Build Me Up
Business & Finance
About
Build Me Up shares inspiring stories of innovators in the built marketplace. It's hosted by Kraus-Anderson's Laurisa Titterud and Kaitlin McCoskey. KA is a Midwest construction management firm, realty, development, insurance and financial services company. The podcast is designed to meet the needs of leaders and aspiring innovators in the construction industry.
Episodes
- Group Hug: The Triumphs and Tribulations of Building Mass Timber
The Build Me Up podcast episode discusses the Washington County Central Service Center, a mass timber building in Woodbury, MN, focusing on its potential financial and environmental benefits. Guests include representatives from Washington…
- Project Delivery, Priority Management, and Private PortaPotties: Celebrating WIC Week 2026
Four women in the construction industry, including project managers, interns, and executives, join the Build Me Up podcast to celebrate Women In Construction Week and discuss project delivery and priority management. They represent a small…
- Hold on to Your Hair: Reducing Stress and Unknowns With FCA
Build Me Up features facility experts Erik Krause, Tim Kittila, and Mike Stark discussing how proactive facility planning and management can save building owners time and money, drawing on real-world client feedback.
- 2026: Industry Lookahead
Jay Bowman, Managing Director of Research and Analytics at FMI, and Rich Jacobson, EVP and COO of Kraus-Anderson, join the Build Me Up podcast for Season 8 to discuss forecasts and the built market for the upcoming year. Bowman specializes…
- Predesign: So What?
Nate Enger and Kevin Bright from Kraus-Anderson discuss the effectiveness of pre-design services in construction, highlighting their impact on cost savings, collaboration, and the reshaping of the traditional construction delivery model.
- Care for the Caregiver: Current Trends in Healthcare Construction
In today's discussion, we explore construction and design trends reshaping the healthcare industry. The design needs and construction requirements for medical centers are evolving rapidly, driven by new challenges, technological advancemen…
- Downtown by Design 2035: the Future of Minneapolis
Today we welcome back Ben Shardlow, chief of staff at the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District. Ben joins us today to talk about the Downtown by Design 2035 plan for the city of Minneapolis. From safety to culture…
- Raise The Barr: Discussing Affordable Housing and the Curb Cut Effect
In this episode, Lori Barr, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Raise the Barr , joins "Build Me Up." Lori and her son Anthony, a former defenseman for the Minnesota Vikings and 4X NFL Pro-Bowler, founded the organization in 2016. The…
- 2025 Construction Industry Lookahead
Back by popular demand, "Build Me Up" invited FMI's Partner and Managing Director of Research and Analytics, Jay Bowman, and KA's EVP and COO Rich Jacobson back to chat! They join us each year as we look to see what the new year is going b…
- Season 6 Finale!!
Season 6 of "Build Me Up" is complete. Thank you to all the guests who participated in Season 5, as well as to our listeners. We're grateful to have a platform where stories that build up the community can be shared. See you in the New Yea…
- Feeding Hope: Tackling Food Insecurity with Foothills Food Bank
Food shelves are essential for addressing food insecurity in communities, providing vital support to individuals and families who struggle to access adequate nutrition. They offer a safety net, especially during times of economic hardship,…
- Stronger Together: Redefining "LIVIN" Through Mental Health Conversations
Trigger Warning: This podcast contains references to sensitive themes, such as suicide, which may be distressing to some individuals. We ask you to put yourself and your mental health first when making the decision to listen. Death by suic…
- Supporting Survivors, Ending Abuse with the Northwoods Battered Women's Shelter
Trigger Warning: This podcast contains references to sensitive themes, such as domestic and intimate-partner violence and sexual assault, which may be distressing to some individuals. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month , so "Buil…
- One Hot (and Cool) Topic: Talking Geothermal Systems with Darcy Solutions
"Build Me Up" sits down with the team at Darcy Solutions to discuss geothermal systems. We're turning up the heat—or should we say dialing it down?—with an exciting look at geothermal heating and cooling. Have you ever wondered how one can…
- Prairie Care Fund: Supporting Youth Mental Wellness
Adolescence is a crucial time for building good habits that are key to mental health, such as good sleep, exercising, learning to cope with problems, and managing emotions. Having supportive family, school, and community environments reall…
- Bringing Care Close: Celebrating 40 Years of Ronald McDonald House Charity (Eastern WI)
As residents of the large metro area of Minneapolis, Laurisa and Lisa sometimes forget what a privilege it is to have close access to a variety of leading healthcare providers. The reality for many is that they have to travel a long way to…
- From Concept to Construction: The Power of Building Information Modeling
Kraus-Anderson's Building Information Modeling (BIM) Department joins this episode of "Build Me Up." From drones to 360-degree cameras to Digital Twin, Andrea, Michelle, and Micah sit down to discuss the various tools utilized to help aid…
- Capitalizing on Environmental, Social, Governmental (ESG) Opportunities in the Construction Industry
Environmental, Social, and Government (ESG) requirements are popping up everywhere. Do you know the expectations of all the various stakeholders that impact your business? These include project owners, general contractors, investors, lende…
- Mass Timber and Sustainable Building
At "Build Me Up," we've noticed a surge in articles discussing the use of mass timber in construction. While timber has been a construction staple for centuries, conversation about it has increased due to its role in addressing sustainabil…
- 2024 Industry Lookahead
Back by popular demand, "Build Me Up" invited FMI's Partner and Managing Director of Research and Analytics, Jay Bowman and KA's EVP and COO Rich Jacobson back to chat! They join us each year as we give in to a look ahead for the year. Jay…
- The Learning Jet: Where Passion For Aviation Takes Flight
In this episode, Laurisa and Lisa delve into the fascinating world of The Learning Jet with our special guests, Steve Hurvitz and Kraus-Anderson's Doug Jaeger! Wonder what The Learning Jet is and what it does? The Learning Jet's primary go…
- Season 5 Finale!!
