One felt the thrill of a dramatic whitewater adventure as a teenager. Another saw a demonstration of a liquid damper in a college lecture. Others disassembled a nuclear aircraft carrier in the Navy, or grew up surrounded by a family of stone masons. And one survived not one but two opioid overdoses, rescued by Narcan. 

These are some of the defining moments and experiences that shaped this year’s ENR Newsmakers, chosen by the editors. Those moments inspired each of the industry change-makers to rethink their career trajectory, come up with clever new solutions or galvanize a team to accomplish great feats of design and construction.