Niknaz Aftahi

Founder & CEO

aec+tech

Niknaz is the CEO and co-founder at aec+tech, an all-in-one innovation platform and community connecting AEC/O (Architecture, Engineering, Construction & Operations) professionals with the latest tools and technologies. Prior to launching aec+tech Niknaz practiced architecture in the bay area, California, both as a design professional as well as a design technologist. Niknaz is passionate about technology and innovation in the AEC space, and she has been a keynote speaker at various international aec-tech events. Niknaz is a member of AIA San Francisco design technology committee, and has also been developing curriculum and teaching architecture courses online to Bahai students in Iran who continue to be deprived of access to universities in their own country.

James Warton

Vice President | Computational Designer

HKS

James leads the West Coast region of HKS | LINE alongside Heath May (Global Sector Director- HUB). His responsibilities cut across various sectors and stages of design. He
has made significant contributions to some of the most complex and innovative elements of the HKS portfolio. Most notable supporting Venues and Sports on complex
geometries and long-span structures. James also teaches Advanced Structures within the graduate program at Woodbury University’s School of Architecture where he
promotes computational design as a tool for conceptual form finding, in-situ concept analysis, and optimization methodologies. His course encourages structural concepts
that extend beyond the fundamentals into form-active and vector active design approaches.

Ram Ramisetti

Emerging Technology Analyst

McCarthy Building Companies

Ramisetti is a founding member of McCarthy Building’s Emerging Tech team, where he leads the company’s Enterprise AI/ML and Robotics initiatives. The son of a construction tradesman in India, Ramisetti says he’s intent on making construction more innovative, “human-centric,” and environmentally sustainable with the help of cutting-edge technologies like AI. His multiple achievements include developing an AI model with Joist AI that revolutionized McCarthy’s RFP processes, making them more accurate and efficient. In partnership with Field AI, Ramisetti also was instrumental in automating and enhancing field-collection data through the deployment of a construction robot, resulting in significant savings in time and costs. In addition, he developed an AI/ML legal template to establish ethical guidelines and data protection measures for McCarthy’s AI applications.

Miles Smith

North American Solutions Manager

Graphisoft

Miles Smith is GRAPHISOFT’s North American Solution Manager, overseeing the delivery of North American-specific products and services. As a Solutions Manager, Miles advocates for customer needs, specializing in BIM implementation and software transitions. His leadership in aligning client requirements, exploring emerging technologies, and advancing IFC practices drives GRAPHISOFT’s innovative edge, fostering seamless integration and collaboration in the industry.

Dan Stine

Director of Design Technology

Lake Flato Architects

AIA, IES, CSI, CDT, Well AP

Dan is the Director of Design Technology and leads the internal research program, Investigations, at the top-ranked architecture firm Lake|Flato, in San Antonio, Texas. He is a registered architect (WI), educator, author, blogger, and international speaker. In addition to teaching graduate architecture students at NDSU, he has written 19 textbooks, including the #1 Revit book in North America, which is used extensively in the academic market.

Committed to climate action, Dan was on a six-person team commissioned by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to write the AIA Climate Action Business Playbook. He also serves on the national AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Leadership Group and subcommittee. He also chairs a national Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) committee.

Dedicated to furthering the design profession, Dan has given presentations on building performance and design technology in North America, Europe, Singapore, and Australia. He has also presented at AIA conferences (National, TX, MN), AIA-COTE working groups (Philly, New Orleans, San Antonio, LA), universities (Penn State, Pratt, University of MN, UTSA, and more), lightfair, NVIDIA GTC, Autodesk University, and more.

Jason Wheeler

Design Technology Manager

Gensler

Jason is a passionate Computational Designer within the AEC industry, but also an overall Technology enthusiast. He has 12+ years of experience in the industry working in the US and China with a focus on workflow optimization and data-driven design. He has experience working with offices locally and globally to create, educate, and explore data-driven design processes. Jason’s past computational design responsibilities span leading a team of computational designers, managing and maintaining computational design software and technologies, applying and managing R+D efforts, and hands-on working with project teams in all phases of design and construction. His belief in the successful implementation of new tools and technologies is firmly set in building a strong culture around experimentation and cautious curiosity, as well as educating everyone from top-level leadership to new interns on how these can be used and addressed within their specific roles… Currently, Jason is excited and curious about how AI will transform our industry and lives. Additionally, he is enthusiastic about Biomimicry and Biomimetic Design.

