Speakers

Darren Bechtel is a pioneer in the engineering and construction technology industry and is leading the charge to modernize one of the last industries to step squarely into the digital age.

As the founder of Brick & Mortar Ventures -- the first and largest venture capital firm focused solely on supporting the commercialization of emerging construction technology -- Darren is forging a new path in an industry his family and its eponymous global engineering construction firm, Bechtel, have helped shape for over one hundred and twenty years.   

Darren’s Brick and Mortar Ventures announced in 2019 its $100 million fund backed by global heavyweights from across the construction value chain including Autodesk, Cemex, United Rentals, Hilti, and Google sister company Sidewalk Labs. Darren and his team continue to invest those funds exclusively into early-stage construction technology startups. Among Darren’s portfolio of over thirty-five past and present investments are notable startups PlanGrid, BuildingConnected, Fieldwire, Rhumbix, and BuildZoom.  

Darren’s ethos is not that of a “disruptor”; rather, he is interested in how technology and early-stage risk capital can be paired with the skilled talent and industry expertise of established construction industry leaders to reduce the cost and risk of capital projects and make one of the world’s largest industries cleaner, safer, and more productive.

As Head of Connected Experiences at Gensler, Lee works with global teams of strategists, technologists, designers, and developers for the world’s largest architecture firm. Previously, he built a successful innovation lab for Chaotic Moon (now Fjord Austin, acquired by Accenture) and led design research, detail design, and product development for global innovation firm, frog Design. A trendspotter of emerging markets and technologies, Lee has led product development on Oculus, Google Glass, Leap Motion, and other emerging platforms, driven by a desire to design for tomorrow’s users. He has also developed applications and installations for some of the world’s biggest brands, including AT&T, Beats by Dre, Bose, Caesars Palace, DARPA, Fox, IBM, Microsoft, Mozilla, National Geographic Channel, Nike, Spotify, Toyota, and Twitter. At Gensler, he is focused on the next wave of design—the transformation of digital and physical integrations—and breaking traditional norms and expectations about how digital is integrated into our daily lives.

Faisal Butt is a leading UK based entrepreneur and Venture Capital investor. Faisal founded Pi Labs in 2015, after leading, as an individual investor, the first round of investments in proptech start-ups Hubble and Trussle. He and his team at Pi Labs have built a portfolio of 46 Proptech companies across the UK and Europe, making the company one of the most active investors in proptech start- ups globally. Faisal is also the founder of Spire Ventures, a personal investment vehicle with a focus on investment in traditional property companies.