2025 FutureTech Speakers

Ojonimi Bako
Co-founder and CEO
Kaya AI

Ojonimi Bako is the co-founder and CEO of Kaya AI. He is an entrepreneurial technology leader and angel investor with over 15 years of professional experience driving technology innovation and strategy with Fortune 500 companies. Prior to starting Kaya AI, Ojonimi led innovation and partnerships at Shiseido Group, a leading beauty brand with several category-leading brands in its portfolio. He was head of innovation at Walmart Labs in San Francisco. Over the years, Ojonimi has become known for his role as an active angel investor, making strategic investments in early-stage AI and eCommerce startups. He also serves as a limited partner at two VC firms.

Cassidy M. Blowers, P.E.
Construction Resource Engineer
Delaware Dept. of Transportation

Cassidy Blowers is a registered Professional Engineer in Delaware where she currently serves as the Delaware Dept. of Transportation’s Construction Resource Engineer. Starting her career in the field, and later moving on to a project manager, she has seen and experienced the pain of using older systems and paper-based documentation. This pain has helped her develop a passion for digitizing construction processes and integrating data from disparate sources, all with the goal of improving end results for the owner and generating additional efficiencies for staff.

Sarah Buchner
Founder and CEO
Trunk Tools

Manan Garg
Executive Director
Sound Transit

Rick Huijbregts
Global Lead for Smart Cities
Stantec

Toronto-based Rick Huijbregts is Stantec's Global Lead for Smart Cities, where he works to advance Stantec's smart city offerings by uniting the company's subject matter experts across multiple markets, including Buildings, Power, Water, Community, and Transportation. Prior to joining Stantec, he was VP for Strategy & Innovation at George Brown College (GBC) in Toronto, a post that was preceded by more than a decade at Cisco in various leadership roles, including VP of Digital Transformation and Innovation, Head of Smart Cities in Canada, and member of Cisco’s global Smart Cities team. Beyond Stantec, he maintains strong industry connections as a faculty member at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design Executive Education, Senior Scholar at George Brown College’s Center for Construction and Engineering Technologies, and Executive-in-Residence at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) for its Smart Cities Ventures Zone.

Mark Isaacs
Founder & CEO
GS Research LLC

Mark Isaacs earned his Masters in Architecture from MIT in 1980, and his BS from there in 1977. He is an architect, builder and developer turned inventor and start-up entrepreneur: He has been granted six patents and has two pending, and has had two peer-reviewed papers published with a third presentation scheduled for the 2025 ASHRAE BUILDINGS Conference in December. He won the National Association of Home Builders Green Multi-Family Building of the Year Award for a Near Zero Energy 84,000-sq-ft, 4-1/2 story wood frame building in Louisville, K.Y. in 2008. He has designed, financed, permitted, built, and marketed more than 300 energy-efficient single- and multi-family homes and commercial buildings.
Issacs has served on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Subcommittee on Tiny Homes and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

Sadia Janjua
Chief of Digital Transformation
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Sadia Janjua is the Chief of Digital Transformation for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where she spearheads efforts to modernize the construction landscape through digital strategies. With over 20 years in transportation and infrastructure, Sadia is an expert in Program/Project Controls, Planning & Scheduling, VDC, and Digital Transformation. Her experience spans collaborations with leading firms like Bechtel and AECOM across ownership, contracting, and construction management roles.

An adjunct professor at both Columbia University and Pratt Institute, Sadia holds a Master’s degree in Construction Administration from Columbia and a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering from UC Berkeley. As a respected figure in industry circles, she has presented at numerous conferences and earned prestigious recognitions, including ENR’s Top 20 under 40 award in 2024. Additionally, she has expanded her expertise by completing Wharton’s Senior Executive Education Program for Digital Transformation.

