insight

2022 Builtworlds Adoption Leaders 50 List

The BuiltWorlds Adoption Leaders 50 Top List was started in 2017. When initially launched in 2017, roughly a quarter of the people listed were either BIM Managers, virtual design and construction (VDC) managers, or virtual design managers. Today, we see much more breadth in the titles. This is likely a function of the industry's early focus on technology in the design and pre-construction phases to an increasingly full project life cycle focus. With the ballooning number of people being added or promoted into new positions in the past couple of years, we opted this year to focus on AEC technology adopters, solution providers and venture capital investors. We hope this will provide an even clearer understanding of how significant the industry's shift is.

HOW WAS THIS LIST CREATED?
This year's list was derived by tracking attendance, engagement and contributions of active BuiltWorlds members of all company types within the year 2022. The people within this list are all leading the way towards innovation for their companies and the industry overall.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ADOPTION LEADERS 50?
As always, members can access member profiles and request to connect with the members of this year's list by clicking the names on the list. Others can still access the company profiles for information about the companies they come from. For more on joining the BuiltWorlds Network, visit the BuiltWorlds Member Network Page.

2022 ADOPTION LEADERS 50 LIST

Alphabetically by last name

1. Hassan Albalawi, Ph.D.

Job Title: Founder and CEO
Company: WakeCap
Headquarters: Dubai, UAE

Hassan Albalawi received his Ph.D. degree in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Duke University, and B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Widener University. Hassan is now in Dubai leading his tech startup, WakeCap Technologies, to solve the safety & productivity challenges in the construction sector.

 

2. Aaron Anderson 

Job Title: Director of Innovation
Company: Swinerton Builders
Headquarters: Carlsbad, California, USA

As Director of Innovation, Aaron leads the innovation strategy at Swinerton, redefining and transforming how Swinerton builds by applying R&D principles and collaborating with business groups to evaluate challenges and implement solutions. Having started out as a carpenter, he has over 20 years of diverse experience in quality control, constructability, business analytics, and field and project management. He holds a degree from the UVA McIntire School of Commerce in IT and global commerce, where he studied competition dynamics between investor owned utilities and electric vehicle ownership.

3. Joseph Angotti

Job Title: Principal
Company: Grouse Ridge Capital 
Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Joseph Angotti currently serves as a Principal with Grouse Ridge Capital. In his role, Joe is responsible for the evaluation, execution, and management of Grouse Ridge’s private equity and venture capital investments and strategy. Prior to joining Grouse Ridge Capital in 2019, Joe worked for Ernst & Young. At Ernst & Young, Joe planned transfer pricing strategies for clients in various industries. Joe began his career at Mylan, where he performed analytical testing on a portfolio of pharmaceutical products.

4. Nick Billotti

Job Title: Consultant
Company: Shibumi International
Headquarters: Dubai, UAE

Nick Billotti is Managing Partner at Shibumi International, a corporate venture capital vehicle investing in early stage startups in the built environment. Shibumi International is a subsidiary of Gulermak, an international construction firm specializing in heavy civil works, steel fabrication and transportation projects. Shibumi seeks to integrate solutions that benefit society, enhance production, minimize waste and provide greater efficiency, all of which contribute to helping solve core societal problems.

5. Christopher Bone

Job Title: CEO
Company: Modulous
Headquarters: England, United Kingdom

Chris is CEO and co-founder of Modulous, a construction technology company that was formed to address the global housing crisis while reducing the climate impact of real estate development. Its scalable platform enables the rapid design, manufacture, and delivery of high-quality, Net Zero-ready homes by pairing physical and digital technologies, which work together to make the whole construction cycle more efficient. Chris has 25 years’ experience in the construction industry, having managed businesses across consulting, manufacturing, and construction.

6. Christian Burger

Job Title: Founder & President
Company: Burger Consulting Group
Headquarters: Chicago, IL, USA

Christian Burger is the President and Founder of Burger Consulting Group (BCG). BCG has been serving North America for over 20 years and has worked for more ENR ranked companies than any other consultancy in the industry. Christian has dedicated his career to the betterment of the construction industry and leads organizations to enact change through education and an understanding of construction’s unique business processes.

