The Brad Strawbridge Story
From homelessness and recovery to building Capital City Roofing and a portfolio of companies, the long, unlikely road behind the founder.
Brad Strawbridge is the Founder and CEO of Capital City Roofing, the Co-Founder and CEO of BuilderLync, the co-founder and CEO of Airus Advisory (focusing on AI coaching, consulting, and implementation), the Founder and Chairman of Feeding the Future Project, Inc., and the author of Courage Is a Practice (published October 8, 2026). He serves on the boards of the Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) and the National Roofing Apprenticeship Program, sits on NRCA's Residential Roofing, Workforce Development, and AI committees, is a Guarantor Member of The Roofing Alliance, and is a member of the Forbes Business Council.
None of that was the plan. His road started at rock bottom, and the discipline that now runs through every company he builds was forged long before the first roof.
Rock Bottom and Recovery
At 25, Brad was homeless and living out of his truck. The turning point came through a Christ-centered recovery program, Haven House Mission in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, where he spent sixteen months rebuilding his life from nothing.
He was licensed as a pastor while still in recovery, convinced that his purpose was to be of service to others. That conviction, more than any business tactic, became the foundation for everything that followed. He tells the full version of that chapter on the Sacred Grit Podcast.
Eleven Years at Lowe's
Brad's career restarted at the bottom, delivering appliances on a Lowe's truck. In his early years in Destin, Florida, he was bi-vocational, pastoring while building an operations career. Over eleven years he worked his way up to District Manager of In-Home Services, where he ran a roughly $50 million P&L with 150 to 200 employees.
That climb, not a classroom, is where he learned to lead at scale, read a P&L, and build systems that hold up whether or not the owner is in the room. It is the operating discipline most roofing companies never develop.
The Pivot to Roofing
During COVID, Brad noticed two categories posting double-digit growth: roofing and HVAC. He chose roofing. In 2024 he founded Capital City Roofing and built it systems-first into a multi-million-dollar operation in its first years, the proof of concept behind everything he has launched since.
That operating system became licensable, which is why Capital City Roofing Licensing exists, and why BuilderLync was built to enforce the same standards at scale.
A Portfolio With Purpose
One operating philosophy, expressed across several companies.
Capital City Roofing
The flagship residential, multifamily, and commercial roofing company.
BuilderLync
The operating platform for roofing contractors, with AI used as an amplifier.
Airus Advisory
AI coaching, consulting, and implementation plus fractional executive leadership led by Brad as co-founder and CEO.
Capital City Roofing Licensing
The licensing platform that lets operators grow on a proven system.
Feeding the Future Project
The 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded and chaired by Brad to fight childhood food insecurity.
Courage Is a Practice
Brad's published eleven-chapter field guide for builders, leaders, and operators under pressure.
In His Own Words
Recovery to Roofs: My Story on the Sacred Grit Podcast
I sat down with Jason Lyle on the Sacred Grit Podcast to share the full story, from sleeping in a Walmart parking lot to building Capital City Roofing into a multi-market, multi-million-dollar company with a mission that matters.
From Driving Trucks at Lowe's to a Multimillion-Dollar Roofing Empire: The Capital City Roofing Story
Brad Strawbridge sits down with Dmitry at Roofing School to tell the full origin story, from delivering appliances at Lowe's to building Capital City Roofing into a multimillion-dollar operation powered by BuilderLync AI, the CCR licensing platform, and a mission to feed communities across the Southeast.
From Homeless in a Walmart Parking Lot to Building a Roofing Empire That Feeds Communities
Brad Strawbridge's sponsor highlight tells the story most CEOs would never share, from sleeping in a Walmart parking lot to building Capital City Roofing, co-founding BuilderLync, and launching the Feeding the Future Project to give back to the communities that gave him a second chance.
Build Something That Lasts
Brad works with operators, founders, and organizations who want durable systems and durable reputations. Start a conversation.
Work With Brad