5 minutes with … Liz Gilligan at Material Evolution

2025-10-02T06:00:00

The CEO and co-founder of the sustainable climate tech start-up on embracing change, producing cement using 85% less carbon dioxide than traditional cement, not overthinking and why cheese makes everything better

Why did you choose construction as a career?

I did not consciously set out to be in construction – I started in architecture, fascinated by design and how the built environment shapes how we live. Over time, I became more interested in the materials behind those buildings. While working at Foster + Partners, I saw first-hand how carbon-intensive the sector is. That led me into sustainable cement and ultimately to founding Material Evolution. So, in a way, construction chose me - because I wanted to change it from the inside out.

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