In this episode of Women in Motion, Lee Kantor is joined by Omoné Livingston, President and CEO of O2 Engineering, Projects and Construction Management (O2EPCM). Omoné shares her journey from a passion for engineering sparked by Legos to earning advanced degrees and gaining over 32 years of industry experience. She discusses the services her firm offers, including program and construction management, and her dedication to community service through scholarships and mentorship. Omoné also talks about the importance of networking, certifications for women-owned businesses, and joining supportive organizations like WBEC-West to empower other entrepreneurs.
Omoné O. Livingston is the Founder, President & CEO of O2EPCM, Inc. dba O2 Engineering, Projects & Construction Management incorporated on September 9, 2016.
O2EPCM is an award-winning experienced firm that provides professional, technical, consulting, management and support services in the planning, design, engineering and construction industry. O2EPCM (pronounced, O2 EPCM) provides full-service program management, project management, construction management, project controls, quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), claims management, safety management, building information modeling (BIM), storm water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) management, health & safety training, inspection, staffing/staff augmentation, drafting and design/engineering/construction support services to local, state, federal government agencies, utility companies and private clients.
O2EPCM employees consist of engineers, architects, and other certified professionals. O2EPCM is a certified small/diverse/woman-owed/minority/local small/community enterprise firm with locations in Los Angeles, Burbank, San Diego, Oakland and San Francisco, California.
Omoné is an experienced civil, structural and environmental engineer with over 32 years of experience in the planning, design, engineering and construction industry. Despite the challenges of being one of few African American female engineers, she started her company which is now one of the top and award-winning small businesses in Southern California. Her company is the Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council (SCMSDC) “2021 Supplier of the Year – Class II Winner” Award, a prestigious award. O2EPCM was nominated by the California Water Association (CWA) in which several of their clients are members for the Utility organization.
Recently, O2EPCM was awarded the 2023 Chevron Dorothy A. Terrell Community Impact Award, 2024 UCLA Bruin Business 100 Award, 2023 & 2024 ICIC Inner City 100 Award. She was recently awarded the 2024 NAMC Trailblazing Rising Star Award amongst other awards. 
Omoné has a Master of Science degree in civil & environmental engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Bachelor of Science degree in civil & structural engineering from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She holds a license in Engineer-In-Training (EIT), a Certified Construction Manager (CCM), Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) and is in the process of attaining her Professional Engineering (PE) License.
Omone’s experience includes successfully starting and completing various small, medium to multi-billion-dollar projects, design, engineering, construction, estimating, project & construction management, project controls, project staffing, cost controls, schedule control, planning, oversight and recruiting of qualified staff on various projects.
Omoné is a valued board member to several industry related organizations in the region including the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) SoCal Chapter Foundation, National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) SoCal Chapter and the ACE Mentor Program L.A./O.C. Chapter; Advisory Board Member for CSUN Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), CSUN Construction Management Industry Liaison Council (CM ILC) Member, City of Los Angeles Public Works Ad-Hoc Business Advisory Committee Member; Member of City Club LA, ASCE, GLAAACC, LAACC, COMTO and a life member of the Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers (LACBPE). She is also a member of Caltrans District 7 Small Business Council and Caltrans Southern California Alliance Region Calmentor Committee Member.
Omoné is passionate about volunteering and giving back to the community. She ensures that her company gives local minority students scholarships/internships through O2EPCM’s scholarship/internship programs and mentoring students interested in the architectural, engineering and construction industry.
Omoné is a problem solver, teacher, planner, leader, team player, motivator, mentor, philanthropist, and a respected successful entrepreneur. She continues to receive many recognitions and awards from her peers and clients for the work she does not only in our industry, but also with her church and community.
Connect with Omoné on LinkedIn.
Music Provided by M PATH MUSIC
This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix
TRANSCRIPT
Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios, it’s time for Women In Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.
Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here, another episode of Women In Motion and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Women In Motion, we have Omoné Livingston. She is the Founder, President and CEO of O2EPCM, Inc., doing business as O2 Engineering, Projects and Construction Management. Welcome.
Omoné Livingston: Thank you so much. It’s such an honor to be here. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.
Lee Kantor: Well, I am so excited to learn what you’re up to, tell us about your firm. How are you serving folks?
Omoné Livingston: Yeah, thanks for the question. I’m just really humbled to be the Founder, President and CEO of O2 Engineering, Projects and Construction Management, O2EPCM. At O2EPCM, we provide professional technical consulting and management services in the engineering design and construction industry. We primarily provide services such as program services, program management, construction management, project controls, project management, as well as inspection services. Staff augmentation is a big part of what we do for those on-call, as-needed basis contracts, and we also support engineering and design projects. We do a lot more, but I think I can stop there.
