Founding Voices: Sara Urizar on Building a Community Where Women Belong

Every organization has an origin story, and it's the people behind that story who bring it to life. In our Founding Voices series, we're sitting down with the women who helped establish Professional Women in Construction (PWC) Chicago to reflect on the early days of the chapter, how it has evolved, and what its continued growth means to them.

For Founding Board Member Sara Urizar, joining PWC Chicago wasn't just about helping launch a professional organization, it was about creating the kind of community she had been searching for throughout her own career.

Then President of the Board of Directors, Sara Urizar networking at the Summer Social, July 2024.

Finding a Place to Belong

Sara spent much of her career working on an in-house design and construction team for a museum, collaborating with architects, engineers, and contractors every day. While she was deeply connected to the AEC industry, she often found herself without a professional organization that truly reflected her experience.

When Founding President Jean Wine approached her about helping launch the  Chicago Chapter of PWC, the answer came easily.

"I didn't hesitate for a minute," Sara says.

She saw an opportunity to create something that didn't yet exist; a welcoming professional community for women across every corner of the AEC industry, regardless of title or discipline.

"I'd never found a professional organization where I truly fit," she reflects. "Then I realized I wasn't alone in that feeling."

Sara Urizar with other founding Board Members at the Inaugural PWC Chicago Event, October 2021.

Building Something from the Ground Up

Launching a new chapter during the pandemic meant starting with little more than virtual meetings, ambitious ideas, and a shared commitment to making them happen.

The Founding Board tackled every aspect of building the organization, from developing committees and planning programming to attracting sponsors and defining membership benefits.

Looking back, Sara recollects that there was no playbook.

"We didn't really have a toolkit for how to do this," she says.

But the biggest challenge wasn't a lack of ideas, it was finding enough time to pursue them all while balancing the demands of careers and families.

As membership grew, however, so did the organization's capacity.

"Our bandwidth began to exponentially grow," Sara says, describing how new volunteers and committee members transformed those early ideas into the thriving organization PWC Chicago has become.

A Milestone That Changed Everything

When asked which accomplishment makes her most proud, Sara doesn't point to a signature event or membership milestone.

Instead, she highlights the Board's decision to hire Business Manager Julia Means.

Making the transition from an all-volunteer organization to one with dedicated staff represented a significant leap of faith and marked an important inflection point in the maturity of the chapter.

With the increased capacity, PWC Chicago has experienced tremendous growth in membership, sponsorships, and programming. “There’s the evidence”, Sara says, “that our calculated investment was well worth making”.

Then President of the Board of Directors, Sara welcomes over 350 attendees to the Winter Social, February 2026.

Growing as a Leader

Serving on the Founding Board has shaped Sara personally as much as professionally.

She credits her leadership role with helping her move beyond self-doubt and recognize her own capabilities.

"It's given me the confidence to embrace my strengths and express what I want for my career trajectory," she says.

One lesson continues to guide her leadership today: authenticity.

Rather than trying to fit someone else's definition of a leader, Sara believes the most meaningful leadership begins by showing up as yourself and extending that same empathy and understanding to others.

More Than a Professional Association

When asked why organizations like PWC Chicago matter, Sara's answer is simple.

"Everyone needs a place where they feel like they belong. A safe place to come and find the support that you need to grow and thrive."

That sense of belonging is also what she finds most rewarding as she watches the chapter continue to evolve.

"What we've built is more than a professional association," she says. "It's a community."

From Founding Board members and committee leaders to longtime members and first-time attendees, Sara has watched PWC Chicago become a community where women build not only their careers, but lasting relationships that support them along the way.

As the chapter continues to evolve, her advice to members considering greater involvement remains straightforward: the opportunities are there, and they are what you make of them.

Whether serving on a committee or stepping into future leadership roles, every contribution helps strengthen the community that remains at the heart of PWC Chicago.