Alberta native Karly Heffernan is a thought leader in the male-dominated Construction Tech space. Her resilience and drive were born from an early age, culminating in becoming a three-time Gold Medalist with Team Canada's National Women's Ice Hockey Team. She represented Canada internationally and earned top honors for leading with discipline, resilience, and elite performance under pressure.
"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," Heffernan shares.
The female innovator's mission is to modernize construction communication inefficiencies using AI. Heffernan achieves this by emphasizing thought leadership, strategic innovation, and human-centered leadership, focusing on the significance of female leadership in traditionally male-dominated industries. "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," she explains.
Academic Excellence
The female tech thought leader's determination led her to Harvard University, where she graduated with a BA in Sociology and Economics. While at Harvard, Heffernan developed critical thinking, strategic problem-solving, and global leadership skills through courses that were strengthened by her forward-thinking approach to the construction technology sector.
Heffernan studied Economics and sociology, but the course that impacted her thinking the most was one taught on Startups, innovation, and venture capital, where the sole focus was to deep dive into case study startups from Harvard Business School.
"College taught me how to think critically and challenge assumptions in business," Heffernan reflects. "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."
Her journey from athlete to academic to blue-collar operator has given her unmatched insight into real-world challenges that she faces with unique, forward-thinking solutions.
Career and Impact
After college, Heffernan led the growth at a construction firm from 2020 to 2023 and initiated AI in workflows to eliminate human error caused by manual data input and lack of documentation.
"When you see million-dollar mistakes happen because of a missed phone call or an undocumented change, you realize how urgent this problem is," she says.
Additionally, Heffernan scaled a construction business utilizing strategic partnerships, brand development, and operational systems, and drove AI-powered innovation in their processes. Her vision has given her the credentials and confidence to search for a solution to solve the $180 billion global communication inefficiency in construction using AI and co-pilots.
Heffernan's voice in the ConTech space brings a rare combination of elite athletic discipline, Ivy League insight, and hands-on construction experience to one of the most overlooked industries in tech. She advocates AI-powered solutions, modernizes communication inefficiencies, and redefines what leadership looks like in male-dominated industries. "I want to show anyone that there's power in taking the unconventional path," Heffernan adds.
Heffernan's story is not about titles but impact, perspective, and building from the ground up.
Future Aspirations
Heffernan is increasingly considered a thought leader in the ConTech space because of her unique approach and perspective, which provide a grounded, reliable voice in tech. In the future, Heffernan aims to "bridge worlds—blue-collar and tech, female leadership and male-dominated industries, strategy and execution—and be a voice for the next generation of builders."
Heffernan has big plans for the future, including building and backing ventures that bring innovation to overlooked industries like construction and real estate. She has a proven track record of success in construction technology. Heffernan leverages AI benefits to further advance the industry by improving communication and bringing a fresh approach to common issues.
"It's not just about bringing AI into construction—it's about bringing construction people into the conversation about AI," she says with conviction.
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