2026 Speakers
Our 2026 call for abstracts is NOW OPEN!
Submit by Friday, April 3, 2026.
Host & Emcee
Drew Shula
Founder & CEO, Verdical Group, Net Zero Conference
Drew Shula
Founder & CEO, Verdical Group, Net Zero ConferenceDrew is a social entrepreneur and environmentalist. He is Founder & CEO of Verdical Group, a nationally leading sustainability consulting firm specializing in: green building certifications, engineering services, strategy, and events. Verdical Group is a certified B Corporation and 1% for the Planet member company working on some of the highest profile green building projects in the world with visionary institutions like NASA, Google, Johnson & Johnson, LAX, Meta, and Apple. Under his leadership, Verdical Group won a Real Leaders Impact Award in 2023, and was a Finalist for Small Business of the Year from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC in 2022. He is also founder of the world’s largest annual net zero event — the Net Zero Conference and Trailblazer Awards. Shula was just the sixth person ever to be honored as both a LEED Fellow and Living Future Hero. He frequently speaks about the building industry's impact on the climate crisis and net zero building design. He has been featured as a speaker at high-profile events such as the Greenbuild International Conference, Metropolis Magazine DesignTV, Living Future Conference, Cornell University, and the AIA 1.5 Degrees Celsius Symposium on Climate Change. Drew sits on several Advisory Boards, including USGBC-CA (where he is a past Board member), Woodbury University School of Architecture, Living Future LA Collaborative (where he was a member of the Founding Steering Committee), and Environmental Charter High School. Drew has been featured or published in USA Today, The Washington Post, Forbes, Metropolis Magazine, USGBC+ Magazine, and Architectural Record Magazine. He holds a 5-year professional degree in Architecture from the University of Notre Dame.
Amy Paffrath
Journalist, Actress, & TV Host
Amy Paffrath
Journalist, Actress, & TV HostAmy Paffrath is a St. Louis, Missouri born journalist, actress and TV Host. Residing in LA, she has a varied resume that includes hosting shows on E!, VH1, MTV and People TV as well as acting in television programs and movies like 2 Broke Girl$, Hot in Cleveland, The Thinning, I Kissed a Vampire, and The Purge: Anarchy. In addition, Amy played “Mayday Amy” in the wildly popular Amazon Kindle Fire commercial campaign and was the antagonist in Paramour's Misery Business music video, to this day and with over 215 million views on YouTube, one of Amy's most treasured credits. Most recently, Amy produced and hosted a weekly feel-good segment for Spectrum 1 News SoCal, highlighting the do-gooders of Los Angeles - a spin-off of her self- produced web show “What’sGood?!” An avid philanthropist, she supports many organizations including The Art of Elysium, The Thirst Project, Legacy Youth Leadership and Neighborhood Nursery School. In their free time, she and her husband Drew Seeley are most likely chasing their 5 year old daughter around one of the gorgeous outdoor spaces in LA, reading in their backyard hammock, or enjoying the company of good friends over a great plant-based meal.
Trailblazer Awards Gala Emcee
Emily Hand
Director & Chief of Staff, Verdical Group
Emily Hand
Director & Chief of Staff, Verdical GroupEmily Hand is Director & Chief of Staff at Verdical Group, responsible for business development for green building and sustainability projects nationally. She leads the Client Solutions team focused on pursuits, proposals, and teaming opportunities. In her role as Chief of Staff, she serves as an air traffic controller for Verdical Group's CEO and senior team; an integrator connecting work streams; and problem solver providing advisory and oversight for the company as a whole. With over 10 years in the industry, she has experience in project management and client relationship management working with a variety of clients and high performance projects. Her work helps clients achieve their building certification and sustainability & wellness goals and supports the firm’s mission to inspire a net zero future in our built environment.
Keynotes
Joel Cesare
Growth Lead, Cambio
Joel Cesare
Growth Lead, CambioJoel Cesare is a visionary trailblazer in the real estate/sustainability field known for challenging the status quo and executing game-changing projects. As Growth Lead at Cambio, Joel brings an action-obsessed, ROI-driven mindset to Cambio’s mission of decarbonizing buildings at scale using AI. Prior to Cambo he led the net zero program for Google real estate from 2021-2024, overseeing the roadmap to decarbonize thousands of global office buildings. As a development manager for the City of Santa Monica, he built what is widely considered one of the world's greenest buildings. He’s a Living Future Institute (ILFI) Living Future Hero (2019), ENR Magazine Top 25 Newsmaker (2018), USGBC-CA "First in the World" (2017) and Building Design + Construction Magazine 40 Under 40 (2017) honoree. A career spanning tech, construction, founder, consulting, government and non-profit leader, Joel’s mission is to dream, inspire and deliver. You can hear his provocative takes on the podcast he co-hosts about climate and entrepreneurship, Less Talk, More Action.
Leah Thomas
Environmentalist
Leah Thomas
Environmentalist
Michael Ford, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB
Founder, The Hip Hop Architecture Camp
Michael Ford, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB
Founder, The Hip Hop Architecture CampMichael Ford, AIA, NOMA, NCARB—widely known as The Hip Hop Architect—has dedicated his career to increasing diversity in architecture through culturally relevant education. He founded The Hip Hop Architecture Camp, a global program that uses Hip Hop to introduce underrepresented youth to design. As Founding Principal of BrandNu Design Studio, Ford leads projects like The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx. His work has been featured on Oprah Winfrey Network’s Super Soul Sunday, The TODAY Show, Rolling Stone, and Interior Design Magazine. Ford is a highly regarded speaker for his thought leadership at the intersection of design and culture. Some of his past keynotes include the American Institute of Architects National Conference, American Planning Association’s Planning Conference, The Toronto Interior Design Show.
Nalleli Cobo
Environmental Activist
Nalleli Cobo
Environmental ActivistAt just 19 years old, Nalleli Cobo led a grassroots campaign resulting in the permanent closure of a hazardous oil-drilling site in her community in March 2020. This site, infamous for its toxic emissions, had inflicted severe health issues on Nalleli and her neighbors. Growing up in South Los Angeles, Nalleli became an activist at the tender age of 9, spurred by the foul odors emanating from the oil well across the street from her home. Enduring headaches, nosebleeds, and heart palpitations due to the pollution, she began attending meetings and rallies alongside her mother, delivering her first public speech on the matter at just 9 years old. Her natural oratory skills and unwavering dedication eventually positioned her as the leading voice advocating for the ban of oil extraction in Los Angeles. Co-founding initiatives like People Not Pozos and the South Central Youth Leadership Coalition, Nalleli's activism gained momentum. In March 2020, her tireless work culminated in the permanent shutdown of the AllenCo Energy drilling site, where she had spent her childhood. Furthermore, her advocacy led to criminal charges against AllenCo Energy executives for environmental violations. Despite facing personal adversity, including a cancer diagnosis at 19, Nalleli persisted. Recognized for her extraordinary contributions, Nalleli received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2022, and was on the 2022 Time 100 Next list.
Trailblazer Awards Gala Keynote
David Gottfried
Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Planet Systems & Co-founder, U.S. Green Building Council
David Gottfried
Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Planet Systems & Co-founder, U.S. Green Building CouncilDavid Gottfried is known as a father of the global green building movement, founding the U.S. Green Building Council and World Green Building Councils, now in about 80 countries – starting a global sustainable building movement with hundreds of thousands of projects in 181 countries, and hundreds of thousands of accredited professionals. Gottfried’s work focuses on transformation at scale with urgency. Gottfried serves as Chief Commercial Officer for Blue Planet Systems. The firm makes Synthetic Limestone [CaCO3] aggregate by a circular process including directly sequestering and then mineralizing CO2 from industrial plants and Direct Air Capture. The potential is for gigatonnes of CO2 permanently stored annually into carbon negative concrete. Gottfried is helping Blue Planet accelerate commercialization of the company’s carbon negative concrete for the built environment and coastal protection around the world. Previously, Gottfried was CEO of Reset360, Regenerative Ventures and its RegenNetwork. Gottfried started his career as a real estate developer and contractor, including Senior Vice President of Thomas Properties Group and Managing Director of its Green Building Fund. Gottfried hosts the Regen360 iTunes podcast with 80 episodes. His former residence was the highest rated LEED Platinum home in the world. Gottfried has a degree in Engineering and Resource Management from Stanford University, where he is a regular lecturer. Gottfried has received numerous leadership awards, including the WorldGBC Global Green Building Entrepreneurship Award, the Global Green Building Entrepreneurship Award, USGBC’s Leadership Award, and the USGBC Northern California Chapter’s Super Hero Award. He was inducted into the Green Industry Hall of Fame and named to the Purpose Economy 100. His bestselling book Explosion Green was a 2014 Indie Book Awards Winner and has a cover testimonial from President Clinton.
Speakers
Adam Osantowski
Senior Preconstruction Director, McCarthy Building Companies
Adam Osantowski
Senior Preconstruction Director, McCarthy Building CompaniesAdam Osantowski serves as Senior Preconstruction Director at McCarthy, bringing 25 years of expertise in delivering complex projects across heavy civil, wastewater, private development, education, mission critical, and government sectors. As an Associate DBIA Professional, Adam is recognized for fostering close collaboration among architects, designers, and consultants to drive successful design-build outcomes. Adam is committed to integrating sustainability at every phase of construction. He is known for his project-first mindset, skillfully aligning environmental stewardship with client objectives to achieve resilient, cost-effective solutions. Through his leadership, Adam ensures sustainable requirements are embedded into every project, delivering exceptional value and positive impacts for all stakeholders.
Alison Hoagland
Principal, Mackenzie
Alison Hoagland
Principal, MackenzieAlison Hoagland is a Principal, Architect, and member of Mackenzie’s Board of Directors. She has designed and delivered projects in a variety of markets, including ecommerce, industrial, retail, commercial, hospitality, educational, and public safety facilities. Throughout her career, she has been involved in many sustainability initiatives and projects and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Green Building Initiative as Chair Elect. As a leader, Alison fosters a strong team atmosphere that extends across consultant and client teams. Her attention to detail and grasp of the big picture of every project enables her to lead her team to success. In her free time Alison enjoys spending time at the coast with her family, finding great locally dyed yarn wherever she travels, listening to audio books on long car rides, and sharing a good glass of wine or a pint of NW beer with some friends.
Alyssa Leal Moffitt
Climate Action Chair, American Society of Landscape Architects Southern California Chapter
Alyssa Leal Moffitt
Climate Action Chair, American Society of Landscape Architects Southern California ChapterAlyssa Leal Moffitt is a landscape architect and the Climate Action Chair of the Southern California Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Her first passion is ecological justice that drives design and engagement toward the holistic well-being of communities and nature. Her capstone project was the design of an eco-industrial park in Watts and received a National ASLA Honors Award in Urban Design in 2022. In 2024 she founded Terra Brava/Wild Earth Landscape Architecture to pursue collaborative projects with clients and partners with shared values. Wildfire resilience has long been a central concern, both as it pertains to our ever-changing climate and as part of her lived experience after a fire swept through her home in Tepusquet Canyon in Santa Barbara County. Her perspective is that we must find ways that we can balance fire resilience with an overall ecological resilience that takes into consideration the need to protect biodiversity, preserve and build a continuous tree canopy for the multitude of ecological services to people and the land, and to promote a vibrant, green environment for healthy communities.
Amarpreet Singh
LCA & EPD Consultant, One Click LCA
Amarpreet Singh
LCA & EPD Consultant, One Click LCA
Amber Richane
Principle Design & Planning Manager, City of Santa Monica
Amber Richane
Principle Design & Planning Manager, City of Santa MonicaEnvironmental stewardship is central to Amber’s life, from the solar powered electric car she drives to her ongoing conservation projects at her home and children’s school, she strives to eliminate waste and carbon in all that she does. This passion for protecting our Earth drives Amber’s career, and ultimately lead her to California. Amber now calls Santa Monica home and worked for one of the largest architecture firms in the world leading the Performance Driven Design (PDD) studio both domestically and internationally on deep green projects. After many years and much travel, Amber made a career switch to the Architecture Services Division of Public Works at the City of Santa Monica and is a Principal Design and Planning Manager. She is the Project Manager for the most sustainable municipal building in the world, City Hall East (formerly called the City Services Building). City Hall East is the 35th Living Certified Building, administered by ILFI. It has completed construction on-time and under budget for the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, 2020, even during a pandemic. Amber now focuses on the Airport Conversion project that will transform the 192-acre municipal airport into a regenerative, equitable, and community-driven future. The team will be employing a robust and innovative community engagement process to ensure a diverse cross-section of community is able to participate in the future visioning process. This project requires coordination between all Departments within the City of Santa Monica and extensive community outreach including local, regional and State agencies.
Andrea Chase
VP, Corporate Responsibility & Social Impact, Arbonne PBC
Andrea Chase
VP, Corporate Responsibility & Social Impact, Arbonne PBCAndrea Chase is the Vice President of Corporate Responsibility & Social Impact at Arbonne, a clean beauty brand with a 45 year legacy of vegan and plant based products. Ms. Chase has a demonstrated history of leadership in consulting for and working within environmental industries, CPG companies, B to C and B to B businesses. Ms. Chase is an expert in sustainable business bench marking; sustainable strategy development; sustainable program execution; sustainability reporting; sustainability regulations; sustainable and circular product development; carbon emissions benchmarking and goal alignment to address climate trajectories; and sustainability certification auditing. Ms. Chase currently acts as the Co-Chair of the Supervisor Advisory Executive Board for the global B Beauty Coalition, a B Corporation industry working group focusing on uplifting regenerative and equitability in business. Prior to this, for 10 years, Ms. Chase served the as the co-Founder and Executive Director of B Local Los Angeles, the non-profit affiliation of Certified B Corporations in her hometown of Los Angeles. In addition to her advocacy work, Andrea also serves as a guest professor for prominent Southern California Universities on the topic of sustainable business benchmarking, sustainability industry evolution and various types of social enterprises.
Andrew Reilman
Principal, CEO, Linkage Engineers
Andrew Reilman
Principal, CEO, Linkage EngineersAndy is Principal and CEO of Linkage Engineers and with more than 20 years of sustainable consulting engineering experience. Expertise in sustainable architecture and green-buildings includes designs for passive, low energy systems such as natural and mixed-mode ventilation, displacement ventilation, radiant heating and cooling, and renewable energy systems. Some of Andy’s notable high-performance projects include the Robert Redford Center for Sustainability at Pitzer College (ILFI ZNE, LEED Platinum), UCLA Pauley Pavilion (LEED Gold), UC Berkeley Student Community Center (LEED Gold). Andy is a licensed professional engineer, certified ASHRAE HBDP, past ASHRAE SoCal President and active in USGBC-CA and ILFI.
Annette Gear
Environment & Sustainability Director, Graham Construction
Annette Gear
Environment & Sustainability Director, Graham ConstructionAnnette Gear is a seasoned environmental management professional with over 25 years of experience in sustainability, policy and governance, and regulatory compliance. As Environment & Sustainability Director at Graham Construction, she leads strategic initiatives that embed sustainable practices into construction projects across North America. Annette holds a master’s degree in Environment & Management from Royal Roads University, a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Cape Breton University, and is a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP). Her expertise includes leading and auditing ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems, ensuring that Graham’s projects and joint ventures meet rigorous environmental standards and regulatory frameworks. Throughout her career, Annette has built strong relationships with clients, government agencies, regulators, and industry leaders to advance long-term environmental goals. Her work focuses on enhancing resource efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and supporting the transition to resilient, low-carbon business models in the construction sector. Beyond her professional achievements, Annette is a passionate mentor and educator, committed to sharing her knowledge with peers and emerging professionals. Her dedication to environmental stewardship extends into community volunteering, where she continues to make a meaningful impact.
Anthony Rowen
COO and Director of Engineering, Capture H2O
Anthony Rowen
COO and Director of Engineering, Capture H2OAnthony Rowen is the COO and Director of Engineering at Capture H2O. Capture H2O is a water conservation firm specializing in sustainable solutions for cooling tower systems. Anthony can share insights on how cooling tower systems work, approaches to cooling water treatment, and how to take steps to improve the sustainability of these systems and gain LEED points. Prior to Capture H2O, Anthony came from an engineering consulting background, supporting technical projects for the federal government and power generation sectors, specifically nuclear energy. Anthony is a Mechanical Engineering graduate of Virginia Tech with a focus in Green Engineering.
Anuj Desai
Senior Advisor, Public Affairs, Southern California Edison
Anuj Desai
Senior Advisor, Public Affairs, Southern California EdisonAnuj Desai is a Senior Advisor at Southern California Edison (SCE), where he generates thought leadership, policy, strategy, and product launches to help advance the company’s vision for a clean energy utility of the future. This work includes launching a solar/storage marketplace, developing an energy storage new construction incentive program, and helping put together a first-of-its-kind utility climate change vulnerability assessment. Currently, Anuj’s responsibilities include overseeing climate adaptation engagement and partnership efforts as the company looks to fortify the grid for current and future climate change risk alongside local community efforts to do the same. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University, Yale’s School of the Environment, and Coro Southern California’s Climate Resilience Leadership Network (CRLN) program.
Audrey McGarrell
Communications Manager, Cool Roof Rating Council
Audrey McGarrell
Communications Manager, Cool Roof Rating CouncilAudrey McGarrell is the Communications Manager of the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that brings objective, scientific information related to cool surfaces to critical discussions and informed decisions about the impacts of heat islands, extreme heat, and energy use in the built environment. Audrey manages the CRRC’s Education Committee and supports the organization’s education and outreach efforts, including developing educational resources and speaking at events for the roofing and wall product industries and end-users. She also manages the CRRC’s public relations, social media, and other marketing and communications activities. She previously managed the organization’s Technical Committee, Wall Rating Program Committee, and the 2022 launch and early operation of the organizations’ Wall Rating Program. Prior to joining the CRRC in 2021, Audrey worked in the building product certification industry, operating certification programs for steel framing products and other third-party quality assurance programs. She holds a B.A. in Spanish and a Master of Public Administration, and she is a LEED Green Associate.
