Karly Heffernan, an Alberta-born entrepreneur, has been disrupting the male-dominated construction technology industry. She’s at the forefront, pioneering the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to integrate into construction workflows. No one is better suited to help Hoag redefine the industry’s landscape than Heffernan. He brings together elite athletic discipline, Ivy League education and construction trade experience.
Heffernan’s already found great success, being a three-time Gold Medalist with Team Canada’s National Women’s Ice Hockey Team. Her artistic pursuits have developed her leadership and adaptability, skills she’s already translating into her work in the environmental field. She graduated from Princeton University, where she majored in Economics and Sociology. A whirlwind of a course on entrepreneurship, innovation, and venture capital greatly influenced the direction of her career trajectory.
From 2020 to 2023, Heffernan led growth initiatives at a construction firm, focusing on strategic partnerships, brand development, and operational systems. Under her leadership, the firm took calculated leaps into AI technologies. This transition helped eliminate thousands of opportunities for human error associated with manual data entry and subpar documentation processes.
Driving Innovation with AI
Heffernan’s vision is focused on solving the $180 billion communication black hole that the construction industry struggles with globally. By embracing AI and co-pilots, she hopes to have more automated workflows to help simplify and improve collaboration between teams. She is careful to note that technology alone will not address these issues. That’s why construction professionals need to be a part of the larger conversation about AI’s potential.
“It’s not just about bringing AI into construction—it’s about bringing construction people into the conversation about AI,” – Karly Heffernan
The entire picture is clear to Heffernan, who knows that the stakes are very high in this transformation urgency.
“When you see million-dollar mistakes happen because of a missed phone call or an undocumented change, you realize how urgent this problem is,” – Karly Heffernan
She has a long track record and deep passion for human-centered leadership. That’s how we maintain the discipline’s technology-driven edge while keeping human capital—the industry’s greatest asset—front and center.
The Importance of Female Leadership
Heffernan is passionate about the importance of women’s leadership, especially in being the civil, nonprofit, and construction sectors—long male-dominated spheres of influence. Her journey is an example for women everywhere who are trying to break glass ceilings and enter male-dominated industries. Along the way she hopes to prove that taking the road less traveled can make all the difference.
“I want to show anyone that there’s power in taking the unconventional path,” – Karly Heffernan
Her experiences in competitive sports have equipped her with the ability to lead under pressure and adapt quickly. These qualities are essential for problem-solving in construction.
“Growing up in competitive sports taught me to lead under pressure and adapt quickly—skills that transfer directly into running teams and solving tough problems in construction,” – Karly Heffernan
Vision for the Future
Looking forward Beyond the post of chief resilience officer, Heffernan has lofty ideas that are larger than her title and beyond her present position. Ten years from now, she sees herself building adventure and supporting ventures that bring cutting-edge innovation into non-dreamy, lumpy sectors like construction and real estate development. Her academic training has given her the critical lens needed to question deep-rooted assumptions in these fields.
“College taught me how to think critically and challenge assumptions in business,” – Karly Heffernan
She believes this perspective enables her to view construction, one of the oldest industries globally, through an innovative lens:
“It gave me the lens to look at the world’s oldest industry through the eyes of innovation—and that mindset is what brought me here,” – Karly Heffernan
Heffernan knows that construction is a relationship-based, people-centric industry. He stresses that addressing its greatest challenges requires more than a new bit of tech.
“Construction is one of the most human industries out there. Solving its biggest problems isn’t just about tech, it’s about respecting the people who make it all happen,” – Karly Heffernan