7. Joseph Burns

Job Title: Managing Principal
Company: Thornton Tomasetti
Headquarters: Chicago, IL, USA

Mr. Burns joined Thornton Tomasetti in 1995 and has more than 40 years of experience designing structures as well as investigating and renovating existing buildings. Joe is a passionate advocate for the deeper integration of architecture and engineering, which he promotes through technical innovation in the design of structural systems, collaboration in practice and leadership in building science education. His practice is based in Chicago, but has been involved with the firm’s operations throughout the US, Europe, Middle East and Brazil.

8. Bret Bush

Job Title: Executive Vice President
Company: Insight Risk Technologies
Headquarters: 
Austin, Texas, USA

Business professional and executive with 25+ years of success in business development and relationship management. Currently harnessing the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) for business owners to protect their valuable assets and create energy savings opportunities. In the forefront of Innovation that will fundamentally change how businesses operate through the use of sensor technology, data analytics and business intelligence tools. Working cross-functionally with all internal teams and external partners on strategy and execution of IoT resulting in positive customer experiences.

9. Hammad Chaudry

Job Title: National Director
Company: EllisDon Corporation
Headquarters: Calgary, Alberta, CA

Hammad is currently the National Director of Digital Project Delivery Services at EllisDon. Hammad studied Urban Studies and Architectural Technologies and worked for a Calgary-based architectural firm before joining EllisDon in 2014. Hammad has championed various positions including Architectural Technologist, Project Coordinator, Proposal Coordinator, BIM Coordinator, VDC Manager, and VDC Director. Working with BIM and digital workflows, Hammad’s focus is to implement construction technology to offer appropriate and novel solutions to construction problems.

10. William Cotten

Job Title: Innovation Leader
Company: Impetus
Headquarters: New Orleans, LA, USA

As Innovation Leader at Impetus, Will oversees strategic innovation, new technology adoption and supports the emergence of in-house construction analytics and VDC services. After graduating Louisiana State University with BS in Construction Management, Will's early career involved many facets of the industry including business development, preconstruction, project management, construction claims management, disaster recovery, joint ventures, acquisition analysis/due diligence. In each of these areas, by an inquisitive nature, he gained an understanding of system's pressure points and strives to bring innovative solutions to project teams.

11. Moshe Dalman

Job Title: Founder and CEO
Company: RodRadar
Headquarters: Center District, Isreal

Over 20 years experience in senior management positions in international companies, introducing new technologies, including: Aladdin Knowledge Systems and Press-sense; Hebrew U. Jerusalem, LL.B. Kellogg-Reccanati Tel Aviv, EMBA. Moshe has a proven track record in leading growth, penetration, and turn-around situations all over the world.

12. Rahul Deshmukh

Job Title: CIO
Company: Vaughn Construction
Headquarters: Houston, Texas, USA

A Texas A&M Aggie class of 2000, engineer by training, acted in various construction project management roles for 10 years, and has led Vaughn’s technology strategy, operations, and cyber security posture for last 12 years. A steady hand over the IT operations, he has helped ‘building people’ while ‘building processes and systems’ that are in line with Vaughn’s mission, vision and strategic goals. His people-first technology initiatives and emphasis on data quality has been valuable to the growing company and the clients.

13. Dennis DiPalma

Job Title: MIS Project Leader
Company: PJ Dick - Trumbull - Lindy Paving
Headquarters: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

In his role as MIS Project Leader, Dennis has a wide range of roles and responsibilities within his organization. He is the team leader on researching, evaluating, procuring, and implementing technology for the family of companies. This includes all types of hardware, software, mobile, networking, telecommunications, infrastructure, disaster recovery, cloud computing, and security initiatives. He is also the application development team leader. At times, he is involved with marketing, business development, and other special projects related to research and data analytics.

