In the second episode of Commercial Grade, host RC Victorino sat down with someone who’s redefining what leadership looks like in the trades: Angie Simon — Co-founder and President of Heavy Metal Summer Experience, past President and CEO of Western Allied Mechanical, and a trailblazer who has spent her career opening doors for others.

Angie’s story is the kind that reminds us why the trades matter.

She talks about falling in love with HVAC engineering when she realized she could help design the “lungs of a building.” She shares what it was like entering a male-dominated industry in the 80s and 90s — the bias she faced, the battles she chose not to fight, and the quiet grit it took to earn respect on job sites where she was often the only woman in the room.

But the Heart of This Conversation As About What’s Next

• How we bring young people into the trades before they get lost in student-debt expectations.
• Why belonging and inclusion aren’t “nice to haves” — they’re essential for a stronger workforce.
• How Angie is opening is reaching the next generation of tradespeople with her camp, Heavy Metal Summer Experience, that gives teenagers across the U.S. hands-on exposure to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades.
• And why the next generation shouldn’t be afraid of AI — because the trades aren’t going anywhere.

Welcoming the Next Generation

Angie’s perspective is honest, hopeful, and rooted in decades of experience. Her work is already changing lives, laying the groundwork for a more inclusive and diverse workforce, and reshaping the future of our industry.

Reflecting on the talent she saw in the field, Angie shares a moment that shaped her: “I really fell in love with the people that were in construction… because they were really proud of what they did.”

That pride, and the desire to honor it, is at the heart of the work Angie does today.