FREETO: Building a Career Toward CTO in Construction with Jen Clark

The ConTechCrew

In this special re-release of The ConTech Crew Podcast, we're revisiting a powerful crossover episode from FreeTo CTO series, where hosts Jeff Sample and Trent Leinenbach are joined by Jen Clark, Project Integration Manager at General Sheet Metal. This conversation remains just as relevant today, diving into how unconventional career paths and curiosity-driven problem-solving can foster a new wave of construction technology leaders.

Jen Clark is the Project Integration Manager at General Sheet Metal, a Portland-based mechanical contractor with nearly 100 years in business. With a background in civil engineering, Jen carved her own path from software support to field engineering, eventually stepping into a self-defined tech leadership role. Whether you missed it the first time or want to revisit Jen’s inspiring journey, this episode offers timeless insights into low-code innovation, managing shadow IT, and bridging the divide between operations and IT in the construction industry.

Expect to Learn

• How Jen transitioned from field engineering to a tech leadership role without formal tech training.
• What it means to act as a “human API” in a construction setting.
• Practical lessons from building low-code applications for project and data management.
• Strategies to drive tech adoption and gain executive support.
• How to handle shadow IT while fostering innovation in smaller firms.

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps

[00:00] - Introduction

[01:21] - FreeTO Series by Construction Dorks

[04:40] - Jen’s Unconventional Career Path

[06:49] - Building a Role from Curiosity: Project Integration Manager

[15:22] - Lessons from Low-Code App Development

[19:01] - Jen Outlines Her Decision-Making Framework

[26:57] - Collaboration and Strategic Growth

[32:09] - Digital Transformation in the Fabrication Shop

[37:22] - Selling Vision to Leadership

[41:06] - Final Thoughts

Follow the Guest & Company

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferaclark1/
• LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/general-sheet-metal/
• Website (Company): https://www.gsmw.com/
• Instagram (Company): https://www.instagram.com/generalsheetmetal/
• Facebook (Company): https://www.facebook.com/GeneralSheetMetal1932#

Follow the Host:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ironmanofit/

Follow the Co-Host:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trent-leinenbach-plmb-466018177/
• Company: https://www.stratus.build/
• Blog: https://www.constructiondorks.com/

Follow The ConTech Crew:

• Website: https://thecontechcrew.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-contechcrew/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheConTechCrew/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecontechcrew/?hl=en
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecontechcrew
• Twitter: https://x.com/TheConTechCrew