Steve Jones
Senior Director, Industry Insights Research
Dodge Construction Network

At Dodge, Steve Jones focuses on how emerging economic, practice and technology trends are transforming the global design and construction industry. In addition to hundreds of global speaking engagements and numerous articles in industry publications, Steve produces Dodge Data & Analytics’ SmartMarket Reports on key industry trends, which are frequently cited as authoritative references. He has a track record of active leadership in many industry initiatives and serves as a judge for numerous industry awards. Steve received his MBA from Wharton and his BA from Johns Hopkins. Before joining Dodge, Steve was Vice President of Primavera Systems — now part of Oracle. Prior to that, Steve spent 19 years in creative and management roles with top architectural/engineering firms, most recently as a Principal and Board of Directors member with Burt Hill, one of the largest A/E firms in the U.S. — now merged with Stantec.

Dimitra Karachaliou
Associate Vice President/Digital Transformation Advisory
AECOM

Dimitra Karachaliou is an Associate Vice President at AECOM, where she provides advisory services to clients, specializing in Project Controls and Digital Transformation Program Management. Dimitra spearheads the design and execution of department-wide digital strategies, leverages innovative technologies to streamline project workflows, and promotes data-driven insights to optimize operational performance and deliver client value.
Dimitra has more than 12 years of experience in the AEC industry and holds a Structural Engineering diploma (master’s equivalent) from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a master’s in Construction Management from Columbia University, and a senior executive certificate in Digital Transformation from Wharton, University of Pennsylvania. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a certified Agile Practitioner (PMI-ACP). In addition, she has extensive teaching and mentorship experience, including Columbia University’s Industry Field Studies Course and Center of Buildings Infrastructure and Public Spaces, Professional Women in Construction, and ACE Mentorship New York.

Atul Khanzode
CTO, DPR Construction
Vice President, WND Ventures

Atul Khanzode is the Chief Technology Officer and a member of the Leadership Team at DPR Construction. He oversees DPR's Construction Technology, Information Technology and Innovation Groups, which are responsible for the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), Operations and Preconstruction Technologies, Strategic Technology initiatives, Innovation, Research & Development and Consulting.

Khanzode also is a Board Member at WND Ventures, an investment firm that provides a platform for entrepreneurs to incubate ideas and deliver more meaningful value to customers in the AEC industry. WND pairs deep industry expertise with access to real-world projects where solutions can be implemented and tested rapidly, not only to enhance design and construction but also to support the full life-cycle of buildings. At WND, Khanzode is responsible for managing the strategic investments and providing mentorship and operational guidance to leadership teams of the portfolio companies. He has a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Construction Engineering and Management, focused on Integrated Practice, VDC and Lean Construction, and a Master’s Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University.

Stan Khlevner
Co-founder and COO
Remote Optix Inc.

Stan Khlevner is a leader in drone innovation and enterprise operations, with over 3,200 commercial drone missions for top companies like Meta, Google, Apple, and Amazon. As COO of Remote Optix, he drives reality capture innovations for the AEC, corporate real estate, and industrial inspections industries. Khlevner's expertise spans operations management, product development, and digital transformation, positioning Remote Optix well for collaborative documentation and asset digitization across North America. Khlevner says he lives and breathes reality capture and enjoys pushing boundaries with the latest hardware and software combinations to find business value for clients and his company.

Eric Lamb
Board Member, DPR Construction
President, WND Ventures

Eric Lamb has had a 40 year career in Building Construction, studying Civil Engineering at University of Virginia before his passion for building steered him towards a master's degree in Construction Management at Stanford University. During his career in construction and engineering, he has combined the best of both worlds. Eric has been instrumental in setting up preconstruction processes and operation systems that continue to serve as a foundation for DPR Construction today. A founding member of DPR's Management Committee for 28 years, he now serves on the firm's Board of Directors. In addition, he is Managing Director of WND Ventures, a Corporate Venture Capital firm for DPR Construction. He is also an active LP in the Blackhorn Ventures and Building Ventures funds.