Avideh Haghighi
Founder, ZEROHOUZ, LLC
Avideh Haghighi
Founder, ZEROHOUZ, LLCAvideh Haghighi is an award winning green Architect with a passion for transforming the built environment towards a net positive impact. She has 14 years of experience and a diverse portfolio of work, including May Lee State Office Complex, the largest all-electric Net Zero Carbon facility in the nation. Recently she has turned her attention to the single family housing market, recognizing the need for resources and innovation to decarbonize the existing housing stock. She is applying her knowledge from designing and constructing the largest zero energy commercial buildings to the deep green retrofit of ordinary homes. She aspires to transform the real estate market one house at a time.
Ben Loescher
Principal, Loescher Meachem Architects / adobeisnotsoftware
Ben Loescher
Principal, Loescher Meachem Architects / adobeisnotsoftwareBen Loescher is a founding Principal at Loescher Meachem Architects where his work focuses on the reuse of existing buildings, high-performance workplace design for the film, television, and media industries, and innovation in earthen construction. In 2009, he created Adobeisnotsoftware, the firm's advocacy arm that works to inform, enable, and advance adobe construction in California. The firm has recently designed and permitted California’s first two adobe homes, and first compressed earth block home under the International Building Code. Loescher’s work to appropriately reform earthen masonry building regulation has resulted in the overturning of an industry-led proposal to remove adobe from the building code, as well as the establishment of The Masonry Society’s Earthen Modular Masonry Committee which has been charged with establishing a new national standard for the use of adobe and compressed earth block. Loescher was the Chair of the Earthbuilders’ Guild, the U.S. trade association for earthen construction from 2016-2023, and currently serves on the board of Adobe in Action, a New Mexico-based non-profit focused on assisting individuals in building their own earthen housing.
Ben Stapleton
Executive Director, USGBC California
Ben Stapleton
Executive Director, USGBC CaliforniaBen Stapleton is a recognized sustainability leader with a focus on building teams and designing programs to deliver impactful results. As Executive Director for USGBC California his work focuses on coordinating an ecosystem leveraging the built environment to help make California a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable place for all. His development and delivery of a portfolio of community engagement and education focused programming have centered on climate justice, high-performance buildings, occupant health, corporate sustainability, and regional resilience, fostering a sense of connection and shared purpose. He has served on numerous boards and currently serves on the Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire Safe Recovery. He is a frequent speaker, moderator and sustainability expert for media. Ben is a LEED AP O+M, ENV SP, and WELL AP certified green building nerd driven by a connection to nature while being inspired by the people around him.
Blanca Linares
Senior Utility Billing Data Analyst, University of Southern California
Blanca Linares
Senior Utility Billing Data Analyst, University of Southern CaliforniaBlanca Linares is a Senior Utility Billing Data Analyst at the University of Southern California, bringing over eight years of experience in utility data analysis and billing oversight. In her role, she plays a critical part in supporting the university’s sustainability initiatives through accurate emissions tracking and data-driven insights. Blanca manages utility billing operations across campus, conducting detailed reviews and trend analyses of energy and water consumption data to ensure accurate billing and reporting. She also oversees budget tracking and maintains internal dashboards that promote transparency and operational efficiency. Her analytical expertise and commitment to precision support informed decision-making and contribute to the university’s broader sustainability goals.
Bo White
Principal Project Engineer, NegaWatt Consulting
Bo White
Principal Project Engineer, NegaWatt ConsultingBo White has been a Professional Mechanical Engineer in California since 2008 and has been supporting SCE and the Statewide Reach Codes Program on Codes & Standards since 2019. He helps to support local jurisdictions that are developing reach codes and building performance standards.
Brendan O’Donnell
Co-Founder & CEO, bodeEV
Brendan O’Donnell
Co-Founder & CEO, bodeEVUnder the leadership of CEO, Brendan O’Donnell, a veteran EV innovator and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in EV infrastructure, BodeEV is tackling some of the sector’s biggest pain points: slow or unresponsive EV charging builds and a growing number of broken and neglected EV chargers across the country. Brendan has been innovating and installing electrical systems for over 30 years. Prior to co-founding bodeEV, he led ChargePoint’s Public Sector Sales team for the last 5 years, where he grew the EV network from a few thousand stations to over ½ million independently owned EV chargers throughout the US and Canada. Formerly a system architect and engineer in both the automotive and communications systems industry, he has brought two dozen products to market and holds a dozen patents, working for companies such as Rockwell, Connexant/ Mindspeed, Panasonic, AeroVironment and Fisker Automotive. As a member of IEEE and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) committees, he has spoken on EV charging and integrated systems to international audiences and is an expert on worldwide EV charging system deployment. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from USC, and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. Served as Scoutmaster & US Army.
Brett Tullis
Architect, SILLMAN Architects
Brett Tullis
Architect, SILLMAN ArchitectsBrett Tullis is a Principal Architect at SILLMAN, a leading architecture firm that specializes in Design-Build projects for various sectors, including Civic, Education, Military, and Multi-Family Residential. With over 30 years of experience, he is a LEED Accredited Professional who is committed to creating Sustainable, Efficient, and Attractive buildings that meet the needs and Goals of his Clients and the Community. He has a Holistic design approach that encompasses all aspects of the design and construction process, from conceptualization to completion. He has successfully delivered outstanding quality projects using different delivery methods, such as Design Bid Build, Design Assist, and Design-Build. He is a Leader who builds consensus and communicates a clear project vision to the project team, public officials, and stakeholders. He received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Design-Build Institute of America for his contributions to the advancement of effective design-build practices.
Brett Zeuner
Senior Program Manager, Foundation for California Community Colleges
Brett Zeuner
Senior Program Manager, Foundation for California Community CollegesBrett Zeuner is Senior Program Manager of Environmental Equity at the Foundation for California Community Colleges. Brett’s portfolio includes administering zero-emission transportation incentive programs, conducting community-based participatory research and engagement, and implementing professional development programs for California Community College students with a focus on environmental justice. Prior to FoundationCCC, Brett helped launch Access Clean California, designed the prototype for Michigan’s MiEJScreen tool, and published research on the human rights considerations of cobalt in ZEV battery supply chains. Outside of work, Brett enjoys Pilates, dance, and DJing.
Brian Johnson
Senior Project Engineer, HOK
Brian Johnson
Senior Project Engineer, HOKBrian is a senior project engineer and leader of HOK’s building energy modeling group. Based in HOK’s San Francisco studio, Brian works on projects across the firm to improve building energy performance, reduce whole building carbon emissions, and enhance thermal comfort through analytical, collaborative, and sustainable design strategies. Brian’s unique background in HVAC design, construction administration, and whole building energy modeling has supported many of HOK’s largest and most complicated projects around the globe. He brings a data-driven approach to building design that is based in analysis and simulation no matter the building size or type.
Brian Stern
VP, Director of Energy, Glumac
Brian Stern
VP, Director of Energy, GlumacBrian Stern is an energy and decarbonization leader with expertise in net-zero strategy, building decarbonization, energy management, electric vehicle transition, renewable energy, and infrastructure resilience. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and now serves as a Vice President and Director of Energy at Glumac where he manages a team of energy consultants and engineers. Brian leads cross-functional teams to develop strategic decarbonization plans at various scales from individual facilities to university campuses, national portfolios, cities, and states. He brings experience combining strategy, analytics and engineering to deliver comprehensive decarbonization plans for the City of Los Angeles, State of California, University of California, California State University and Global Technology Clients.
Brian Treu
Digital Solutions Director, Johnson Controls
Brian Treu
Digital Solutions Director, Johnson ControlsBrian Treu is currently the Digital Solutions Director working with customers across California to drive energy cost reductions, mitigate rising utility costs, drive operational optimization and automation into industrial processes, and deliver upon organizational sustainability goals. Brian has been delivering technology solutions to large scale commercial and industrial customers for over 25 years. Prior to JCI, Brian was at an energy start-up called Innowatts working with regulated utilities and retail energy providers on energy forecasting using AI and predictive analytics to support short-term energy trading and long-term power purchasing agreements, and prior to that he was a solution delivery leader at Itron delivering technology solutions to many of the largest utilities in the country providing advanced metering and distribution automation solutions. Brian has a Bachelor of Business Administration from University of San Diego and a Master of Science in Technology Management from Pepperdine University. Brian and his wife live in Northern California along with their two daughters and two German Shorthaired Pointers.
Brigette Marlo Moran
CYLC Fellow and Student, Mt. San Antonio Community College
Brigette Marlo Moran
CYLC Fellow and Student, Mt. San Antonio Community CollegeBrigette Marlo Moran is honored to be part of the First Peoples Native Center (FNPC) team, where she also serves as a CYLC Fellow. Walking a path of healing, learning, and reconnection, she brings heart and purpose to her work. Of Mexica and Apache descent, Brigette has spent the past two years rediscovering her cultural roots and deepening her relationship with her ancestors and the land that has always held her. A former foster youth, her educational journey is both a pursuit of a better life and a powerful act of decolonization—reclaiming her mind, body, and spirit. As an Animal Science major, Brigette is passionate about the preservation of animal life and nature. Her love for the Earth began early, grounded by time spent caring for animals and learning to be resourceful with what the land offered. Though her upbringing lacked stability, it awakened in her a deep respect and gratitude for Mother Earth. Brigette finds joy in quiet moments—listening to jazz, hiking, reading, and visiting botanical gardens. Through building authentic relationships within her community, she continues to heal from generational trauma and strengthen her identity. As a CYLC Fellow, she is committed to creating lasting, positive impacts for both animals and the people who care for the land. She looks forward to sharing stories and growing together in community.
Brodie Bain
Principal, NAC Architecture
Brodie Bain
Principal, NAC ArchitectureBrodie Bain is a registered architect and certified planner with over 30 years of experience in higher education. Brodie’s aim is to help institutions achieve their mission through a supportive physical environment. This requires thinking strategically about actions and priorities within the context of an institution’s and a campus’ long-term vision. Her comprehensive understanding of colleges and universities through work in the full range of campus building types and planning studies affords a comparative perspective that is invaluable to clients. Brodie’s approach stems from a passion for listening to users and translating their needs into workable space within the context of physical opportunities and operational constraints. Her master plans include physical solutions that weave open space, connections and context with building function, placement and image. Most recently Brodie has endeavored to support social equity through solutions in the physical campus and has developed multiple sustainable master plans.
Chad King, PhD
Sustainability Development Leader, Sustainable Infrastructure, Johnson Controls
Chad King, PhD
Sustainability Development Leader, Sustainable Infrastructure, Johnson ControlsChad King is a Sustainability Development Leader at Johnson Controls with over 25 years of experience in sustainability, decarbonization, and resiliency. He supports municipalities, commercial and industrial companies, K-12 and university customers in developing sustainability and resiliency strategies and action planning that leads to project implementation. Chad has expertise in organizational sustainability vision and strategy, stakeholder engagement, sustainability and decarbonization planning, greenhouse gas auditing, ESG reporting, and project management. His work spans net zero emissions planning, renewable energy strategies, community and municipal sustainability planning. He has led implementation of programs such as employee education and engagement, transportation master plans, waste diversion efforts, local and sustainable procurement policies, and energy efficiency initiatives, with an emphasis on equity and access.
Christine Shen
Senior Sustainability Planner, City of West Hollywood
Christine Shen
Senior Sustainability Planner, City of West HollywoodChristine is passionate about equitable building decarbonization and the collaborative actions needed to address climate action, public health, and affordability. She currently leads the implementation of the City of West Hollywood’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, which includes the development of building performance standards (BPS) and BPS implementation programs.
Colleen FitzSimons
Project Manager, Energy and Sustainability Program, County of San Diego
Colleen FitzSimons
Project Manager, Energy and Sustainability Program, County of San DiegoColleen FitzSimons, PMP, CEM, LEED AP, is a Project Manager in the County of San Diego’s Energy and Sustainability Program, where she advances decarbonization and performance strategies across public facilities. Formerly Executive Director of the San Diego Green Building Council, she brings nearly two decades of experience in high- performance design, advocacy, and community education. For the Ramona Community Resource Center, Colleen provided sustainability guidance and verification support to achieve Net Zero Energy, reduced embodied carbon, and LEED Gold certification. She is dedicated to creating healthy, climate-positive communities through design and policy.
Danielle Martin Spicer
Studio Principal, AC Martin
Danielle Martin Spicer
Studio Principal, AC MartinDanielle Martin Spicer, AIA, DBIA is a Studio Principal at AC Martin, Inc, an architectural and planning firm. A Licensed Archtiect specializing in Higher Education and Progressive Design Build, she has delivered countless projects from Humboldt to San Diego with collaborative teams that bring the best ideas to the table for university and civic clients. She has programmed, managed, and constructed multiple LEED Platinum, Gold, and Net Zero Energy Buildings. She has recently completed the Chico State Behavioral and Social Science Bldg, which is Net Zero Energy, and is under construction on the Cal Poly Humboldt Engineering & Technology Bldg which is mass-timber. When not shepherding projects through design and construction, she is involved in the DBIA and running student charrettes for the USC School of Architecture Guild.
David Gottfried
Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Planet Systems & Co-founder, U.S. Green Building Council
David Gottfried
Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Planet Systems & Co-founder, U.S. Green Building CouncilDavid Gottfried is known as a father of the global green building movement, founding the U.S. Green Building Council and World Green Building Councils, now in about 80 countries – starting a global sustainable building movement with hundreds of thousands of projects in 181 countries, and hundreds of thousands of accredited professionals. Gottfried’s work focuses on transformation at scale with urgency. Gottfried serves as Chief Commercial Officer for Blue Planet Systems. The firm makes Synthetic Limestone [CaCO3] aggregate by a circular process including directly sequestering and then mineralizing CO2 from industrial plants and Direct Air Capture. The potential is for gigatonnes of CO2 permanently stored annually into carbon negative concrete. Gottfried is helping Blue Planet accelerate commercialization of the company’s carbon negative concrete for the built environment and coastal protection around the world. Previously, Gottfried was CEO of Reset360, Regenerative Ventures and its RegenNetwork. Gottfried started his career as a real estate developer and contractor, including Senior Vice President of Thomas Properties Group and Managing Director of its Green Building Fund. Gottfried hosts the Regen360 iTunes podcast with 80 episodes. His former residence was the highest rated LEED Platinum home in the world. Gottfried has a degree in Engineering and Resource Management from Stanford University, where he is a regular lecturer. Gottfried has received numerous leadership awards, including the WorldGBC Global Green Building Entrepreneurship Award, the Global Green Building Entrepreneurship Award, USGBC’s Leadership Award, and the USGBC Northern California Chapter’s Super Hero Award. He was inducted into the Green Industry Hall of Fame and named to the Purpose Economy 100. His bestselling book Explosion Green was a 2014 Indie Book Awards Winner and has a cover testimonial from President Clinton.
Debra Gerod, FAIA, LEED AP
Partner, Gruen Associates
Debra Gerod, FAIA, LEED AP
Partner, Gruen AssociatesDebra Gerod, FAIA, LEED AP, joined Gruen Associates in 1988 and was made a partner in 2002. Debra’s specialty is the collaborative design and delivery of complex, public-use projects. Projects have included event centers, performing arts venues, offices, museums, libraries, courthouses, embassies, transportation projects, parks and streetscapes. Amongst Debra’s recent projects are the recently opened LAX/Metro Transit Center, a new multi-modal station providing transit to the airport, the Audrey Irmas Pavilion at Wilshire Boulevard Temple and the renovation of the historic Tower Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Current projects include the renovation of the historic Pasadena Central Library and the Reimagination of the La Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum. Throughout her career, Debra has been an advocate for sustainable design and a promoter of decarbonization, building re-use, electrification, and renewable energy. During her tenure as the 2020 AIA|California President, Debra helped elevate the profession’s advocacy on climate action which led to scores of electrification ordinances and reach codes throughout the state. Additional impacts included legislation requiring increased professional education for architects in Zero Net Carbon Design along with a free ZNCD webinar series provided to all AIA members. Debra is a Regent for the California Architectural Foundation (CAF) and served as the 2020 President for AIA|California and 2016 President of AIA|Los Angeles. Debra volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and Heal the Bay and was a long-time board member for the ACE Mentor Program of Los Angeles. Debra was elevated to a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2013 and is the recipient of AIA|Los Angeles’ 2024 Gold Medal, the highest individual honor bestowed by the Chapter.
Deepinder Singh
Founder and CEO, 75F
Deepinder Singh
Founder and CEO, 75FDeepinder Singh co-founded 75F after having designed some of the world’s fastest core networks for Tier 1 service providers like AT&T, NTT and Verizon. With more than 25 years of experience in electronics and computing, he’s brought a wealth of embedded products to the market. His key goal in every endeavor is to simplify operational complexity and make products intuitive.
Diana Degenkolb
Principal Electrical Engineer, Stantec
Diana Degenkolb
Principal Electrical Engineer, StantecDiana is the principal electrical engineer leading Stantec’s Los Angeles-based electrical design team. As a technical specialist in commercial building design and building electrification—particularly in the transit sector—she is deeply committed to sustainability. Diana is passionate about the long-term impact of design and leverages new technologies and equipment to reduce the impact of electricity usage on the environment. Diana supports project management and technical reviews, emphasizing collaborative team dynamics, clear communication, and a solutions-oriented approach. Her work spans infrastructure for zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) charging, alternative fueling sources such as hydrogen, compressed natural gas (CNG), solar, and wind power, as well as daylighting systems integrated with automated shading and lighting controls. With a passion for innovation in all aspects of her work, she holds an electrical professional engineer license in three states, has her lighting certification (LC), and is a LEED accredited professional (AP). Her sustainability expertise includes work on USGBC LEED projects, net-zero designs, and Living Building Challenge initiatives.
