AEC Trailblazers: The Founders Files

Architecture is often framed as a discipline of icons and authorship. But what if the real story of architecture is not about individuals—but about systems, collaboration, and the tools that shape how we build? In this episode of AEC Trailblazers , host Valentin Noves, CEO of e-verse , sits down with Alexander Josephson , co-founder of the globally recognized architecture studio PARTISANS , to exp...

What happens when 37 million homes are projected to be at extreme climate risk over the next 20 years? In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, Valentin Noves, CEO of e-verse, sits down with Ben Gilliland — Founder and Chairman of Future Proof Property Intelligence — to unpack one of the most urgent challenges facing the built environment today: how to proactively retrofit and finance resilience at sc...

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers , Valentin Noves sits down with Chaitanya N K —widely known as NK, Co-Founder and CEO of Track3D —to explore how AI, robotics, and reality capture are reshaping construction from the ground up. NK’s journey into construction technology didn’t start on a job site. It began at the intersection of robotics, computer vision, and virtual environments, where he worked...

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers , Valentin Noves sits down with Josh Dorfman , a climate entrepreneur and storyteller whose career spans sustainable manufacturing, media, e-commerce, and real-world climate innovation. Known for his sharp blend of humor, practicality, and vision, Josh brings a candid perspective on what it really means to build a low-carbon future—without losing your sanity in...

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers , Valentin Noves (CEO) sits down with Traci VanDalsem , a fourth-generation contractor who grew up immersed in the construction world long before technology reshaped the industry. Traci opens the discussion with a simple but powerful idea: everything in construction is a process . Teams in the AEC industry naturally operate through workflows, routines, and repea...

Urbanly founder Federico Fernandez breaks down how geospatial visualization engines evolved into decision systems for planners. We trace his path from Synthesity/UrbanSim to Autodesk (and the work that won an Autodesk CEO Award ), then into Urbanly’s platform that fuses multi-source data with scenario generation and KPIs. We discuss productizing scripts , modeling organic city growth , and why gen...

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, Valentin Noves sits down with **David Alpert , CEO and co-founder of Geopogo **, to explore how real-time visualization and AI-driven tools are reshaping the architectural profession. Alpert, an award-winning architect turned product innovator, shares his journey from managing landmark projects to building Geopogo Cities, a platform that leverages Unreal Engine...

In today’s rapidly evolving AEC ecosystem, staying ahead is no longer about adopting the “next shiny tool.” It’s about finding the right tool, mapping how it integrates into your workflow, and ensuring real adoption across teams. This episode of AEC Trailblazers dives into that challenge with Niknaz Aftahi , CEO and co-founder of aec+tech , an innovation platform bridging AEC professionals with cu...

The future of engineering software is being shaped by a radical shift: moving from manual Python scripting to leveraging large language models (LLMs) that generate working applications directly in the browser . In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, Stijn Jansen , Chief Product Officer at   VIKTOR , explains how this evolution is transforming the way engineers and architects approach automation. Sti...

The material bottleneck is one of the least glamorous but most decisive pain points in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. From studio sketches to specification deadlines, architects spend an outsized share of their time chasing fragmented material data, navigating opaque manufacturer catalogs, and copying specs across projects. For Vardhan Mehta , architect-turned-entrepreneu...

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, we sit down with Albert Bou Fadel , CEO and founder of SmartBarrel , to explore how real-time data, AI, and field-tested hardware are reshaping construction workforce management. With seven years of experience scaling SmartBarrel into a trusted partner for contractors across North America, Albert blends technical expertise with hands-on construction insights to...

In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, we dive into the often-overlooked side of construction tech: the sales process. Valentin Noves sits down with Erick Vargas , President of Followup CRM , to talk about how relationship-driven businesses can modernize their operations without losing their personal touch. Erick shares his journey from tech and business to construction, and why the AEC industry was...

Procurement is often seen as a behind-the-scenes process—mundane, transactional, and filled with red tape. But what if procurement was the key to unlocking greater speed, accuracy, and collaboration across construction projects? In this episode of AEC Trailblazers , we sit down with Alastair Blenkin , CEO and Founder of ProcurePro , to uncover how his company is reshaping one of the most overlooke...

