Joining us is Thai Nguyen, Director of Innovation with Hensel Phelps, the construction management and GC firm that recently launched Diverge, an investment company specializing in construction innovation and technology. Topics include:Â
- In terms of working with innovation partners and tech startups, how will Diverge be different from what Hensel Phelps had already been doing for the past decade?
- How many of Hensel Phelps’ employees are involved in Diverge, and what is Diverge’s vetting process, in terms of requirements of applicants and the time it takes for evaluation and approval? And what is your firm’s financial commitment to Diverge in its first year?
- There are quite a few accelerators and incubators in the ConTech space. How is Diverge’s mission different?
- Hensel Phelps is, on one hand, looking to be an industry disruptor, and on the other hand looking to influence technology that would be specific to your firm’s business. Is the company looking to get in on the ground floor of innovations that, ultimately, would be proprietary, or will new innovations and technologies be shared with the broader industry?
- Can you give me a few examples of where Hensel Phelps might see near-term benefits from Diverge?Â
