She Builds

"She Builds" focuses on building a brighter future for women in construction by supporting women and youth programs in the construction industry in both Illinois and Wisconsin. While COVID-19 may have turned the lights off on in-person events, the pandemic was not going to outshine She Builds' annual event. The organization had a brilliant idea to take its annual event virtually with a hands-on activity that brightened spirits.

C.D. Smith was proud to be one of the event sponsors. Appropriately named, BUILD A BRIGHTER FUTURE, the third annual She Builds event was hosted virtually on Zoom on September 17, 2020. Before the event, participants registered and ordered lamp building kits. Then the day of the event, nearly 250 young women and allies joined the zoom meeting to build their very own modern steampunk lamp creations together.

Excited to get their hands dirty, a couple C.D. Smith employees grabbed their wrenches, ordered their kits, and logged into the She Builds virtual event. Holly Brenner, Sr. Vice President of Strategic Development & Marketing, was one of the participants and embraced the opportunity to raise money and awareness for women in the building trade.  "I applaud She Builds ingenuity with the event. It was an excellent way to engage young women and spark their interest in the industry. There are endless opportunities for women in construction and events like this help create awareness of how rewarding a career in construction can be," Holly shares.

 "On top of that, the event was just FUN! Working on the office side of things, we don't get to build stuff, so it was something out of the norm for me," Holly notes. "It was neat seeing all the parts and pieces scattered on the table and then bringing it to life to build a practical, usable lamp. Honestly, it was like seeing our business and what we do at C.D. Smith on a small scale. Our projects have thousands of pieces, and when all the parts come together, in the end, we have these magnificent buildings to be proud of."

Learn more about She Builds at http://shebuildschicago.com/ and keep on shining, ladies!