LINDA RABBITT | Founder and executive chairman, Rand Construction

Today Rand Construction reports an annual revenue of more than $600 million and has regional offices across Texas, Atlanta, Denver and Salt Lake City, in addition to its Alexandria headquarters.

But back in 1989, when Linda Rabbitt founded the company, Rand didn’t seem destined to be a success. She was one of few female executives in the construction industry, and Rabbitt hadn’t expected to be an entrepreneur.

Instead, she’d followed her mom’s advice and worked as a teacher until she got married to someone who could provide for her. But when Rabbitt later decided to leave an abusive marriage, she needed a way to support her two daughters.
Rabbitt took a job as a secretary at KPMG, the professional service firm. With a ferocious work ethic, Rabbitt moved up to become director of marketing. She was approached by another woman who wanted to launch the first female-owned construction company in the Washington, D.C., area.

By the time Rabbitt started Rand Construction, she’d parted ways with her co-founder. Today it’s the largest woman-founded, woman-owned commercial general contractor in the United States. The company specializes in high-end commercial interiors, building renovations, and restaurant and retail construction.

Rabbitt serves on the boards of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., and HEROES, a nonprofit supporting the families of law enforcement officers, firefighters and federal agents who gave their lives in the line of duty in the greater Washington, D.C., community.

Return to the full list of this year’s recipients