14. Yuji Doi

Job Title: Technology Development Manager
Company: Kajima
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan

Having over 17 years in construction project management experience, Yuji has served in a number of transportation infrastructure projects for Kajima, a Japanese based global construction company mainly serving as a general contractor while operating Real Estate development business units. Yuji is responsible for leading the innovation to expedite the technology development while improving the operational efficiency by identifying partnerships in the startup ecosystem. Yuji studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with a background in civil engineering. 

15. Thomas Donoghue

Job Title: Vice President, Construction Market Innovation
Company: CRH Ventures
Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland

Thomas serves as the Construction Market Innovation Vice President at CRH Ventures, the venture capital unit of CRH, a global leader in building materials solutions. With its $250M venture and innovation fund, CRH Ventures invests ambitiously and strategically in ConTech and ClimateTech start-ups. Thomas’ experience spans the entire lifecycle of projects across Ireland, the UK, the Middle East, and North America with previous experience at Bechtel. Thomas holds undergraduate qualifications in construction and quantity surveying, graduating with first-class honors. He also earned a master’s degree in international law and business, graduating at the top of the class with first-class honors and holds a further postgraduate qualification in innovation, creativity, and leadership.

16. Dana Erdman

Job Title: Director of Technology & Innovation
Company: Bulley & Andrews
Headquarters: Chicago, IL, USA

As the Director of Technology and Innovation, Dana is not only a leader in her role at Bulley & Andrews, she is a thought leader in the construction industry. In recent years, Dana created a Virtual Design and Construction department from the ground up at one of Chicago's oldest firms. A natural problem solver, she's constantly engaging her teams by listening to their problems and working to provide innovative, thoughtful solutions. Dana is also a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the construction industry. This year, she has worked tirelessly to create a culture of diversity and inclusion in her workplace by creating and co-chairing a new Diversity & Inclusion group to empower diverse voices at Bulley & Andrews and within the field of construction.

17. Vivin Hegde

Job Title: General Partner
Company: Zacua Ventures
Headquarters: San Fransisco, CA, USA

Vivin Hegde is a General Partner at Zacua Ventures, an early-stage global venture capital firm focused on improving productivity and sustainability in the Built Environment. Zacua Ventures is a new age Venture capital firm that uniquely brings together corporates and startups in the Built Environment to accelerate innovation in the ecosystem. Vivin brings with him an extensive experience in the construction tech space both as an investor as well as an operator across his two decades of experience at Zacua, Hilti, Trimble and McKinsey. He’s been a Board member, Mentor, Advisor and investor in multiple startups and accelerators over the years.

18. Jeff Herriman

Job Title: Managing Director
Company: 
Ascentage Group
Headquarters: Portsmouth, NH, USA

Jeff has over 30 years of international experience in starting, developing, buying/selling and turning around companies and senior management teams as a strategist, deal-maker and “company doctor". Jeff joined Ascentage in 2019 to provide business strategy and corporate development support to players in the emerging construction technology space. Earlier, he was responsible for strategy, mergers & acquisitions and information technology at Turner Construction in the early 2000s and had the same roles with W.S.Atkins engineering until 2017. In both cases, he was responsible for incubating new technology enabled ventures and partnering with software, hardware and solution providers, from start-ups to Autodesk and SAP.

19. Dave Hettinger

Job Title: Founder & Principal
Company: Entropy
Headquarters: Chicago, IL, USA

David focuses his consulting practice on the construction industry and the broader built environment. His career to date has focused primarily on analyzing problem projects—helping owners and contractors recover from cost overruns and schedule delays. His goal now with Entropy is to leverage that knowledge to prevent problem projects—for the benefit of the industry as a whole. David is also a member of the BuiltWorlds verified contributor program and has been fortunate to be a moderator, guest speaker, and writer on topics such as scheduling, 3D modeling, preconstruction, data collection, quality, and modular construction, among others. David received his master’s in the management of product design and development from Northwestern University, and studied systems engineering, design, and business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

20. Matthew Hudelson

Job Title: Founder and CEO
Company:
Inertia
Headquarters:
San Diego, CA, USA

Matthew Hudelson is the Founder and CEO of Inertia Systems. Since 2010, Matthew has worked alongside builders, owners, inspectors, architects and project teams to learn and solve the challenges they face on complex construction projects with technology. Today, the Inertia Platform is used by leading general contractors, owners and jurisdictions.