Omoné Livingston: Now in terms of community work, that’s another passion of mine whereby we help with workforce, giving opportunities to individuals that need experiences within our industry, whether it be scholarships, internships, or just helping individuals in the community to get experience within our field of study. So, I’m very passionate about that on top of, you know, helping within the industry to build our communities, too, as well.
Lee Kantor: Can you talk a little bit about your journey? How did you get here? Have you always been in this line of work?
Omoné Livingston: I have. You know, I’m one of those rare beings where at the age of five years old, blame it on the Legos. I always say this where my parents bought me Legos. I’ve always built and always wanted to be an engineer. I did follow my dream and went to school. I actually went to Cal State University, Northridge, and got my degree in Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering. And I proceeded on to UCLA, where I got a Master’s Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. So, I’ve been working in this industry for over 32 years, so this is my passion. Primarily, I’ve done a lot within the field of engineering design and construction since my 32 years of service in this industry.
Lee Kantor: So, what compelled you to be an entrepreneur and start your own firm?
Omoné Livingston: Yes. I’ve always worked as like I own the company when I worked for other people. I’ve worked for major corporations, multi-billion dollar corporations as an engineer. And prior to starting my own company, I actually did help build another small company. And as a minority African-American woman who is an engineer in this industry, I saw the need that there were not enough of us that are entrepreneurs in this business, and so I took that passion and started my own.
Omoné Livingston: I literally put everything into O2EPCM when I started it. I literally started from nothing and built it to where we are. Thank God I do have individuals that are helping me with things behind the scenes. I’m not doing this alone. I do have – I call them my O2EPCM family – my staff that are just phenomenal and has been there for me since day one. So, I’m very grateful to have good people around me, good clients, too, as well. I have to give it up to our clients as well, who are supporters of O2EPCM and showing that we’re alive and well and we’re continuously being given projects to sustain us, too, as well. So, thank you for everyone that continuously support us. I’m very grateful for that.
Lee Kantor: Now, can you share any advice for other entrepreneurs maybe that are in a similar place as you, that they’re working for a larger firm and they have a dream of, hey, I can do this, maybe I can do it better, maybe I bring a different thing to the table that will stand out in the marketplace, but I’m kind of afraid to take that step. Is there any advice you can share when it comes time to saying, okay, I am going to do this on my own. I know it’s going to be difficult, but I believe I have what it takes to make this a reality.
Omoné Livingston: Definitely it is difficult, I must say, but it’s rewarding. My journey when I first started, you know, I literally did not have income for a year. It takes a lot of planning. It takes a lot of discipline. It takes a lot of believing in yourself because not everyone is going to believe in you. You have to really understand the industry and understand how things are executed on a daily basis. You know, I still go to webinars and conferences, and always staying on top of technology and educating myself how businesses have been run on a daily basis, surrounding myself with other entrepreneurs and sharing notes with them, too, as well, supporting them, too, as well.
Omoné Livingston: Because even though it seems like it’s a large industry, we all know each other, right? So, it takes a lot of discipline, especially when I did first start, I was out and about branding my company, meeting with people, writing proposals. I wrote proposals by myself, staying up all night. Literally, I’ll be out and about all day, and at night while you were sleeping, I was working, putting those proposals together. It also helps when you do have the background within the industry.
Omoné Livingston: And the networking is very powerful, too, as well. Organizations like WBEC-West helps a lot. You know, they have a lot of programs that help small businesses. It’s always good to attend those sessions and webinars, utilize the resources that we do have. The WBEC-West, the SBA, the SBDC, the PACE, I mean, there’s so many different organizations that are out there and resources that have been put in place to help small businesses, and I did utilize all of them.
Omoné Livingston: I usually tell people that, you know, when I started my business, I didn’t pay for anything. I literally utilized these businesses to help support me in organizing my company. And I usually tell people when they say, how did you start? I say go to SBDC. I say go to WBEC-West. Go to all those resources because they’re very, very valuable to each and every one of us small business owners.
Lee Kantor: And it seems like the communities that you serve and are involved with, you’re getting recognized for leadership and a lot of other things. Can you talk a little bit about being awarded so much recognition over the years for the work that you’re doing? That’s very impressive.
