Why Elevate Was Created for Women Across the LBM Industry

Dena Cordova Jack, Founder, Cordova Jack Consulting and leadership advisor working with BLD Connection to develop the Elevate leadership program

Anyone who has spent time in the lumber and building materials industry knows this is a business built on people who step up and get things done.

Every company has them. The people who solve problems, help customers, organize chaos, and somehow keep things moving even when the day goes sideways.

Many times, those people are women.

Across the LBM industry, women play critical roles inside companies every day. They manage operations, support customers, organize teams, and often serve as the steady force behind the scenes that keeps a business running smoothly.

At the same time, women represent a much smaller portion of the LBM workforce than they do in the broader labor market. That reality presents both a challenge and an opportunity. If our industry wants to continue building strong companies and strong teams, we need to invest intentionally in developing leadership across the people who are already contributing to our success.

Why Elevate Was Created

That is the idea behind Elevate, a new leadership conference developed through BLD Connection.

Working with BLD, I have been developing the leadership framework and curriculum behind Elevate to ensure the program reflects the real-world leadership challenges and opportunities women encounter across the LBM industry.

Elevate is designed for women across the LBM industry at every stage of their career. Some participants may be stepping into leadership roles for the first time. Others may already be managing departments or leading teams. Many may simply be looking for ways to grow their confidence, expand their perspective, and strengthen the impact they have within their organizations.

Developing Leadership in the LBM Industry

One of the realities of our industry is that leadership development often happens informally. People learn by doing, solving problems, and figuring things out along the way. While that hands-on experience is valuable, it can also leave talented employees without the tools or perspective that help them grow into stronger leaders over time.

Elevate is designed to help fill that gap by providing practical leadership development that reflects the real-world environment of the LBM industry.

Participants will focus on building confidence, strengthening communication skills, understanding how leadership influence works inside organizations, and developing the ability to lead effectively whether or not they hold a formal title.

Leadership does not begin with a title. Leadership begins when someone steps up, takes responsibility, and helps move people and organizations forward.

The Value of Industry Connection

Elevate also creates an opportunity that many women in the industry rarely experience: the chance to connect with peers across the LBM community who share similar challenges, responsibilities, and goals. Those connections often become some of the most valuable takeaways from events like this.

For companies, the return on investing in leadership development is clear. When employees grow in confidence and capability, they bring that growth back into the workplace. They communicate more effectively, support their teams more confidently, and contribute at a higher level across the organization.

For participants, the experience can be equally powerful. Elevate provides space to learn, reflect, connect with peers, and return to work with practical tools and renewed perspective.

The goal of Elevate is simple: to strengthen leadership across the women of the lumber and building materials industry and help them continue growing their leadership and their impact.

Because when people grow, companies grow with them.

Elevate
Where women across the LBM industry grow their leadership and their impact.

Join us May 7-8 in Minneapolis

View Dena's video invitation to Elevate (click in image below):