21. Yu Ichihashi

Job Title: Business Development Manager
Company: Obayashi
Headquarters: Minato-ku, Japan

Yu collaborates with start up companies and advanced technology companies to aid in investments in his role at Obayashi, an international construction, engineering, real estate, green energy and investment organization. His role in the United States it to facilitate and implement negotiations of resellers to the Japanese market. Additional scope of his work include the creation and management of business and marketing initiatives for the Japanese market.

22. Jeevan Kalanithi

Job Title: CEO
Company: OpenSpace
Headquarters: San Fransisco, CA, USA

Jeevan is a technology executive, technologist and entrepreneur. His background is in artificial intelligence, software and hardware engineering, drones and cameras. His first company, a consumer hardware startup, was acquired by North America’s largest drone company at the time, 3D Robotics, in 2014. At 3DR, he served as VP Product, Chief Product Officer, and President. He drove revenues of $45M+ on the launch of our first UAV, and shipped a mapping tool in partnership with Autodesk called SiteScan. Jeevan is an alumnus of MIT (graduate work at the Media Lab) and Stanford (BS in Symbolic Systems).

23. Erin Khan 

Job Title: National Director of Construction Solutions
Company: Suffolk Construction
Headquarters: Boston, MA, USA

Erin Khan is the National Director of Construction Solutions at Suffolk Construction, where she applies over nine years of construction industry expertise to drive operational excellence through data analytics, process innovation, and technology throughout the organization. Prior to her role at Suffolk, Erin served as a Senior Project Engineer, where she was staffed on landmark Los Angeles renovation projects such as the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and USC Heritage Hall. Erin holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, a certificate in Business Analytics: Data to Insights from The Wharton School, and is EIT, LEED AP BD+C, and OSHA-10 certified.

24. Matthew Kleiman

Job Title: CEO
Company: Cumulus
Headquarters: Cambridge, MA, USA

Matt is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus. Cumulus is building the Internet of Tools to make make industrial facilities and construction sites safer, cleaner, and more productive. Prior to co-founding Cumulus, he was the co-founder and Head of Programs at Shell TechWorks, Shell’s Skunk Works-style technology center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Before joining Shell, Matt held various commercial positions in the biomedical and aerospace industries. When he isn’t working, you can find him enjoying time with his family, skiing, or scuba diving. Matt earned his BA from Rutgers University, JD from Duke University, and Executive Certificates in Management & Leadership and Strategy & Innovation from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

25. Cutler Knupp

Job Title: CEO
Company: Haskell
Headquarters: Jacksonville, FL, USA

Cutler leads the new venture investment arm of Haskell, Dysruptek. Cutler’s focus is managing early stage venture investments, integrating new technologies, leading corporate strategy and innovation programming. Prior to joining Haskell, Cutler lead M&A for an IT Services and Software development shop, Softvision, that was acquired by Cognizant. He studied at NYU and Kennesaw State University in Atlanta.

26. Karl Koenig 

Job Title: CEO
Company: Penta Technologies
Headquarters: Brookfield, WI, USA

Karl is the CEO of PENTA Technologies, Inc. Serving the Construction industry with Enterprise / ERP software specifically for Construction and Service contractors. Special focus on larger, self performing trade contractors. Penta is also providing best in class, state of the art Job Site management and productivity apps for the broader AEC market.

