Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Carpenter.
Hi Erica, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I got my start in construction when I was 18 years old with no college degree, no formal training, and honestly no idea where the industry would take me. What I quickly realized was that construction isn’t just a great career, it’s an incredible opportunity for women who are willing to work hard, build relationships, and learn. The industry needs more women, and I saw firsthand the value we bring to it.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve had the opportunity to wear just about every hat imaginable. I’ve worked in restoration, handling everything from fire and flood damage to mold remediation. I spent eight years helping run a drywall company focused on new construction, worked as a commercial and residential general contractor, and managed countless projects along the way. Every role taught me something different and gave me a deeper appreciation for the people who make this industry what it is.
BuildHERS actually started as something much simpler than it is today. It was just a casual happy hour where a handful of women in construction could get together after work, swap stories, and support one another. We didn’t have a grand business plan or some huge vision. We just knew there was a need for women to have a place where they genuinely felt welcome.
What happened next completely exceeded anything I could have imagined. Every event seemed to double in size. More women kept showing up. More companies wanted to get involved. The community grew organically because people were craving connection, collaboration, and a different kind of experience than traditional networking.
Around that same time, I decided to take a leap and start my own company, Pet Waste Management. I had always wanted to build something that was mine, and becoming a business owner was a challenge I was excited to take on. But while I was growing that business, BuildHERS was growing even faster. Eventually it became clear that BuildHERS wasn’t just a side project anymore… it had become my full-time focus.
Today, my passion is creating opportunities for women in construction and the industries that surround it. I love helping women grow their businesses, make meaningful connections, learn from one another, and realize they don’t have to figure it all out alone. One of the things I’m most proud of is that our community has always been built around collaboration over competition. There is room for all of us to succeed, and when women support each other, everyone wins.
Looking ahead, we’re just getting started. What began as one happy hour in Arizona has grown into a thriving community, and we’re now expanding into other states. Denver is next, with Utah and Nevada already in our sights. It’s surreal to think about how far BuildHERS has come, and I’m incredibly grateful that what started as a simple idea has become something that’s impacting so many women and businesses across the industry.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I think that’s what makes the journey worth it.
When I started BuildHERS, I wasn’t trying to build a business. I was trying to build a community. For the first year, every event was free. I paid for a lot of it out of my own pocket because I simply wanted to create a space where women in construction could connect. It wasn’t until our one-year anniversary in October 2025 that we started charging admission.
One of the biggest learning curves was figuring out how to make BuildHERS sustainable. I quickly realized that companies saw real value in what we were creating. They wanted to support women in the industry, get their businesses in front of the right audience, and be part of something bigger than themselves. Once I understood that, sponsorships became a natural fit and allowed us to continue growing.
Finding venues has also been one of our biggest challenges. We started in bars and restaurants, which worked great when there were 20 or 30 of us. Once we were consistently bringing in 60, 80, and eventually more than 100 women, we outgrew those spaces. Thankfully, showrooms throughout the Valley started seeing the value of hosting BuildHERS. They opened their doors to us, and that ended up becoming one of the things that makes our events so unique.
There have also been plenty of behind-the-scenes challenges. We didn’t even have a website until March 2026. Everything before that was held together with social media, spreadsheets, and a lot of determination. I’m not an event planner by trade. I’ve spent the last 20 years in construction, so every part of building BuildHERS has been something I’ve had to learn along the way.
The biggest lesson has been realizing that it’s okay for something with a meaningful mission to also be a sustainable business. If BuildHERS is going to continue serving women, expanding into new states, and creating opportunities for years to come, it has to be built on a strong foundation. Once I shifted my mindset from simply hosting events to building a sustainable organization, everything started falling into place.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
BuildHERS is a community for women in construction and all of the industries that support it. While our foundation is built around the trades, we’ve grown into something much bigger. Our members include general contractors, plumbers, electricians, roofers, and restoration companies, but also interior designers, real estate professionals, home service businesses, marketing agencies, branding experts, photographers, SEO specialists, accountants, and so many other businesses that help this industry thrive.
One of the things that sets BuildHERS apart is that we don’t host traditional networking events. You won’t walk into one of our events and spend the evening awkwardly shaking hands or exchanging business cards. We intentionally create fun, interactive experiences where women naturally connect while they’re participating in activities, exploring a showroom, or simply enjoying a night out together.
What we’ve found is that when you remove the pressure of networking, the relationships become more genuine. Business still happens, referrals are made, partnerships are formed, and people hire each other, but it comes from real connections instead of forced conversations.
I’m most proud of the community we’ve built. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch women who walked into their first event not knowing anyone leave with new friends, business partners, clients, or simply a renewed sense of confidence. We’ve created a space where collaboration truly comes before competition, and that culture has become the heartbeat of BuildHERS.
At the end of the day, we’re not just helping women grow their businesses. We’re helping them find their people, build lasting relationships, and realize they don’t have to navigate this industry alone.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think the biggest contributor to BuildHERS’ success is that I built the community I wish I had when I was starting out.
I spent nearly 20 years in construction, and for most of that time, I didn’t have a network of women to lean on. There weren’t monthly events, group chats, or communities where I could ask questions, celebrate wins, or vent about the challenges that come with working in a male-dominated industry. I know what that feels like because I lived it.
I also knew I wanted something different than the traditional networking model. Standing around making small talk has never been my style. I wanted to create events that were fun, interactive, and gave women a reason to actually engage with one another. It’s amazing how much easier it is to build relationships when you’re laughing together, solving a challenge, or sharing an experience instead of forcing a conversation.
I think that’s what sets BuildHERS apart. Every decision I make comes back to one question: “Would I have wanted this when I was building my career?” If the answer is yes, I know we’re on the right track.
Seeing women walk into an event alone and leave with genuine friendships, new business relationships, and more confidence than when they arrived is what keeps me going. If I can help someone feel a little less alone than I did for those 20 years, then BuildHERS is doing exactly what it was created to do.
Pricing:
- Admission Ticket $20
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.buildhersaz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildhersaz/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578184583000
