ep. 13: Build [Back] Better; Tech Enabled Storm Resilient Coastal Communities
In this episode, we do a deep dive with Andy Kruger, CEO of BuildSOS, into the world of disaster response and how communities can better prepare for future storm events with cutting edge digital tools. BuildSOS is a key new technology networking platform that is facilitating better communication and more efficient resolution of post disaster recovery efforts. Their mission is to build and implement integrity and risk reduction systems for communities to improve disaster-related infrastructure, enhance efficiency, reduce fraud, and keep value local.. To do that, BuildSOS created a transparent, easy-to-use platform that significantly reduces the potential for fraud thus lowering the risk and amount of frustration for everyone involved in the rebuilding process. BuildSOS helps communities rebuild faster and stronger after a disaster by providing a transparent, easy-to-use process that saves homeowners, contractors, insurance companies, and local and state governments time, money, and lots of frustration by reducing fraud, finger-pointing, and risk.
Andy kruger
BuildSOS CEO
Andy Kruger is a seasoned leader of several startup ventures, has 17-year tenure as an organizational consultant underpinned by a diverse skill set. His academic background includes an MBA in Management and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership. Additionally, Andy authored on leadership, adding depth to his professional profile.
Andy's extensive career has been marked by his ability to drive impactful change across various industries. During his tenure at the University of California, San Francisco, from 2012 to 2022, Andy undertook the role of Director of Project Management and Organizational Consultant. Here, his strategic leadership guided numerous clinical and operational improvement projects, including the establishment of the Office of Clinical Research and over 60 projects in the School of Dentistry. Under his stewardship, these projects achieved notable improvements in clinical and administrative efficiency, patient experience, regulatory adherence, diversity and inclusion efforts, and revenue generation, even amidst the challenging backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the founder of Kruger Strategy Group LLC, Andy honed his expertise in optimizing small and medium-sized enterprises, offering a tailored approach that leveraged his comprehensive skill set across dozens of industries. His strategic counsel, operational proficiency, and analytical acumen consistently delivered substantial returns on investment, revitalizing underperforming businesses and driving them towards profitability.
In his current role as CEO of BuildSOS, Andy's measured and professional leadership has been instrumental in guiding the company through a phase of restructuring and innovation. Andy's multifaceted skill set forms the bedrock of his leadership approach. These competencies coalesce to equip him with the ability to orchestrate organizational change, streamline operations, foster stakeholder alignment, and drive strategic initiatives. His proficiency in synthesizing data and his talent for executive-level communication are instrumental in guiding the company's transformation towards resounding success.
EPISODE REFERENCES AND LINKS:
BuildSOS‘s mission is to build and implement integrity and risk reduction systems for communities to improve disaster-related infrastructure, enhance efficiency, reduce fraud, and keep value local.
FORTIFIED is a voluntary construction and re-roofing Program designed to strengthen homes and commercial buildings against specific types of severe weather such as high winds, hail, hurricanes and even tornados.
NOAA data on $1 billion weather events: The U.S. has sustained 372 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2023). The total cost of these 372 events exceeds $2.630 trillion.
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