27. Bryan Kucinksi, PE

Job Title: Senior Consultant
Company: Buildots
Headquarters: Tel Aviv, Israel

Bryan works for Buildots as a Senior Consultant. Buildots is an AI/ML deep data platform that provides automated progress, error detection, trade management, financial analytics and Power BI customized reporting. Bryan is a +24 year AEC industry veteran. Coming from a family of contractors and developers, Bryan obtained his civil engineering degree and PE license in Texas. Early in his career he executed both design and construction management functions. For the last 17 years he has worked in a variety of roles and responsibilities within the construction product, technology and consulting industry for the AEC space. The last 5 years a passion for evangelizing and promoting construction technology has become a prime focus.

28. Tanja Kufner

Job Title: Head of Ventures
Company: Nemetschek Group
Headquarters: Bayern, Germany

Tanja Kufner is Head of Startups and Ventures at the Nemetschek Group, one of the worldwide leading software providers for the construction industry. Since 1998, she has been an active Early Stage investor. After working for various Funds, CVCs and a Single Family Office, she set up Wayra in Munich and later co-founded the Startupbootcamp Smart Transportation and Energy, a global accelerator around urban mobility in Berlin. Tanja has invested in over 70 startups at various stages of growth and has helped enterprises such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Airbus, Cisco, here, Vinci, Kühne + Nagel, SBB, EnBW, Telefónica, Siemens Mobile, MHP and DB on their innovation journeys. She is regularly recognized as one of the most influential women in Venture Capital. Tanja joined the Nemetschek Group in 2021.

29. Olivier Lepinoy

Job Title: Platform Subject Matter Expert
Company: Autodesk
Headquarters: San Rafael, CA, USA

Olivier Lépinoy belongs to the Autodesk Business Development team for the AEC industry. He is building and developing the conditions for Autodesk to be part of its clients’ strategic initiatives, through a program called “The Arc of Transformation.” Olivier is an expert in strategies to help firms pivot and grow new businesses. He took part in multiple Digital Platform initiatives for the largest firms worldwide. His current focus is on helping firms explore and build New Business Models (“Hyper Construction”). Olivier holds two Master’s Degrees: in Civil Engineering (Ecole Spéciale des Travaux Publics, Paris) and in Earthquake Engineering (UCLA, USA). He is also a licensed architect and an urban designer (Ecole d’Architecture de Versailles).

 

30. Raymond Levitt

Job Title: Operating Partner
Company: Blackhorn Ventures
Headquarters: Boulder, CO, USA

Ray has spent the past 44 years on the Faculty of MIT and Stanford University doing research, teaching and consulting on organization and governance of projects and project-based firms in construction and other industry sectors. He has been a co-founder of three software start-ups in this sector: (1) Design Power, Inc., automated the configuration of semi-custom engineered products (sold to Bentley Systems); (2) Vité Corporation developed software to model, simulate and mitigate the hidden costs of supervision, coordination and rework in complex, fast-track projects (assets sold to ePM, LLC); and (3) Rackwise, Inc., to visualize and automate the configuration and operation of data centers (merged into a public company). He currently is the President of the Farmers Investment Club, an Angel Group of Stanford University Faculty, Staff and Alumni that makes very early stage investments in start-ups and an Operating Partner with Blackhorn Ventures.

31. Josh Lowe 

Job Title: Co-Founder
Company: AkitaBox
Headquarters: Madison, WI, USA

With a degree in Architecture, a background in construction, and a penchant for pushing the boundaries of new technologies, Josh is leading the way in the building industry. He literally helped write the book on Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a contributing author to “Mastering Autodesk Revit Architecture: 2011 & 2012” and has consulted on several BIM and facility management technologies. In 2016, he co-founded AkitaBox: a SaaS application for proactive building management. AkitaBox offers a new visual way to maintain facilities that help customers improve operational efficiency and reduce risk in their facilities by delivering real-world data of customers’ built environments.

