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.

Matthew Krissel

Founder & Director

Creative Lab 3

Matthew Krissel AIA, LEED AP, has led the design and construction of transformative architectural projects in North America and Internationally for over 25 years. Matthew is a founder and director of Creative Lab 3, a Philadelphia-based design-driven architecture practice working to bring exceptional design to more people and places, inspire change and transform our collective potential through the built environment.

Matthew co-founded the Built Environment Futures Council (BEFC) with Randy Deutsch, FAIA, to advance the discourse and opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in Architecture and Construction. Matthew has recently given talks at the Building Museums Symposium, the London Committee on Design, the AIA National Conference, the AIA New York Global Dialogues Committee, the University of Toronto, Harvard University, and the AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice Conference. He has also chaired multiple AIA design juries, including the 2017 AIA National Innovation Award, the 2016 AIA New York Design Awards, and, most recently, the 2023 AIA Peconic Design Awards. He has been interviewed for articles in Dwell, Fast Company, Metropolis, Architectural Record, and Architect magazines and has been featured in numerous published books on architecture and design.

Before founding Creative Lab 3, Matthew was a Partner at KieranTimberlake in Philadelphia. His design leadership over nearly 20 years at KT helped shape the firm’s most significant and impactful projects, including iconic, institution-defining architecture, to small homes with big ideas. Notable completed projects include the award-winning Paulson Center at New York University, the Embassy of the United States in London, and Cellophane House™ featured at the Museum of Modern Art.

Randy Deutsch

Co-Founder

Built Environment Futures Council

Randy Deutsch FAIA, LEED AP is an educator, author, international keynote speaker, AI researcher and a licensed architect having designed +100 large, complex sustainable projects for which he received the AIA Young Architect Award Chicago. Since 2011 Randy has authored six books, most recently Convergence: The Redesign of Design (AD, 2017); Superusers: Design Technology Specialists and the Future of Practice (Routledge, 2019), Think Like An Architect: How to develop critical, creative and collaborative problem-solving skills (RIBA, 2020) and Adapt As an Architect: A Midcareer Companion (RIBA, 2021.) In addition to teaching at University of Illinois at Chicago starting in 2001 and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign starting in 2012, until 2019 Randy served as Associate Director for Graduate Studies in the School of Architecture. Randy previously served on AIA Chicago Board as Director and Vice President; on ARCHITECT Magazine’s 2018 R+D jury; AIA National Architecture 2023 Awards jury; and led an annual Executive Education program at Harvard GSD. In 2020, Randy’s team received an NSF Grant and DPI Seed Grant for planning a first-of-its-kind institute for the application of AI in design, construction and operations of buildings and infrastructure. In 2020 Randy was elevated to Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council. With Matthew Krissel he is the co-founder of the Built Environment Futures Council (BEFC) advancing the discourse and opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in Architecture, Design, and Construction. More here www.randydeutsch.com

Alexandra Pollock

Chief Technology Officer

FXCollaborative

As FXCollaborative’s Chief Technology Officer, Alexandra leads the firm’s Digital Practice group, overseeing design technologies, information technologies, and business technologies. She is instrumental in the development of digital methodologies and processes, and aims to further improve project delivery through leveraged data and evidence-based design. Prior to her role in architectural technology, Alexandra was a practicing architect and remains a registered architect in New York. Her portfolio, which ranges in scale and global reach, maintains a consistent thread: the use of methodologies to predict factors that enhance the lives of people who live and work in an urban setting—and ensure that the built environment is above all sustainable. Alexandra previously served as co-chair of the AIANY Technology Committee, has lectured and taught academically, and participates as a guest speaker at industry conferences.

Michael Schroeder

Partner

SGA

When Fast Company selected SGA as one of the Most Innovative Companies in 2018, the publication identified the firm’s capabilities in Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) as a key differentiator in scheduling and cost certainty. Michael Schroeder, CCM played an instrumental role in attaining this honor:  He has led the growth and development of the practice since 2014.

VDC is an ideal fit for Michael, who loves to discover and invent new technologies that enhance project outcomes.  BIM underpins the programs he oversees, but he supplements the virtual world with face-to-face interactions to promote collaboration.  At the beginning of every commission, he onboards the project team and hosts an Execution Success Planning session, during which participants determine the most effective methods of delivery. Other pillars of his methodology include co-location of the development, design, and construction partners; bespoke project dashboards; and a variety of teambuilding initiatives.

Before joining SGA, Michael served as president, CEO, and principal implementer at BIM Jet INC. in Boston for seven years.  In this capacity, he led strategic consulting engagements for C-level BIM technology.  Previously Michael held the role of director of design technology at Moshe Safdie and Associates in Somerville, MA, where he established the firm’s vision and future direction of BIM and other technology platforms.