Tessa Lau
Founder and CEO
Dusty Robotics

Dr. Tessa Lau is an award-winning roboticist who is the founder and CEO of Dusty Robotics. Dusty is revolutionizing the construction industry as the best solution to ensure design integrity in the field through automated layout and a streamlined BIM-to-field process. Prior to Dusty Robotics, Dr. Lau was co-founder, CTO, and Chief Robot Whisperer at Savioke (Relay) Robotics, where she automated hotel delivery and orchestrated the global distribution and management of consumer-facing robots. Dr. Lau was also a member of Willow Garage, the legendary research lab and technology incubator known as one of the most influential forces in modern robotics. Willow Garage is responsible for the creation of an open-source robot operating system that's still being used by academics, engineers, and hobbyists around the world today. Dr. Lau is a frequent speaker at business, technology, and construction conferences and has received numerous awards, including 2023 Construction Dive's Up and Coming Women in Construction, Silicon Valley Business Journal's Women of Influence, SVR's Innovation Award, and the Award for Excellence from the Association of Computer Machinery. Currently living in Silicon Valley, Dr. Lau holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Washington.

Dr. Ray Levitt
Operating Partner, Blackhorn Ventures
Kumagai Professor of Engineering Emeritus, Stanford University

Dr. Ray Levitt joined Blackhorn Ventures in 2017 as a Co-founder and Operating Partner. He primarily focuses on bringing new investment opportunities to the team from his extensive network focused around the Built Environment. He is a long-time member and the current President of the Farmers Investment Club, an angel investment group of Stanford University faculty, staff and affiliates.
Ray moved to Stanford University in 1980 after serving five years on the faculty of MIT’s Civil Engineering Department. At Stanford, he held the Kumagai Professorship of Engineering in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and served as Chair of Stanford’s Faculty Senate from 2012-13. Ray founded and directed Stanford’s Global Projects Center (GPC). While there, he launched a new GPC initiative to explore and create disruptive business opportunities arising from the collection, integration, and analysis of big data from multiple, public and private sources in emerging Digital Cities.
Outside of academia, Ray served from 2008-2014 as a Commissioner of California’s Public Infrastructure Advisory Commission to channel private investment and expertise into California’s aging transportation infrastructure through public-private partnerships. Ray co-founded and served as a Director of Rackwise, Inc., until shortly before it became a public company in 2011. He co-founded and served as Chairman of Design Power, Inc., acquired by Bentley Systems in 2007. He founded and launched Vité Corporation and served as its initial CEO and Chairman; Vité’s SimVision Software was acquired by ePM, LLC in 2002. Ray was elected a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2008 and was inducted into the National Academy of Construction in 2013.

Yanan Ma
Digital AI Lead, East & LATAM region, AECOM
Businesss Transformational Consultant, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Yanan Ma is the Digital AI Lead for AECOM East & LATAM region, and currently a business transformation consultant with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Digital Transformation Program. She provides the Port Authority with advice on data governance and the engagement of reliable AI solution to support PANYNJ's digital, transformation journey.
At AECOM, Yanan is the lead of the organization's "AI Vengers" group, which provides AI services for AEC clients. She leads innovative projects using domain-led, trustworthy AI solutions to improve existing technical workflows and program portfolio management. As a trained water resource engineer, Yanan supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Flood Insurance Program as an engineer, project manager and program manager. She is the co-founder of the AI subcommittee of The Association of State Floodplain Managers. Her doctoral work developed a data-driven approach for comparing machine-learning predictions of rain gardens runoff, to industry-standard, physical-based calculations.

Amy Marks
Senior Vice President of Innovation
Compass Datacenters

Amy Marks, SVP of Innovation Compass Datacenters, Amy is transforming the built environment by pioneering industrialized methods, digital innovation, and sustainable practices. She leads Compass’ innovation strategies, aligning them with the company’s Strategic Anchors to drive change in construction and design while fostering collaboration across industries. Amy is a strong advocate for advancing the industry through diverse talent and cutting-edge solutions, positioning Compass at the forefront of innovation.

Kohichi Matsui
COO
Ken Robotech Corp.

Kohichi Matsui, COO of Ken Robotech Corp., is a professional with a wide international network. His hands-on engineering knowledge is backed by vast experience in business development in the electronics and industrial equipment industries. Prior to joining Ken Robotech, in his role as a general manager for Schneider Electric, he established a new sales office in India. He is on the faculty of Science and Industrial Engineering at Kindai University, Japan, and is known for his flexible decision-making and logical thinking skills.