Omoné Livingston: Thank you. It’s very honorable. I’m humbled. Like I said, having a passion for what I do. I’m very passionate about engineering, construction, design. This is my passion. Most importantly for me, I’m very passionate about helping other people. I’m helping other people and helping other small businesses because I like to do it. I feel so good about it.
Omoné Livingston: And I’m not thinking of winning any awards. And I just do these things because I have the passion to do it, and I just enjoy seeing other people succeed. I really do enjoy that. I love if I can see everyone accomplish their goals, it’s something that just gives me great pleasure, you know, celebrating other people’s success.
Omoné Livingston: So, when I’m doing what I’m doing out in the community, being involved with different organizations, volunteering my time and even money, too, as well. All the scholarships that we do give, O2EPCM, we give a lot of scholarships to students, underrepresented students that are in the industry. I mentor students, too, as well. I help with mentoring other small businesses, too, as well, guiding them through as I’m still being mentored, too, as well, and O2EPCM is still being mentored.
Omoné Livingston: So, I’m very, very humbled and honored to receive the accolades that we’re receiving, and I’m just very grateful for all of it. But I’m doing this work, because I have great passion for what I do, and I just want to see everyone succeed in whatever they put their minds to.
Lee Kantor: So, who is the ideal customer for you? What kind of situation are they in where they should contact you or somebody on your team?
Omoné Livingston: Yes, definitely. So, my email address is O-M-O-N-E-O@o2epcm.com. My cell number is 213-267-8284. Our office number is 213-267-8800. Our customers ranges from – I mean, the industries that we’re actually partaking in includes airports, transportation, water, wastewater, infrastructures, schools, environmental types of projects, too, as well. We’re involved with ports. We’re involved in a lot. Utilities, I cannot forget that either. So, as you can see our client ranges from small to large. I always say we do not discriminate. We will accept opportunities that do come our way.
Omoné Livingston: We are small. We are a certified small business, women business, disadvantaged business. We’re also WOSB, which is Women-Owned Small Business. We have a local business enterprise certified and a community business enterprise. I usually say we have all the BEs, and we’re always partnering with both small, medium, and large organizations and also with agencies, too, as well.
Omoné Livingston: So, yes, I can be reached once again at 213-267-8284 or my email address at O-M-O-N-E-O@o2epcm.com. You know, I’d be remiss if I don’t say this, a lot of people tend to say, “O2, what does that stand for?” O2 is actually my initials. I was double O, O2, Omoné Oshamige before I was Omoné Livingston. So, the double O, O2 are my initials. And usually we do say that also stands for oxygen, as O2EPCM, we bring the oxygen into your projects and we breathe air and oxygen into the projects that we’re involved with. So, there you have it.
Lee Kantor: And then, the website is the letter O-the number two-E-P-C-M.com.
Omoné Livingston: That’s right, www.o2epcm.com.
Lee Kantor: Now, before we wrap up, you mentioned a little bit about WBEC-West, but do you have any advice for an entrepreneur or a woman-owned business out there if they’re considering joining WBEC-West community, how would you recommend, first, should they do it, and what would they have to do to get the most out of their membership?
Omoné Livingston: A 110 percent you should join and become a member of WBEC-West. Not just only that, certify. O2EPCM is a certified WBE firm. I would highly encourage it, not just the WBE, but also the WOSB, which is Women-Owned Small Business. WBEC-West has been really awesome and very valuable in helping with growth of organizations like O2EPCM.
Omoné Livingston: A lot of this projects will not include a small business if they do not have the goals. Having the goals of the DBEs and the SBEs are pretty prominent on contracts, but they also watch for who are the women-owned firms, too, as well, and minority-owned firms, too, as well. So, certifying yourselves, certifying your firms is very valuable towards the growth of any organization.
Omoné Livingston: So, WBEC-West, I would highly encourage everyone to get involved with WBEC-West, to also certify as a WBE and a WOSB. And also utilize the resources and the webinars, get engaged, get involved with all of that. It would help tremendously, I guarantee you that.
Lee Kantor: Well, congratulations on all the success. And thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.
Omoné Livingston: Thank you, Lee, so much. I really appreciate this opportunity to be on this podcast. And I’m very grateful for not just you, Lee, but also WBEC-West and Ella. I have to mention Ella, too, as well. Thank you all so much and please continuously support O2EPCM. We are very grateful for the continued support and look forward to not only continuously working with WBEC-West, but also others, too, as well. And please reach out to me if you would like to work with us as we want to work with everyone. Thank you again so much and stay blessed.
Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor, we’ll see you all next time on Women In Motion.