Turning a one-off script into a product used by thousands is not just a technical lift—it’s product work. Dimitrie Stefanescu (Founder and CEO of Speckle ) unpacks the trade-offs between highly specific tools and the generalization required to scale, why open ecosystems matter, and how building on Speckle enables interoperability across Revit, Rhino, Archicad and other data sources. We also dig in...

The AEC industry is rapidly transforming—and Luke Johnson is one of the minds pushing it forward. In this episode of AEC Trailblazers , we talk with Luke Johnson , Founder and Head of Growth at Deep Space , a construction management platform powered by AI and built by construction professionals for construction professionals. With over 20 years of experience across architecture, BIM, and VDC, Luke...

In this insightful episode of AEC Trailblazers , host Valentin Noves talks with Susan Brattberg , Founder and Chief Customer Officer of Global eTraining , a visionary leader in the transformation of education and training for the AEC and manufacturing industries. Susan brings over 16 years of experience developing innovative learning solutions designed to accelerate technology adoption , streamlin...

What if we could rebuild the world—without rebuilding the carbon crisis? In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, host Valentin Noves sits down with Dr. Leah Ellis , co-founder and CEO of Sublime Systems , to explore how her company is revolutionizing one of the most carbon-intensive materials on the planet: cement. Sublime Systems is leading a high-stakes mission: to eliminate the carbon footprint of...

What happens when a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur dives headfirst into one of the most analog industries of all—construction? In this episode of AEC Trailblazers , Valentin Noves (CEO), sits down with Shreesha Ramdas , the multifaceted CEO & Co-Founder of Lumber , to discuss the big why behind his move from the world of SaaS and AI into the trenches of workforce management for contractors. Sh...

In this compelling episode of AEC Trailblazers, host Valentin Noves sits down with Tim Sperry , a true pioneer in climate tech innovation and founder of Carbon Limit . Tim is redefining what sustainability means for the built environment , transforming one of the most carbon-intensive industries—construction—into a powerful force against climate change. Tim shares his unique journey from developin...

What if your company’s drug test is measuring the wrong thing? In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, Valentin Noves talks with Ken Fichtler , CEO of Gaize , about a critical blind spot in workplace safety—especially in high-risk industries like construction. While traditional drug tests detect chemical presence, they don’t measure impairment—and in a post-legalization world, that distinction matter...

Success in construction isn’t just about building structures—it’s about resilience, strategy, and knowing how to navigate challenges. Few embody this better than Pat Miller , founder and president of Blue Diamond Construction . With over 30 years in the industry, Pat has led commercial carpentry and metal framing projects across medical offices, retail spaces, apartments, and more. But her journey...

In the fast-paced world of construction, efficiency isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity. Yet, material procurement remains a bottleneck for many specialty contractors and distributors. That’s where Eric Helitzer , CEO and co-founder of SubBase , is making an impact. A third-generation builder with a Master’s in Building Construction Management from the University of Florida, Eric has spent hi...

Prefab isn’t the future of construction—it’s the present. Yet, many modular and offsite projects still face cost overruns, inefficiencies, and scalability challenges. That’s where Andrew Xue , COO and Co-Founder of Offsight , steps in. With a background in engineering, software development, and construction consulting, Andrew has spent years optimizing prefab manufacturing. His mission? To make of...

Construction scheduling is broken. Gantt charts are outdated, teams are stuck in spreadsheets, and projects keep running over time and budget. But what if scheduling was as intuitive as a whiteboard and as powerful as CPM? In this episode of AEC Trailblazers , we sit down with Nitin Bhandari , Co-Founder & CEO of Planera , to explore how collaborative and visual CPM-based planning is redefining co...

How can real-time field data revolutionize construction? In this episode of AEC Traiblazers, we sit down with Zach Scheel , CEO and co-founder of Rhumbix , to explore the game-changing impact of workforce automation and paperless field management. With experience leading engineering operations in the US Navy, managing megaprojects with Bechtel, and holding dual master’s degrees from Stanford, Zach...