Gail Brager, Ph.D.

Gail Brager holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and is a Distinguished Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley in their Building Science, Technology & Sustainability program. She also serves as Director of the Center for the Built Environment (CBE), an industry/university collaborative research center with nearly 50 diverse partners from the building industry. Since joining the faculty in 1984, Professor Brager remains passionate about teaching and conducting applied research focused on reducing energy use while enhancing indoor environmental quality and occupant experience. She co-developed ASHRAE Std 55’s adaptive thermal comfort model and more recently co-authored Experiential Design Schemas, a book that bridges data-driven building science with the more poetic sensorial perspectives of architecture, aimed at expanding the joy and nature connections in buildings. A long-time champion for women in the industry, she was featured in Women in Green: Voices in Sustainable Design, and annually hosts her “Gail’s Green Goddess Garden Party”, a networking event bringing together 60-80 women in the sustainability field. Her greatest pride comes from mentoring students and supporting their growth as future leaders who strive to make a positive impact on the world.

Sustainable by Design 

Amy Marks is the EVP of Global Strategy at Symetri, a global leader in digital BIM, product design, and lifecycle solutions. Known widely as the “Queen of Prefab,” she has been a driving force in modernizing the built environment through industrialized construction and transformational methodologies.

“Innovators: Born or Bred?”

Is innovation an innate gift, or can it be cultivated? This talk explores whether individuals and organizations are naturally predisposed to creativity or if innovation is the result of intentional effort and culture. This question is increasingly urgent for the built environment ecosystem because it gets to the heart of our ability to respond to and overcome urgent challenges like labor shortages, increasing costs, and productivity gaps. 

Given the challenges we face, the status quo and stagnation are not an option. And the phrase “innovate or die” is more relevant than ever at a time when the U.S. government has put a spotlight on construction workforce challenges as a potential national security concern given their impact on the development of critical infrastructure and AI. 

In this presentation, Compass Datacenters' Amy Marks, SVP of Innovation aka the Queen of Prefab, shares insights and examples of innovation frameworks that truly work. She discuss how diversity in perspective is a major catalyst for innovation. How can the right mindset, culture, and strategies transform anyone into an innovator. Attendees will leave inspired and with insights to unlock and nurture innovation within themselves and their teams.