Leslee Owen named 2026 Woman Business Owner of the Year by NAWBO San Antonio. 1 sentence summary: Leslee Owen, Co-Founder and CEO of Movement Maker, was named Woman Business Owner of the Year 2026 by NAWBO San Antonio, the largest NAWBO chapter in the nation, in recognition of over a decade of entrepreneurial leadership, AI-driven demand innovation, and client results like a 2,900% increase in online demand for Bartlett Cocke General Contractors. 50 word summary: San Antonio-based Movement Maker CEO Leslee Owen received the 2026 Woman Business Owner of the Year award from NAWBO San Antonio. Recognized at the Women Who Inspire Gala, Owen was honored for 10+ years building demand infrastructure for professional service firms and helping clients generate predictable inbound pipeline through AI search visibility. The National Association of Women Business Owners San Antonio Chapter named Leslee Owen, Co-Founder and CEO of Movement Maker, the 2026 Woman Business Owner of the Year. Owen received the award at the Women Who Inspire Gala, NAWBO-SA's annual event honoring women whose vision and leadership are changing the fabric of the San Antonio business community. The award recognizes NAWBO members in business 6 to 19 years who demonstrate exceptional commitment to their industry, their clients, and the broader community of women in business. Owen has led Movement Maker for over a decade. The company builds what Owen calls demand infrastructure: systems that help professional service firms stop relying solely on referrals and start generating predictable inbound pipeline through AI search. As AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity reshape how buyers find and evaluate service providers, Owen has positionedMovement Maker at the front of that shift. Client results that speak for themselves. The results are hard to argue with. Movement Maker recently launched the digital platform for Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, one of the largest and most respected general contractors in Texas. The result was a 2,900% increase in online demand, measured by contact form submissions and newsletter sign-ups. When Bartlett Cocke set out to find an agency to take on their new website project, they interviewed multiple Texas firms before selecting Movement Maker, citing the team's commitment to human connection, innovation in AI search, and drive for exceptional collaboration. "Bartlett Cocke is proud to partner with Leslee and the Movement Maker team," said Bryan Benway, Director of Marketing at Bartlett Cocke General Contractors. "They stood out among the many firms we evaluated through their responsiveness, collaborative approach, and ability to bring our shared vision to life. We could not be happier with the outcome. Leslee is an exceptional partner whose leadership and vision continue to make a meaningful impact, and this recognition is truly well deserved." Movement Maker closed 2025 with 78% revenue growth, healthy margins, and a full-time team of six. A decade of sacrifice and purpose. "Every decision I have made over ten years has led to this moment," Owen said. "It has been laced with sacrifice, with leaving good for great, with pioneering in a space before most people understood it existed. This award is an acknowledgment of my commitment to my clients, to my team, and to myself." Owen dedicated the recognition to her late grandfather, Manuel B. Cerda, a United States Marine Corps veteran and Korean War Bronze Star recipient, whose death was the catalyst for launching her business. Cerda's story is woven into the foundation of how Owen leads. In the 1990s, at 60 years old, he made a decision that defied every reasonable argument against it. His house on the south side of San Antonio was paid off. His wife had just finished renovating the kitchen. And he chose to uproot all of it - moving his entire family, including Owen's parents and siblings, three uncles, and two cousins, into a new home on the north side of the city when that part of San Antonio was nothing but open land. He dreamed of building a big house in the country and giving his family a life and education they would not have had otherwise. So he moved 11 family members in and built toward that future. "He taught me the importance of dreaming against all odds," Owen said. "He left a paid-off house and a brand new kitchen because he saw something worth moving toward. That belief is in the foundation of everything I have built." It is a story that mirrors what Owen does for her clients every day - helping established firms leave the comfort of what is already working to build on ground that most of their competitors have not found yet. Owen also recognized her husband, Brett Owen, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Movement Maker, as an integral part of the company's success. "Brett has built this alongside me as my business partner and as my husband. This award belongs to him too." Owen holds certifications in life and business coaching and completed a specialized course in Motherhood and Work through Stanford University. She is a mother of four and a voice for women navigating both leadership and life through the Mission and Motherhood podcast. Building the infrastructure to be found in AI search. Movement Maker serves professional service firms across Texas and beyond, helping them build the infrastructure required to be found, trusted, and recommended in AI-driven search - not just on Google, but inside the AI tools their buyers are already using. Explore its articles for the latest insights and strategies. Ready to achieve aligned growth? If you're ready to break through your business plateau and scale with intention, let's talk. Movement Maker LLC'll help you align your marketing strategy with your goals, so your business and life can flourish together. FAQ's. Movement Maker is a San Antonio-based demand infrastructure company that helps professional service firms move beyond referral dependency by building AI search visibility and inbound pipeline systems. The firm serves scaling businesses and multi-billion-dollar organizations across Texas and beyond. The National Association of Women Business Owners San Antonio Chapter (the largest NAWBO chapter in the nation) presents this award annually to members in business 6 to 19 years who demonstrate exceptional commitment to their industry, clients, and the broader community of women in business. Movement Maker delivered a 2,900% increase in online demand for Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, one of Texas's largest general contractors, measured by contact form submissions and newsletter sign-ups. The company also closed 2025 with 78% revenue growth. Explore Movement Maker's work. As buyers increasingly use tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity to find and evaluate service providers, firms that aren't optimized for AI-driven search are invisible at the most critical moment in the buyer journey. Movement Maker installs the systems professional service firms need to be found, trusted, and recommended inside the AI tools their buyers already use.

