October 29, 2026
Relive the Highlights of LCI Congress 2026!
What a week in Atlanta! From inspiring keynotes and hands-on learning to meaningful conversations and connections, the 2026 LCI Congress brought our theme, “Building the Future Together: Lean at the Crossroad,” to life.
Now, we’re taking a look back at some of the moments that made this year’s Congress so memorable!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 28th Annual LCI Congress, October 12–16. This year’s theme, Building the Future Together: Lean at the Crossroads, came to life through five days of learning, sharing ideas, making connections and exploring what’s next for Lean.
The week got underway with Monday’s Golf Tournament, followed by Learning Day on Tuesday, which offered 30 available courses to attendees. That evening, the Kick-Off Social brought everyone together in the Exhibit Hall to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new ones.
The Core Program kicked off Wednesday with Keynote Speaker Will Guidara, restaurateur and bestselling author of Unreasonable Hospitality. Will challenged us to think differently about leadership and what it means to truly put people first.
From there, we jumped into two full days of breakout presentations, hands-on Live Labs and plenty of opportunities to learn from one another. Attendees also checked out the latest technologies and solutions in the Innovation Spotlight, tuned into conversations in the Live Podcast Studio and connected with exhibitors during Wednesday evening’s reception.
On Thursday, we celebrated some of the people and projects making a difference in our industry during the annual Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to Joe Donarumo (Pioneer Award), Chris Dierks (Board Achievement Award) and the project teams behind the Canadian Canoe Museum and Advocate Aurora Health Chicago Webster (Lean in Design and Engineering Design Awards).
We also heard from Thursday Keynote Speaker Rich Diviney, retired Navy SEAL Commander and author of The Attributes, who shared fascinating insights on leadership, resilience and what helps teams perform under pressure.
Congress wrapped up Friday with five Gemba tours, giving attendees a chance to see Lean in action on active construction projects and in modular manufacturing around Atlanta.
There’s even more to look back on! From the Silent Auction and National Owner Panel to all the moments in between, take a look at the photos from an unforgettable week!
A special thank you to 2026 LCI Congress Co-Chairs Elizabeth Taylor and Matt Bleakley, along with the entire Congress Planning Committee, for all the time, energy and hard work that went into making this year’s event happen.
- Jeremy Atkinson, Landis
- Matt Bleakley, Whiting-Turner
- Angela Bowman, The Boldt Company
- Jayson Cabrera, Whiting-Turner
- Crystal Carter, Whiting-Turner
- Ilene Goldberg, Lean Construction Institute
- Smruti, Keshani, HKS
- Kevin Labrecque, Integration Point, LLC
- Mason Lembi, Lean Construction Institute
- Cindy Menches, IMPACT
- Joan Piccariello, Lean Construction Institute
- Chartavia Stephens, JE Dunn
- Elizabeth Taylor, JE Dunn
- Blake Tormey
Save the Date! We’ll see you at the 29th Annual LCI Congress, October 25–29, 2027, in Long Beach, California!
Registration Closes Today: Make the Job Easier to Lead
Construction is hard. Field leadership does not need to rely on learning everything the hard way.
Lean in the Field: Build Smarter, Lead Stronger gives field leaders practical tools to recognize waste, improve workflow, plan more effectively, and lead stronger teams.
Hosted by Matt Kitzmiller, Rob Leicht, Henry Nutt III, and Blake Tormey, this three-week workshop starts November 5.
Scaling Lean: Lessons from the Owner’s Perspective
The Lean Construction Institute (LCI) Los Angeles/Orange County Community of Practice (CoP) hosted an Owner’s Panel on September 25th titled Lean Strategies: Multi-Project Portfolio Delivery: How does lean help manage multiple projects campus-wide?
The sold-out event brought together industry leaders to discuss the unique challenges and triumphs of scaling Lean practices across large, multi-project portfolios.
Trade Partner Perspective: Make Morning Huddles More Effective
A daily huddle should help the team move forward, not become another meeting that drags on.
Wyatt Smiley, General Foreman at Southland Industries, shares how a simple Plus/Delta whiteboard helps his crews keep huddles focused, turn challenges into action items, assign ownership, and create space for continuous improvement without blame.
Read the blog for practical tips you can bring to your next morning huddle.
Member Connections
Save the Date: Three Lean Coffees to Close Out 2026
Some of the most useful Lean learning happens when practitioners have space to talk openly about what’s working, what isn’t, and what they’re trying next. LCI members have three more opportunities to do exactly that before the end of the year.
November 13 — Owners’ Lean Coffee
A members-only forum for owners to share challenges, exchange best practices, and explore Lean ideas with peers.
December 4 — Lean Practitioners’ Lean Coffee
Designed for experienced practitioners actively applying and championing Lean, this facilitated conversation creates space to discuss ideas, challenges, and emerging practices with fellow Lean leaders.
December 11 — LCI Corporate Member Lean Coffee
Open to LCI corporate members at every stage of their Lean journey, from those just getting started to seasoned practitioners. Bring your questions, experiences, and lessons learned for a candid, practical discussion with peers.
Save the dates and make time for one more great Lean conversation in 2026.
WEBINAR NEXT WEEK: Lean Tools Aren’t Enough
Your team can use Last Planner System®, daily huddles, pull planning, and other Lean practices—and still spend its days firefighting, working in silos, and struggling to sustain improvement.
The problem may not be the tools. It may be the culture they’re being asked to operate within.
In this webinar, you’ll explore why Lean efforts stall when workforce conditions don’t support them and learn practical ways to build the problem solving, collaboration, ownership, and alignment sustained improvement requires.
You’ll leave with:
- A framework for assessing whether your culture is ready to support Lean
- Nine tangible behaviors that help operationalize Respect for People
- Practical methods for strengthening problem solving, collaboration, and alignment
Upcoming Learning
November 19, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET
Keep People in the Loop: A Lean Approach to Using AI on Construction Projects
Felipe Engineer-Manriquez
The Boldt Company
Welcome New Member!
- UChicago Medicine | Facilities, Planning Design & Construction
Thank You Renewing Members!
- Baldwin & Shell Construction Company
- E Tabb Design Construction & Development LLC
- Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company
- HF Sinclair
- IPS-Integrated Project Services LLC
- On Point Lean Consulting
- PDK Global USA LLC
- Spectra Electrical Construction, LLC
- Traylor Construction Group
- Tweet/Garot Mechanical Inc
- W.H. Stovall & Company
Thank You Signature Sponsors!
2026 Congress Exhibitors
2026 Congress Sponsors