Dre Hanna
Vice President, Festival Production, Goldenvoice
Dre Hanna
Vice President, Festival Production, GoldenvoiceDre Hanna is Vice President of Festival Production at Goldenvoice, the Los Angeles- based concert promoter behind some of the most iconic music festivals in the world—including Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Stagecoach Country Music Festival, Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, and San Francisco’s Portola Festival. In her role, Dre leads an exceptional team that designs and delivers large-scale, complex festival experiences attended by hundreds of thousands of people annually. With that scale comes an immense responsibility—not only to create unforgettable events but to do so with a deep commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable innovation. A passionate leader in the shift toward net-zero live events, Dre has spearheaded Goldenvoice’s decarbonization initiatives. She has introduced renewable diesel, solar farms, and hybrid power solutions, including battery-powered stages, across the company’s festival portfolio. Recognizing the importance of innovation at scale, she works closely with industry partners and technology providers to test low- and zero- emission energy solutions at smaller events before rolling them out to major festivals. Her efforts are helping to redefine what’s possible for sustainability in live entertainment. Dre is equally committed to fostering a more inclusive and equitable industry. Named to Billboard’s 2024 Women in Music list, she actively champions the advancement of women and BIPOC professionals in festival production—ensuring the next generation of talent is as diverse as the audiences they serve.
Dr. Luis Matias Barajas Saldaña
Sustainability Design Advisor, Perkins&Will
Dr. Luis Matias Barajas Saldaña
Sustainability Design Advisor, Perkins&WillDr. Barajas Saldaña has an Applied physics in Architecture Ph.D. with experience in advanced research-oriented to building physics, Energy and carbon analysis, with scope towards Regenerative design. Ph.D. and master’s in technology in architecture, building systems and urbanism from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and licensed Architect from the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, with a minor in Domotics, is a passionate educator focused on Bioclimatic Architecture, his work has dealt with building performance related to carbon impacts. Barajas has participated in the Smart Energy Regions initiative from the European Union Cooperation in Science and Technology program, and the Scientific National System of Researchers of Mexico. He has collaborated with the New York City Building Performance Lab as an applied research scientist. Barajas is a former faculty member of Rice University, City University of New York. And currently works as a Sustainability Design Advisor and Co-Director of the Performance Lab at Perkins&Will.
Dr. Primavera Reza-Nakonechny
Director, First Peoples Native Center, Mt. SAC
Dr. Primavera Reza-Nakonechny
Director, First Peoples Native Center, Mt. SACAs an Indigenous mother, wife, sister, daughter, Tía, niece, educator, and leader, I am committed to dismantling settler colonialism and centering the liberation of Native and Indigenous communities within higher education. My ancestry derives from the Tarahumara, or Rarámuri tribe within the unceded lands now known as Chihuahua, Mexico. Identifying as both Native and Indigenous, I am deeply aware of the complexities of intersecting identities. I centered my dissertation research on addressing colonial harm and amplifying Native presence within the community college context. As the inaugural director of the First Peoples Native Center, I strive to create spaces that honor and uplift our communities. Guided by my ancestors and the principle of planning for seven generations forward, I remain steadfast in my vision for transformative change. I previously earned my Associates degree from Glendale Community College, my Bachelors in History from CSU Los Angeles, Masters in Counseling and Student Development from Azusa Pacific University, and have recently completed my Doctor of Education degree also at APU, with a focus on Indigenous ways of knowing and storytelling.
Eera Babtiwale
Special Projects Director in Sustainability, Mt. San Antonio College
Eera Babtiwale
Special Projects Director in Sustainability, Mt. San Antonio CollegeAs the Special Projects Director of Sustainability at Mt. SAC, Eera is leading the charge to reduce the College’s carbon footprint, with the ambitious goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 through the implementation of the College’s Climate Action Plan. She works collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students to drive transformative sustainability initiatives across campus. Eera is spearheading a campus-wide solar energy initiative, exploring incentives to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and advancing a comprehensive decarbonization strategy aimed at reducing the College’s reliance on fossil fuels. A cornerstone of her leadership is the development and management of sustainability internships and fellowships, which engage over 30 students. These programs have proven to be deeply impactful—empowering students with hands-on experience, real-world problem-solving skills, and a platform to become the next generation of environmental leaders and change-makers. Eera is also a proud mother of three, motivated by a profound commitment to building a regenerative future for her children and generations to come.
Elizabeth Larsen
Senior Sustainability Engineer, Bala Consulting Engineers
Elizabeth Larsen
Senior Sustainability Engineer, Bala Consulting EngineersElizabeth is a Senior Sustainability Engineer at Bala. She completed her Master’s in Sustainable Engineering from Villanova University and has worked with Bala through the Villanova RISE Program. Elizabeth leads Bala's Sustainable Futures Group, a team of engineers who educate and research sustainability strategies and initiatives to help reduce the built environment's impact on climate change. She is passionate about designing projects that prioritize well-being, give back to the planet, and better serve our communities. Elizabeth’s thesis, Healthy Building - Healthy People: How Implementing Healthy Building Strategies Benefits Your Organization from a Holistic Systems Perspective, presents enlightening data about health and the triple bottom line. She has a Civil and Environmental Engineering degree from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and studied abroad at Novia University of Applied Sciences in Vaasa, Finland.
Emily Hand
Director & Chief of Staff, Verdical Group
Emily Hand
Director & Chief of Staff, Verdical GroupEmily Hand is Director & Chief of Staff at Verdical Group, responsible for business development for green building and sustainability projects nationally. She leads the Client Solutions team focused on pursuits, proposals, and teaming opportunities. In her role as Chief of Staff, she serves as an air traffic controller for Verdical Group's CEO and senior team; an integrator connecting work streams; and problem solver providing advisory and oversight for the company as a whole. With over 10 years in the industry, she has experience in project management and client relationship management working with a variety of clients and high performance projects. Her work helps clients achieve their building certification and sustainability & wellness goals and supports the firm’s mission to inspire a net zero future in our built environment.
Eric (Dr. Carbon) Carbonnier
Director of Sustainability, WATG & Wimberly Interiors
Eric (Dr. Carbon) Carbonnier
Director of Sustainability, WATG & Wimberly InteriorsDr. Carbon is an architect, researcher, and professor deeply devoted to cultivating sustainable practices and decarbonizing the built environment. His career started in global water and wastewater infrastructure projects followed by the planning, design, and construction of facilities used for primary and secondary education, and now designing sustainable hospitality development worldwide. Eric previously served as Chair of Sustainable Practices at Woodbury University and lead the development of a new undergraduate baccalaureate degree in sustainability. He is the Global Director of Sustainability at WATG and Wimberly Interiors focused on project decarbonization and operations across Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and the Americas to cultivate resilient environments in a rapidly changing world.
Eric Corey Freed
Principal, Director of Sustainability, CannonDesign
Eric Corey Freed
Principal, Director of Sustainability, CannonDesignEric Corey Freed is an award-winning architect, author, and global speaker. As Principal and Director of Sustainability for CannonDesign, he leads the healthcare, education, and commercial teams toward low-carbon, healthy, regenerative buildings for over 30 million square feet a year. For two decades, he was Founding Principal of organicARCHITECT, a visionary design leader in biophilic and regenerative design. His past roles include Vice President of the International Living Future Institute and Chief Community Officer of EcoDistricts, both nonprofits pushing innovative new paradigms for deep green buildings and communities. He serves on the board of Design Museum Everywhere, whose mission is to “bring the transformative power of design to all.” Eric is the author of 12 books, including "Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies” and "Circular Economy for Dummies." In 2012, he was named one of the 25 "Best Green Architecture Firms" in the US, and one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Green Architects." In 2017, he was named one of Build's American Architecture Top 25. He’s one of the 2021 Environment + Energy Leaders and in 2024, he was named the Net Zero Trailblazer for Innovation. He holds a prestigious LEED Fellow award from the US Green Building Council.
Esmeralda Ward, AIA, LEED AP
Associate Principal, NAC Architecture
Esmeralda Ward, AIA, LEED AP
Associate Principal, NAC ArchitectureEsmeralda Ward is an Associate Principal at NAC Architecture with over 20 years of experience in designing sustainable, resilient environments that support learning, wellness, and community enrichment. A recognized leader in LEED, CHPS, and zero net energy strategies, she also spearheads NAC’s firm-wide sustainability initiatives, integrating environmental goals with business operations. Esmeralda’s approach challenges conventional norms, advocating for deep sustainability aligned with client values and long-term impact. Her leadership brings clarity and optimism to the climate conversation, emphasizing design as a tool for stewardship and change. She holds degrees from the University of Virginia and the Southern California Institute of Architecture and is transitioning into the role of NAC’s inaugural Director of Sustainability to further advance the intersection of design, sustainability, and hope.
Esther Marguilies
Director Master of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism, USC School of Architecture
Esther Marguilies
Director Master of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism, USC School of ArchitectureEsther Margulies, ASLA, is a professor of practice and the director of the University of Southern California's Master of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism program in the School of Architecture. Her teaching and research are focused on climate adaptation in Southern California and the practice of urban landscape architecture. She is a licensed Landscape Architect in California and Massachusetts. As a practice leader at nationally recognized firms, her work has included award-winning cultural heritage, urban stormwater, education, housing, and open space projects. She is a long-time advocate of a revitalized Los Angeles River, serving on the City of Los Angeles River master plan team and as the co-founder of The Los Angeles River Public Art Project (LARA). Ms. Margulies received her undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University and her Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. She currently serves as a commissioner on the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission.
Evelyn Lee
National President, The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Evelyn Lee
National President, The American Institute of Architects (AIA)Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA, is a multi-faceted professional who uniquely blends her architectural background with a tech-driven focus. As an architect now immersed in the tech industry, she serves as an angel investor, startup advisor, and fractional COO for small and medium sized Architecture firms. Despite her career transition, Evelyn's passion for architecture remains unshaken, fueled by a deep admiration for the professionals in the field, their dedication to serving clients, and the indelible impact they imprint on communities. A sought-after speaker, Evelyn regularly shares her insights on the evolution of architecture practice, leadership and team development, the integration of technology in practice operations, and the exploration of alternative careers. She founded Practice of Architecture, a platform dedicated to helping small to medium-sized architecture and design practices build better business operations. Additionally, Evelyn hosts the podcast Practice Disrupted, where she delves into the latest trends and innovations reshaping the architectural profession. Outside of her architectural pursuits, Evelyn is a founding advisor for Women Defining AI, championing a more inclusive and diverse landscape in artificial intelligence. Evelyn Lee's leadership and forward-thinking approach will continue to guide the architectural profession toward new, uncharted directions, inspiring architects to embrace change, take risks, and redefine the boundaries of what is possible.
Farrah Farzaneh
Executive Director, Facility Planning, Sustainability & Construction, San Bernardino Community College District
Farrah Farzaneh
Executive Director, Facility Planning, Sustainability & Construction, San Bernardino Community College DistrictFarrah Farzaneh is the Executive Director of Facilities Planning, Construction & Sustainability at the San Bernardino Community College District (SBCCD), bringing over 15 years of expertise in program, project, and construction management. She is a Certified Construction Manager (CCM), Design-Build Professional (DBIA), LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP BD+C), and Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP). Farrah holds a Master’s in Construction Management and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a focus on Real Estate Development and Finance, both from the University of Southern California. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Public Administration at the University of La Verne, deepening her expertise in public sector infrastructure and sustainability policy. Her professional work is centered on integrating sustainability into construction projects, with a particular emphasis on Zero Net Energy (ZNE) ready buildings and building electrification. She actively contributes to several advisory boards, including the Green California Schools and Higher Education Summit and the Women in Leadership Executive Program at UC Riverside Extension. Farrah serves on the Board of Directors for the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Southern California Chapter, where she also chairs the Sustainability Committee. Additionally, she is a Board Member of USGBC California, reinforcing her commitment to advancing sustainability, equity, and innovation in construction and facilities management.
Fatima Saeed
Building Performance Engineer, A2 Efficiency
Fatima Saeed
Building Performance Engineer, A2 EfficiencyFatima Saeed is a Building Performance Engineer at A2 Efficiency, where she advances high-performance and net-zero energy design through whole-building energy modeling and sustainable systems analysis. She brings deep experience with IES VE and EnergyPro/CBECC-Com to support Title 24, ASHRAE 90.1, and LEED compliance. Prior to joining A2 Efficiency, Fatima worked as a Building Performance Analyst, where she developed energy models, daylight analyses, and life cycle cost assessments for new and existing buildings. She supported clients in achieving net-zero energy goals by implementing a range of measures related to building envelope, internal gains, room setpoints, and HVAC systems. Fatima also designed and implemented Python-based tools that used machine learning to streamline modeling workflows, cutting project time and boosting accuracy. She is passionate about combining engineering, software, and sustainability to help decarbonize the built environment and make high-performance design more accessible.
Gary Lai
Principle, Quixotic Nature-based Solutions
Gary Lai
Principle, Quixotic Nature-based SolutionsGary Lai is an accomplished landscape architect and thought leader in sustainability, resiliency, conservation, and Nature-based Solutions. Gary leverages over three decades of design and planning experience to steer large, complex projects to successful completion. His interest in drawing and environmentalism led him to a field that he describes as the ‘architecture of living things’ with an immense potential to impact quality of life for future generations. He has extensive expertise in site sustainability design, green infrastructure and water conservation that enable him to focus and maximize the creative energies of project collaborators toward innovative solutions. Gary is committed to local environmental advocacy and education. He has spoken at numerous conferences on a variety of sustainable and urbanist issues including the Net Zero Conference, Greenbuild and the California Green Building Conference. He is currently the Past-Chair of the Board of Directors for the United States Green Building Council, California (USGBC-CA), a founder of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) collaborative, Living Future Los Angeles and a co-founder for the New American Dream Think Tank. Professionally, Gary is a Lecturer at the CalPoly Pomona Landscape Architecture Department and is the Principal and Founder of Quixotic Nature-based Solutions based in Pasadena, CA.
Grecia Sanchez Arredondo
SEI Intern and Student, Mt. San Antonio Community College
Grecia Sanchez Arredondo
SEI Intern and Student, Mt. San Antonio Community CollegeGrecia Sanchez Arredondo is a student of Environmental Engineering at Mt. San Antonio College and a sustainability intern with Mt. SAC Sustainability. She has also served as intern with the Energize Colleges program, in collaboration with Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI) and Southern California Edison. She is currently working on the college’s greenhouse gas inventory, supporting Mt. SAC’s efforts to track and reduce campus emissions to net zero by 2050. In addition to her internship, Grecia has volunteered for sustainability events on campus, promoting environmental awareness and education. She is passionate about using engineering to drive innovation, improve processes and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by advancing clean energy solutions, sustainable infrastructure, and climate action to help build a more resilient and sustainable future.
Greg Kochanowski
Partner / Director of Design, Practice
Greg Kochanowski
Partner / Director of Design, PracticeGreg Kochanowski is a licensed architect, landscape designer, urbanist, and educator with over 25 years of experience in California. As Partner and Director of Design at Practice and Founder of The Wild, a 501(c)3 non-profit focusing on the impact of the climate crisis in urban environments, Greg leads research on wildfire resilience, and transdisciplinary design with a focus on resilient environments that harmonize natural systems, culture, infrastructure, and development. His work has been recognized locally and nationally by AIA, ASLA, the Architectural League of New York, and exhibited in the Venice and Rotterdam Biennales. Greg has lectured nationally and internationally on topics such as the Wildland Urban Interface, climate adaptation, and fire defense strategies. His publications include The Wild, which explores the dynamics of wildfire in Los Angeles, and he is currently working on Wildfire in the Expanded Field: Adaptive Design for Fire-Prone Futures, a forthcoming book with Routledge Press in 2026. Greg serves on the Board of the Community Design Group, is the Co-Chair of AIA LA’s Wildfire Recovery Taskforce, and is an adjunct faculty member at Woodbury University.
Harv Sidhu
CEO & Founder, Build Smartr
Harv Sidhu
CEO & Founder, Build SmartrHarv Sidhu is the CEO & Founder of Build Smartr, a prefab construction company that uses BIM and steel to build homes and buildings up to 25 stories. Build Smartr has completed over 30 projects and one of the tallest prefab buildings in Canada.
Heather Rosenberg
Associate Principal, Arup
Heather Rosenberg
Associate Principal, ArupHeather Rosenberg leads the Arup’s Resilience Planning and Policy in the Americas. She provides real world, implementable solutions to design, policy and finance at the nexus of resilience, equity and decarbonization. An ecologist by training, she has more than 25 years of experience helping organizations make better decisions and build internal capacity to respond to disasters. She works extensively with local governments, utilities, and non-profits to better understand the resilience of urban infrastructure and buildings, and how to leverage investments to support frontline communities. Before joining Arup, Heather was the founder and president of her own successful resilience strategy consulting practice, Fifth Road. She created the Building Resilience Network, a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to help public, private, and non-profit organizations weave physical, social and economic resilience into core operations. She is a USGBC Ginsberg Fellow, is a former mayoral appointee to the Los Angeles Innovation and Performance Commission and has served on many boards and committees. A lifelong Angeleno, she has been leading Arup’s long range wildfire recovery effort in Los Angeles.