 

32. Lucas Manos 

Job Title: Senior Innovation Manager - Emerging Technology
Company: Ryan Companies
Headquarters: Minneapolis, MN, USA

Lucas joined Ryan Companies in 2022 as a Senior Innovation Manager – Emerging Technology. Lucas has spent his career in the construction industry, and his passion as a builder is evident in all aspects of his work. In addition to his knowledge of construction technology practices, Lucas brings a well-rounded background of Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), project management, cost management, estimating, preconstruction, and even field-based workflows. Lucas has been laser focused on working with all project team stakeholders to bring well balanced and meaningful innovation to construction. Lucas is dedicated to expanding his own knowledge and skillset through his work as a Masters of Business Administration candidate at the Pennsylvania State University World Campus with a dedicated focus on Engineering Leadership and Innovation Management.

33. Jack Moran

Job Title: Director of VDC & Integrated Services
Company: Consigli Construction Co. Inc
Headquarters: Milford, MA, USA

Jack oversees Consigli’s Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) Group and in-house Reality Capture team and leads Consigli’s innovation efforts. Jack and his team are actively involved in many of Consigli’s projects leveraging intelligent, data-rich 3D building models, virtual and augmented reality, and other technologies, allowing project teams to build smarter, more efficiently, and more safely. Jack has over 25 years of experience in the AEC industry, including in both design and construction firms, and as a result, has a particular passion for technology and processes that enable rich cross-discipline collaboration. He was recognized as Revizto’s 2020 Collaborator of the Year and has spearheaded Consigli’s partnerships with technology start-ups, including Manufacton (a cloud-based material management software to support pre-fabrication), and Rugged Robotics (technology for robotic field layout), which have utilized Consigli projects as incubators and test sites.

 

34. René Morkos

Job Title: Founder and CEO
Company: ALICE Technologies
Headquarters: San Fransisco, CA, USA

René Morkos is the founder and CEO of ALICE Technologies and teaches at Stanford University's Ph.D program in Construction Management. The son of a civil engineer, René grew up in the construction industry. He has worked on construction projects worldwide. His professional experience ranges from working as a project manager in Afghanistan to building an underwater pipeline project in Beirut, from driving automation engineering on a $350 million gas refinery expansion project in Abu Dhabi to leading the development of a virtual design and construction model for Amsterdam’s cruise ship terminal.. René received his Ph.D in Construction Engineering and Management from Stanford University, his MSCE in Construction Management from USC, and his BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from American University of Beirut.

35. Stephen Muck

Job Title: Co-Founder and Executive Chairman
Company: Advanced Construction Robotics
Headquarters: Allison Park, PA, USA

Stephen M. Muck co-founded Advanced Construction Robotics in 2016 where he leads as Executive Chairman, bringing over 30 years of experience in business and construction related fields. Under his direction, Steve established a unique and unparalleled partnership between Advanced Construction Robotics, Inc., Brayman Construction Corporation, and Grouse Ridge Capital, LLC to realize his vision of commercializing intelligent robots for the construction industry. Throughout his career, Steve has started or acquired over twenty businesses. He currently provides guidance to his portfolio of entities focused around heavy civil construction. Steve also created the Muck Family Foundation which supports a diverse charitable giving program. Steve obtained a B.S. in Finance from Ohio University, his M.B.A. from Penn State University and has participated in the annual CEO/YPO Harvard Presidents’ Seminar for the past six years.

36. Thai Nguyen

Job Title: Director of VDC
Company: Hensel Phelps
Headquarters: Greeley, CO, USA

With more than 20 years of experience within the architectural and construction industries, Thai Nguyen has been instrumental in driving innovation for Hensel Phelps. Thai joined Hensel Phelps’ Plains District in 2006 as an engineer on a small job in Fort Collins, CO, and in 2009 was transitioned to the corporate team to lead the development and implementation of Virtual Design and Construction. In 2012, Thai relocated to the Western District as a BIM Manager to lead a team of 25 VDC engineers on one of the largest semi-conductor projects in the world and now works in that company’s headquarters as Hensel Phelps’ Director of Virtual Design and Construction. In his current role, Thai manages the overall Virtual Design and Construction team, made up of more than 100 team members, providing company-wide leadership in VDC systems, tools and processes. Alongside his team, Thai continues to push the limits of how Hensel Phelps and the Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry uses virtual design and construction tools.

