Construction Industry Leaders Featured on Activating Curiosity™

Josh Dorfman is a climate entrepreneur, author, and media personality. He is the CEO and host of Supercool, a media company covering real-world climate solutions that cut carbon, increase profits, and enhance modern life. Josh was previously the co-founder and CEO of Plantd, a carbon-negative building materials manufacturer, which was named to Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2024. He has founded two modern design sustainable furniture companies, directed Vine.com, an Amazon e-commerce business specializing in natural and organic products, and served as the CEO of The Collider, the nation’s first innovation center for climate resilience and adaptation. Additionally, Josh was previously known as The Lazy Environmentalist, a media brand he developed into an award-winning television series on Sundance Channel, a daily radio show on SiriusXM, and two popular books.  His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, TechCru…

I started in commercial construction with a focus on prefab for over 20 years. Load Bearing LG Panels, Exterior Bypass Panels, Pods, Interior Finished Wall Panels and more. Success is a function of persistence. You can't give up the minute you hit a road block in this industry, you have to be willing to work hard to push through while everyone else has given up. I'm constantly reviewing change, to better equip myself and the company for the ever changing world around us. Motivated to exceed and excel in "everything" I do. Because my fear is not failure but succeeding at things in life that don’t matter!

Julie Riga is an award-winning executive leadership coach, international speaker, podcast host, and author dedicated to helping leaders and organizations thrive through change. With more than 20 years of experience leading global teams across Fortune 500 companies, Julie combines real-world leadership expertise with practical coaching strategies that empower individuals to lead with confidence, resilience, and authenticity. As the author of Stay on Course: The Life and Legacy of Ennio Riga, Chef to the Stars, Julie shares powerful lessons on perseverance, purpose, and personal growth. She is also the host of the Stay on Course podcast, where she interviews inspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers who share insights on leadership, mindset, and success. Through coaching, speaking, and consulting, Julie helps organizations develop stronger leaders, navigate transformation, improve communication, and build cultures where people can perform at their highest potential.

A nationally recognized expert in AI strategy and digital transformation for the AEC industry, Kristin helps firms move beyond hype to practical implementation. A Fellow of SMPS (FSMPS) and Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM), she works at the intersection of technology, strategy, and industry leadership. She specializes in AI education, change management, and strategic implementation through her AI First Steps framework. Her Minds & Machines symposiums, AI IQ Community, and consulting services equip firms with the clarity and tools to integrate AI competitively. Known for her direct, no-nonsense approach, she focuses on the operational shifts AI creates—from decision-making and workforce transformation to contracts and differentiation. Kristin makes complex topics accessible and actionable, inspiring leaders to think critically, act decisively, and stay ahead in the AI-driven future.

Conifer Advising is a mass timber consultancy dedicated to driving systemic change in the real estate, design, and construction industries by making mass timber the default choice for developers and architects. The firm is led by Kristin Slavin, a seasoned expert with over a decade of experience across the entire mass timber lifecycle, including development, architecture, construction, and prefabricated manufacturing. Conifer Advising is founded on the principle that sharing experience, knowledge, and collaborative processes to enable mass timber will increase the feasibility for developers to build innovative, low-carbon buildings. Conifer Advising partners with a diverse clientele, including government agencies, institutions, developers, design teams, and manufacturers, to overcome the critical barriers to mass timber adoption. The firm’s services are rooted in deep industry knowledge and critical thinking, providing expert guidance to streamline projects, reduce risk, and elimin…

Laura has been leading teams to discover and implement sustainability goals since 2008. She led Emerald’s growth to an internationally sought-after partner to clients and their architects and project teams. Laura excels at facilitating eco-charrettes and strategy sessions that align the client's business and financial objectives with their corporate sustainability strategy or for building projects. She excels at leveraging embedded expertise on teams to create actionable solutions. Her experience spans manufacturing, financial services, non-profit, and government entities. Laura is known for her thought leadership and pragmatic approach to risk mitigation, cost savings, and actionable strategies that achieve measurable results. Additionally, she serves on the boards of USGBC Ohio, Entrepreneur's Organization of Cleveland, and the Greater Cleveland Partnership.

Aligning construction with the future of work by putting people—not companies—at the center of opportunity. A Global Capital & Built Environment Strategist, tracking how money, talent, and technology flow through the built world—from skyscrapers and mixed-use developments to the workplaces and communities they shape. She bridges industries that rarely connect: corporate real estate, development, construction, private capital, and emerging tech. With over a decade advising Fortune 500 real estate teams, developers, contractors, and family offices, she translates insider trends into strategies that anticipate capital shifts, position portfolios to win in changing markets, navigate the decentralization of work, and apply AI, blockchain, and emerging tools for an edge. Founder & CEO of Aedifico ai and Host of Decentralized Everything, she shares unfiltered insights on the future of the built environment and the forces reshaping it—helping clients and audiences make bold, informed…

Melanie Taylor is the business leader and Vice President of Bildt. She sets strategy, steers growth, and owns end to end delivery across design integration, engineering, fabrication, and field installation. Under her leadership, Bildt is advancing industrialized construction through Lean, standardized work, and DfMA—scaling repeatable product platforms from slide in pods to full volumetric modules that enhance speed, safety, and quality. Known for her clarity, partnership, and manufacturing driven approach. Melanie works closely with owners and project teams to bring predictable, high performing modular solutions to healthcare, commercial, and industrial markets while driving Bildt’s growth and impact.

Nneoma Albert Benson is an international human rights lawyer, social impact developer, and Founder and President of BEFA Women and Child Care Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the rights and dignity of women and children facing poverty, violence, and systemic injustice. Founded in Nigeria in 2009, BEFA has provided legal aid, secured access to justice, and empowered vulnerable women to rebuild their lives with dignity. In recognition of its impact, the organization was granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Nneoma is also the Co Founder of Helichrysum Construction, a company with roots dating back to 1991, now expanding into the United States. Through her work at the intersection of construction, law, and social impact, she is leading the development of BEFA Haven, a multi-million dollar empowerment housing community designed to eliminate homelessness for working women and families by integrating housing…

Healthcare Planner, with more than 35 years experience in the design and construction of hospitals and the life science facilities. My specialty is the integration of advanced medical technologies which was always exciting, albeit challenging. Lived outside of Boston in a small suburban town with my wife and two daughters. Worked at Harvard teaching hospitals for nearly 20 years before signing on to help build the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and subsequently other hospitals in the region. Presently CEO of a start-up venture offering small pre-designed and fully equipped hospitals as a product. We believe our model will streamline the entire hospital building process and help make healthcare delivery more affordable and accessible.