Ian Merker AIA, LEED AP BD+C, DBIA
Associate Vice President, CannonDesign
Ian Merker AIA, LEED AP BD+C, DBIA
Associate Vice President, CannonDesignIan is a licensed Architect with over 20 years of experience in the industry, focusing on civic, K-12, and higher education projects. He is Associate Vice President of global multidisciplinary firm CannonDesign and is based in Sacramento. He currently serves as a commissioner for the Sacramento Preservation Commission. Ian’s academic background in regenerative studies and passion for sustainability and historic preservation inform his work. His expertise in innovative planning, programming, and design collaboration delivers successful projects. His portfolio exemplifies high-performance buildings and user-centered design. As an active member of the American Institute of Architects on local, regional, and national committees, Ian has engaged in meaningful mentorship and championed the industry’s greater commitment to climate action and design excellence.
Ida A. Clair
California State Architect, Department of General Services Division of the State Architect
Ida A. Clair
California State Architect, Department of General Services Division of the State ArchitectIda A. Clair, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, CASp, has led the Division of the State Architect since 2019 in providing design and construction oversight of public schools, community colleges, and state essential services buildings and accessibility plan review for state funded construction. In addition, Ida provides oversight for regulatory development for building standards for structural safety and sustainability for public schools and community colleges, and accessibility building standards for the state. Prior to her role as State Architect, and the DSA Principal Architect in headquarters since October 2016, where she managed the accessibility, sustainability, and fire & life safety programs for public K-12 schools and community colleges, directed CALGreen regulatory development applicable to school facilities, and directed CBC Chapter 11B accessibility regulatory development for the State of California.
Isha Mishra
Designer II, Assoc. AIA, LFA, LEED Green Associate, Perkins&Will
Isha Mishra
Designer II, Assoc. AIA, LFA, LEED Green Associate, Perkins&WillIsha is an architectural designer with diverse experience across life science labs, workplaces, healthcare, urban planning, campus masterplans, and design strategy. With a strong commitment to inclusive design, sustainability, and community impact, her multicultural background shapes her approach to creating spaces that resonate with diverse users. Passionate about green buildings, Isha integrates sustainable practices into her designs, balancing environmental and human considerations. She holds a Post-Professional Master’s in Environmental Building Design from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor's of Architecture from Virginia Tech. Isha’s work focuses on innovative, sustainable solutions, and she has contributed to high-impact projects prioritizing both environmental and social sustainability. At this conference, Isha will share insights on the risks of a net-zero future, examining the challenges and unintended consequences of pursuing net-zero emissions in the built environment, and offering strategies for creating a balanced, equitable path to sustainability.
Jackie Iturralde
Sustainability Intern, CYLC Fellow, and Student, Mt. San Antonio Community College
Jackie Iturralde
Sustainability Intern, CYLC Fellow, and Student, Mt. San Antonio Community CollegeJacqueline Iturralde is a proud first-generation Mexican American and the first in her family to attend college, currently representing Mt. San Antonio College. Her path to environmental advocacy began during a biology class field trip to Carrizo Plain National Monument. Among a diverse group of students, witnessing shooting stars and endangered Kit Foxes, Jacqueline realized that environmentalism looks different for everyone—and that each person’s contribution matters. Carrizo taught her that sustainability and stewardship aren’t one-size-fits-all, and that showing up authentically is enough to make a difference. Since then, she has served as an intern for Mt. SAC’s Sustainability Department and a research fellow in the CYLC Fellowship Program, deepening her commitment to climate justice and social equity. Jacqueline believes in empowering marginalized voices—especially youth—to lead in the fight for a more resilient, inclusive future. She remains committed to meeting people where they are, and helping shape a movement that reflects the strength of our differences.
Jaclyn Lee
Engineer, HOK
Jaclyn Lee
Engineer, HOKJaclyn is a structural engineer at HOK and manages the net-zero embodied carbon efforts firmwide within the structural engineering department. She tracks all the projects that come through HOK for compliance with an internal embodied carbon assessment policy. Her recent work in the realm of net-zero embodied carbon includes conducting whole building life cycle assessment on a new bio-tech building, an interiors-only LCA and a government retrofitted court/office building. She also developed and maintains the Embodied Carbon Action Plan for HOK.
James Werbe
Founder & CEO, Wayside Energy
James Werbe
Founder & CEO, Wayside EnergyJames Werbe is a filmmaker-turned-founder whose path runs through nonprofit service, hands-on engineering, and a love of entrepreneurship. He works where art, technology, and people meet, turning complex ideas into practical solutions that work in the field. Guided by his background in philosophy, he favors building choices that compound over time rather than quick wins. James has led teams, helped launch community initiatives, and brought products from sketch to deployment. He is a problem solver, curious, and focused on outcomes that last and serve others.
Jeffrey Bowling
Program Manager, AECOM
Jeffrey Bowling
Program Manager, AECOMJeffrey Bowling is a Program Manager at AECOM, a global infrastructure consulting firm, specializing in construction management and sustainability. Based in Ontario, California, he holds multiple professional certifications, including Master of Construction Management (MCM). He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Public Administration at the University of La Verne. He also holds certifications as a Certified Construction Manager (CCM), Associate Design-Build Professional (Assoc. DBIA), and Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP). Bowling is actively involved with the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Southern California Chapter, where he has served as the Events and Awards Committee Chair and past Sustainability Chair, and is the Vice-chair for the CMAA National Sustainability Subcommittee. He is a recognized advocate for sustainable construction practices, contributing to industry initiatives such as electric vehicle infrastructure education and sustainability project development.
Jennifer Wehling
Director of Sustainability, HMC Architects
Jennifer Wehling
Director of Sustainability, HMC ArchitectsJennifer Wehling is Director of Sustainability at HMC Architects. As an architect, Jennifer believes the designers of the built environment have a responsibility to protect human and environmental health. With a passion for sustainability and her efforts in leading millions of building square footage to LEED certification, she leverages her experience to help teams push the limits of sustainability while honoring each project’s unique opportunities and constraints. Over the past 25 years, Jennifer has worked on a wide variety of project types and sizes, working with teams to integrate sustainable design strategies, focusing on the delicate balance of environmental, social, and economic issues alongside the budget, scope, and schedule of a project, while maximizing the opportunities that come with the project location, team experience, and client priorities. As HMC’s director of sustainability, Jennifer leads strategic initiatives, like eliminating the firm’s carbon footprint, AIA 2030 and Material Pledge reporting, and sustainability education efforts firm wide. She aims to impact not just HMC’s designs, but its operations as well; guiding HMC in minimizing its footprint while maximizing its positive impact.
Jessica Schwartz
Architect, SILLMAN Architects
Jessica Schwartz
Architect, SILLMAN ArchitectsJessica Schwartz is a licensed architect at SILLMAN with over a decade of experience in community-centered design. She holds a Minor in Design for Sustainability from the Savannah College of Art and Design and brings a focused approach to environmental performance and wellness. Jessica was Project Designer for the LEED Gold and Net Zero Energy Ramona Community Resource Center. She brings deep knowledge of passive strategies, sustainable material use, and efficient water and energy systems, applying these principles across a range of public-serving projects. Her work emphasizes the human experience by creating healthy, engaging environments that connect people to place while supporting long-term sustainability goals.
Jessica Shaw
Engineering Project Manager, Stok
Jessica Shaw
Engineering Project Manager, StokJessica Shaw, LEED AP BD+C, is an Engineering Project Manager at Stok, where she leads monitoring-based commissioning, verification of zero net energy performance, and data management for sustainability reporting for public and private sector clients. As a consultant to the County of San Diego, she advances decarbonization and performance goals through electrification planning, Zero Net Energy strategies, and datadriven verification of building performance. With a background in electrical engineering and nearly a decade of project management experience, Jessica brings technical rigor and a collaborative approach to highperformance civic projects. Her work reflects a commitment to creating resilient, climatepositive facilities that support longterm environmental stewardship and community wellbeing.
John Busch
Manager, Codes, Standards & Compliance, Energy Code Specialist, Leviton
John Busch
Manager, Codes, Standards & Compliance, Energy Code Specialist, LevitonWith more than 30 years of experience in the electrical industry, John Busch has held roles spanning field service technician, electrical designer, design-build estimator and project manager, and field applications engineer for a manufacturer’s representative. He now serves as a Technical Sales Specialist in the Lighting & Energy Management Product Division at Leviton Manufacturing. Throughout his career, John has developed a comprehensive skill set that enables him to approach electrical design challenges with a solution-oriented perspective, providing valuable design-assist services to engineers, contractors, and end users.
Jonah Swick
Sustainable Design Lead, CannonDesign
Jonah Swick
Sustainable Design Lead, CannonDesignJonah has a Master's Degree in Regenerative Studies from Cal Poly Pomona and has been engaged in sustainable design and construction for 20 years. He has guided many projects through LEED certification and currently is a Sustainable Design Lead at CannonDesign.
Joseph Coriaty
Managing Partner, Frederick Fisher and Partners
Joseph Coriaty
Managing Partner, Frederick Fisher and PartnersJoseph Coriaty, FAIA, is a Managing Partner at Frederick Fisher and Partners, where he brings more than three decades of leadership to the design and delivery of sustainable, high-performance architecture. His work spans award-winning institutional, civic, and cultural projects throughout the country, shaped by his belief that the best architecture is both timeless and adaptable. He plays a central role in FF&P’s practice, guiding teams with clarity and care through all phases of design and construction, and ensuring that environmental performance is built into the process from the outset. His long-spanning accomplishments as a design leader and visionary architect were recognized in 2022 when he was honored by Craft Contemporary Museum in Los Angeles and in 2021 when he received the Spirit of Detroit Mercy Alumni Achievement Award. Joe received his Bachelor of Science and Architecture from the University of Detroit and his Master of Architecture from USC. He is on the Deans Board of Advisors at the University of Detroit Mercy, a Trustee of The Craft Contemporary Museum, a Fellow on The American Institute of Architects, and a member of the following organizations: USC Architecture Guild, and Carbon Built Board of Advisors.
Julia Trevizo
Clean Mobility Student Ambassador, Mt. San Antonio College
Julia Trevizo
Clean Mobility Student Ambassador, Mt. San Antonio CollegeJulia Trevizo is a proud Deaf ASL user and a passionate advocate for accessibility, sustainability, and mental health. She holds a degree from Mt. San Antonio College and is currently a full-time student at California State University, Fullerton, where she is double majoring in Psychology and Sociology. Julia previously served as a student ambassador for Clean Mobility, promoting sustainable and low-emission transportation options such as walking, biking, public transit, and electric vehicles. She helped organize impactful events like Clean Commute Week and e-mobility workshops, engaging over 100 participants and raising awareness around eco-friendly transportation solutions. Her work reflects a strong commitment to building inclusive, informed, and environmentally conscious communities.
Julian Parsley
Partner, Buro Happold
Julian Parsley
Partner, Buro HappoldJulian Parsley is a Partner in Buro Happold’s West Coast business, where he leads teams of consultants and engineers to deliver sustainability and decarbonization across buildings and portfolios. A licensed mechanical engineer with 20 years of experience, Julian has delivered complex projects with ambitious goals across a range of sectors and scales. This work spans from individual high-performance buildings to sustainable master planning and strategic consultancy in portfolio climate action planning and decarbonization. His recent work includes the groundbreaking net zero energy Santa Monica City Hall East project – a $60M all-electric net zero public building that has achieved the Living Building Challenge Ready certification. Other notable projects include the Anaheim ARTIC Terminal which uses ETFE to reduce embodied carbon and energy consumption; campus sustainable design guidelines for the University of Southern California; energy lead on the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Resilience framework; Energy consulting and EV Charger deployment for the City of Long Beach; and consultation with the City of Los Angeles on their building performance standards and embodied carbon policy development.
Justin Di Palo
National Sustainability Lead, Syska Hennessy Group
Justin Di Palo
National Sustainability Lead, Syska Hennessy GroupJustin Di Palo is a Licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer, ASHRAE Certified Decarbonization Professional (CDP), LEED AP, and WELL AP whose dedication to sustainability has led him to specialize in energy modeling and decarbonization consulting. As the National Sustainability Lead at Syska, Justin applies his passion for sustainability and decarbonization by employing whole building energy modeling to guide design decisions and optimize building performance. Justin strives to impact his clients’ building projects from concept to operation by emphasizing the importance and value of integrated, sustainable design. Justin's focus spans all market sectors, having worked on sustainable design projects in healthcare, commercial, aviation, civic, higher education, transportation, mixed-use residential, and hospitality markets. While each sector requires different design strategies, Justin approaches every project with the same principle: how to design a space that leaves a positive impact both on the environment and on the lives of the occupants. This is evident in his involvement in numerous projects that have achieved Net Zero Energy/Carbon, Living Building Challenge, and LEED Platinum, as well as his leadership in organizations such as the International Living Future Institute, USGBC, and ASHRAE.
Kate Anderson
Digital Sales Engineer, Johnson Controls
Kate Anderson
Digital Sales Engineer, Johnson ControlsAs a Digital Sales Engineer specializing in Johnson Control's OpenBlue Central Utility Plant product, Kate helps partners optimize their central plants to meet energy and sustainability objectives. Kate's journey in the energy efficiency sector began in 2016. Since then, she has accumulated extensive experience in various areas, including energy auditing, utility incentive programs, energy software solutions, and model-based predictive control. In addition to her professional role, Kate is deeply involved in promoting environmentally responsible practices and initiatives. She currently serves on the Programs Committee of the Illinois Green Alliance, where she collaborates with fellow sustainability professionals to advocate for NetZero practices and facilitate educational sessions and technical tours focusing on emerging technology and environmental stewardship. Kate recently moderated the Illinois Green Alliance Building Decarbonization Tech Series. Kate is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and a Master's in Energy Engineering from the University of Illinois Chicago. She works to use this knowledge to inspire and educate others on the path towards a greener future!
Katie Bowman
Sustainable Design Leader, HOK
Katie Bowman
Sustainable Design Leader, HOKKatie is a Sustainable Design Leader for HOK’s San Francisco and Seattle Studios. She brings over 30 years of insight to sustainability with her extensive experience in the world of design and construction. Katie has held several project roles including designer, manager, and technical lead on various project types including the San Francisco and Doha Airports, data center and workplace facilities for Google and over 30 workplace and hospitality interiors projects with a wide range of clients. Committed to work exclusively on LEED, WELL, Net Zero and other sustainability-focused projects, Katie leads integrated sustainable and regenerative design across HOK projects.
Kaylee Duncanson
Membership Manager, 1% for the Planet
Kaylee Duncanson
Membership Manager, 1% for the PlanetKaylee is the Membership Manager at 1% for the Planet, where she leads strategy, support, and communications for the organization's small business team. Since joining the organization in 2022, she has provided direct member support through resources and certification processes, developing deep expertise in improving programs for the 1% for the Planet network. Kaylee holds a degree in Natural Resource Policy and Management from Oregon State University, which sparked her passion for environmental work. Based in San Diego, California, she enjoys surfing and spending time in the ocean during her free time.
Keith Black
Regional Vice President & General Manager, CPower Energy
Keith Black
Regional Vice President & General Manager, CPower EnergyAs CPower’s Regional Vice President and General Manager for the Northeast, Keith has leveraged his unique combination of sales and operations expertise, energy business relationship development, channel development, sales opportunity identification and solutions management, backed by his intrinsic talent for building winning business strategies, to help the company and its customers achieve strong and sustainable financial gains. In leading CPower’s business and growth strategy for New England and New York, he has helped in expanding New England’s leading edge of solar, storage, and residential monetization and capturing market share in all aspects of the evolving DER landscape in New York. Succeeding in these exciting and cutting-edge DER opportunities has come with a complex array of technologies, controls and partner integrations, as well as a demanding and high touch for his team. A versatile, high-energy executive, he has extensive experience in leading high-performing teams, at businesses from Fortune 500 organizations through start-ups, and guiding companies to profitable growth. With more than 30 years of experience in the energy industry, he has become a trusted energy advisor to both prospects and customers, enabling them to reduce risk, lower costs and use renewable resources when possible.
Kylie Nealis
Senior Program Manager, Climate Justice, B Lab U.S. & Canada
Kylie Nealis
Senior Program Manager, Climate Justice, B Lab U.S. & CanadaKylie brings more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector to B Lab U.S. & Canada. Her experience ranges from community organizing and engagement, local policy advocacy, program development, volunteer management, strategic partnerships and marketing & communications. Prior to coming to B Lab U.S. & Canada, she was at Fair Trade USA for 7 years where she led their national advocacy program, Fair Trade Campaigns, and consumer marketing efforts. In her current role as Senior Program Manager for Climate Justice, she leads a business focused program around climate justice that uplifts and learns from frontline communities most impacted by climate change. Kylie thrives on collaborating, shifting power, and elevating the intersectionality between issues and movements. She lives in Oakland with her husband and four and a half year old daughter.
Lauren Greenberg
Full Time Faculty and Sustainability Coordinator, Mt. San Antonio College
Lauren Greenberg
Full Time Faculty and Sustainability Coordinator, Mt. San Antonio CollegeLauren Greenberg is a full-time professor at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC), where she teaches American Sign Language (ASL) and Sign Language Interpreting. She earned her Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies and Communication Equity from St. Catherine University. Recently, she has expanded her role by becoming the college's second Sustainability Coordinator. In this new position, Lauren focuses on integrating the three pillars of sustainability; planet, people, and prosperity into the campus community. She is particularly passionate about the people and social justice aspects, working to ensure that sustainability initiatives promote inclusivity and benefit underserved populations. Lauren’s efforts include incorporating eco-conscious practices into the Sign Language Interpreting curriculum and empowering students and faculty to embrace sustainable behaviors. She also leads LEAF courses, designed to teach other faculty members how to embed sustainability into their curricula campus-wide. Additionally, Lauren is mentoring student interns, fostering leadership in sustainability and social justice.
