Someone Else's Clock: Mayra Arntz on Where the Money Goes and Why

Why does venture capital flow heavily into construction and development, and what will it take for architectural firms to capture real value?

This week on Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee explores architecture's business model from the other side of the table. Evelyn sits down with Mayra Arntz, Principal at Building Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in technology for the built environment. Having built a unique career spanning field construction at open-pit mines, startup product development, and corporate strategy, Mayra brings a candid, grounded perspective on where money actually flows in AEC, and why so little of it reaches architectural design.

Mayra shares her upbringing in Peru, where watching her father build roads and bridges sparked an early fascination with how physical infrastructure drives community and commerce. After studying civil engineering and voluntarily working on-site at remote mining projects to gain field experience, she moved to San Francisco for an MBA. After discovering the gap between Silicon Valley's rapid software innovation and construction's reliance on legacy systems, Mayra joined HoloBuilder as its first construction expert, eventually rising to Head of Product before overseeing venture investments and acquisitions at Stanley Black & Decker.

The conversation dives deep into the realities of venture capital and technology adoption across the built environment. Mayra explains why VCs focus heavily on ConTech and PropTech over architectural design software, pointing directly to firm wallet sizes, price elasticity, and the high-growth expectations of venture returns. She also unpacks the friction of changing status-quo mindsets on job sites, offers candid advice on alternative funding paths like bootstrapping and corporate venture capital, and encourages more women to step into male-dominated leadership roles across construction, software, and venture capital.

"Take the spotlight, take the risks if you want to do it. Worst thing that could happen is that it doesn't work. And then you do something else." - Mayra Arntz

This episode serves as a powerful reminder that shifting the business model of architecture requires understanding the broader economic forces driving the AEC industry. By looking beyond traditional design practice and understanding how capital, technology, and risk intersect, AEC professionals can better position themselves to drive innovation and capture long-term value.

Guest:

Mayra Arntz is a Principal at Building Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in technology for the built environment across ConTech and PropTech. Born and raised in Peru, she earned her degree in Civil Engineering before working in project controls on complex open-pit mining developments. After earning her MBA, Mayra transitioned into construction technology as Head of Product at HoloBuilder (acquired by FARO Technologies) and later led strategy, M&A, and investments within Stanley Black & Decker's corporate venture group (Stanley X) before joining Building Ventures.

This episode is especially for you if:

You are curious about how venture capital works in the AEC space and what drives investment decisions in ConTech and PropTech.

You want to understand why architectural software faces unique challenges in scaling and securing venture funding compared to construction tools.

You want strategies for overcoming tech adoption friction and changing status-quo mindsets on job sites and in offices.

You are an entrepreneur evaluating different funding models, including bootstrapping, corporate venture capital, and traditional VC.

You are looking for inspiration on breaking into male-dominated spaces like venture capital, construction, and tech leadership.