Wow— Five seasons of "Build Me Up"! Thank you to all the guests who participated in Season 5, as well as to our listeners. We're grateful to have a platform where stories that build up the community can be shared. See you in the New Year!
- PowerGirls: Catapulted into the World of the Trades
This week, Abbie Lown from Girl Scouts of River Valley, Barb Pecks from the Carpenters Union, and Laurie Trousil, Kraus-Anderson's Director of Diversity and Inclusion, join Build Me Up . The group talks about the Girl Scouts' Power Girls p…
- Simulating Success: How HealthPartners Fosters Growth through Simulation
In this episode, Lisa and Laurisa chat with the awesome folks from the HealthPartners Clinical Simulation Program. The group dives into the different procedures they practice, as well as discusses the lab's interesting features. Learn how…
- The All-Encompassing Nature of Parks and Recreation
Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of New Brighton Jennifer Fink , Parks Superintendent for the City of Eagan Chris Fleck, and Eric Quam , a project manager in Kraus-Anderson's Government sector join this week's episode of "Buil…
- Tomorrow's Reality: Artificial Intelligence with Justin Grammens
In this episode, we'll discuss all things artificial intelligence (AI) with Justin Grammens – a local educator and AI expert. With much discussion surrounding ChatGPT, Bard, and other AI-related tools, we're diving in to find out what its…
- A Referendum Reflection with White Bear Lake
In this episode, we'll discuss the 2019 White Bear Lake referendum experience with Kraus-Anderson's retired director of K-12 project planning and development, Tony Sjolander, and Tim Wald from the White Bear Lake School District. While wor…
- Navigating Healthcare Facilities: Expert Insights for Long-Term Planning
In this episode, we're joined by Northfield Hospital + Clinics ' Director of Facilities, Scott Norman, Kraus-Anderson's Director of Facilities Assessment, Tim Kittila , and Kraus-Anderson's Director of Project Planning and Development (Hea…
- Tap Into the Brewery Scene with Modist Brewing
In this episode, Modist Brewing 's Daniel Wellendorf and Perkins&Will 's Jennifer Christiaansen join us at the brewery in Minneapolis' North Loop to discuss Modist's new event space opening in September! We talk about what went into the de…
- Minneapolis through a Developer's Lens with Sherman Associates
We're back from break!! In this episode, Sherman Associates ' Director of Commercial Operations Ben Kepple joins us to talk about the development and reimagining of downtown Minneapolis , why Minneapolis is worth investing in, trends in co…
- On Site Companies: The Intersection of Climate Control and Sanitation
In this episode, we're joined by On Site Companies ' CEO Molly Leonard and Director of Sales and Marketing Mike Kinney. Beginning as a sanitation and portable restroom rental company, Molly and Mike discuss the company's growth and how the…
- Artemis Provisions and Cheese: From Online Sales to Main Street
In this episode, Melissa and Kingsley Gobourne join us to talk about their new business venture with Artemis Provisions and Cheese ! While the business has been selling products online for a few years, a new storefront and restaurant are c…
- Achieve Twin Cities: Helping Students Plan for Life After Graduation
In this episode, we're joined by Achieve Twin Cities ' CEO Danielle Grant and Kraus-Anderson 's director of professional development Mike Smoczyk. We chat about Achieve's programming, how their work serves the St. Paul and Minneapolis educ…
- Classroom to Career: New Ulm's CTE Success
In this episode, we're joined by New Ulm School Superintendent Jeff Bertrang and Kraus-Anderson Construction Executive Jason Rentmeester . We talk about New Ulm's Career Technical Education program, the need for industry and community buy-…
- Polytechnic Education and Workforce Readiness with Bismarck State College
In this episode, Dan Leingang and Alicia Uhde join us to talk about Bismarck State College 's designation as a polytechnic university , as well as its new polytechnic facility , how the college approaches learning, how the University plays…
- Workplaces for the Future with Pope Design Group
In this episode, Pope Design Group 's Vice President, Erica Larson , joins us to discuss workplace design. We pull from personal experience and chat about the factors that play a role in an office layout, the importance of employee partici…
- ARC Minnesota and Shopping that Makes a Difference
ARC Minnesota 's Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson and ARC's Value Village Greg Rue join us to discuss ARC and its impactful work with people with disabilities. We discuss their services, how the Value Village thrift store is utilized as a revenu…
- Communities In Schools: Fueling Students' Potential
Communities in Schools Twin Cities CEO and President Amanda Sappa and Program Director Colby Owens join "Build Me Up." We chat with the pair about the Communities in Schools program, its importance in the lives of youth, how organizations…
- It's Electric!... Hunt Electric!