Leigh Kyle
Partner and Principal Designer, Spurlock Landscape Architects
Leigh Kyle
Partner and Principal Designer, Spurlock Landscape ArchitectsLeigh Kyle is a Partner and Principal Designer at Spurlock Landscape Architects, a San Diego-based landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with projects throughout the western region focused on our unique environmental challenges. Driven by a passion for connecting people and plants and the critical importance of cultivating the next generation of stewards, Leigh looks for opportunities to create learning landscapes that foster social and environmental engagement, awareness, and enrichment across project types, with a special focus on educational, civic and public open space projects. As a licensed landscape architect with an architecture background, Leigh brings 30 years of professional expertise, technical rigor, and sensitivity to the wide range of regional project conditions. Stimulated and inspired by collaboration and dialogue, Leigh’s communication and management skills and ability to embrace complexity in pursuit of creative and elegant solutions are integral to the success of her work.
Lily Carlson
Environmental Specialist, LA Sanitation and Environment
Lily Carlson
Environmental Specialist, LA Sanitation and EnvironmentLily graduated from UCLA in 2023 and since then has worked for the City of Los Angeles in LA Sanitation and Environment, where she leads the Biodiversity and Healthy Soils Programs.
Lisa Hannaman
Senior Advisor, Account Management, Southern California Edison
Lisa Hannaman
Senior Advisor, Account Management, Southern California EdisonLisa Hannaman is a Senior Account Manager with Southern California Edison’s Customer Solutions organization time with SCE, she has been responsible for overseeing a portfolio of Strategic and Energy Intensive customers spread throughout SCE’s 50,000 sq. mile territory. She is the Business Customer lead for all Building Electrification initiatives and GHG based pilot efforts. She has had significant success with assisting customers with their goals in the areas of energy efficiency, energy resiliency and emission reductions. She is an active member of several key customer groups and committees in the State of California.
Lorraine Moreno, ENV SP
Sustainability Officer, City of Los Angeles' Bureau of Engineering
Lorraine Moreno, ENV SP
Sustainability Officer, City of Los Angeles' Bureau of EngineeringLorraine Moreno (she/her) is a Sustainability Officer at the City of Los Angeles' Bureau of Engineering with the role of implementing resiliency and sustainability strategies in the planning, design and delivery process for capital improvement projects. Lorraine’s background is civil engineering with additional training in sustainable infrastructure and has a nearly 20 year career dedicated to overseeing the design and delivery of many green public works projects including projects successfully certified through LEED and Envision awards.
Lucy Lloyd
Architectural Designer, LMA / Adobeisnotsoftware
Lucy Lloyd
Architectural Designer, LMA / AdobeisnotsoftwareLucy received her Masters of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin in 2020 and is an architectural designer at Loescher Meachem Architects. Since joining the firm in 2021, Lucy has been a team-member on large-scale adaptive re-use projects in Los Angeles, and has been the lead designer on several desert residential projects. Lucy was part of the design team on Santiago Adobe, an off-grid adobe brick tiny home in Landers, CA. Lucy currently assists in organization and advocacy for Adobeisnotsoftware and leads design on several other earthen projects in the greater Joshua Tree area.
Lydia Olivier
Adjunct Professor, Cal Poly Pomona
Lydia Olivier
Adjunct Professor, Cal Poly PomonaLydia Olivier, MSRS, LEED BD+C is an adjunct professor at the Lyle Center of Regenerative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona, and currently pursuing a degree in the department of Anthropology at the University of California, Riverside. She was the past recipient of the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3) Fellowship, which allowed her to influence the university climate action plans through environmental justice narratives. Currently, Lydia is focusing on her research interests around critical geographies, and environmental education.
Mabell Garcia Paine
Founder & CEO, Viridis Consulting, LLC
Mabell Garcia Paine
Founder & CEO, Viridis Consulting, LLCMabell Garcia Paine is the founder and principal of Viridis Consulting, a Pasadena-based clean energy consultancy certified as a Minority Woman-Owned (MWBE) and Small Business (SBE). She brings over 25 years of experience advancing equitable clean energy solutions, with expertise spanning the full project lifecycle—from strategic planning to implementation. Mabell focuses on customer program design, decarbonization strategies, and stakeholder engagement, partnering with utilities, government agencies, airports and clean energy tech companies to deliver integrated, community-centered energy initiatives. She also serves as President of the Los Angeles chapter of Women in Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) and as a Commissioner for the City of Pasadena.
Marcos Rodriguez
Executive Director for Facilities & Operations, Bakersfield College
Marcos Rodriguez
Executive Director for Facilities & Operations, Bakersfield CollegeMarcos A. Rodriguez has remarkably impacted sustainability across four Kern County. K – 16 educational institutions for the last 21 years in facilities management. Beginning at Delano Union School District (DUSD), he was responsible for converting the entire yellow school bus fleet to operate on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). He also constructed the first joint education complex in Kern County while at the district. At California State University, Bakersfield Rodriguez developed strategic plans for tree programming, irrigation management, and upgrading energy management systems campuswide. While at Bakersfield City School District (BCSD), Rodriguez expanded on these efforts. He modernized countless campuses, constructed new sites, and developed twenty-nine solar projects. BCSD notably saved over $4 million in energy and over half a million gallons of water during his tenure. Voorhies Elementary became a net-zero energy campus, and MLK Elementary achieved net-zero energy and carbon designation. Finally, at Bakersfield College, he spearheaded three solar projects totaling 2.5 MW, a 752-kWhHr battery storage project, and one microgrid project (335 kWhHr). His commitment to trees earned BC campuses recognition as Tree Campus Higher Education accolade and as an official ArbNet Arboretum designation. Rodriguez still plays a key role in all Measure J bond construction programs districtwide.
Maria Espinosa
Commissioning Manager, Verdical Group
Maria Espinosa
Commissioning Manager, Verdical GroupMaria is a Commissioning Manager II at Verdical Group. She’s passionate about helping the environment and found that being a commissioning agent makes a huge impact on energy efficiency. Working on commissioning for Verdical Group projects pursuing LEED certification is a way for her to make the built environment a bit greener. She got her university degree as an engineer in Energy and Sustainable Development from Universidad del Valle de Mexico, where she learned the how-tos of clean energy and the impact of sustainability in various fields. She has a master’s degree in Project Management and an expert title in Environmental Management from the European Open Business School. Maria likes spending time outside, and being in contact with nature. Going hiking is one of her favorite activities. If there’s a climate strike near her, odds are you’ll find her there with her reused cardboard sign.
Matthew Porreca
Principal / Design Director, LPA Design Studios
Matthew Porreca
Principal / Design Director, LPA Design StudiosFor nearly three decades, Matthew Porreca, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, has been at the forefront of sustainability and passive design, driving innovation to achieve design excellence. He defines high-performance design through four key principles—performance, wellness, community, and experience—using project constraints as opportunities to push boundaries. His work has led to groundbreaking sustainable achievements, including downtown San Diego’s first LEED Platinum + Zero Net Energy office building (Makers Quarter), the first ZNE community college project pursuing Living Building Petal certification (Palomar College M+O), and the largest naturally ventilated building in Southern California (Pacific Center Research & Development). His latest endeavor, El Cerrito Permanent Supportive Housing, is the largest steel modular project on the West Coast. His holistic design approach prioritizes human-centered experiences, environmental responsiveness, and social connectivity—whether on college campuses, in affordable housing, or within public spaces. By embracing lean design and minimizing embodied carbon, he elevates architecture through rigorous detailing and the interplay of light, scale, and materiality.
Matthew Winter
Director of Mixed Use, LPA Design Studios
Matthew Winter
Director of Mixed Use, LPA Design StudiosMatthew Winter is the Director of Mixed Use at LPA Design Studios and has been responsible for the project management of a variety of award-winning projects of multiple typologies including housing, medical, civic, developer and mixed-use projects. His work on the Pacific Center Campus in Southern California received the 2017 American Architecture Award and the 2016 Best Project for Office/Retail/Mixed Use from ENR’s California’s Best Projects. He is currently serving on the Historic Resource Board of the City of San Diego. Additionally, he is President of beautifulPB, the non-profit that is managing the certification process for the Pacific Beach EcoDistrict. He has helped spearhead multiple community-led projects within the EcoDistrict, ranging from new bicycle paths, community mural events, new placemaking, municipal code, new park designations, and an EcoDistrict planning checklist for new development. He previously served on the Uptown Planning Board, and as a Director on the Pacific Beach Town Council.
Maung Winn
Principal, Buildings Mechanical, Stantec
Maung Winn
Principal, Buildings Mechanical, StantecMaung brings over 15 years of experience designing plumbing and fire protection systems, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. As the principal-in-charge of various on-call projects at Stantec, he brings in the appropriate resources and subject matter specialists to help each project succeed. Over the course of his career, Maung has worked on a wide range of projects including educational facilities, laboratories, net zero energy buildings, civic public safety buildings, high-rise apartments, retail spaces, restaurants, and other commercial developments. His deep understanding of his clients' needs and his team's need is crucial in delivering many successful projects.
Megumi Hironaka
Chair, AIA Los Angeles, Committee on the Environment (COTE)
Megumi Hironaka
Chair, AIA Los Angeles, Committee on the Environment (COTE)Megumi Hironaka brings over 20 years of experience in the planning, design, and construction of higher education, civic, and mixed-use developments throughout California. She brings a technical expertise in managing and producing all architectural project documentation with a focus on designing and developing highly sustainable and healthy buildings. As a WELL Accredited Professional, Megumi is dedicated to improving working and living environments through design solutions that promote creativity, well-being, and community. She has served as a Chair for the AIA Los Angeles, Committee on the Environment (COTE).
Mersy Maradiaga
Southwest Sustainability Manager, Turner Construction
Mersy Maradiaga
Southwest Sustainability Manager, Turner ConstructionMersy Maradiaga graduated as a civil engineer and has been working with Turner Construction for the past 8 years. She is the Sustainability Manager for the Southwest region. Her role consists of implementing Turner’s sustainability requirements at the jobsite i.e. ensuring jobsites are recycling 80% of the waste generated and monthly tracking of fuel, water and electricity usage. Turner has been #1 Green Contractor for the past 17 years and as a continuous effort towards sustainability, Turner requires all projects over 20M to track waste, fuel usage and utilities. Mersy is currently pushing for innovative ways to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by collaborating with trade partners on reducing product waste and the embodied carbon of materials. In the past, Mersy worked with Turner’s headquarters sustainability team where she analyzed the carbon impact of waste based on the amount of construction debris that is generated at Turner using their waste data history. A fun fact about Mersy is that she was the first Turner employee to achieve the USGBC TRUE Zero Waste accreditation.
Mick Dalrymple
Chief Sustainability Officer, University of Southern California
Mick Dalrymple
Chief Sustainability Officer, University of Southern CaliforniaMick Dalrymple, LEED Fellow (BD+C, Homes), serves the University of Southern California community as its inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer, working collaboratively to achieve the educational, research, and operational goals of USC’s Assignment: Earth sustainability leadership framework. Dalrymple previously helped Arizona State University achieve climate neutrality in 2019, six years ahead of schedule, and championed LEED-ND Gold certification for its expansive Novus Innovation Corridor. He led other public-private partnership projects domestically and internationally for ASU and its Walton Global Sustainability Solutions Services involving circular economy, algal biofuels, tree & shade master plans, green schools, and Energize Phoenix, an urban-scale energy efficiency program. Dalrymple was also fortunate to work with amazing changemakers to form the Arizona chapter of the US Green Building Council in 2001, host Greenbuild in 2009, and serve on the original Chapter Steering Committee and on the national Board of Directors, among several other committees. He is a produced feature film screenwriter with an extensive background in film & television production and visual effects. He also previously served as an Associate Partner in a global IT consulting firm, providing strategy, management, and information architecture to clients in the aerospace, controls, telecommunications, and entertainment industries. Aim high and implement.
Minh Le
General Manager for Energy and Environmental Services, County of Los Angeles' Internal Services Department
Minh Le
General Manager for Energy and Environmental Services, County of Los Angeles' Internal Services DepartmentMinh Le serves as the General Manager for Energy and Environmental Services for the County of Los Angeles’ Internal Services Department. His focus is to help the County and the region become more energy efficient, transition to zero emissions in the transportation sector, and deploy more renewable energy. Under his leadership, his team has deployed over 1,400 grid responsive Level 2 and DC Fast charging ports across LA County at government facilities with an ambitious goal of 15,000 to support the state’s shift towards zero emissions transportation. He has been supporting greater research collaborations and utilizing the government infrastructure as a living laboratory for deployment of advanced energy technologies. Prior to his current role, Minh served at the federal level at the Department of Energy. He led the Solar Energy Technologies Office and the SunShot Initiative and latter served at the Office of Management and Budget to support energy and water innovation policy and investments. Earlier in his career, Minh worked to scale domestic manufacturing of solar and semiconductors in the private sector. Minh earned his SM and SB degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Naoko Miyano
Design Director / Associate Principal, AC Martin
Naoko Miyano
Design Director / Associate Principal, AC MartinNaoko Miyano is a licensed architect and Design Director at AC Martin. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked on a diverse range of projects, including higher education, civic, mixed-use, and hospitality. Her passion is designing environments that inspire both people and their communities. She takes a holistic approach to each project by integrating natural materials, maximizing daylight, and enhancing energy efficiency to promote wellness and sustainability. Beyond her professional practice, Naoko actively volunteers her time and skills to community-based initiatives, supporting future generations and advocating for design that empowers human and ecological communities.
Neil Bulger
Principal, Founder, A2 Efficiency
Neil Bulger
Principal, Founder, A2 EfficiencyNeil Bulger is a professional engineer and founder of A2 Efficiency, an energy efficiency consulting company focused on scaling solutions to decarbonize the building environment. He has worked as an energy consultant for the past 18 years working on some of the first commercial net zero energy projects in the US. He currently leads a team of consultants working with developers and designers, focused on specific buildings to reduce their energy use, as well as on advancing energy codes and efficiency program design and development.
Neil Steiner
Vice President, Glumac
Neil Steiner
Vice President, GlumacOver the last 15 years, Neil has focused his professional efforts on realizing dozens of high-performance projects within the public sector. As a licensed mechanical engineer and Vice President at Glumac, Neil is responsible for project success across a range of types and vintages in northern California. As witnessed by his extensive sustainable project experience, his craving for adaptation drives him to continually advance the building industry through efficiency, innovation, and big picture collaboration.
Nestor McKenna
Assistant Director, City of Los Angeles
Nestor McKenna
Assistant Director, City of Los AngelesNestor McKenna is an Assistant Director with the City of Los Angeles General Services Department, Building Maintenance Division (BMD). He leads BMD’s End of Life Decarbonization Program, Solar Maintenance Group, and oversees the Energy & Water Management (EWM) Group, and the the Projects Group. Nestor manages a citywide Building Condition Assessment initiative and directs a pilot program across 607 City facilities to replace end-of-life gas-powered systems with electric alternatives. Through the EWM Group, he leads efforts to evaluate building energy and water performance through commissioning and retro-commissioning, implementing targeted efficiency measures. The Projects Group focuses on replacing major building systems nearing the end of their useful life. He also oversees the maintenance of solar photovoltaic systems and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), ensuring long-term performance and reliability. In addition, Nestor is spearheading training programs to equip staff and crews with the skills needed to support the City’s decarbonization goals. Beginning his City career in 2002 as an HVAC mechanic, Nestor brings over two decades of technical expertise and operational insight to help drive Los Angeles’ transition to Net Zero.
Nico Predock
Sustainability Analyst, City of Santa Monica
Nico Predock
Sustainability Analyst, City of Santa MonicaAs a Sustainability Analyst with the City of Santa Monica Office of Sustainability and the Environment, Nico supports the City's climate priorities through existing building decarbonization policy development and coastal adaptation. With a degree in Environmental Science from Colorado College, Nico is passionate about preserving the natural world through climate action.
Nurit Katz
Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA and Commissioner, LADWP
Nurit Katz
Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA and Commissioner, LADWPUCLA’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, Nurit Katz is working to foster partnerships among academic, research, and operational departments to facilitate creating a world class living laboratory for sustainability at UCLA. Nurit currently serves as Commissioner on the Board of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. She also served as Executive Officer for UCLA Facilities Management and is an Instructor for UCLA Extension’s Sustainability Certificate Program. Nurit is an urban ecology researcher and a member of the City of Los Angeles Biodiversity Expert Council. Ms. Katz is the Co-Director for the Los Angeles Raptor Study, a community science based study of nesting raptors in LA, supported by Friends of Griffith Park. Nurit holds an MBA and a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA and a BA in Environmental Education from Humboldt State University, and is pursuing a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Pablo La Roche
Principal/ Director Sustainable Design Services, Arcadis
Pablo La Roche
Principal/ Director Sustainable Design Services, ArcadisPablo La Roche Ph.D. LEED AP BD+C is a Principal & Global Director Sustainable Design Services at ARCADIS where he leads the Architecture and Urbanism division’s sustainability initiatives and works on projects worldwide. He is also a tenured Professor of Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona where he was also interim director of the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies. Pablo has a Ph.D. from UCLA and has authored over 150 technical papers and books, including three editions of his book “Carbon Neutral Architectural Design”. He speaks in events worldwide and has reviewed articles in conferences and journals, juried architecture awards for the AIA, and chaired the Passive Low Energy Architecture 2016 conference in Los Angeles. He was president of the Society of Building Science Educators, and his awards include a Fulbright, a Chancellors Scholarship from UCLA, the USGBC IMPACT Award, the NCARB Grand Prize representing the Department of Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona, finalist in the 2016 Biennale Land Art Generator Initiative design competition, and with CRTKL an AIA LA NextLA 2021 citation award for terminal II at Guadalajara airport. His students have also received many awards in architecture competitions, including the COTE Top Ten for Students.