Patrick Murphy
CEO
Chief Investment Officer, Coastal Construction
Co-founder and COO, CodeComply

Patrick E. Murphy is the Chief Investment Officer of Coastal Construction, overseeing diversification and growth where he currently is overseeing a new estimating technology, Togal.AI, that is using artificial intelligence to help automate the takeoff process, along with CodeComply.Ai, a new technology solution leveraging artificial intelligence to automate fire, life safety and ADA compliance.  Additionally, he is assisting in the growth of a fully approved new composite building system, RENCO.  Murphy first started in the company as a day laborer, then project engineer, estimating assistant and accounting manager.
Murphy served in U.S. Congress, representing Palm Beach and Treasure Coast in the House of Representatives for four years (2013-2017) and was the nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2016.  In 2023, he was appointed to serve on the President’s Export Council under President Joe Biden, where he advised the president on strategies to promote American exports and support job creation through trade. He says he was proud to be the only appointee from the construction industry.

Luke Reeve
Principal Solutions Architect
TwinKnowledge

Luke Reeve is Principal Solutions Architect at TwinKnowledge, a company spearheading the development of Project AI for the AECO industry. Before joining TwinKnowledge, Luke worked as a structural engineer at the nationally-awarded design firm Uzun+Case and studied at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, exploring the transformative potential of artificial intelligence to reshape the future of human-information interaction.

Valerie Roberts
Chief Operating Officer
Longview Fusion Energy Systems

Valerie Roberts is the Chief Business Officer/Chief Operating Officer of Longview Fusion Energy Systems, which is focused on making cost-effective laser fusion energy a reality for the grid within the next decade. Longview is differentiated by its proven fusion physics, designs developed in collaboration with major utilities, and robust intellectual property portfolio.
With more than three decades of experience in engineering, project management, business leadership, and corporate management, Roberts has been a key figure in several multi-billion dollar, first-of-its-kind projects delivered successfully around the globe.
Roberts was one of the Project Managers for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, delivering over $800m of scope. With her leadership contribution, NIF is the world's largest and most energetic laser, achieving fusion burn with gain, groundbreaking scientific advancement, and the path to commercial fusion energy. She also contributed to the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) Program, driving the development of a preliminary design for a commercially viable fusion power plant in collaboration with leading electric power utilities.
Roberts has a diverse background in high technology project delivery, having served as the Delivery Director at the UK's Atomic Weapons Establishment, which is responsible for delivering a $6B portfolio of first-of-kind, civil Nuclear Regulated facilities. She also has significant business leadership experience as a Senior Vice President at Jacobs Solutions. Her business experience runs the gamut from running an Oil & Gas Field Services business with a $1.2B annual turnover, and the M&A of more than $5B in deals, to Business Transformation of the Government Services arm of Jacobs, which demonstrated double-digit top-line growth over three years and expansion of the bottom line by more than 150 basis points.
Throughout her career, Roberts has been known for her highly collaborative, mission-driven, inclusive, and value-driven style. Her work spans various end markets, including oil and gas, national/ international security, space, environmental remediation, and, most recently, fusion energy.
Roberts is a member of the National Academy of Construction and the Fusion Industry Association. She serves as a Board Member for the Project Leadership Institute. She has won several prestigious awards, including the NAWIC Outstanding Woman in Construction, Del E. Webb School of Construction Distinguished Graduate, and the Project Management Institute's Project of the Year.

Yahya Saad
Co-founder and CDO
GlobalDWS

Yahya Saad is the Co-founder and Chief Digital Officer of GlobalDWS Corp., an international systems integrator and provider of cognitive services and innovative technologies, including AI, IoT, and service robotics. The company's goal is to empower modern workplaces.
Saad leads digital transformation strategy, aligning AI, IoT, and robotics with business objectives. Since co-founding GlobalDWS in 2013, Saad has helped guide its technology vision and execution. He has driven the design of program management systems architecture and business strategy for large-scale initiatives, such as a C$8 billion Metrolinx capital improvement program in Toronto, Canada. He has also contributed to complex digital transformation projects in Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. His expertise spans financial services, healthcare, engineering, smart building technologies, telecommunications, and the Internet of Things. The launch of the company's robotics division dates to the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of Canada’s first disinfection robot, which led to advances in the VirBrix/Stanbot -- an AI-enabled Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) connected to a digital twin cloud platform that gathers quantitative data about the surrounding spaces.

