Chamber honors Chris Callen with Exceptional Young Leader award

Chris Callen, CEO of Builders Plus Construction and Grit Virtual, has been named the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Exceptional Young Leader, according to a news release Monday.

Callen will be recognized at the Chamber’s annual Honors Night celebration on April 11.

A graduate of Maize High School and the University of Kansas, Callen became CEO at his parents’ business, Builders Plus Construction, in 2013. Since he took over, the company has integrated technology into the construction industry through the use of virtual reality. That led to the launch of a new division, Grit Virtual, earlier this month.

When Builders Plus relocated to downtown Wichita in the former Big Dog space, he dedicated space to GroundWork – A Startup Hub for start-up companies to reside.

Callen serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Arthritis Foundation, Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Young Professionals of Wichita and the Associated General Contractors of Kansas. He also acts as a mentor for the e2e Accelerator.

Other Honors Night award recipients include Uncommon Citizen: Dawson Grimsley; Spirit of Wichita: Foley Equipment Co.; Over the Years: Conco Construction and Howard + Helmer Architecture, and Keeper of the Plains: Wichita Art Museum Art Garden.

For tickets and additional information, visit wichitachamber.org/events-programs/honors-night or call 316-268-1123.

This story was originally published February 13, 2017 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Chamber honors Chris Callen with Exceptional Young Leader award."