Patrick Acosta
Building Systems Technician, City of Santa Monica
Patrick Acosta
Building Systems Technician, City of Santa MonicaPatrick James Acosta II is a Santa Monica resident and proud product of the city’s public schools. Born and raised here, after graduating from Santa Monica High School, he then earned two Associate degrees at Santa Monica College and a Bachelor’s in History with a minor in Urban & Regional Studies from UCLA. For more than 12 years, Patrick has served on the City of Santa Monica’s Public Works team, where he is currently the Building Technician for City Hall East—the world’s most sustainable municipal building. He oversees complex building systems, ensuring smooth operation and performance that meets the Living Building Challenge Certification standards, keeping the facility net zero in energy, water, and waste. A former student-athlete, Patrick brings teamwork, discipline, and problem-solving to every role. He remains deeply committed to serving his hometown, whether improving infrastructure, advancing sustainability, or advocating for greater educational access for local students.
Patrick Riddle
Project Manager, HOK
Patrick Riddle
Project Manager, HOKPatrick is a registered architect and Project Manager with HOK. In his twenty years in the design industry, Patrick has focused on technically sophisticated project types including over ten years focused on airport projects. Patrick emphasizes and fosters collaboration among all design disciplines to create buildings where the performance and operation of the systems aa well as the experience of the occupants are considered equally in the overall success of the design.
Raina Halabi
LCA & EPD Consultant, One Click LCA
Raina Halabi
LCA & EPD Consultant, One Click LCARaina Halabi is a sustainability strategist with a career rooted in advancing climate solutions across clean tech, responsible investment, and low-carbon product development. She works at the intersection of technology and environmental performance, helping construction and manufacturing teams apply data-driven methods to assess and reduce environmental impacts. At One Click LCA, she supports clients in conducting life-cycle assessments (LCAs) and producing environmental product declarations (EPDs) using AI-powered tools. Her work enables organizations to integrate measurable sustainability performance into design, procurement, and reporting workflows — designing systems that are not only efficient, but structured to support long-term decarbonization at scale.
Rawaa Milner
Management Consulting Leader, Sustainability Practice, Accenture
Rawaa Milner
Management Consulting Leader, Sustainability Practice, AccentureRawaa Milner is a leader in Accenture’s sustainability practice, where she applies her expertise in strategic planning, execution, and systems thinking to tackle complex sustainability challenges. With a Master's degrees in Civil Engineering/Water Resources and Media Psychology, she has over two decades of experience bridging technological innovation and strategic implementation in sustainability. Rawaa has held pivotal roles in multinational corporations and served as permanent staff with the United Nations Development Programme. In her current role, she enhances sustainability outcomes for businesses and communities by developing corporate sustainability strategies, leading water and climate agendas, and integrating sustainable technologies into operations. Her collaborative approach and technical skills advance enterprise sustainability performance and growth. Rawaa's experience spans the food and beverage, utilities, high tech, semiconductor, real estate, and international development sectors. Her expertise includes corporate net zero programming, sustainable supply chains, water resources management, and water-energy interdependencies.
Rebecca Ferdman
Policy Director, Los Angeles County
Rebecca Ferdman
Policy Director, Los Angeles CountyRebecca Ferdman is a Policy Director for the Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office. Her areas of focus include urban ecology and biodiversity, climate resilient infrastructure, and building decarbonization. Rebecca received her Master of Urban and Regional Planning and Master of Public Health at UCLA and undergraduate degrees in environmental studies and neuroscience at USC.
Rebecca Ramsdale
Director of Projects, Verdical Group
Rebecca Ramsdale
Director of Projects, Verdical GroupRebecca is confident that the city of the future is regenerative and can thrive in harmony with nature. As the Director of Projects at Verdical Group, she oversees a variety of high-performance buildings and client carbon reporting projects. She provides clients with a roadmap toward achieving their carbon reduction and reporting goals. Rebecca joined Verdical Group from the general contracting industry where she gained valuable experience as a project engineer, project manager, and estimator. These roles enhanced her managing skills for project schedules and budgets, field-work, and communication, all with the highest level of quality and attention to detail. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola Marymount University where she studied Natural Science and Civil Engineering. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys exploring the great outdoors, with a goal to visit all 63 US National Parks.
Reilly Loveland
Associate Director, New Buildings Institute
Reilly Loveland
Associate Director, New Buildings InstituteReilly Loveland is an Associate Director at New Buildings Institute (NBI), a national non-profit organization dedicated to research and developing leading edge practices and technology applications for high performance buildings and translating them into innovative and practical solutions for building professionals, government agencies and utility energy efficiency programs. At NBI, Reilly focuses on energy efficiency and decarbonization in schools, which includes work developing educational opportunities and resources for a better understanding of healthy and energy efficient schools. The program’s focus is on drastic energy and cost reduction in K-12 schools to ensure optimal spaces for students and staff to work, learn, and play. Reilly also designs and develops NBI workshops, public engagement materials, and other technical and market transformation resources. Reilly has received several awards including USGBC Women in Green, USGBC Center for Green School’s Ambassador Award, and the NEEA Rising Star Award for her work advocating for sustainable schools.
Rocio Gertler
Principal / Design Director, LPA Design Studios
Rocio Gertler
Principal / Design Director, LPA Design StudiosA leading advocate for a collaborative, research-based approach to landscape architecture, Rocio is focused on creating spaces that are provocative, functional, responsible, and unforgettable. With a background in architecture, she brings a rare ability to connect outdoor environments with the built form, designing spaces that work better for users. Her career spans a wide range of transformative projects across sectors. In mixed-use development, she has contributed to El Cerrito, Pacific Village Platinum Campus, and LifeMoves. In education, she played a key role in the UC San Diego RIMAC Expansion. Her life science work includes the award-winning Campus Pointe Phase 1. In healthcare, she led the landscape design for Kaiser Clairemont Medical Office Building. Rocio’s civic work reflects a strong commitment to community-focused design, with projects such as the Tracy Multigenerational Recreation Center, El Pescadero Park, Campbell Police Department, Grape Day Park Master Plan, and the upcoming Space Shuttle Museum. “I believe great design creates emotion,” Rocio says. “It starts with understanding the user, the site, and the story.”
Roque Armenta
Senior Program Director, California Youth Leadership Corp
Roque Armenta
Senior Program Director, California Youth Leadership CorpRoque grew up in Southeast LA and has over 20 years experience as a grassroots organizer working for both local and statewide organizations advancing racial justice and equity in California. They lead the Environmental Justice Career Pathway for The Community Learning Partnership - California Youth Leadership Corp (CLP-CYLC) where they integrate their knowledge of youth organizing, student engagement and leadership development.
Ruben Zuniga
Owner-Contractor, Plinth Build (dba Organica Creations LLC.)
Ruben Zuniga
Owner-Contractor, Plinth Build (dba Organica Creations LLC.)Ruben Zuniga is a native southern California general contractor that owns and operates Organica Creations LLC dba Plinth Build Company since 2013, a design/build fabrication studio specializing in both residential/commercial with a focus on high-end modern, mid century, craftsman homes and local vernacular restoration and conservation projects. Ruben has been building since the age of sixteen and ranching since the age of nine, with more than twenty years experience in metal fabrication both structural and ornamental. Growing up half his life on his family farm in the mountains of Jalisco, Mexico he was introduced to traditional forms of construction techniques such as adobe, stone masonry, rammed earth (tapial) early on. Through additional workshops and builds, he has worked with straw bale, CEB construction, super adobe, earthship and most alternative building practices. His expertise is the culmination of directly building, first-hand, a rich catalog of structures and furnishings while collaborating with private clientele, home owners, celebrities, producers, architects, designers , academia and the agricultural sector.
Ryan Lobello
Director, Handel Architects
Ryan Lobello
Director, Handel ArchitectsRyan Lobello is a Director at Handel Architects, which he joined in 2012. Mr. Lobello has focused on sustainably designed high-rise residential and mixed-use projects, and is currently serving as Project Manager for a 3-building 660,000 SF mixed-use development in Atlanta, adjacent to the landmark Ponce City Market building. The project has an aggressive decarbonization strategy, featuring all-electric technology, and includes a mass timber office building called 619 Ponce, a 400-key hospitality tower, 160-unit residential building along the Atlanta BeltLine, and 50,000 SF of vibrant retail. Mr. Lobello’s previous work at Handel Architects includes serving as Project Architect for Cornell Tech’s residential tower, The House, which was the largest Passive House residential building in the world when it was completed in 2017. Mr. Lobello then served as Project Architect for Sendero Verde, Handel Architects’ new 100% affordable project in East Harlem, NY. Completed in 2024, Sendero Verde is the world’s largest fully affordable Passive House building. Mr. Lobello received his Master of Architecture from the University of Cincinnati. He is a licensed architect in Illinois and Colorado, and Certified Passive House Designer. He is a member of the AIA, ULI, and New York Passive House.
Santiago Flores
Founder & CEO, Pure Energy Stream
Santiago Flores
Founder & CEO, Pure Energy StreamSantiago Flores is the Founder & CEO of Pure Energy Stream, with over a decade of finance and operations experience spanning with debt securities, tax equity, private equity, capital markets, and carbon credit markets, Mr. Flores ventured out on his own to develop the most advanced energy recycling and whole facility management system, EcoMAXIM. The enterprise model developed here, rolls out multiple streams of revenue and tax equity to a scalable deep-tech subscription platform that drives recurring revenue. Santiago leads innovation, partnerships, and growth, ensuring EcoMAXIM delivers real-world impact for both private and civic institutions. A sales-driven and mission-focused leader, he combines financial expertise with a commitment to carbon neutrality and measurable results.
Sarah Rege
Senior Sustainability Director, Webcor
Sarah Rege
Senior Sustainability Director, WebcorAs Webcor’s Senior Sustainability Director, Sarah Rege (AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP, NCARB, TRUE Advisor, Fitwel Ambassador, and California-licensed architect) leads all sustainability-related initiatives throughout the company’s various California regions. Her 25-year career in the architecture/engineering/construction industry spans commercial office, civic/administration, high-rise multi-family residential, and early childhood education projects, several of which were delivered under the design-build and progressive design-build models. Sarah’s career in AEC integrates her two passions—art and building—and is fueled by her unique design perspectives and integrated sustainability strategies. A staunch champion of healthy buildings and their benefits to end-users, Sarah approaches building design through the lens of its relationship to its environment and community. She sees each building as a single community of pieces, people, and parts that work together in harmony to deliver a beautiful, fully functional structure that will serve its surrounding community for decades to come.
Sean Armstrong
Managing Principal, Redwood Energy
Sean Armstrong
Managing Principal, Redwood EnergySean Armstrong is the Managing Principal of Redwood Energy, founded in 2011 as the nation’s first all-electric design consultancy. Between 2007 and 2020, Sean led the design of half the Zero Net Energy residences built in California, and 1/4th the ZNE residences in North America, all of them deed-restricted affordable housing. His projects were the first all-electric, Zero Net Energy apartments in the U.S., and also the first all-electric, ZNE housing subdivisions in the U.S. Following his mother-in-law’s death due to the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa, CA, Sean hired leading environmental lawyers in 2018 to devise municipal, county and state legal strategies to ban gas in buildings that were adopted by Berkeley and 80+ governments nation-wide, co-authored 7 practical guides to building electrification, co-created the Watt Diet, and created specifications for 120V heat pump water heaters, 120V cold climate window heat pumps, and 120V induction stoves that have been used by California and New York funding agencies and utilities. Sean has received two Innovation prizes for his early ZNE projects from the DOE, and then two Grand Prizes from the California Building Industry (2016) and the United Nations (2017). Sean was inducted into California’s Clean Energy Hall of Fame in 2022.
Sherrell Dorsey
Journalist, Author, Host of TED Tech
Sherrell Dorsey
Journalist, Author, Host of TED TechSherrell Dorsey is an award-winning data journalist, entrepreneur, speaker, and author shaping stories and big ideas on the future of climate tech, sustainability investing, technology, and the future of work. She founded The Plug in 2016, the first Black data-driven tech news publication to syndicate on the Bloomberg Terminal, which was acquired by ImpactAlpha in 2023. As the host of the TED Tech podcast, Sherrell offers expert commentary on technologies that are transforming society and creating opportunities for underserved communities to participate in the future of work. Her column “Power Up” at Inc. Magazine highlights and amplifies the work of women leaders who are driving innovation and making an impact in the sustainability and climate tech sectors. Her book, Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us, published by Wiley in 2021, provides practical resources to help everyday people retrain for high-demand careers in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Sherrell has graced stages as a keynote speaker and moderator at global companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Accenture, and Cisco. Her insights on finance, technology, and ESG have been featured in major outlets such as Vice, The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, The Information, and Columbia Journalism Review. She holds a Master's degree in data journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in international trade and marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology. In 2025 she was named to Black Enterprise’s 40 Under 40 List and awarded an Aspen Institute Fellowship.
Shreshth Nagpal
CEO, Carbon Signal
Shreshth Nagpal
CEO, Carbon SignalShreshth Nagpal is Co-Founder and CEO at Carbon Signal. For the past twenty five years, Shreshth's professional focus has been to understand and model building performance that results from the interaction between envelope configuration, climatic context, functional requirements, conditioning systems, and occupant behavior. His doctoral research focused on developing automated workflows to construct portfolio-wide energy models that are designed to systematically explore future energy scenarios and identify areas of maximum potential savings. Shreshth enjoys applying analytics and AI to facilitate the decarbonization of the built environment at scale. He is skilled at translating complex energy analysis for diverse audiences and operates at the intersection of machine learning, environmental design, and building physics.
Siddhant Jain
Project Engineer, Saiful Bouquet Structural Engineers
Siddhant Jain
Project Engineer, Saiful Bouquet Structural EngineersSid Jain is a Project Engineer at Saiful Bouquet Structural Engineers in Los Angeles, dedicated to advancing sustainable structural engineering through collaborative design. Holding Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in structural engineering from UCLA, Sid brings his expertise and problem-solving abilities to projects including One Beverly Hills complex, SantaMonica High School Exploration & Gymnasium building, and Children’s Hospital of Orange County Southwest Tower. His experience covers steel, concrete, and masonry design, plus structural analysis, and modeling. Sid values collaboration with architects and other disciplines on integrated design approaches and is interested in the evolving landscape of sustainability within the AEC industry.
Sonam Shah
Associate Principal, Introba
Sonam Shah
Associate Principal, IntrobaSonam Shah is an Associate Principal in the Energy Strategy practice at Introba. She brings nearly 15 years of experience across consulting and client-side roles, specializing in portfolio-scale decarbonization, energy assessments, electrification of thermal infrastructure, and optimization of storage and renewables for cost-effective grid integration. Prior to joining Introba, Sonam worked as a Building Systems Lead in Google's real estate and workplace services group, where she advanced sustainable and resilient design strategies at scale. Sonam approaches each project through the lens of holistic, high-performance design- bridging planning, implementation, and long-term operations. A licensed mechanical engineer, she draws on her technical foundation to deliver low-carbon, energy-efficient, scalable, and resilient solutions. Sonam is based in Oakland, California.
Sophie Pennetier
Founder, Digne & Adjunct Faculty, Sci-Arc
Sophie Pennetier
Founder, Digne & Adjunct Faculty, Sci-Arc
Sophie is a structural engineer with 18 years of experience in façades and sustainability. She founded Digne in 2024 to advance decarbonization in the built environment, supporting both manufacturers and non-profits. Digne’s work includes glass supply-chain LCAs, recycling research and innovation, carbon-informed design and procurement support for manufacturers such as Enclos, along with other circularity initiatives. Her career spans from consulting (RFR, GNA, SHoP Construction, Arup) to contracting with Enclos in 2018, where she led the company’s sustainability efforts until 2024, culminating in Enclos’ first custom curtainwall EPDs. In 2025, Digne was selected for the USGBC-CA Net Zero Accelerator cohort, a program advancing innovative companies reducing carbon in the built environment, giving Digne a platform to scale its impact and work with industry leaders on decarbonization.
Since 2021, Sophie has served as Adjunct Faculty at SCI-Arc, teaching Structures, Facade Tectonics, and Embodied Carbon. On the Board of Directors of the Facade Tectonics Institute, she established the FTI Carbon research group, initiated the WUI Fire Facades workgroup, and expanded FTI’s educational programming. In 2023, she received the US Glass Sustainability Award in the individual category, recognizing her contributions through research, publications, advocacy, and education.
Sri Sukhi
Founder & CEO, Atrium Energy
Sri Sukhi
Founder & CEO, Atrium EnergySri Sukhi is Founder & CEO of Atrium Energy, a serial entrepreneur with 20+ years in energy, software, and startups. Former Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Schneider Electric and Johnson Controls, focused on innovative decarbonization business models. Previously Head of Energy Analytics at SunPower managing 300,000+ customers' energy data and prior to that a Technical Director for Dell/EMC. Studied Data Science and Energy Innovation at Stanford. USGBC-CA member with deep expertise in unlocking cash flow from commercial building energy & water operations as well as AI-powered energy management.
