How the PWC Chicago Network Strengthens Women — and the Industry — at Every Level

When Ann Schuessler, a member of PWC Chicago’s Mentorship & Education Committee and a leader at Assembly Built, talks about the future of construction in Chicago, she doesn’t just talk about jobs. She talks about networks.

After reading several books about China’s manufacturing sector — a vast, interconnected ecosystem of specialized knowledge — Ann found herself reflecting on Chicago’s own industrial history. This city once operated as a deeply integrated network of makers, builders, engineers, and tradespeople. Over time, much of that connective tissue has thinned.

Her question became: What would it take to intentionally rebuild that network — and ensure women are deeply embedded in it at every level?

Through PWC Chicago, she’s helping answer that question.

Inspire: Opening Doors Early

Inspiration often begins with exposure — a moment when learning meets possibility.

Last Fall, Ann and fellow PWC member Vicki Lezon of Reed Construction spent the day at a Chicago Public Schools career fair. There, they met a class of architecture and drafting students. The students were curious and engaged, energized by the opportunity to connect classroom lessons to real-world careers.

The experience lingered. What if students like these didn’t just hear about construction careers — what if they could see their ideas come to life?

Around the same time, through another PWC connection, Ann attended an event at Revolution Workshop, a nonprofit that trains apprentice laborers. Meeting the cohort of trainees sparked a powerful idea: could these two groups — students and apprentices — be connected?

PWC created the space where those parallel opportunities became a shared vision, and inspiration became action.

Practice: Turning Knowledge into Real-World Experience

With support from partners at mHUB, Ann helped launch a collaborative pilot project.

The CPS drafting students created their first official set of plans — designing a job shack. Those plans then became the working instructions for the Revolution Workshop trainees, who built the structure.

At mHUB, the students and apprentices came together to witness the full cycle of creation: concept to blueprint to built form.

For the CPS students, it was their first experience seeing their technical drawings translated into something tangible. For the trainees, it reinforced how design and skilled labor intersect in meaningful ways. For both groups, it was a rare opportunity to engage in real-world practice early in their development.

This is the power of intentional networking. PWC didn’t just connect people — it connected stages of the career pipeline.

In a single project, young women and men experienced collaboration across disciplines, mentorship in action, and the real-world impact of their skills.

Build: Expanding Opportunity and Strengthening the Industry

The story doesn’t stop there. Through PWC, Ann also attended a workshop with women from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). There she met a group of architecture and engineering students interested in advanced manufacturing — another key piece of Chicago’s evolving construction ecosystem. One of these students has since started an internship with Ann working at AssemblyBuilt. 

This is where the broader vision comes into focus.

Inspiration sparks interest.
Practice builds confidence.
And sustained networks build industries.

By intentionally linking early education, apprenticeship training, higher education, and industry professionals, PWC Chicago is reinforcing a knowledge network that benefits not just individual careers but the health of construction in Chicago as a whole.

Ann brings this mindset to her work every day. At Assembly Built, which utilizes advanced manufacturing to deliver practical solutions for jobsite challenges, she sees firsthand how specialized knowledge thrives in connected ecosystems. Through PWC mentorship, she applies that same philosophy to people.

When women at every stage of their careers are connected — from high school drafting students to apprentices to university students to industry leaders — the entire industry grows stronger.

The PWC Difference

PWC Chicago is more than a professional association. It is an intentional network. One that:

• Inspires young women through exposure and mentorship
• Provides opportunities to practice real-world skills
• Builds long-term professional ecosystems that strengthen Chicago’s construction industry

When we uplift women at every level, we don’t just support individual careers. We rebuild the connective tissue of our industry. And in doing so, we shape a more innovative, inclusive, and resilient future for construction in Chicago.