to look different than other hardships, but no matter what, we’re always going to face hardships.		113
If it’s really what you want to do, who is stopping you?”		113
MUDDY BOOTS, DEEP ROOTS		113
113		113
The Next Leap		114
“Sometimes the dreams change and that’s okay. Sometimes the hurdles are higher than others and that’s okay. And sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith, pray that everything will be okay.”		114
“Whatever that looks like for you, I want you to follow that because why not?”		114
114		114
WOMEN		114
BUILDING THE FUTURE		114
If the life you want is waiting on the other side of one leap of faith,		115
what are you waiting for?		115
Learn more about MattLane Construction, its capabilities and current work at MattLaneConstruction.com		115
MUDDY BOOTS, DEEP ROOTS		115
115		115
“At the end of the day, we solve problems.”		116
Nearly three decades after starting Winton Machine in the basement of her Georgia home, Lisa Winton has learned that the most important things a manufacturer builds may never appear on a production floor.		117
There is a photograph somewhere in the Winton family archives that tells almost the entire story.		117
A Volvo sits inside the garage of a 2,600-square-foot Georgia home. Beside it are old computers from the DOS era. On the other side, a machine is being built for a bicycle manufacturer.		117
The office was upstairs. The machine shop occupied half the basement. Assembly and software spilled into the garage. There was a young family growing inside the house, a business growing underneath it, and almost no certainty about what either would become.		117
“We had no idea,” Lisa Winton says. “We were just kind of winging it.”		117
That was 1997.		117
At the time, Lisa was working in retail buying and financial planning. Her husband, George, was an engineer with a background as a machinist.		117
Neither had a grand blueprint for what Winton Machine would eventually become.		117
“I went to the library,” Lisa remembers.		117
“I checked out VHS tapes and was watching them at night on how to start a company, how to incorporate, how to do all these things.”		117
One of their earliest lessons came when a check arrived made out to the business and the bank would not deposit it because they had not yet opened an account under the company name.		117
The stakes grew quickly from there.		117
There were children to raise, lost job security, equipment purchases and financial risk.		117
Eventually, Lisa and George made the decision to put everything into making Winton Machine work.		117
WINTON MACHINE		117
117		117
“You either learn through mistakes that you make or through talking to other business owners, we just kind of learned as we went.”		118
As the company grew, so did the responsibility.		118
“When you get to the point where you have employees, you realize somebody else is depending on us,” she says. “Their paychecks, their families are dependent on us. And I don’t think we’ve ever taken that lightly.”		118
Then she offers an image every business owner understands immediately.		118
“As a business owner, you drive into your business and in the parking lot are all those cars. And those are all people that are depending on you every day.”		118
A Company Built Around Solving Problems		118
George Winton, Co-owner & Engineer, in Home Garage		118
First Automated Machine in Assembly, Home Garage		118
Winton Machine began with dedicated hand-bending fixtures and eventually grew into a manufacturer of more than 100 models of tube and coax fabrication equipment.		118
Yet Lisa describes its purpose far more simply. “At the end of the day, we solve problems.”		118
The company’s machinery now serves customers across refrigeration, HVAC, aerospace, defense, energy, data-center cooling and space exploration.		118
Winton’s proprietary software and automation have become central to that work, particularly as manufacturers face increasing workforce pressures.		118
“The machines are not becoming less complicated,” Lisa says. “They’re not simple machines, but they’re simple-to-use machines. There’s a big difference.”		118
118		118
WOMEN		118
BUILDING THE FUTURE		118
She also rejects the idea that automation simply means replacing people.		119
“Automation is not replacing people. They’re just going to need higher-skilled employees.”		119
For Lisa, that is one of the defining challenges ahead for American manufacturing. “You could have all the automation in the world, but someone’s got to build the automation. Someone’s got to design the automation. Even more importantly, somebody’s got to be able to service that automation.”		119
That belief has pushed education and workforce development to the center of her work outside Winton Machine. She serves on Georgia’s State Workforce Development Board and the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia, advocating for technical education, reskilling and broader pathways into high-demand careers.		119
“I think education and workforce are the key to our success.”		119
Failure, Fear and Finding Her Voice		119
Manufacturing was part of Lisa’s life long before she imagined leading a manufacturing company.		119
Both of her grandfathers owned manufacturing businesses in New York’s garment industry. Her father later entered manufacturing too, but his business failed.		119
That experience stayed with her.		119
“You have that fear of failure, because you’ve grown up and you’ve seen what the results are,” she says. “And then you also have that motivation of: What did he do wrong? And what do I learn from that?”		119
One lesson was to understand the business side of the business.		119
WINTON MACHINE		119
119		119
120		120
“You need to plan and you need to be strategic. But you also can’t get stuck in strategy, because if you’re always focused on planning, you’ll never execute. And you’ve got to execute. You’ve got to fail in order to learn and do it better.”		121
WINTON MACHINE		121
121		121
The Village Behind the American Dream		122
“If it wasn’t for the SBA, we would never have gotten a loan,” Lisa says. “We couldn’t have done it. There’s no way.”		122
“As women, we feel like we have to be perfect before we have to feel like we are really, really ready.		122
And you’ll never be really, really ready.”		122
122		122
WOMEN		122
BUILDING THE FUTURE		122
What Gets Built Along the Way		123
WINTON MACHINE		123
123		123
124		124
“Dream big. Picture yourself where you want to be, but don’t close off on how to get there, because there are multiple pathways.”		125
For the women coming behind her, perhaps that is permission enough to begin before everything is figured out—and to never become so accomplished that there is nothing left to learn.		125
From advanced tube and coax fabrication equipment to automation solutions built for modern manufacturing, Winton Machine continues to help companies solve complex production challenges with American-made innovation, service and expertise.		125
Learn more at WintonMachine.com		125
Discover Winton Machine		125
WINTON MACHINE		125
125		125
With Gratitude		126
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS & PARTICIPANTS		126
Tamara Bellamy		126
HONORING THOSE WHO MADE THIS EDITION POSSIBLE		127
S.I. CONTAINER BUILDS		127
JEWEL TONED INTERIORS		127
WILD ABUNDANCE		127
MATTLANE CONSTRUCTION		127
WINTON MACHINE		127
SHARE		131
YOUR STORY		131
CONNECT. ENGAGE. INSPIRE.		131
EDITORIAL		131
EDITORIAL IMPACT, INFINITE REACH		131
ADVERTISING		131
MULTI-LEVEL PRICING, UNMATCHED VALUE, MAXIMUM EXPOSURE		131
For More Information :		131
editorials@builtamericamagazine.com		131
PEOPLE. PROJECTS. POSSIBILITIES.		132

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