Consequential Questions Demanding a Voice

Dr. Caroline Golin is a global expert in energy market and product design. In her current role, she leads a global team working closely with executives and teams across Europe, Asia, and North America, to meet Google’s energy and business growth needs, including its most ambitious sustainability moonshot yet; complete decarbonization of its operations by 2030. Through the development of new business models, partnerships, and market reforms, Caroline and her team are working to accelerate the decarbonization of the grid across the globe and make Google’s infrastructure the cleanest and most efficient industrial fleet in the world. Caroline holds a Masters and PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology and lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and four children.

Jennifer Kolstad is the first Global Design and Brand Director at Ford Motor Company, and the first design leader to establish a vision for environmental design.

Since joining Ford in 2019, Jennifer has envisioned the future of workplace, retail, hospitality, and community at Ford. Introducing the legacy brand to research-led design, she pivoted the design team toward a human-centered methodology collaborating with external luminaries, product design, UX, technology, and global brand.

Jennifer has spent her career systematically advancing the design industry by challenging best practice, disrupting institutionalized expectations, and introducing new thinking to every project category she plays in. Integrating complementary core competencies to expand the value of design provides greater opportunity for professionals to impact complicated problem sets involving business, community, social justice, and human productivity.

She is the recipient of the 2023 ASID Luminary of Distinction award honouring the advancement of the design industry through innovative contributions.

Jennifer is past-chair of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), co-authoring a strategic plan to pivot the profession toward human-science and collaboration. She served on the ASID National Board from 2015-2021.

Jennifer is a Doctoral candidate at the School of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary (’26), achieved a Master of Architecture degree from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and was a recipient of the SOM Graduate Fellowship. She has undergraduate degrees in Interior Design, Art and Art History. Prior to Ford she designed at SOM, Gensler, HKS, and ALDAR in the United Arab Emirates.

Jennifer is an invited NASA Luminary teaching her “Brain to Building Framework” as a design tool for off-planet habitation. She has appeared on PBS Newshour, NBC News, Fortune’s 2022 Brainstorm, and Microsoft Envision, speaking on human-centered design. She is a member of the Health Advisory Council at the School of Design and Creative Technologies at Dell Medical School’s Design Institute for Health at UT Austin, has presented at the ANFA/Salk Annual Conference, IDEC’s Annual Conference, and The Design Museum Everywhere Innovation Summit. Jennifer has been an invited keynote, lecturer, and juror at the Darden School of Business, Utah State University, UT Austin, University of Michigan, and National ASID Conferences.

Tanya focuses her practice on helping businesses in heavily regulated industries such as energy, refining, chemicals, forestry and mining. She helps her clients navigate regulatory chaos and take back control. She works on her clients’ issues as if they are her own while managing the process and helping them to solve issues quickly and avoid shutdowns.

Tanya is a nationally recognized formidable litigator who has litigated highly complex environmental matters. Her successes have earned her the distinction of Lawdragon 500’s Leading U.S. Environmental Lawyer. She collaborates with all her clients to find the best business solutions, whether it involves providing detailed strategic advice and tactics, counsel on the advertising and marketing of environmental benefit claims, or fighting for her clients in litigation.

Paul is Managing Partner of The Digit Group, Inc. TDG (www.thedigigroupinc.com), a Singapore-registered Smart City real estate development and investment company. As seen on Bloomberg TV and The Wall Street Journal, acknowledged by CNBC as one of America's Business Titans and reported by Forbes as “Changing the World”, Paul is an award-winning architect. a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council and a Fellow of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA). Concurrently, Paul is the co-founder and producer of the critically acclaimed AEC Hackathon (www.aechackathon.com). Paul’s current work includes the design, planning, construction and operations of Smart Cities around the world.

Akhil is a forward-thinking designer and technology advocate currently serving as the Chair for Continuing Education at the Aspire Conference. With expertise in conceptual design and construction administration, he's pioneering the integration of AI, automation, and augmented reality into AEC workflows. As a self-taught programmer, he develops practical applications that demonstrate how applied technology can transform the built environment industry.

His multifaceted portfolio spans residential, commercial, educational, and mixed-use developments, providing comprehensive insights into diverse building typologies. Beyond his professional practice, Akhil leads industry advancement through his roles as President of the Savannah Young Architects Forum and his previous board position with Freedom by Design.

Driven by a vision of democratizing emerging technologies, he combines architectural expertise with technological innovation to create scalable solutions that address the industry's evolving challenges. His commitment to professional development and technological integration exemplifies the convergence of design intelligence, digital transformation, and practical application in the Built Environment sector.

Kimon Onuma, FAIA, pioneers innovative approaches to "Build Informed Environments." Known for his BIMStorm events, including the acclaimed 24-hour BIMStorm LAX in 2008, his work has garnered numerous industry awards. Kimon has presented at 400+ global events and authored significant industry publications, like the 2006 AIA Report on Integrated Practice. Collaborating with agencies such as the Department of Defense and the State Department, he lays the groundwork for digital transformations. Kimon also leads in developing industry standards, contributing to the National Institute of Building Sciences' Digital Twin Integration Subcommittee and advancing AI integration in building processes.

Marty Rozmanith is an entrepreneur and building design/construct professional with a 30+ year career in transforming the building industry. As co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Skema, Marty leads the team developing the Skema Software Suite, the world’s first BIM Knowledge Reuse Engine.