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.
Sara Safari, Ph.D.
Avalanche Survivor, Empowerment Activist, Author "Follow My Footsteps"
Dr. Sara Safari knows how to inspire teams, overcome obstacles, and create peak performance. After growing up as a woman in Iran, she moved to the United States at the age of 20. She spent the next 20 years not only getting her education in electrical engineering and her PhD in leadership, but becoming the first Iranian woman to Summit all seven peaks, including Mount Everest. Her initial Everest climb is featured in the Netflix documentary, “Aftershock” where in 2015 she hung on a vertical ladder as an 8.4 earthquake shook the mountain. Seven years later in 2022, she returned to face the mountain again, but this time with clarity on her purpose. Candidly sharing her fears, her failures, and her harrowing journey, Sara is a sought after speaker for teams and companies looking to create a new level of performance and an inspired workforce.
Amy Marks
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.
Before joining Symetri, Amy served as Vice President of the Enterprise Transformation Practice at Autodesk, shaping global strategies around business outcomes, platform solutions, sustainability, and new ways of working. Previously, she was CEO of XSite Modular, where she became the industry’s first prefabrication consultant and a pioneering voice in advancing offsite and industrialized construction.
Amy is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and industry change agent, working across sectors including high tech, healthcare, pharma, hospitality, data centers, and commercial development. She also serves as chairman and ambassador of Advancing Prefabrication, the industry’s largest event of its kind.
A passionate advocate for diversity, innovation, and workforce development, Amy uses her global platform to champion inclusive participation and new talent pathways in the construction ecosystem. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and an alumna of Harvard Business School. Outside of work, she’s a dedicated mom to her daughter, Mackenzie, and a lifelong sports fan who spent nearly 15 years playing competitive rugby.