ABOUT THE VISIONARIES FORUM

The mission of the Construction Institute’s signature event is to open our eyes to new opportunities and innovative approaches in the AEC/O industry and to discover what these changes mean to us.

Past Visionaries speakers include:

Sudhi Bangalore, Stanley Black and Decker

Michael Bergin, Autodesk Research Group

Phil Bernstein, Yale School of Architecture

Roberto Bicchiarelli, Permasteelisa North America

Alissa Briggs, PlanGrid (now Autodesk)

Stephen Brown, International WELL Building Institute

Barbara White Bryson, DesignIntelligence Strategic Advisors

Dr. Luciana Burdi, Massport

Howard Carsman, Intel Corp

Jit Kee Chin, Suffolk Construction Company

James Chong, AECOM

Fiona Cousins , ARUP

James Cramer, Greenway Group (now Georgia Institute of Technology)

Hal Hinkle, BamCore

Chris LaRosa, Google

Greg Luth, LKG Advisors LLC

Mania Aghaei Meibodi, University of Michigan

Rich Merlino, Addaero

Dr. Ibrahim Odeh, GLCM group, Columbia University

Jon Pickard, Pickard Chilton

Curtis Rodgers, Brick & Mortar Ventures

Rick Rundell, Autodesk project BUILD

Fady Saad, MassRobotics

Allison Scott, Skanska (now Autodesk)

Marijke Smit, MKThink

Chris Toomey, McKinsey & Company

Melodie Yashar, Space Exploration Architecture

Barbara White Bryson Ed.D. FAIA is an architect, author, and consultant as well as principal for DesignIntelligence Strategic Advisors. Dr. Bryson recently retired as Associate Dean for Research, and Director of the Drachman Institute of the College of Architecture Planning and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA) at the University of Arizona. Bryson previously served the University of Arizona as Vice President of Strategic Planning and Analysis before joining CAPLA in 2016 and led Rice University’s construction program as well as planning and facilities for 14 years as associate vice president successfully overseeing more than $1.4 billion in design and construction. Bryson authored Creating a Culture of Predictable Outcomes: How Leadership, Collaboration, and Decision-Making Drive Architecture and Construction, published in 2021, and coauthored The Owner’s Dilemma: Driving Success and Innovation in the Design and Construction Industry with Canan Yetmen. Bryson recently launched a podcast with Fred Gutierrez named Curious Teams , for design, construction, and owner communities.

DR. LUCIANA BURDI DIRECTOR FOR CAPITAL PROGRAMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY

Dr. Luciana Burdi, Intl. Assoc. AIA, CCM, MCPPO, is the Director for Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs for the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). As Director, she is responsible for the development, administration and execution of the CIP (Capital Investment Program) for all Massport facilities. In her role, Burdi is leading the shift of Capital Programs towards a more innovative, progressive, Data and Design Technology-driven department. By adopting Scrum and Lean Construction principles, she has created a culture of continuous improvement focusing on delivering “best-inclass” infrastructure projects for customers. Her commitment to sustainability, diversity and talent development provides a wide spread of opportunities for staff and ultimately improving quality outcomes. Burdi received her Doctorate from Harvard Graduate School of Design. Previously, she was a SPURS Fellow (Special Program in Urban and Regional Studies) at MIT and she holds a Master’s Degree from the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV) in Venice Italy.

JAMES MARTIN VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER SHEPLEY BULFINCH

James Martin is Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Shepley Bulfinch, a national architecture firm known for design excellence in healthcare, education and urban development. Drawing on over 20 years of Information Technology experience, Martin leads the development of strategies for technology tools that support and advance design, delivery, and collaboration. He has been particularly successful at creating an innovation center inside of Shepley Bulfinch’s IT department, focusing on new technologies and how they affect the design process. Martin is a Six Sigma Green Belt and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Roger Williams University.

TODD ORENSTEIN VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMERCIALIZATION AECOM

Todd Orenstein is Vice President of Commercialization at AECOM, where he evaluates and incubates ideas and technologies that deliver value to AECOM’s clients and employees. He works closely with AECOM’s digital teams, consulting leaders, and subject matter experts globally to evaluate technology commercialization, from proof of concept through proof of scale. Orenstein also works closely with the AECOM Capital team to identify, evaluate, and invest in startup companies that operate in AECOM’s core markets, taking minority stakes where companies have differentiated offerings and strong growth potential.

MELODIE YASHAR VICE PRESIDENT OF BUILDING DESIGN & PERFORMANCE

Melodie Yashar is the Vice President of Building Design & Performance at ICON, a construction technologies company focused on large scale additive manufacturing for Earth and in space. Yashar oversees the architectural direction of ICON’s built work as well as the performance of ICON’s building systems to deliver optimally-performing structures that shift the paradigm of homebuilding on Earth and beyond. Collaborating across technology and construction teams, her department supports the design and construction of dignified and resilient, terrestrial housing solutions. Yashar’s department also supports the development of ICON’s offworld construction systems. She teaches undergraduate and graduate design studios at Art Center College of Design. In previous roles Yashar was a Senior Research Associate with the Human Systems Integration Division at NASA Ames via San Jose State University Research Foundation (SJSURF), a co-founder of Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), a research group developing human-supporting designs for space exploration, as well as a Professor within the Architecture department of Pratt Institute. Her background is in industrial design, architecture, and human-computer interaction with an emphasis in robotics.