Her Story
About Gayatri
Gayatri Umashankar is a construction and prefabrication professional whose passion for building began long before her career officially started. Raised in India in a family deeply connected to the construction industry, she was inspired early on by her grandfather, an architect, and her father, a civil engineer, who often brought her along to construction sites as a child. Those experiences sparked a lifelong fascination with innovation, design, and the process of bringing structures to life. After earning her Bachelor of Architecture degree in India and working as an architect for two years, Gayatri recognized the growing potential of industrialized construction and prefabrication and moved to the United States to pursue opportunities at the forefront of innovation in the field. She later earned a Master of Science in Construction Management from Arizona State University and began building a career focused on transforming the way projects are delivered.
Today, Gayatri serves in a leadership role with Digital Building Components, where she focuses on advancing prefabrication and industrialized construction solutions across major projects throughout the Southwest and Northwest regions. Over the years, she has held positions spanning project engineering, product development, project management, and business strategy, giving her a comprehensive understanding of the construction lifecycle. Known for her collaborative mindset and technical expertise, she has become a respected voice in the industry, regularly participating in conferences, workshops, university guest lectures, and panel discussions focused on construction innovation, sustainability, and prefabrication. Her work centers on improving speed to market, reducing project risk, and creating more efficient and sustainable building solutions through modern construction methods.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Gayatri is deeply committed to mentorship and increasing visibility for women in construction and technical leadership roles. Having built a new life in America while remaining closely connected to her family in India, she understands the resilience and adaptability required to succeed in a rapidly evolving industry. She often encourages future professionals — especially young women — to embrace challenges, remain open-minded, and pursue leadership opportunities in construction and engineering. Recognized as an ENR Top 20 Under 40 honoree and a Rising Star in prefabrication, Gayatri continues to advocate for innovation, inclusion, and the future of industrialized construction while balancing career, family, and community engagement with integrity and purpose.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gayatri
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my family background and early exposure to construction. My grandfather was an architect and my dad is a civil engineer. Growing up, with all the safety protocols, my dad used to take me to his construction site, and I had early exposure to how construction works in India. That was my passion growing up. Even as a child, I used to play with matchsticks and glue to build things because I didn't have Legos. I would take glue and try to build out of matchsticks. That early hands-on experience and family influence shaped my journey into construction and innovation.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to always be open-minded and always try to do hard things. I've been blessed with great mentors, and the great wisdom I have from looking back over 10 years is to always be open-minded and always do hard things. That is always a way to find how you solve problems, but don't be afraid to do hard things in life. That advice has guided me throughout my career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Construction is evolving rapidly, and there is tremendous opportunity for women to bring new ideas, lead innovation, and shape the future of how we build. That's the advice I would share for young women entering the industry. Don't be intimidated by the fact that it's male-dominated. There is definitely scope for all of us to shine in this industry, especially in pursuing leadership roles in technical fields and focusing on construction.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge I would say is speed to market. When you see buildings being built around you or in your neighborhood, it takes longer to build them. Speed to market is something that is currently a challenge in our industry, and that's the solution that we are working on, myself and my company together. We're focused on how we can meet the speed to market with our solutions through prefabrication and industrialized construction.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Both in my personal and professional life, I feel integrity is the most valuable. Another add-on is Ever Forward. I think carrying those two core values, integrity and Ever Forward, is why I'm here today. These values guide everything I do in my work and personal life.
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