All 5 presentations
Images from the Event
Keynote Speaker
Peter Rumsey, PE, CEM
Fellow ASHRAE
Decarbonization Strategies
Peter is a global leader and innovator in the building decarbonization field. In his over 40 year career in the buildings and energy field he designed over 60 LEED Platinum buildings. He was the lead engineer for the world’s first net zero commercial office, first net zero public museum and first net zero research laboratory.
He was the thought leader behind Infosys’ energy initiative that lowered the energy use of its 40 million sf real estate portfolio by more than 50%. He is the founder of Decarbonization Strategies and Stanford’s Building Decarbonization Learning Accelerator (BDLA). In addition to his consulting work, Peter has been an adjunct lecturer at Stanford University for over 15 years where he teaches a graduate course on building decarbonization. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley in mechanical engineering and an ASHRAE Fellow. He received ASHRAE’s highest technical award, the Engineering Award of Excellence.
Moderator:
Holly Montrose
Senior Vice President
Ambient Enterprises
Holly Montrose is a senior commercial leader with a track record of building sales organizations that grow with intention. As SVP of Sales Operations at Ambient Enterprises, she sets strategic direction for a national HVAC manufacturer’s representative network, supporting everything from growth planning and activity to the operational systems that keep the business running efficiently at scale. Her approach is direct: build the right structure first, then grow. Holly came up in technical sales, earning her credibility before her titles. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry, which gave her the analytical foundation she still applies to every strategy conversation. She spent years at ABB, Inc., one of the world’s leading industrial technology companies, rising from regional sales to VP of US Channel Sales for HVAC Drive Products, where she developed and led the North American Data Center strategy for the same product group. Those roles required fluency in manufacturer economics, rep channel dynamics, and technical specification selling at national scale.
Technology Spotlight:
Accelerating a Water Reuse Revolution in Real Estate
Aaron Tartakovsky
Co-founder and CEO
Epic Cleantec
Aaron Tartakovsky is the Co-Founder and CEO of Epic Cleantec, a leading water technology company improving the built environment with innovative water reuse systems. Before his career in sustainability, Aaron worked in federal politics and remains actively involved in shaping public policy at the local, state, and national levels.
A recognized expert in urban water management, Aaron speaks frequently at universities and industry gatherings worldwide and was named a 2023 World Economic Forum Top Innovator at the annual meeting in Davos. Under his leadership, Epic Cleantec has received numerous accolades, including recognition in Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards, Inc.’s Best in Business, and TIME’s Best Inventions of the Year for two consecutive years.
Beyond his work in sustainability, Aaron is an active community leader and political advocate. He is also featured in and serves as an Associate Producer of the award-winning documentary Among Neighbors, now playing in theaters nationwide.
Investor Spotlight:
Ecology & Economics: Integrated Optimization for Nature and the Built Environment
Jim Gaither Jr.
General Partner
Hanover Page Mill Associates, LLC
Jim Gaither Jr. is an ecologist, conservation leader, and commercial real estate owner whose work focuses on integrating ecological principles with long-term economic performance in the built environment. Before entering real estate, Jim advanced large-scale conservation projects across California, including work with The Nature Conservancy and the creation of the Independence Lake Preserve and Headwaters Forest Reserve. Through his conservation work, he learned that successful projects require the integration of science, economics, and multidisciplinary collaboration to achieve lasting results.
As Jim transitioned into sustainable development, he applied this systems-based perspective to the design and construction of a new 90,000 square foot office building in the Stanford Research Park. The resulting project — a high-performance, net-zero electric workplace recognized with LEED Platinum certification and multiple international sustainability awards — was designed to optimize human well-being, environmental performance, and long-term economic success. Jim holds BS and MS degrees from Stanford University and a PhD in Ecology from UC Davis.
Moderator:
Suzanne Brown
Principal
Equity Community Builders (EBC)
Suzanne is the Managing Principal of Equity Community Builders (ECB). She is
committed to creating great projects that contribute to the vitality of neighborhoods and help strengthen communities. With over 25 years of experience as a real estate advisor, project manager and structural engineer. Suzanne offers a broad range of expertise in all phases of the development process. She has particularly strong skills in real estate finance, entitlements, and project management. Suzanne enjoys cultivating partnerships and solving complex development problems. She is committed to the community and helping nonprofits use real estate to further their missions and provide a sustainable future. Suzanne’s work includes the development of new buildings, renovation of existing facilities, and historic rehabilitation. She has worked on an array of project types- including housing, office, theaters/recital halls, museums, educational facilities, health care centers, and community centers.
Suzanne leads the firm’s highly successful efforts to integrate the use of New Markets Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credit financing into a broad range of development projects – a source of capital that has significantly enhanced the development efforts of the firm’s nonprofit and for-profit clients.
Suzanne serves on the board of Lambda Alpha International (LAI) Golden Gate Chapter. Suzanne is an active member of SPUR, HAC, NPH and ULI.
Originally from New York City, Suzanne enjoys traveling, art and architecture. In her spare time, Suzanne enjoys spending time with her two daughters as well as running, hiking, biking, skiing, and yoga.
Team Presentation on the Regency Ballroom: Restoring an Iconic Space
Alter Engineers and ELS Architecture and Urban Design
Matt Dehghani
Alter Engineers
Over the past eight years as Principal and sole Engineer of Record at Alter Engineers, Matt has led over 50 high-capital projects, cementing his reputation at the forefront of sustainable MEP design. His expertise lies in delivering award-winning Zero Net Energy (ZNE) facilities and pioneering comprehensive building electrification. Matt’s portfolio includes celebrated ZNE designs for the Willard, Regency, and OUSD Claremont projects, as well as large-scale electrification initiatives for Regency, Northeastern, and various Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) campuses.
As a seasoned mechanical engineer, Matt’s philosophy centers on deep, project-level collaboration. He partners closely with architects to optimize building envelopes and drastically reduce energy loads, while working alongside contractors to ensure that his low-energy, low-cost HVAC systems are flawlessly implemented. Before taking the helm at Alter Engineers, Matt built his foundation consulting for the nation’s most progressive, high-performance MEP design firms.
Today, Matt leverages his extensive hands-on experience and his commitment to mentoring the next generation of engineers to push the boundaries of what is possible in sustainable building. By consistently executing complex, award-winning ZNE and electrification initiatives, he continues to accelerate the industry toward a decarbonized future.
David Masenten, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Chief Sustainability Officer
ELS Architecture and Urban Design
David is a Principal and Board Member at ELS that directs their Mixed-Use practice with experience designing large, multi-use projects that incorporate the best green practices. His projects range from the 15.5 square mile Guangzhou South Axis Masterplan to high-rise commercial and residential buildings, town and campus planning and corporate interiors for international companies. David has a B.Arch from the Rhode Island School of Design and a Master in City Planning from MIT. He is a Board Member for the Downtown Berkeley Association and is a member of the AIA, and USGBC.
Operations Spotlight
Andre Duurvoort
JLL
Andre Duurvoort is a Senior Director in the Technical Services & Sustainable Operations team at JLL with 17 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, with a specialty across technology sectors. He leads teams in deploying comprehensive technical and sustainability programs for real estate portfolios, with expertise in energy management, decarbonization, and smart buildings. His practical, real-world experience in delivering impactful and measurable results makes him a leading voice on how to drive innovation in sustainable real estate.