Hunt Electric 's Chief Operating Officer Keith Colvard joins "Build Me Up" this week to chat about the new facility in Hudson, Wisconsin, how the organization maintains a cohesive culture throughout its various offices, the company's plans…
- Minneapolis' Mosaic Venue: Elevated and Authentic
In this episode, Dani and Laurisa join Chanti Miller and David O'Neil , co-founders of the Mosaic Venue in downtown Minneapolis, to discuss their new event space. They explain the story that led to their unique business plan, the design el…
- Building a Happy and Healthy You
In this episode, we're talking about health and wellness. A slight stray from our typical discussion topics, we look at one example of employee health and happiness through the eyes of Kraus-Anderson 's Anne Grubish and former Profile empl…
- 2023 Industry Look Ahead
Welcome back, Build Me Up listeners! We hope you had a relaxing holiday season and a great start to 2023. We're excited to kick off Season 5 with reoccurring guests Jay Bowman of FMI and Rich Jacobson of Kraus-Anderson. Together, we briefl…
- Season 4 Finale!!
It's the Season 4 Finale, so Laurisa and Dani chat about their favorite moments from the past 20 episodes and share their plans for the holiday season! Thank you to all the guests who participated in Season 4, as well as to our listeners.…
- Rural Healthcare Topics and Trends
Project managers Rachael Oelke and Megan Geiser, as well as Kathy Kuepers of Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County and Joni Olson of Gundersen Tri-County Hospital , join this episode of "Build Me Up." We chat with the group about their cur…
- National Adoption Day with the Magstadt Family and Generations United
National Adoption Day (November 19th, 2022) is this week, and Kraus-Anderson 's very own Kevin Magstadt and his wife, Kris, are recent recipients of the Angels in Adoption award . The two join the episode to share their inspiring story abo…
- On the Right Track: MPLS Public Transit and the Vibrant Downtown Experience
This episode, we're joined by Tiffany Orth of Move Minneapolis and Ben Shardlow of the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District . Tiffany and Ben, as well as their teams, are passionate about the city of Minneapolis and work hard to make…
- Construction Inclusion Week with Heather Hoffman, President of Commercial Drywall
Heather Hoffman , President of Commercial Drywall , joins this week's episode. In recognition of Construction Inclusion Week , we chat with Heather about her approach to a few of the week's designated topics: commitment and accountability,…
- La Crosse's Landmark by the Rivers: Revitalization, Revision, and Innovative Use
The Landmark by the Rivers project team joins this episode of "Build Me Up" to talk about the completed apartment and retail complex. The building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016, provides downtown La C…
- A New Name and Executive Director Propel Agate Housing and Services into the Future
Kyle Hanson, the recently-named Executive Director of Agate Housing and Services, as well as Michelle Perrin, the nonprofit's Director of Outreach and Shelter, join this week's episode of "Build Me Up"! They tell us about the organization'…
- Meet Cultural Jambalaya's 2022 Diversity Award Winner: Dr. Lee-Ann Stephens
Gail Shore, founder of Cultural Jambalaya, and this year's Cultural Jambalaya Diversity Award Winner, Dr. Lee-Ann Stephens, join Build Me Up ! Dr. Stephens discusses her racial equity and social justice efforts within the St. Louis Park sc…