Malak Abushaqra

After 12 years as a housewife in a traditional Arabic Muslim household, I made the bold decision to enter the construction industry following my divorce. Coming from a culture where women working in construction is uncommon, and with only one year of college in phlebotomy and no professional experience, I was determined to prove that women could succeed in this male-dominated field. My father owns an industrial roofing company in New York, but because I was female, he was hesitant to put me in charge. This became my motivation to show him, my culture, and women around me that we don't have to be just stay-at-home moms. I started by selling granite, then moved into concrete sales where I learned extensively about the industry and made substantial income. In 2024, I took on my biggest challenge yet by opening and running a concrete plant for an owner, building it from ground zero. In less than a year, I generated approximately $5 million in revenue for the company. As Business Development Manager and Sales Manager, my key responsibility has been breaking into doors with big contractors who are hesitant to work with new companies. I recently locked in a major commercial contract for 12,000 cubic yards that will generate $2.5 million and significantly increase our company value. The most difficult part of my role is convincing established contractors to trust a new company, but I've been successful by demonstrating our experience and capabilities. I also founded Clarity in Chaos, an art company where I teach people to paint at events. We grew organically from 500 to 15,000 Instagram followers, and I used to host classes for 170 to 200 people, averaging $20,000 per event. During COVID, when everything shut down, my painting events became my primary income source. My greatest professional achievement is starting this concrete plant from zero and building a multi-million dollar business, something I never knew I could achieve given my background as a housewife raising my two boys.