Stacey Olson
Director of Sustainability | Global Wellness Leader, Gensler
Stacey Olson
Director of Sustainability | Global Wellness Leader, GenslerStacey A. Olson, LEED Fellow, CID, EcoDistricts AP, Fitwel Ambassador, is Gensler’s Global Wellness Leader and Director of Sustainable Design. Renowned for turning ESG ambition into measurable results, she integrates data-driven strategies with high-performance design to elevate workplace, real-estate, and facilities outcomes. Stacey’s portfolio spans workplace, education, aviation, sports, hospitality, retail, and healthcare, where she consistently quantifies design’s impact on health, productivity, and asset value. Stacey holds an MLA in Global Development Practice from Harvard University, degrees from the University of California, Irvine and the Interior Designer’s Institute, plus graduate certificates in Sustainable Development and Health & Society. Drawing on this interdisciplinary grounding, she partners with organizations to align sustainability, wellness, and business objectives—strengthening employee well-being, organizational culture, and long-term resilience. A sought-after speaker on ESG, healthy buildings, material optimization, and the future of wellness-driven design, Stacey equips HR, facilities, and real-estate leaders with actionable frameworks to create people-centric, performance-driven environments.
Stephanie Landregan
Director, UCLA Extension Landscape Architecture Program
Stephanie Landregan
Director, UCLA Extension Landscape Architecture ProgramStephanie Landregan, FASLA, is the Director for the Landscape Architecture Program and the Horticulture & Gardening Program at UCLA Extension. Her areas of teaching include natural systems design, green infrastructure storm water design, community facilitation, water conservation design and installation, and pollinator design. Previously as the Chief Landscape Architect for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Stephanie worked for nine years in the Wildlife Urban Interface (WUI) in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Stephanie is one of the co-founders of Altadena Green, a fire response group working to save the private trees in Altadena. In February 2025 she supported the Blue-Ribbon Commission on Fire-Safety Recovery initiated by Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk. Ms. Landregan is the Governor’s landscape architect appointee to the State Mining and Geology Board, serving for her third 4-year term (2022-2026). Stephanie is one of two So California Council ASLA Directors. Ms. Landregan is a registered licensed landscape architect in the State of California, 4093 and a LEED Accredited Professional BD+C. She holds a Bachelor of Art from the University of Kentucky in 3-Dimensional Design, and a Master of Science in Project Management from UW Platteville.
Summer Dean
Environmentalist
Summer Dean
EnvironmentalistSummer Dean, aka Climate Diva, is a celebrated environmental creative, slow fashion advocate, and climate educator dedicated to healing our broken relationship with the Earth. With a background in environmental science and experience spanning renewable energy, climate science, policy advocacy, air quality science, and zero-emissions mobility, she merges expertise with storytelling to inspire action. Through Climate Diva Media, she produces interdisciplinary creative content and consulting services that weave sustainability into fashion, wellness, and climate. Summer’s work spans creative direction, film production, and social media, making sustainability accessible and engaging across industries, and she was named one of Harvard’s Climate Creators to Watch and Bustle's Eco It Girl in 2025.
Tim Blood
Regional Preconstruction Manager, Turner Construction
Tim Blood
Regional Preconstruction Manager, Turner ConstructionTim Blood is the Regional Preconstruction Manager for the Sacramento and Central Valley regions. He provides preconstruction and estimating leadership from project inception through the start of construction. As a Regional Preconstruction Manager at Turner Construction, Tim drives projects across Central Valley, Northern California, and North-Western Nevada. His expertise lies in aligning design with clients' values, gaining recognition from entities like the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). He guides design-build teams toward a seamless blend of design and construction. Tim is a passionate education advocate, sharing insights at state universities to illuminate construction careers, design-build methods, and preconstruction's significance. His commitment extends to boards like SCMEF, CIEF, and co-founding Capitol College and Career Academy. Tim's journey signifies significant influence. Navigating professional intricacies, he steers purposeful design, collaborative innovation, and shapes future leaders, transforming the construction landscape.
Todd Kimmel
US Senior Manager – Sustainable Solutions, ROCKWOOL North America
Todd Kimmel
US Senior Manager – Sustainable Solutions, ROCKWOOL North AmericaTodd Kimmel is the US Senior Manager of Sustainable Solutions for ROCKWOOL North America and Co-Founder & Chairperson of the Rainscreen Association in North America (RAiNA). Todd has over 20 years of leadership experience working on building enclosures and façade systems. This includes the construction management and oversight of large-scale commercial building enclosures, working as the product and technical manager at Trespa North America, steering strategic business development as the NYC Architectural Manager for ROCKWOOL and serving as a technical consultant for Dorken Systems. Todd was part of the working group to develop the AAMA 509 testing standard for drained and back ventilated rainscreen. He is a Construction Documents Technician (CDT), a Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD - Passive House Institute) and currently sits on the board of directors for New York Passive House (NYPH). He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University and a Master’s Degree
Tony Giansanti
Regional Sales Manager, Tate
Tony Giansanti
Regional Sales Manager, TateTony Giansanti is the Regional Sales Manager for Tate, the leading authority in raised access floor solutions. A Construction Solutions Sales Leader for over twenty years, Tony works with architects and designers, end users, general contractors, and developers to help them all build better. Tony has helped launch solar start-up companies, deployed new product rollouts nationwide, and spearheaded market growth across multiple sectors. He has always focused on those Construction Solutions that are not only good for the industry, but good for the planet. When he isn’t advancing better construction solutions, Tony enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling. He also enjoys food, knows a bit about wine, and has been known to do a little karaoke singing. He resides in Oakland, CA. Tony holds a BFA in Interior Architecture from the University of Houston.
Travis Morgan
Former HOA Board Member, Heather Village Association
Travis Morgan
Former HOA Board Member, Heather Village AssociationTravis Morgan brings vital boots-on-the-ground decarbonization experience in a multi-family property. He served as HOA Board President during the $2.1 million decarbonization project to replace aging natural gas boilers with high-efficiency Heat Pump Hot Water heaters at Heather Village, a community of 404 condominiums and townhomes. He advocacy spans housing, environment, and mobility, as he serves on multiple nonprofits in the Culver City area including the Livable Communities Initiative, Culver City Forward, Bike Culver City, and the city's Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
Venus Emrani
Sustainable Design Analyst, HMC Architects
Venus Emrani
Sustainable Design Analyst, HMC ArchitectsVenus Emrani is a sustainable design analyst with several years of experience advancing low-carbon, high-performance buildings. A LEED AP BD+C and LCA-certified professional, she specializes in embodied carbon analysis and integrates environmental data into early design decisions. At HMC Architects, she supports sustainability initiatives by guiding strategies that reduce environmental impact and promote healthier built environments. Her work focuses on minimizing total carbon through informed material choices and performance modeling. Venus collaborates closely with design teams to embed sustainability into every phase of the process, driving meaningful change in the built environment. She also manages HMC’s AIA 2030 Commitment reporting.
Vera Yuan
Business Development Lead - Smart Buildings & Devices, Leap
Vera Yuan
Business Development Lead - Smart Buildings & Devices, LeapVera Yuan currently heads up partnerships for the Smart Buildings and Devices vertical at Leap. She's been working on partnerships for over a decade in technology at companies such at Meta, Lyft and Simple Things. Prior to Leap, she focused on partnerships in the smart home and hardware space. Her passion for energy and climate solutions brought her to Leap, where she continues to build the company's largest vertical.
Vik Giri
Founder and CEO, Gallant International Inc
Vik Giri
Founder and CEO, Gallant International IncVik Giri is the founder of Gallant International Inc., a Certified B Corp that specializes in private label products for uniforms, promotions, and fashion, made with certified organic and Regenerative Organic Certified® cotton. Gallant supports 918 smallholder farmers in India by providing non-GMO cotton seeds, tools, training, certification costs, 13 dedicated staff, and a guaranteed purchase of their harvest with organic and Fairtrade premiums. In partnership with the Rodale Institute, Gallant is establishing India’s first regenerative organic research and training center at the University of Dharwad. Research shows that regenerative organic agriculture sequesters carbon and helps mitigate climate change. Gallant is also leading non-GMO cotton research to help farmers achieve seed sovereignty. In March 2025, Gallant was named Best Organic Supplier by Organic Voices at Expo West.
Yash Patel
Associate Director of Facilities, Planning, Sustainability & Construction, San Bernardino Community College District
Yash Patel
Associate Director of Facilities, Planning, Sustainability & Construction, San Bernardino Community College DistrictYash serves as the Associate Director of Facilities, Planning, Sustainability & Construction at SBCCD. He holds a master's degree in electrical engineering with an emphasis on energy systems. Yash has steered the district towards the development of sustainability plan and zero-net-energy master plan, while driving innovation in SBCCD's bond projects. His unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovative practices has not only earned the district widespread recognition but has also significantly transformed its environmental impact.
Zelinda Welch
Director of Energy and Sustainability, University of Southern California
Zelinda Welch
Director of Energy and Sustainability, University of Southern CaliforniaAs the Director of Energy and Sustainability, at USC, Zelinda is responsible for planning, promoting, and driving, sustainability throughout campus operations and built environment, as well as tracking and reporting on USC’s goals. This effort covers USC’s expansive portfolio of over 250 buildings encompassing 16 million square feet sited on more than 230 acres. Zelinda is responsible for leading efforts around long-term master planning on topics from decarbonization to zero-waste efforts. Previously, Zelinda served in several positions across the energy efficiency and solar industries, working to promote and implement utility programs along with energy efficiency, sustainability, and renewable energy projects.
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Amy Musanti
Director of Sustainable Building Solutions, ASSA ABLOY
Amy Musanti
Director of Sustainable Building Solutions, ASSA ABLOYAmy Musanti is the Director of Sustainable Building Solutions for ASSA ABLOY in New Haven, Connecticut. Amy joined ASSA ABLOY in 2007 and has held many positions across multiple divisions, including customer service, marketing, sales, and sustainability. She supports the group’s sustainable products and processes. Amy provides business opportunities using ASSA ABLOY solutions that contribute to energy efficiency and wellness in commercial, residential, and institutional construction. Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Information Technology from Monmouth University in New Jersey and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, where she serves as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Business.
Ashley Besic
Manager of Thermal Energy Networks, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Ashley Besic
Manager of Thermal Energy Networks, Building Decarbonization CoalitionAshley, the Manager of Thermal Energy Networks at the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC), is a seasoned professional dedicated to driving impactful change. Leading initiatives that engage policymakers, the building industry, and consumers, she pioneers zero-emission lifestyle solutions, aiming to eliminate reliance on fossil fuels and significantly reduce climate pollution. In collaboration with the team, Ashley plays a pivotal role in convening state policymakers, manufacturers, and industry associations, working towards a comprehensive strategy for the phased transition away from gas appliances and implementing BDC's thermal network coalition organizing activities across the U.S. Additionally, Ashley oversees the Making Equity Real process, integrating equity considerations into all stages of project development and execution, ensuring that equity metrics and goals are established, tracked, and met across all TENs activities, and advocating for equitable practices and policies within the organization and among stakeholders. They manage the day-to-day operations of the National TENs Coalition. Acknowledged for her ability to solicit feedback and represent BDC's interests in national dialogues, Ashley serves as a relationship manager for critical stakeholder groups. Before her impactful tenure at BDC, she led the implementation of the ULI Net Zero Imperative and played a key role in establishing sustainability initiatives at LivCor, showcasing her passion and precision. Ashley holds a Master of Science in Real Estate and a B.A. in Multidisciplinary Studies, along with certifications as a LEED Green Associate, Fitwel Ambassador, and Green Globes Emerging Professional.
David Biello
Head Curator, TED Countdown
David Biello
Head Curator, TED CountdownDAVID BIELLO is the curator for TED Countdown, helping amplify solutions to global warming, accelerate action against climate change, and change the narrative around this crisis from doom and despair to actionable hope. He also serves as science curator at TED, working on talks featuring ideas from astronomy to zoology, including using gene drives to combat malaria, the mRNA revolution in vaccines, and the real impacts of sexual health restrictions. As part of his duties, he has helped judge and prepare finalists for TED’s Audacious Project, a philanthropic effort to pair compelling ideas with the funds to make an impact, including harnessing AI to develop new antibiotics and how to reduce vaccine spoilage. Prior to joining TED, he has been an award-winning journalist. He has been reporting on the environment and energy since 1999—long enough to be cynical but not long enough to be depressed—and wrote for outlets ranging from Scientific American to The New York Times. He also hosted the duPont-Columbia award-winning documentary Beyond the Light Switch as well as The Ethanol Effect for PBS. And he is the author of the book The Unnatural World: The Race to Remake Civilization in Earth’s Newest Age, an Editor’s Pick of The New York Times Book Review. He received a BA in English from Wesleyan University and a MS in Journalism from Columbia University. He currently lives with his children between a Olmsted-designed park and a world-famous graveyard in Brooklyn.
Frank Schwamborn
Senior Energy Engineer, Arup
Frank Schwamborn
Senior Energy Engineer, ArupWith extensive expertise in building decarbonization, Frank Schwamborn is dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering operating costs, and strengthening energy security. His broad skill set encompasses HVAC design for healthcare and commercial facilities, performance modeling for district energy systems and life science buildings, and consulting on pharmaceutical and educational projects. Frank takes a comprehensive approach, incorporating life cycle costing, energy tariff analysis, daylight analysis, and assessments of embodied carbon into his work. Currently, he is advancing research in energy economics, focusing on how electrification impacts energy equity and affordability, as well as examining the cost benefits of grid harmonization. Through his efforts, Frank is helping shape the future of sustainable, equitable, and high-performance built environments.
Hani Hadadzadegan
Senior Energy Analyst, Verdical Group
Hani Hadadzadegan
Senior Energy Analyst, Verdical GroupHani is a Senior Energy Analyst III at Verdical Group. He specializes in building performance modeling and sustainability consulting, contributing to high-performance projects pursuing certifications such as LEED, CHPS, and AIA 2030. His expertise spans energy modeling, daylight analysis, life-cycle assessment (LCA), and regenerative design strategies aimed at decarbonizing the built environment. Before joining Verdical Group, Hani worked as a Building Performance Specialist and Regenerative Design Leader, leading simulation-driven design studies and LCA documentation for multiple residential and commercial developments. He also brings architectural design experience from his early career, supporting 2D/3D modeling, environmental analysis, and construction detailing across diverse project types. Hani holds a Master’s degree in Architectural and Energy Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from Shahid Beheshti University (National University of Iran). He has presented his research at international conferences, including IBPSA-USA SimBuild 2024, and published several academic articles on sustainable design and thermal performance in architecture. Outside of work, Hani enjoys photography, hiking, traveling, and exploring new technologies in artificial intelligence and data analytics.
Ismar Enriquez, AIA, LFA, LEED AP
Design Lead and Project Manager, Practice
Ismar Enriquez, AIA, LFA, LEED AP
Design Lead and Project Manager, PracticeIsmar Enriquez, AIA, LFA, LEED AP, works at the intersection of sustainability, equity, housing, and education. With nearly two decades of experience, he is committed to addressing the housing and climate crises by promoting socially inclusive, equitable, and sustainable communities. Beyond his design work, Ismar supports academic initiatives that have helped secure over $250,000 in scholarships. He advocates for affordable, equitable, and inclusive housing by working with organizations at the local, state, and national levels. As a Commissioner for the Community Development Department in Long Beach, Ismar contributes to shaping local policies and initiatives. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the American Institute of Architects, both the Los Angeles and California chapters, and the William J. Worthen Foundation, where he works on efforts related to carbon neutrality, resiliency, climate justice, and equity. His efforts extend beyond California, contributing to policy and advocacy initiatives across the U.S.
Kai-Uwe Bergmann, FAIA
Partner, BIG
Kai-Uwe Bergmann, FAIA
Partner, BIGKai-Uwe Bergmann, FAIA is a Partner at BIG who brings his architectural expertise to proposals around the globe, including work in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Kai-Uwe heads up BIG's business development--which currently has the office working in over 40 different countries. He also oversees BIG's Urban scales projects and supports BIG’s Landscape projects. He is registered as an architect in the USA (15 states) and Canada. Kai-Uwe most recently contributed to the resiliency plan BIG U to protect 10 miles of Manhattan's coastline. First envisioned through the Rebuild by Design competition to develop proactive responses to Superstorm Sandy, it is now being constructed with a completion date in 2026. Further projects include Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Queens Park, Smithsonian Master Plan, Pittsburgh Master Plan and Miami Beach Square. He complements his professional work through previous teaching assignments at Georgia Tech, University of Pennsylvania, IE University in Madrid, and his alma mater the University of Virginia. Kai-Uwe formerly was on the Board of the Van Alen Institute, participates on numerous international juries and lectures globally on the works of BIG.
Kyle Pickett
Senior Project Manager, Community Initiatives, USGBC California
Kyle Pickett
Senior Project Manager, Community Initiatives, USGBC CaliforniaKyle Pickett is the Senior Project Manager, Community Initiatives with USGBC California, where he plays a hands-on leadership role advancing high-impact initiatives that connect strategy to real-world outcomes in the built environment. As part of the organization’s new eXperience team, Kyle serves as a steward, builder, and “quarterback” for cross-cutting efforts that support the California Alliance of Sustainability Executives (CASE), the Contractor’s Commitment, and the development and dissemination of best practice guides, case studies, and demystified technical resources. His work spans water stewardship, thought leadership amplification, and the coordination of strategic initiatives that strengthen industry alignment and accelerate climate action. Across his career, Kyle has been known for translating complex technical and policy concepts into accessible, actionable tools—aligning mission, partnerships, and execution to deliver measurable impact. He brings more than a decade of experience working across architecture, real estate, and nonprofit sectors, and is a trusted collaborator to executives, practitioners, and multidisciplinary teams. Kyle is also the Co-founder, Board Advisor, and VP Emeritus of the William Worthen Foundation, where he helped shape an organization focused on research and public outreach around the performance and beauty of the built environment. The Foundation produced the award-winning Water Reuse Practice Guide and the seven-volume Building Decarbonization Practice Guide, reflecting Kyle’s long-standing commitment to practical, field-ready solutions. Previously, Kyle led leadership and market development at New Buildings Institute, overseeing the Getting to Zero Forum in collaboration with Rocky Mountain Institute, and co-founded Urban Fabrick, Inc., where he built and led West Coast operations and helped establish the firm’s reputation for inclusive training and successful sustainability project delivery.
