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Artwork for To Build is Human

To Build is Human

Gābl Media // TonicDM
Artificial Intelligence
JB&B
Canondesign
New York City, United States
Knowledge Management
Architectural, Engineering and Construction
Automation
Turner Fleischer
Tonicdm
Data Governance
Human Factors
Data Lake
Cloud Computing
Continuous Improvement

To Build Is Human is a podcast from TonicDM where co-founders Reg Prentice and Deb Johnston talk with architects, engineers, and technologists about how work actually gets built—through data, process, communication, and people. Each episode is grounded in real practice: messy handoffs, disconnected systems, outdated documentation, and the cultural friction of change. You’ll hear practical playbook... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes7Foundeda month ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DesignBusinessManagementArts

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Artwork for To Build is Human

Latest Episodes

In this season finale, TonicDM co-founders Deb Johnston and Reg Prentice unpack a timely question: if AI can draft drawings and generate images, what value do architects uniquely create?

Using Reg’s recent university panel as a springboard, they exp... more

Terracon’s Head of Business Transformation, David Harwood, makes a clear case: before AI, fix data and process.

He outlines how Terracon audited ERP/CRM issues (synonyms, homonyms, duplicates), moved project files from office servers to a SharePoint... more

Utility infrastructure has to work every hour of every day—yet the drawings, data, and tools behind it often lag reality. Shawn Weekly, Software Developer at POWER Engineers, joins Deb and Reg to explain why as-builts frequently diverge from what’s o... more

CannonDesign’s Dorinda Shabazz, SVP, Director of Information Technology, blends technical rigor with human-centered change.

She traces a path from early programming to enterprise leadership, then shares what’s working now: moving fully out of the da... more

Brent Mauti, Chief Technology Officer at Turner Fleischer makes a straightforward case for modern practice: stop re-typing and start binding.

He explains why “single source of truth” often misleads teams, and how a “single source of entry” plus stab... more

Nora Swanson, Director of Innovation & Knowledge Management at JB&B, shares how a six-person innovation team partners with—but operates parallel to—IT to protect security while moving faster.

She distinguishes “little-I” innovations (workflow improv... more

To Build Is Human is a podcast from TonicDM where co-founders Reg Prentice and Deb Johnston talk with architects, engineers, and technologists about how work actually gets built—through data, process, communication, and people.

Each episode is grou... more

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

David Harwood
SVP, Business Transformation at Terracon
Terracon
Episode: Data and Process Before AI
Shawn Weekly
Senior Advisor, Software Development at POWER Engineers, member of WSP
POWER Engineers / WSP
Episode: Ground Truth Before Design
Dorinda Shabazz
SVP, Information Technology Director at CannonDesign
CannonDesign
Episode: Continuous Improvement, Human First
Brent Mauti
Chief Technology Officer at Turner Fleischer
Turner Fleischer
Episode: Single Source of Entry
Turner Fleischer (organization)
Architectural firm discussed in depth as the case study
Turner Fleischer
Episode: Single Source of Entry
Nora Swanson
Director of Innovation and Knowledge Management at JB&B
JB&B
Episode: Innovation that Lands

Hosts

Deb Johnston
Host of To Build is Human; co-host and facilitator guiding conversations in design-technology transformation.
Reg Prentice
Co-host, co-founder of To Build is Human; guides questions and discussion.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#160
New Zealand/Arts/Design

Top Design Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ground Truth Before Design
Q: What practical steps can a typical firm take today to begin bridging the gap between data and practice?
Begin by talking to frontline staff to understand pain points, automate small but high-impact processes like transmittals, build metadata-rich documents, and explore API-enabled DMS upgrades; use a phased approach to demonstrate value before attempting wide-scale changes.
Continuous Improvement, Human First
Q: How do you view the relationship between technology implementations and CannonDesign's culture?
Dorinda argues they are intertwined and intentional: technology choices are guided by future-readiness, scalability, and alignment with human-centric values, ensuring that change supports people as well as processes.
Continuous Improvement, Human First
Q: Is the AI initiative formalized as a program or more exploratory?
AI is governed by a dedicated group, with an internal tool and plans to link to broader ecosystems like Copilot in the future, reflecting a structured but evolving approach to AI within CannonDesign.
Continuous Improvement, Human First
Q: What were some of the things you were asking for buy-in when you started at CannonDesign?
Dorinda emphasizes starting with identifying inefficiencies and gaps, then selecting tools to address those specific needs. She cautions that technology alone isn't always the answer; process improvements and clear value demonstration are essential for adoption.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About To Build is Human

What is To Build is Human about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Two co-hosts from a design-technology-focused practice talk with leaders across architecture, engineering, and technology about how work actually gets built. Episodes center on turning messy handoffs, scattered data, and outdated documentation into reliable information through governance, better data practices, and human-centered change management. Real-world playbooks cover data modernization, cloud adoption, knowledge management, and responsible AI integration, with a practical emphasis on aligning design data to business systems and reducing duplicate effort. A notable strength is their emphasis on actionable steps over hype, illustrating how firms can mature data governance and AI readiness while preserving creativity and culture.

A di... more

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To Build is Human launched a month ago and published 7 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on To Build is Human?

Recent guests on To Build is Human include:

1. David Harwood
2. Shawn Weekly
3. Dorinda Shabazz
4. Brent Mauti
5. Turner Fleischer (organization)
6. Nora Swanson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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