In the Season 2 launch of A Blueprint for Equity, host Candice Harrison welcomes J’Reyesha Brannon, PE, Civil / Environmental Engineer and Project Manager based in Portland, Oregon, for a conversation that expands how we think about engineering’s role in shaping communities.

With more than a decade of experience in design, project management, and construction management, much of it in the public sector, J’Reyesha brings a powerful blend of technical expertise, civic leadership, and community advocacy to her work.

A graduate of the University of Portland’s civil engineering program, she approaches the built environment through a lens grounded in environmental justice, equity, and long‑term community impact.

Beyond her professional practice, J’Reyesha is an active leader in NSBE Portland, where she supports community building, mentorship, and expanded access to STEM pathways for Black engineers and students across the region.

She also serves in a variety of leadership and advisory roles with nonprofit organizations and government bodies, contributing her skills in grant writing, communications outreach, and program development to help advance meaningful change.

In this episode, J’Reyesha reframes structural integrity as more than a technical requirement, connecting it to the resilience of communities, cultural context, and the systems that shape how people experience the built environment. Together, Candice and J’Reyesha explore how engineering principles can be applied with intention to foster inclusion, strengthen equity, and create spaces where people truly thrive.

This conversation invites listeners to consider how the structures we design—and the values we bring to that work—can help build stronger, more connected communities.

A Blueprint for Equity, a podcast powered by SSOE Group, is dedicated to exploring challenges, uncovering opportunities, and celebrating successes surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion in the AEC and related industries. Come along with us on our DEI journey as we bring together a collection of thought leaders, educators, subject matter experts, and technical professionals to discuss key issues and approaches to constructing a more inclusive AEC community. Learn more here.

In our latest quarterly episode of A Blueprint for Equity (our third to date), host Candice Harrison talks with Sarah Nelson-Woynicz, AIA, Project Architect and Associate at HKS, Inc.—an architecture and interior design firm—and Founder of Pride by Design.

A seamless blend of personal and professional, this conversation explores Sarah’s dedication to the inclusion and visibility of LGBTQIA+ architects and design professionals. She shares her experience growing up in Raleigh, going to college in Virginia, and landing in Atlanta where she’s built a very successful career in the AEC industry.

Today, she feels empowered in her day job where she has the space and safety to outwardly embrace her identity as a lesbian and is supported by her colleagues. Through the years, she admits she’s been met with some resistance along the way but has now found a place to thrive and aims to help others do the same.

A Blueprint for Equity, a podcast powered by SSOE Group, is dedicated to exploring challenges, uncovering opportunities, and celebrating successes surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion in the AEC and related industries. Come along with us on our DEI journey as we bring together a collection of thought leaders, educators, subject matter experts, and technical professionals to discuss key issues and approaches to constructing a more inclusive AEC community. Learn more here.

In our latest quarterly episode of A Blueprint for Equity (our second to date), host Candice Harrison sits down with Dr. Melvin Gravely, CEO of Triversity Construction and author of Dear White Friend—a must-read book about the realities of race, the power of relationships, and the path to equity.

Mel and Candice discuss equity versus equality, race relations, and some of the ways his Cincinnati-based commercial construction firm has diversity built right into its brand (right down to the name and right up to the top). They also explore the power of empathy, intentionality, and getting the AEC workforce to look more like the world in which we live. Spoiler Alert: We also announce an exciting giveaway, so be sure to tune in! And, you can download Mel's free Dear White Friend Discussion Guide that he references in this episode here.

A Blueprint for Equity, a podcast powered by SSOE Group, is dedicated to exploring challenges, uncovering opportunities, and celebrating successes surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion in the AEC and related industries. Come along with us on our DEI journey as we bring together a collection of thought leaders, educators, subject matter experts, and technical professionals to discuss key issues and approaches to constructing a more inclusive AEC community. Learn more here.