Rich Scopelliti
Project Manager
Consigli

As the Director of Pre-Construction at Consigli, Rich Scopelliti plays a pivotal role in the planning, management, and execution of all activities during the pre-construction phase. With a focus on collaboration, he interfaces with clients, design teams and project stakeholders to ensure seamless communication and coordination. His leadership and strategic approach ensures that projects are set up for success from the very beginning, driving both innovation and sustainability in the construction process. He brings 26 years of industry experience to his role, including 18 years with Consigli, as well as a BS in Civil Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Scott Seltz
Publisher
Engineering News-Record

Scott J. Seltz is the Publisher of Engineering News-Record (ENR) since 2015. Under Scott’s leadership, ENR has undertaken a strategy to grow the brand’s audience and their engagement with the ENR’s content in print, digitally and thru in person events. He takes pride in being an innovative audience and client-focused media executive and results-oriented business leader with a successful career of building, growing and leading established and start-up media brands and businesses.

Hamzah Shanbari
Director of Innovation
Haskell

Hamzah Shanbari, Director of Innovation, Haskell, is a published author, a TEDx speaker, and an accomplished professional in the construction industry. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Florida and has extensive experience in construction. He is responsible for driving innovation at Haskell, and leading the development and implementation of new technology and processes. His innovative mindset and technical expertise have made him a thought leader in the industry and he regularly speaks at conferences and events on the topic of technology in construction.

Rueben Smith
Chief Growth Officer and CM Education Lead
Harris & Associates

Cari Stieglitz
Founder
Kaivolve

Mark Vibber
Senior Project Superintendent
The Weitz Co.

Mark Vibber is a Senior Project Superintendent at The Weitz Company, where he is instrumental in leading execution of some of the TWC's most ambitious construction projects. Vibber's involvement begins in pre-construction, follows thorough planning, and extends on to overseeing daily site operations, managing TWC superintendents, and coordinating with subcontractors. His responsibilities encompass safety, quality, scheduling, cost management, and resolving issues with a diverse range of stakeholders.
Vibber holds a Construction Management degree from Colorado State University. Before joining TWC, he specialized in constructing Water/Wastewater facilities, where new technology adoption was less prevalent. At TWC, he has embraced the company's commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies, positioning himself as a bridge between traditional practices and modern job site innovations, contributing significantly to the success of many technical projects for TWC over the past 12 years. Vibber's strategic leadership has been crucial in securing the Charles H Weitz award for multiple projects, highlighting their exceptional quality and innovation. His ability to integrate new technologies while maintaining the respect and trust of both older and newer generations of workers has been pivotal to these successes.

AJ Waters
Chief Evangelist
Kahua

Rabih Zahnan
President
Wesgroup Construction

Rabih Zahnan is President of Wesgroup Construction, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Zahnan has more than 20 years experience in commercial real estate development, construction, and operations throughout North America and overseas. His leadership at Wesgroup spans preconstruction, construction, interior design and customer care, and is underpinned by a steadfast commitment to strategic innovation in construction technology. He focuses on identifying core operational challenges and applying practical, results-oriented solutions that genuinely move projects forward.
Throughout his career Zahnan has championed disciplined approaches to operational excellence and long-term business strategy. He also is Vice Chairman of the YPO Construction Industry Network -- an international leadership group for chief executives -- where he pursues his personal mission of educating members on advancements in construction technology and management processes. His involvement with YPO reflects a deep dedication to fostering industry-wide learning, helping peers and colleagues understand the value of meaningful, purpose-driven innovation. By blending visionary thinking with a focus on tangible outcomes, he pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in construction and design—ensuring that each initiative is not just inventive, but truly transformational.