37. Ilmar Norvik 

Job Title: Corporate Strategy Leader
Company: Owens Corning
Headquarters: Toledo, Ohio, USA

Ilmar Norvik is a Corporate Strategy Lead at Owens Corning, a global leader in material science and manufacturing that has ranked in the Fortune 500 since its inception. He is responsible for supporting the development of enterprise strategy and the firm’s engagement with the early-stage and venture capital ecosystem. In a previous role with Owens Corning Ilmar advised the enterprise on developments in the global crude oil and refined products markets. Prior to Owens Corning, Ilmar spent two years building Seed and Series A-funded SaaS software startups in Houston, TX. Ilmar holds an MBA in Organizational and Competitive Strategy from University of Rochester’s Simon Business School and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and International Studies from Elmira College in New York.

38. Meirav Oren

Job Title: CEO & Co-Founder
Company: Versatile
Headquarters: Los Altos, CA, USA

Meirav grew up in the construction industry, seeing the beauty and pains first hand. She spent 10 years at Intel, spearheading BizOps and financial services, leading international projects with multicultural teams. Meirav holds multiple degrees including an Executive MBA, LL.M, and a BA in Economics & Management, and is a former Lieutenant of the Israeli Air Force.

39. Jeff Ouyang

Job Title: Director of Innovation
Company: UFP Industries
Headquarters: Seattle, WA, USA

Jeff Ouyang is the Director of Innovation for UFP Industries, a Fortune 500 manufacturer of components for the Construction, Retail and Industrial markets. He is responsible for setting up innovation processes company-wide and developing UFP’s open innovation framework working with outside partners both large and small. Jeff previously led idX Corporation, a $250M division of UFP Industries with 1200 employees. Prior to that, he was based overseas in Shanghai, China as the head of international operations for idX responsible for multiple manufacturing and sales facilities across Asia and Europe. He started his career in engineering and still loves working on tough problems and building new things. Jeff has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a BA in English Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a MBA from Rutgers University

40. Jon Pahl 

Job Title: Director of Innovation
Company: Nabholz
Headquarters: Conway, AR, USA

Jon is Director of Innovation at Nabholz Corporation, giving legs to new ideas that solve problems and add value. Beginning with a summer internship, Jon’s career path at Nabholz has taken him through Preconstruction, Project Management, and Operations leadership. In his current role, Jon is particularly passionate about advocating ideas from the company’s professional craft. Jon earned a B.S. in Construction Management from John Brown University. He recently celebrated 22 years with Nabholz.

41. Lindsey Rem 

Job Title: VP of Business Transformation
Company: Barton Malow
Headquarters: Southfield, MI, USA

Lindsey Rem is Barton Malow Holdings’ Vice President of Business Transformation. In her role, she provides leadership for the continued development and alignment of an innovative technology and Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) strategy throughout the Family of Companies. She is also responsible for identifying new business models to ensure the long-term relevancy of the core business. Lindsey began her more than twenty-year career with Barton Malow working on projects in the field before becoming a part of the SAP Implementation team where she learned to effectively deploy technology across the company. Lindsey obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Law, Letters, and Society from the University of Chicago, where she was part of the varsity soccer team.

42. Michael Ricks

Job Title: Director of Corporate Initiatives
Company: Anning-Johnson Company
Headquarters:  Melrose Park, IL, USA

Michael Ricks is the Director of Corporate Initiatives at Anson Industries. Anson is the corporate parent of Anning-Johnson Company, a nationally-based specialty contractor, and Restec Contractors, a mechanical insulation contractor. Michael supports various operational and business development activities across Anson companies including IT, Human Resources, Marketing, Sales, and corporate strategy. He is currently leading a digital transformation for the Company where business functions are being redesigned for more streamlined processes through the use of technology. Michael is an accountant by background and spent 10 years as a consultant for the accounting firm EY prior to joining Anson.

