The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF), the leading organization advancing gender equity in the building industry, hosted its annual Bevy Leadership Awards at The Shed at Hudson Yards.
Both a celebration and a convening, the highly anticipated evening brought together over 300 leaders across the fields of architecture, real estate, construction, engineering, development, design, arts, and culture to honor those reshaping the systems, spaces, and decisions that define our world—and to collectively envision what comes next.
The 2026 Awards recognized six leaders whose work spans academic leadership, engineering innovation, media advocacy, sustainable infrastructure, and mission-driven development:
“The Bevy Leadership Awards celebrate visionary leadership while reminding us that progress requires collective participation. A more equitable future requires both dreamers and doers working together to turn bold ideas into lasting change,” says Phoebe Yee, Board Chair, Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation. “I am proud to be a part of a movement driving meaningful change across the built environment and bringing together leaders, practitioners, theorists, and thinkers to honor those reshaping our world.”
The evening debted BWAF’s 2026 Built by Women map, a juried initiative recognizing the breadth and impact of women’s achievements across the building industries in cities across the country. Expanding on earlier iterations highlighting Manhattan and Los Angeles, the 2026 map will spotlight innovative women-led projects across all five boroughs of New York City.
For nearly three decades, BWAF has worked to expand visibility, influence, and opportunity for women in the built environment. What began as an act of recognition has grown into a platform for collective action, challenging inherited structures, correcting historical omissions, and making space for new voices and models of leadership. Today, the Foundation serves as both an archive and a catalyst, advancing research, mentorship, and advocacy that strengthen the entire ecosystem of the building industry.
As BWAF enters its next chapter under newly appointed Board Chair Phoebe Yee, the 2026 celebration reflects an organization grounded in legacy and energized by possibility. Under Yee’s leadership, BWAF will continue to champion diversity of thought and lived experience, ensuring that women and historically underrecognized leaders across the built environment are seen, supported, and empowered. In a field that remains overwhelmingly male-dominated, the Foundation underscores that lasting change requires collective commitment and shared responsibility.
