“It Was Just a Conversation at a Table”: How Design-Build Mentorship Opens Doors for the Next Generation

Design-Build Delivers

Chapters
0:00
Mentorship in Action
2:13
Bill’s Design-Build Journey
4:44
The DBIA Fellow Shadowing Experience
8:05
How Lola and Bill Met
11:03
From Casual Chat to Career Coaching
13:06
Beyond Networking: Real Opportunities
16:23
Mentoring vs. Championing
20:41
People Do Business with People
24:30
The DBIA Student Experience
27:08
Advice for First-Time Attendees
30:19
A Mentor’s Perspective
32:15
Paying It Forward
Design-Build Delivers
“It Was Just a Conversation at a Table”: How Design-Build Mentorship Opens Doors for the Next Generation
May 30, 2025
DBIA

Have thoughts? Text us!

There’s no official job description for a mentor and no script for how a single introduction can change a student’s life. But when Kent State senior Lola Preseren met DBIA Fellow and 2023 Brunelleschi Award winner Bill Hasbrook at a DBIA conference, everything changed.

In this episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, brought to you by U.S. CAD, An ARKANCE Company, we explore what real mentorship looks like in design-build. Bill shares how decades of industry experience shaped his passion for guiding future leaders, and Lola offers a student’s perspective on what it’s like to be seen, supported and connected in ways that go far beyond networking.

From structured monthly check-ins to spontaneous life advice, their story is a powerful reminder that mentorship can be transformative for both sides of the equation.

Guests:

  • Bill Hasbrook, DBIA Fellow and 2023 Brunelleschi Award Winner
  • Lola Preseren, Senior at Kent State University and DBIA Student Volunteer

Resources & Links:

Access all our free design-build resources and learn more about Design-Build Done Right® at dbia.org.

DBIA members are shaping the future, one successful collaboration at a time.