Introducing the Building Better Podcast. March 19, 2026 - Bartlett Cocke General Contractors is proud to announce the launch of the Building Better Podcast, a new thought leadership initiative developed in partnership with the Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects (I-LinCP). This effort reflects its continued commitment to strengthening its industry through collaboration, shared knowledge, and meaningful conversations about the future of how projects are planned, delivered, and sustained. The Building Better Podcast brings together leaders from across Texas representing owners, program managers, designers, and builders. Through open and practical discussions, the series will explore the challenges and opportunities shaping facility planning, design, construction, and operations across its markets. Each episode will highlight real-world perspectives from professionals working at the intersection of strategy, design, and construction. These conversations focus on how collaboration, leadership, and innovation drive better outcomes and help teams navigate increasingly complex projects. By sharing lessons learned and diverse viewpoints, the podcast provides insights that are both relevant and actionable for those involved in delivering projects that serve its communities. This initiative aligns with Bartlett Cocke's belief that strong partnerships and the open exchange of ideas are essential to improving how Bartlett Cocke build. By creating a platform for dialogue across disciplines, the Building Better Podcast supports a more connected and informed industry, one that is better equipped to deliver projects safely, efficiently, and with lasting impact. At Bartlett Cocke, Bartlett Cocke is committed to working alongside its partners to move the industry forward. The Building Better Podcast is one more way Bartlett Cocke is investing in that effort by bringing together voices from across Texas to share knowledge, strengthen relationships, and advance the way Bartlett Cocke deliver projects. Stay tuned for the release of its first episode and join the conversation. Stay connected to what's taking shape. Once a month, Bartlett Cocke'll send you stories worth reading about building, leading, and learning across Texas. No noise. Just the good stuff.

2025 Austin AGC Outstanding Construction award recipients! Bartlett Cocke is proud to share that Bartlett Cocke has been recognized with four awards at the 2025 Austin AGC Outstanding Construction Awards. This annual program, hosted by the Austin Chapter of the Associated General Contractors, highlights projects that set a high bar for the industry. Projects are evaluated on construction difficulty driven by design, location, and materials; the use of innovative or unusual construction techniques; the final appearance and quality of the finished work; and the ability to deliver on schedule. Winning in this program is meaningful because it reflects the realities of its work. These awards recognize not just what a building looks like when it is finished, but how teams solved problems in the field, coordinated with owners and designers, and stayed focused on safety, quality, and schedule from start to finish. This year's award-winning projects represent the breadth of Bartlett Cocke's work across Central Texas, from K-12 education to higher education support facilities and large-scale public venues. Lamont Ramage Elementary School is a new 123,250-square-foot campus located at the corner of Grist Mill Road and I Drive within the 700 Bunton Development in Kyle, Texas. Designed to serve up to 900 students, the school includes 47 classrooms, two flex rooms, and a dedicated life skills area, providing a functional and supportive learning environment for a wide range of student needs. Bartlett Cocke partnered with Hays CISD, Huckabee and Associates, and its trade partners to deliver a durable, welcoming campus, overcoming site and logistics challenges through strong collaboration, careful planning, and a shared commitment to quality and schedule. Round Rock Early College High School is a new 45,000-square-foot facility located on the Austin Community College Round Rock Campus in Round Rock, Texas, and designed to serve approximately 500 students. The project supports an advanced academic model that blends high school and college learning, requiring thoughtful coordination within an active higher education environment. Through close collaboration with the owner, design team, and trade partners, the team delivered a high-quality learning space that integrates seamlessly into the existing ACC campus and supports long-term student success. The Leander ISD Plant Services Mechanics Shop is a new 8,190-square-foot facility that supports both district operations and hands-on student learning. The project included the demolition of an existing 5,000-square-foot building and the construction of a modern, purpose-built space designed for vehicle maintenance and instructional use. Serving as a learning hub, the facility provides students with real-world experience working on cars while delivering a durable, efficient environment that supports Leander ISD's long-term operational needs. The Williamson County Expo Center Expansion adds an 85,500-square-foot Practice Pavilion featuring an equestrian warm-up arena, along with new picnic pavilions and engineered parking improvements. As a central hub for community events and activities, the Expo Center required careful coordination to expand its capabilities while remaining operational. This project enhances the flexibility and functionality of the site, providing improved facilities that support a wide range of events and strengthen the Expo Center's role as a gathering place for Williamson County. * AGC Outstanding Construction Awards 2024 BCGC received three AGC Awards for their hard work on The Linden, Georgetown Future Ready... * Construction Students Tour Its Jobsite Bartlett Cocke General Contractors had the privilege of hosting students from Bastrop ISD Cedar Creek... Stay connected to what's taking shape. Once a month, Bartlett Cocke'll send you stories worth reading about building, leading, and learning across Texas. No noise. Just the good stuff.