Ep. 89 Rethinking Risk & Change: Bryony Coombs on Construction Innovation

Send a textHow can AI, emotional intelligence, and better communication transform the future of construction?In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans sits down with Bryony Coombs, civil engineer and Director at ALICE Technologies, to explore how innovation, inclusion, and risk-taking are shaping the next generation of the built environment.Bryony shares her journey from graduating as a civil engineer to becoming a leader in construction technology. She reflects on the challenges of entering a male-dominated industry, the importance of creating spaces for underrepresented voices, and how AI can revolutionize project planning—without replacing the people who make it all possible.Key Highlights• Women in Construction – Why inclusion isn’t just about representation, but about creating environments where everyone feels safe to contribute and thrive.• Reverse Mentoring in Action – How pairing junior women with senior leaders builds empathy, understanding, and better decision-making.• Demystifying AI in Construction – What ALICE Technologies does to optimize schedules, reduce inefficiency, and help engineers focus on problem-solving rather than admin.• Risk, Flow & Innovation – How Bryony’s experiences in skiing and rugby taught her to balance calculated risk with creativity, mirroring the innovation construction needs to move forward.• Emotional Intelligence & Communication – The most underrated skills in engineering—and why mastering them accelerates both careers and culture change.• The Future of Work – Why embracing digitization and AI is not about losing jobs, but about unlocking time, creativity, and human potential.This episode is essential for construction professionals, engineers, tech innovators, and diversity advocates who believe that progress in the built environment starts with courage, communication, and curiosity.If you want to see our other insightful podcasts, click here:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHI_yaqB2U8KWbsfJDPCoYEfOh-TTnipFind us on:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dDkxLWZ25nT0krYWaTiITApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thrive-in-construction-with-darren-evans/id1726973152YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTrzqei7gttB8WB5wM6hUpwLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/thrive-in-construction-podcast/Our Website: https://darren-evans.co.uk/Links:Bryony's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryony-coombs/ALICE LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alice-technologies-inc/ALICE Website: https://www.alicetechnologies.com/home#ConstructionPodcast #ThriveInConstruction #WomenInConstruction #AIinConstruction #DigitalTransformation #EngineeringLeadership #ALICETechnologies #Innovation #DiversityInSTEM #BuiltEnvironmentSupport the show