Pancho Brown
Senior Editor and Engagement Manager, Metropolis Magazine
Pancho Brown
Senior Editor and Engagement Manager, Metropolis MagazineFrancisco 'Pancho' Brown is Senior Editor and Engagement Manager at METROPOLIS magazine. Pancho is also a correspondent for the Mexico-based Arquine Magazine and co-founder of MICROPOLITAN studio, a multidisciplinary art and design collective. He serves on the Steering Committee for US Architects Declare and the Harvard Graduate School of Design Alumni Council. Pancho is an Associate AIA and a guest Lecturer at Cornell's School of Architecture.
Ruby Rose Yepez
New Construction Senior Advisor, Southern California Edison
Ruby Rose Yepez
New Construction Senior Advisor, Southern California EdisonRuby Rose Yepez is a seasoned building industry professional with 15+ years of experience specializing in building science and sustainability. She is a Senior Advisor with Southern California Edison, supporting builders, developers, and national customers in accelerating decarbonization and high performance new construction. Ruby earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona—where she now serves on the Alumni Association Board—and has completed a Master’s in Public Administration. She is passionate about energy efficiency and creating healthy, sustainable communities. Ruby holds multiple credentials, including LEED AP BD+C, Certified Energy Analyst, and Homes/GreenPoint Rated Green Rater. She has certified more than 30 affordable housing developments as LEED or GreenPoint Rated and continues to champion programs that reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment. Her community leadership includes service as a Planning Commissioner for the City of South El Monte and as a School Board Trustee for the Valle Lindo School District. She has also contributed on boards and committees such as USGBC LA, the California Association of Building Energy Consultants, the Building Industry Association/Professional Women in Building, and SCE’s Latino Business Resource Group.
Sara Neff
Partner/General Manager, Sustainability, Cloud Operations & Innovation, Microsoft
Sara Neff
Partner/General Manager, Sustainability, Cloud Operations & Innovation, MicrosoftSara Neff is the Partner/General Manager for Sustainability and ESG for the Microsoft Cloud Operations and Innovation team, where she is helping its data center fleet meet Microsoft's ambitious goals of achieving carbon negative, water positive, zero waste, and the protection of more land than it uses by 2030. Prior to that, she served as Head of Sustainability for the Americas for Lendlease. In both 2022 and 2023, under her leadership Lendlease earned the top residential score in the Americas on GRESB and multiple green leasing awards from the Institute for Market Transformation. Previously, she served as Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy, where she helped the company achieve carbon neutral operations in 2020. Ms. Neff serves on the Dynamo Energy Hub Advisory Board in addition to the FIBRA Macquarie Technical Committee. She has been named a Los Angeles Woman of Influence by the Los Angeles Business Journal, a 40 under 40 awardee by ULI, a Los Angeles Power Woman in Real Estate by Bisnow, a Women in Sustainability Leader by Green Building & Design magazine, a Woman of Influence by Globe St Real Estate Forum, a Best in Building Health awardee by the Center for Active Design, and was the recipient of NAREIT’s 2020 Leader in the Light Leadership Personified award, an award that recognizes achievement in sustainability. She is a LEED Fellow and holds a BS from Stanford and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Sonam Shah
Associate Principal, Introba
Sonam Shah
Associate Principal, IntrobaSonam Shah is an Associate Principal in the Energy Strategy practice at Introba. She brings nearly 15 years of experience across consulting and client-side roles, specializing in portfolio-scale decarbonization, energy assessments, electrification of thermal infrastructure, and optimization of storage and renewables for cost-effective grid integration. Prior to joining Introba, Sonam worked as a Building Systems Lead in Google's real estate and workplace services group, where she advanced sustainable and resilient design strategies at scale. Sonam approaches each project through the lens of holistic, high-performance design- bridging planning, implementation, and long-term operations. A licensed mechanical engineer, she draws on her technical foundation to deliver low-carbon, energy-efficient, scalable, and resilient solutions. Sonam is based in Oakland, California.
Will Norten
Senior Sustainability Specialist, Los Angeles Unified School District
Will Norten
Senior Sustainability Specialist, Los Angeles Unified School DistrictWill Norten is a Senior Sustainability Specialist with the Los Angeles Unified School District, with over a decade of experience managing green building projects. He has a proven ability to translate complex sustainability concepts into clear, accessible language for a broad range of stakeholders, including elected officials, students, and building design professionals. Will has led more than 50 green building certification projects and secured over $2 million in incentives through partnerships with local utilities and agencies. Currently, Will is spearheading LAUSD’s transition from Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as the District’s school design and construction standard. His recent projects also include overseeing recycled water initiatives, emerging technology pilot programs, and transportation electrification projects at the District.
MEET OUR PREVIOUS Keynote Speakers
Kimberly Dowdell
President, American Institute of Architects & Principal, HOK
Kimberly Dowdell
President, American Institute of Architects & Principal, HOKKimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC, is the 2024 President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Dowdell is also a principal with global design firm HOK, serving as firmwide director of strategic relationships. In 2019-2020, Dowdell served as national president of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). Dowdell has devoted her career to laying foundations for architects to create positive social and environmental change on a local, national and global scale. She has intentionally connected a diverse array of built environment stakeholders to help advance her professional mission, which is “to improve people's lives, by design." At HOK, Dowdell co-chairs the firm’s Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) and co-founded HOK Impact, the firm’s social responsibility program. She also co-founded Social Economic Environmental Design (SEED), an organization that promotes design for healthy communities in 2005. Dowdell earned her Master of Public Administration at Harvard and her Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell, where she was elected by her fellow alumni to serve on the board of trustees in 2022.
Kate Williams
CEO, 1% for the Planet
Kate Williams
CEO, 1% for the Planet
Kate Williams is CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global movement that inspires action and commitment so that our planet and future generations thrive. 1% for the Planet’s global network of thousands of businesses and individuals have donated $100s of millions to environmental partners to date. Kate has led significant growth in the community’s scale and impact, as well as deep work on best practices for implementing high impact giving strategies, growing a network brand, and operating as a thriving workplace with an incredible staff team. Kate earned a BA at Princeton University and an MS at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and has served on a variety of Boards throughout her career. Kate is a Mom, a trail runner and hiker with her dog, and a kitchen gardener.
George Bandy Jr.
Head of Worldwide Circular Economy, Amazon
George Bandy Jr.
Head of Worldwide Circular Economy, Amazon
George Bandy, Jr. currently serves as Head of Worldwide Circular Economy at Amazon. He believes that looking at opportunities to position environmental, economic and socially responsible solutions for customers can set the standard for other businesses to follow that will result in a brighter future for us all.
Winona LaDuke
Executive Director, Honor the Earth
Winona LaDuke
Executive Director, Honor the Earth
Winona LaDuke is a rural development economist and author working on issues of Indigenous Economics, Food, and Energy Policy. She lives on the White Earth reservation Minnesota, where she founded the White Earth Land Recovery Project, one of the largest reservation-based non-profit organizations in the country. She is the Executive Director of Honor the Earth (HtE), which she co-founded with the Indigo Girls to raise awareness of and money for indigenous struggles for environmental justice. In 1996 and 2000, she ran for vice president as the nominee of the Green Party of the United States, on a ticket headed by Ralph Nader.
In 2007, LaDuke was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. In 1994, LaDuke was nominated by Time magazine as one of America’s 50 most promising leaders under 40. She was awarded the Thomas Merton Award in 1996, Ms. Woman of the Year (with the Indigo Girls in l997), and the Reebok Human Rights Award. LaDuke was a co-founder and Board Co-Chair of the Indigenous Women’s Network for fifteen years, and maintains a significant role in international advocacy for Indigenous people. This has included numerous presentations at United Nations forums. A graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities, she has written extensively on Native American and environmental issues. She is the author of six books.
Lindsay Baker
CEO, Living Future
Lindsay Baker
CEO, Living Future
As CEO of the International Living Future Institute, Lindsay Baker is the organization’s chief strategist, charged with delivering on its mission to lead the transformation toward a civilization that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. Lindsay is a climate entrepreneur, experienced in launching and growing innovative businesses. Her introduction to the green building movement began at the Southface Institute in Atlanta, where she interned before entering Oberlin College to earn a BA in Environmental Studies. She was one of the first 40 staff members at the U.S. Green Building Council, working to develop consensus about what the LEED rating system would become. She then earned an MS from the University of California at Berkeley in Architecture, with a focus on Building Science, and spent five years as a building science researcher at the UC Berkeley Center for the Built Environment. Lindsay applied her experience around the study of heat, light, and human interactions in buildings to a role with Google’s Green Team, and later co-founded a smart buildings start-up called Comfy, which grew over five years to 75 employees and a global portfolio of clients. She was the first Global Head of Sustainability and Impact at WeWork, where she built the corporate sustainability team and programs from scratch. Lindsay is a Senior Fellow at the Rocky Mountain Institute, and a lecturer at UC Berkeley. She serves on several non-profit boards, and is an advisor and board member for numerous climate tech startups.
Jason F. McLennan
Founder, Living Building Challenge
Jason F. McLennan
Founder, Living Building ChallengeMcLennan is the creator of the Living Building Challenge, as well as a primary author of the WELL Building Standard. He serves as the Chairman of the International Living Future Institute and is the CEO of McLennan Design, his own architectural and planning practice. He is the recipient of the prestigious Buckminster Fuller Prize, has been called a “World Changer” by GreenBiz magazine, and has been selected as the Award of Excellence winner for Engineering News Record. He is the author of 6 books, including the Philosophy of Sustainable Design, which is considered the ‘bible for green building,’ and is both an Ashoka Fellow and Senior Fellow of the Design Future’s Council. He has been selected by Yes! Magazine as one of ‘15 people shaping the world.’ McLennan’s work has been published in dozens of journals, magazines, and newspapers around the world.
Lakisha Ann Woods
CEO, American Institute of Architects
Lakisha Ann Woods
CEO, American Institute of ArchitectsLakisha Ann Woods, CAE, is the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a dynamic network of more than 94,000 architects and design professionals throughout 200 chapters committed to enhancing the built environment. Woods previously served as President & CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) from 2018 to 2022. She led efforts to expand the organization’s programs and markets while growing and strengthening its membership base. Prior to joining NIBS, she was the Sr. VP & Chief Marketing Officer at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), where her team was responsible for all marketing and revenue-generating programs – including marketing the International Builders Show, sponsorship sales, and partnerships with major national companies. Woods is the author of the book Never Get Their Coffee: Empowering Fearless Leadership and currently serves on the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Board of Directors as Chair of the Foundation and Chair-Elect of the ASAE Board. She also previously served as Vice-Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council Board of Directors and is a global speaker. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland in College Park and lives with her husband and daughter in Howard County, Maryland.
Edward Mazria
Founder & CEO, Architecture 2030
Edward Mazria
Founder & CEO, Architecture 2030Edward Mazria, FAIA, Hon. FRAIC is an internationally recognized architect, author, researcher, and educator. He is the founder of Architecture 2030, host of the AIA+2030 Professional Education Series, and inspiration for the 2030 Districts movement in North American cities. In 2014, Mazria presented the Roadmap to Zero Emissions at the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, calling for zero emissions in the built environment by 2050; he also drafted the 2050 Imperative, endorsed by professional organizations representing over 1.3 million architects in 124 countries worldwide. Recently, he developed Achieving Zero, a framework of incremental actions that cities and governments can put in place to ensure carbon-neutral built environments by mid-century, and the Zero Cities Project to implement the framework.
Marcius Extavour
Vice President, Energy & Climate, XPRIZE
Marcius Extavour
Vice President, Energy & Climate, XPRIZEAs leader of the XPRIZE Energy team, Marcius combines his experience in partnership building and strategy with his training in physics and engineering to help lead the transition to a clean energy future. This work includes leading the $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, a global competition to recycle CO2 into valuable products. Before joining XPRIZE, Dr. Extavour served as Director of Government and Corporate Partnerships in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. He has held positions at the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resource and at the Council of Canadian Academies. In the private sector, he has developed risk management software for North American electric power markets at Ontario Power Generation, and designed and fabricated optoelectronic devices at Nortel Networks Research Labs. Dr. Extavour received a PhD and MSc in Physics and a BASc in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto.
Dr. Kimberley Miner
Earth & Climate Scientist, NASA
Dr. Kimberley Miner
Earth & Climate Scientist, NASADr. Miner is a Fellow at the Center for Climate and Security and Co-chair of the NASA HQ Interagency Forum on Climate Risks, Impacts, and Adaptation. She is a graduate of Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (MPA) and the University of Maine's Climate Change Institute (Ph.D.), where she was a Fulbright, Switzer, and Department of Defense fellow. She is a Black belt, certified Wilderness Firefighter and First Responder, and mom to a lively cattledog.
Jedidiah Jenkins
New York Times Best Selling Author & Founder, byta
Jedidiah Jenkins
New York Times Best Selling Author & Founder, bytaJedidiah Jenkins is a travel writer and public speaker. He has written two books, ‘To Shake The Sleeping Self’ a memoir about cycling 14,000 miles from Oregon to Patagonia, and ‘Like Streams to the Ocean,’ a collection of essays about love, family, friendship and career. He is Executive Editor of Wilderness Magazine. He is also co-founder of Byta, a travel mug designed to change the way we drink and promote a reusable economy.
Wawa Gatheru
Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist
Wawa Gatheru
Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist
Wawa Gatheru is a Kenyan-American climate storyteller passionate about cultivating a climate movement that is made in the image of all of us. In 2019, Wawa made history as the first Black person in history to receive the Rhodes, Truman, and Udall scholarships. She is the founder and Executive Director of Black Girl Environmentalist, an organization dedicated to addressing the pipeline and pathway issue for Black girls, women, and non-binary people in the climate sector. Under her leadership, BGE has grown as a trusted, national organization that has worked with 56 corporate and non-profit partners and hosted 43 events across 10 HUB cities - in less than a year. In 2023 alone, BGE has been recognized in Vogue, the New York Times, NPR, Forbes, Essence, Teen Vogue, Axios, and more.
A climate content creator with a following of over 90,000+ across platforms, Wawa has been named a Climate Creator to Watch by Pique Action and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
She sits on boards and advisory councils for the Environmental Media Association, Climate Power, Sound Future, National Parks Conservation Association, and EarthJustice. For her work, Wawa has been recognized as a Glamour College Woman of the Year, a 2020 Grist 50 fixer, a Young Futurist by The Root, a Young Changemaker at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, and was featured on the January 2023 cover of Vogue alongside Billie Eilish.
Leah Thomas
Environmentalist
Leah Thomas
Environmentalist
Ashley Orgain
Global Director of Advocacy and Sustainability, Seventh Generation
Ashley Orgain
Global Director of Advocacy and Sustainability, Seventh GenerationAs the Global Director of Advocacy and Sustainability for Seventh Generation, Ashley serves as a senior leader for the company’s mission at global and regional levels. She also leads the U.S.-based Corporate Consciousness team and all key facets of the work articulated in Seventh Generation’s mission – To Transform the World into a Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Place for the Next Seven Generations. She is responsible for the overall vision and strategy to achieve success against the company’s long- and short-term sustainability goals. Ashley serves on Seventh Generation’s senior leadership team, contributing to company policy development, direction, and sustaining a culture of mission-orientation. In 2010, she became the first President of the Seventh Generation Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to promoting social and environmental progress through education, conservation, research, and advocacy.
Michael Ford, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB
Founder, The Hip Hop Architecture Camp
Michael Ford, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB
Founder, The Hip Hop Architecture CampMichael Ford, AIA, NOMA, NCARB—widely known as The Hip Hop Architect—has dedicated his career to increasing diversity in architecture through culturally relevant education. He founded The Hip Hop Architecture Camp, a global program that uses Hip Hop to introduce underrepresented youth to design. As Founding Principal of BrandNu Design Studio, Ford leads projects like The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx. His work has been featured on Oprah Winfrey Network’s Super Soul Sunday, The TODAY Show, Rolling Stone, and Interior Design Magazine. Ford is a highly regarded speaker for his thought leadership at the intersection of design and culture. Some of his past keynotes include the American Institute of Architects National Conference, American Planning Association’s Planning Conference, The Toronto Interior Design Show.
Jamie Margolin
Climate Activist & Co-Founder, Zero Hour
Jamie Margolin
Climate Activist & Co-Founder, Zero HourJamie Margolin is a Colombian-American climate justice activist, author, public speaker, and student. She is the co-founder of the international youth climate justice movement called Zero Hour that led Youth Climate Marches around the world. She has represented Zero Hour at international leadership events like the C40 Mayors summit and the UN Youth Climate Summit. In September of 2019, she testified before the US Congress alongside fellow youth activist Greta Thunberg, holding her leaders accountable to taking urgent climate action. She has been published in The New York Times, Teen Vogue, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, DAZED, Refinery29, and The Guardian, and is the author of, “Youth To Power: Your Voice and How To Use It.” Jamie is one of Teen Vogue’s “21 Under 21” girls changing the world in 2018, One of People Magazines 25 women changing the world in 2018, Fuse TV’s Latina Trailblazer of 2018, one of The Today Show’s 18 under 18 Groundbreakers of 2019, MTV EMA Generation Change winner of 2019, and one of the BBC’s 100 most influential women of 2019.