Jason is currently employed at Gensler as well as an Adjunct Facility Professor at both the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA CAPPA) and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (College of Architecture).

Alfonso Hernandez

Regional Design Resilence Leader

Gensler

Alfonso is an Architect, Computational Building Performance Strategist & Design Integrator and Regional Design Resilience Leader at Gensler. He has extensive experience in Resilience / High Performance Based Design, Building Performance Modeling & Simulations (Daylight/Glare, Solar, CFD, Thermal, and Energy Modeling), Performance Parametrics, Solar Form Finding and Performance Oriented Design Integration

He has been involved in over 250 LEED and non – LEED projects in the US, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. He has written whitepapers for and presented at prestigious conferences such as SIMBuild, Facades +, ASHRAE BPAC, Advanced Building Skins, the Performance Huddle and PLEA among others. He is a board member of the Houston Chapter of the International Building Performance Simulation Association, a member of the Daylighting Committee of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and a board member of the Houston Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. Alfonso is also part of the Product Advisory Group for ClimateStudio as well as of the Modeling subcommittee of the International Energy Conservation Code 2024.

Alfonso has taught Environmental Technologies at the graduate level at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston. As invited design juror, he has also participated in design critiques on both graduate and undergraduate levels at the University of Houston, Prairie View University, the University of DC, the University of Miami and the Pratt Institute in New York. He was a Tutor and the Coordinator of the Architectural Association Visiting School Houston.

He is a graduate of the Sustainable Environmental Design Master program at the Architectural Association in London as well as the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design at the University of Houston.

Nate Meade

Principal

Page

Nate is curious by nature, always asking why. Because of his passion for continuous learning, leading research initiatives and exploring digital tools are natural extensions of his design responsibilities at Page. He believes that through research, we gain deeper insights into client, context, and history. Like composers intimately understanding how each instrument produces sound, designers must also recognize the various influences on the built environment to achieve a harmonious design.

Nate’s recent experience using AI to assist in the conceptual design process shows how architects can harness the tool to complement Page’s advanced toolset and extract meaningful insights from client feedback.

Sina Mostafavi, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Texas Tech University

Dr. Sina Mostafavi is a practicing architect, researcher, and educator with computational design and architectural robotics expertise. He is an Associate Professor at Texas Tech University College of Architecture. Mostafavi’s research focuses on innovative applications of emerging materials and technologies, empowered by hybrid human-machine intelligence, for integrated design, inclusive automation, and circular production. He holds a doctoral degree from TU Delft, where he has been a senior researcher and the manager at the robotic building lab of Hyperbody Research Group at BK-City. At the Dessau Institute of Architecture in Bauhaus, he initiated the DARS.hub unit [Design, Architectural Robotics & Systems], where he led several interdisciplinary projects.

Asma Mehan, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Texas Tech University

Dr. Asma Mehan is a researcher, educator, and architect working at the intersection of architectural humanities and critical urban studies. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University College of Architecture. She is the author of the books “Tehran: from Sacred to Radical” (London: Routledge, 2022) and “Kuala Lumpur: Community, Infrastructure, and Urban Inclusivity” (London: Routledge, 2020). Dr. Mehan is recently appointed as the Coordination Team (CT) leader of the Young Academics network of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP YA).

Rory Tripp

Business Development Manager

D5 Render

Rory Tripp is a seasoned sales and Business Development Manageer with a decade of experience in the automotive and tech industry.He has a proven track record in strategic client prospecting and Mid-market account expansion. His unique approach and determination to growth allows him to play an integral part in the sales and tech communities.

Scott Lowe

Chief Revenue Officer

The Beck Group

Scott maximizes Beck’s architectural and design-build services across its U.S. and Mexico offices. He is an entrepreneurial leader who excels in landmark, award-winning projects in the hospitality, retail, office, and residential sectors. With a background as an international design professional, Scott has expertise in acclaimed building projects. Before rejoining Beck in 2024, he was CEO of 5G Studio Collaborative and a principal at a Frisco development firm. Scott has received numerous industry awards and speaks on design trends.

Cameron Wahl

Assistant Process Manager

Balfour Beatty

Cameron Wahl is currently an Assistant Process Manager for Balfour Beatty here in Dallas Texas. Cameron is a graduate of Ball State University and has been in the construction industry for 10 + years. Cameron got his start in construction technology while in the field as an assistant superintendent while looking for ways to improve workflows and company sops. His goal is to help project teams be more efficient and build better.