Michael received a Master of Design Studies with distinction from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Architecture from Montana State University.  He often lectures about BIM and integrated design at prominent industry organizations and institutions.  In his spare time, Michael enjoys traveling with his wife and their four children.

Shahriar Shams-Ansari

Investor

Brookfield Growth

Shahriar Shams-Ansari is an investor on Brookfield’s Growth team, where he focuses on venture capital and growth equity investments across areas including proptech, fintech, consumer internet, and enterprise software. Representative investments include Hopper, PassiveLogic, FLASH Parking, Material Bank, and Plentific. Shahriar joined Brookfield from H.I.G. Growth Partners, where he focused on high-growth investments in the technology, consumer, and healthcare sectors. He previously also worked in venture capital at ILONA Capital after starting his career in investment banking. Mr. Shams-Ansari holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, is a proud Canadian and C100 member, serves as the Co-Lead of the Proptech Vertical for the Emerging Venture Capitalist Association (“EVCA”), and on the Venture Leadership Board of the Center for Real Estate Technology and Innovation (“CRETI”).

Curtis Rodgers

Partner

Brick & Mortar Ventures

Curtis Rodgers is a construction technologist and investor at Brick & Mortar Ventures, with six years of construction operations experience across federal, energy, industrial, infrastructure, and commercial markets at both Kiewit and McCarthy Construction. Curtis founded The Society for Construction Solutions (SCS) in 2014, contributed to the NASA Centennial 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, and participated as a lecturer for the US DOE’s Project Leadership Institute.

Ben Petuchowski

Creative Professional

Canvas

Ben is a creative professional with over fifteen years of experience in television development and marketing. He leads marketing for Canvas, the iOS app that’s the most efficient way to create as-built drawings and models. Instead of spending hours measuring spaces and even more time modeling them, architects can scan houses in minutes and get accurate, editable as-builts in as little as one day. Focus on designing the future instead of measuring the past.

Ilkay C. Standard

Founder

GenX

Ilkay Can-Standard is an architectural technologist and founder of GENx Design and Technology, a modern innovation hub committed to lead the 4th Industrial Revolution at a global scale. With 15 years of experience in the AEC industry, Ilkay has managed projects that required the most advanced use of technologies in 7 different countries. GENx teams focus on diminishing the gaps in the AEC industry and helping stakeholders achieve intended budgets, timelines and sustainability objectives through the integration of advanced technologies to project management. In addition to advancing Building Information Modeling (BIM) experience in high-rise and large-scale projects, her team is leading Generative Design and Automation through CATIA and 3DS Platforms.

İlkay is an NJIT Graduate alumnus of Architecture and is currently teaching at NYU while simultaneously collaborating with multiple universities across the globe. Prior to founding GENx, İlkay was an Associate Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in NYC where she led multiple award-winning projects both locally and globally. As previous Chair of CTBUH Future Leaders Global Committee and current Board of Trustee CTBUH NY Chapter, she is fostering open dialogue between architects, engineers, developers and the academia to develop responsible buildings and cities for the future.

Nirva Fereshetian

Chief Information Officer

CBT Architects

Nirva Fereshetian is a Principal & Chief Information Officer at CBT Architects, a Boston based award winning design firm providing services nationally and internationally in Architecture, Interior Design & Urban Design. She is responsible for aligning business technology strategy to meet primary business objectives. She specializes in leading and managing technology solutions in creative design environments, technology adoption and change management. She leads multiple teams within the Digital Practice group, including Design Technology, Business Technology and Computational Design. She is a results driven Information Systems executive delivering Practice Services (BIM, AR, VR, Automation), Knowledge Services (Collaboration, Corporate Knowledge, Training management) and Business Technology Services (Infrastructure Management, Vendor Relations, Application Deployment). Her experience includes delivery of cost-effective information services, outsourced business models, virtualization, cloud computing, collaborative technologies, and business analytics. She is a board member of WITI (Women in Technology International) Boston Chapter and a member of SIM (Society for Information Management).

Jonathan Klein

Founder

PropTech Consulting LLC

Jonathan Klein is a versatile, award-winning top-tier business executive with over 13 years of establishing successful businesses, technology integration, providing executive direction to the organization and elevating the business to market leadership. Highly-experienced in blending visionary insight and strategic business planning skills for commercial operations, sales & marketing, high-value negotiations, partnerships and optimizing bottom line profitability. Proven success as a take-charge leader combining people skills, business acumen and management expertise for growth and competitiveness. Decisive, forward-thinking and innovative – an achiever of exceptional results.