43. Gabriela Rodas

Job Title: Project Manager
Company: Progreso X
Headquarters: Guatemala, Guatemala

María Gabriela Rodas Urruela, co-founder of Progreo X and current Project Manager of the corporate accelerator. Graduated from St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, with a Major in Business Administration with a Minor in Communication, has a certification by Hyper Island Institute on Driving Transformation, and has experience in the execution of projects, development of entrepreneurship programs, and definition of innovation strategies.

44. Donghyun Ryu 

Job Title: Functional Manager
Company: GS Futures
Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea

Donghyun serves as a functional manager for GS Futures' Engineering & Construction Corporation. GS is a South Korean conglomerate comprised of GS Holdings, subsidiaries and affiliates. GS E&C is Korea`s representative global EPC contractor leveraging its experience in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Petrochemical and Power Plants to continually provide premier design and construction services.

 

45. Antonia Elisa Solar Blasco

Job Title: Director of Hilti Technology Office
Company: Hliti
Headquarters: Schaan, Liechtenstein

Antonia Elisa Soler Blasco grew up in Barcelona where she earned bachelor’s degrees in chemical and mining engineering and a master’s in industrial engineering. She has worked at Hilti for the past 8 years in various roles in Europe and the U.S., including supply management, product management, and sales management. Currently, Antonia works with Hilti’s Corporate Venture team to identify the technologies that will shape construction in the years to come. Antonia is a strong advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion, serving as a member of the steering committee for SMACNA’s Women In Construction Group and as a cofounder of Women in ConTech VC.

46. Jenny Song 

Job Title: Principal
Company: Navitas Capital
Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Jenny Song is a Principal with Navitas Capital, where she invests in early stage technology start-ups at the intersection of real estate, construction and technology. Prior to Navitas, Jenny was a founder of an Ed-tech startup. Jenny started her career at Bain & Company as a strategy consultant and is a graduate of Northwestern University and Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.

47. Brianne Stewart

Job Title: Construction Technology Manager
Company: Milwaukee Tool 
Headquarters: Milwaukee, WI, USA

As a Construction Technology Manager at Milwaukee Tool, Brianne explores construction trends and emerging technologies to drive practical, user-focused solutions. She has fifteen years of experience in the manufacturing & development of consumer products, diesel engines, and power tool accessories. Those diverse industry experiences are bound together by her passion for connecting people, processes, & tools to deliver the best products to customers.

48. Weston Tanner

Job Title: Director, Construction Technology and Innovation
Company: Graycor
Headquarters: Chicago, IL, USA

Weston plays a key role in shaping Graycor’s technology strategy related to project delivery across the Graycor Family of Companies. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Kansas receiving his architecture license prior to working in construction. He has 15 years of architecture and construction technology experience.

49. Eric Whobrey 

Job Title: Director of Technology & Innovation | Managing Partner
Company: ARCO/Murray
Headquarters: Chicago, IL, USA

Eric has managed web and data development teams, built his own tech, established a technology strategy for a billion dollar business, and actively invests in technology startups. Previously, he managed the Operational Effectiveness program at Basis Technologies (formerly Centro). He now runs the Technology & Innovation department for ARCO/Murray, a Design-Build Construction company, and leads AM Ventures, an AEC focused venture capital investment fund.

50. Tomislav Zigo 

Job Title: CTO
Company: Clayco
Headquarters: St. Louis, MI, USA

Over the past twenty-five years, Tomislav Žigo has been actively implementing and using digital technology as a designer, builder, educator, and researcher. His experience includes work in the areas of digital technology use on large scale institutional, corporate and mission critical projects; research work in the field of Building Performance Analysis and Virtual Reality; construction process optimization and deployment of future technologies in design and construction workflow. As the Chief Technology Officer for Clayco Inc. of St. Louis, he leads a multidisciplinary team of experts continually improving digital project delivery while actively involved in shaping the future of Clayco’s Digital Transformation. Tomislav is a registered architect and holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rijeka in Croatia and a Master of Architecture degree from Washington University in St. Louis.