Tania Madah

Founder and Manager

Lean Architect

Tania Madah is the founder of lean Architect. She has a background in architecture, MBA, coding, and project management. While working for architectural firms, Tania realized that the majority of time and energy is wasted on tedious repetitive task, taking away from sustainability, data-driven design, and user experience analysis. She combined her skills to create modules that make the process more efficient, and the design data driven.

Luc Deckinga

Digital Practice Manager

Perkins&Will

As Digital Practice Manager for Computational Design, Luc brings a programmer’s rigor and designer’s creativity to every area of Perkins+Will’s diverse practice, giving designers new tools to create more sophisticated designs. Trained as an architect, his portfolio now encompasses a wide range of scales and disciplines, from robotic fabrication to environmental simulation and responsive parametric design. Luc’s work pushes at the boundaries of technology and creativity.

Randall Daniel

Sr. Design Principal

SmithGroup

As a Senior Design Principal based in SmithGroup’s Dallas office, Randall leads teams in the design and delivery of responsive and engaging solutions. His two decades of project experience includes award-winning work across multiple building typologies, including cultural, higher education, science & technology, and civic. His work has been recognized by a wide array of awards programs, including the AIA, Chicago Athenaeum, USGBC, and the Texas Society of Architects. Randall is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington where he received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees and was honored with the King Student Medal for Excellence in Architectural + Environmental Research. He regularly returns to his alma mater to serve as a design juror and guest lecturer.

Harish Palani

Design Application Technician

Perkins&Will

Harish Palani is a Design Applications Technician at Perkins&Will – Dallas focusing on computational design implementation. He is a curious explorer of cutting-edge design and automation technologies.

Shahram Seificar

Founder

Urbanyst

At the forefront of revolutionizing urban and architectural landscapes, Shahram stands as a leader in innovation in the realm of the built environment sector. As Managing Director of an award-winning architecture firm for over 14 years, Shahram directed multidisciplinary design teams and experts in diverse fields to develop advanced communities and sustainable cities.

Shahram has over 23 years of global experience in the real estate and construction industries. He has developed multiple cutting-edge buildings and smart eco-cities across Asia. Shahram has been devoted to architectural and digital innovations since 2007, including digital fabrication and his work in Industry 5.0 to create more architecture (technology-driven) and human-centered (sociotechnical-driven).

Shahram has a proven track record of leading organizations to remarkable business growth through his design principles approach combined with innovative business models. The establishment of Urbanyst marks a significant step in his quest to redefine intelligent architecture and shape future cities.

Don Bauman

Senior Account Executive, AEC

ImaginIt

With nearly 30 years of consulting experience in process and technology change, Don Bauman has dedicated 20 years to the AECO space. He has collaborated with organizations ranging from multi-billion-dollar enterprises to small start-ups. Don is passionate about helping companies achieve their business goals and works tirelessly to ensure their success.

Dionne Darling

VP of Brand Partnerships

The Architect’s Newspaper h

Dionne Darling has been with The A|N Media Group for over five years. As A|N’s Associate Publisher, she manages A|N’s Texas headquarters and handles accounts in the West, Southwest and Chicago territories.

Dionne has over 25 years of direct B2B sales and business development experience. Dionne holds an Associate Degree from El Centro Junior College at Dallas, Texas.

Diana Darling

President

The Architect’s Newspaper

Darling is CEO and cofounder of The Architect’s Newspaper, celebrating its 12th year. The A|N media company consists of print and digital publications covering architecture and design news, as well as the Facades+ conferences. As A|N’s publisher, Darling won the AIA National Collaboration Award, Grassroots Preservation Award, and ASLA NY’s President’s Award. She began her publishing career as director of print production for The Gap’s European markets. She holds a BS from The University of Texas at Austin.

Marty Wood

Program Director

The Architect’s Newspaper

Marty Wood is the Program Director for The Architect’s Newspaper’s Facades+ Conferences and other AN events and initiatives that bring together AEC professionals to share their stories, expertise, and projects. As a writer, he’s contributed to The Architect’s Newspaper, Metropolis, and other design publications. He is also a visiting instructor at Pratt Institute. Wood has a BA in Communications from San Francisco State University and a M.S. from Columbia University GSAPP.