Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea LaCour.
Hi Andrea, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in Architecture, I faced a challenging job market and became a third-grade teacher at a private school instead. Seeking to return to architecture, I moved to Austin with no job lined up. I sought out internships at various firms, eventually securing a paid position in a residential architecture practice. However, I didn’t love the day to day – I wanted to feel my projects made a difference. That is when I started to transition into accessibility consulting, co-founded my company, and just celebrated 10 years in business! Getting to this point took a lot of time. For five years, I worked as an independent contractor before taking a significant leap of faith with my colleague, Elaine Andersen. Ten years ago, we founded our own firm, specializing in accessibility consulting. Today, our firm is recognized locally and nationally, with projects in over 20 states. We are incredibly proud of the difference we’ve made in the lives of people with disabilities, reducing barriers and enhancing access, along with educating the broader community on unversal and inclusive design practices.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course it has not been a smooth road, but I have had a lot of fortunes along the way to get through the bumps. Most struggles have been more mental and often self-imposed. The feeling of not being good enough, the inner dialogue asking ‘What if I fail?’, the necessity to have to defend your talent and expertise. The biggest challenge of all is that our careers are only a part of our lives. The rest of life keeps going and our careers don’t always get to pause to take the time we need to grieve losses, to recover from illness, or to celebrate our loved ones.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Contour Collective is an accessibility consulting firm that my co-founder, Elaine Andersen, and I built to bridge a gap we saw in design and construction. Too often, accessibility is treated as a box to check at the end of a project. We wanted to shift that mindset—making accessibility an integral part of the design process from the start.
We specialize in helping architects, engineers, developers, and public entities navigate accessibility compliance and Universal Design, but we go beyond just interpreting code. What sets us apart is that we understand both sides – the design constraints and the necessity for inclusive built environments.
We’re most proud that our brand reflects not only compliance, but also culture change. Starting from the top, as two females leading the way in a male dominated industry! We’ve had the honor of speaking at national conferences, including the national ADA Symposium as leaders in our field.
At its core, Contour Collective is known for being approachable and solutions-focused. We want people to know that accessibility isn’t just about avoiding lawsuits or passing inspections—it’s about equity, dignity, and inclusion. That’s the heart of our brand.
Beyond Contour, I also am in my 8th year on the Board of Directors for the ACE Mentor Program of Austin. In that time, we have served over 2,000 Austin ara high school students in proivding a free program introducing the Architecture Construction Engineering, and integrated fields! We have also given out more than $250,000 in scholarships to deserving students. This program allows me to bridge my passion for education and design while connecting with the next generation! I am proud to have served in many roles, being nominated as the Mentor of the year in 2024, asked to serve on the national curriculum committee, and to serve our local community.
In 2024, I feel that I reached a pinnacle moment in my career where I personally felt my own success and the pride that comes from that. I served as Chair of the ACE Mentor Program, I was invited to present on stage at the National level alongside experts in my field, I was named the 2024 Austin Under 40 winner for Architecture, Construction, Engineering, and Design as well as a finalist in the 2024 Austin Women in Business Awards. All of this while navigating the life changes that come with post partum and raising kids! While I don’t feel that I personally thrived, I certainly did professionally – and a lot of that success is due to the support I have from family, my business partner, and the work I’ve put into my own professional development over the years before.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’ve never thought of myself as a natural risk-taker. I like to plan, prepare, and know what I’m walking into. But some of the biggest turning points in my life have come from taking risks related to the unknown. From moving across country with no job to starting my own business, of course there were risks but that’s not all there was – there was excitement and reward.
Even before that, there were smaller but equally meaningful risks: speaking up in rooms where I was the only woman, or the youngest voice at the table; moving to new places to follow opportunities that scared me as much as they excited me. Each time, I questioned myself, but I also learned that growth doesn’t happen without a little discomfort.
So while I don’t chase risk for its own sake, I know that is is unavoidable at t imes, and no matter how cliche, it is true that with risk can come reward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://contour-collective.com
- Instagram: @contourcollectivetx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contourcollective/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-lacour-1b387392/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN4yxyJk8W0
