Zak Kostura is an Associate Principal in Arup’s New York office with over 17 years of experience in building design and the development of digital solutions that yield measurable value for project teams and clients. After more than a decade of design on numerous complex and high-performance structures, Zak joined the Advanced Digital Engineering team at Arup, serving as leader in the Americas Region. As leader of Advanced Digital Engineering, Zak works closely with the managers and directors of projects that span the vast portfolio of Arup work in the built world. Zak identifies opportunities to use new and emerging technologies to enhance the efficiency and impact of our work in all stages of project delivery. Current key technologies include software development and automation, data analytics and machine learning, artificial intelligence, cloud architecture and web applications, geospatial modeling, IoT, and remote data capture.

Jit Kee Chin is Executive Vice President and Chief Data & Innovation Officer at Suffolk. Within data analytics, her responsibilities includes building Suffolk’s data analytics capability, setting vision and strategy, driving business insight through analytics, and operationalizing the data transformation. As one of the first Chief Data Officers in the industry, she has given numerous invited talks on the future of data analytics in construction, and been recognized as a thought leader in the industry, including Builtworlds Maverick Awards 2019. She is also the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Suffolk Technologies, Suffolk’s venture capital platform which invests in startups leading the technology transformation of the built world. In this role, Jit Kee is constantly searching for, investing in, and piloting the next technology that could drive capital efficiency and productivity for the built environment. As co-founder, she was responsible for setting strategic direction, building out the team, setting up institutional grade investment processes and procedures, building the brand and network, as well as being a member of the Investment Committee. In 2020, Suffolk Technologies was recognized as one of the top five investors in the industry, with portfolio investments in many companies emerging as foundational solutions of the future. In 2021, she joined Autodesk Research’s Advisory Board – a group of thought leaders focused on the future of the AEC industry. Through these efforts, she is helping Suffolk achieve its vision of reimagining the future of construction in the digital age. Prior to her role at Suffolk, Jit Kee spent 10 years with management consulting firm McKinsey and Company where she counseled senior executives on strategic, commercial and advanced analytics topics. Most recently, she was a Senior Expert in Analytics in McKinsey’s Boston office where she specialized in the design and implementation of end-to-end analytics transformations. Prior to that role, Jit Kee was an Associate Principal in McKinsey’s London office where she helped organizations drive multi-year business transformations and change programs and developing strategies for profitable growth. Jit Kee also serves on the Board of Directors of STAG Industrial Inc., an $8 billion publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the acquisition and operation of industrial properties throughout the United States. She has served on the Audit Committee since 2020. In October 2022, she also joined the Board of Directors of CubeSmart, the third largest owner and operator of self-storage properties in the United States, and serves on the Audit Committee. Jit Kee holds a PhD in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s degree from the California Institute of Technology.

Umar leads the Consulting practice for the Real Estate, Hospitality and Construction market segment at EY. In this role he is responsible for developing EY’s perspectives on key trends impacting the industry and for leading client engagements. Umar is thought leader in the areas of business transformation. Within real estate he has extensive experience in operating model transformation, digital & data strategies, technology strategy & implementation and process reengineering. Most recently he has focused on the applicability of Generative AI to the real estate industry. Umar joined EY from Accenture where he had 20+ years of consulting experience across various industry sectors. Umar joined Accenture in the Strategic Services practice and then progressed through a wide range of leadership roles including industry lead roles for automotive, travel and hospitality and service line lead roles for management consulting and managed services. Umar has extensive global experience and has worked with companies in both Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Shannon is a partner in the EY East Assurance practice with more than 17 years of experience serving public and private clients in the real estate, infrastructure, and renewable energy industries. As a partner, Shannon enjoys being a trusted advisor who brings a practical approach to the financial reporting and audit process, as well as being able to offer insights and opportunities that may help companies find efficiencies and enhancements to their internal processes. Shannon’s experience includes working with public and private companies to help navigate complex accounting transactions, including but not limited to mergers and acquisitions, capital raising activities, revenue recognition.

Jeff Levine, AICP, is an urban planner who has worked in New England for 25 years. Currently, he is the Owner and Principal of Levine Planning Strategies, a small consulting firm that specializes in bridging the gap between the development community and city planners. He is also a faculty member of the Department of Urban Studies & Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 2012 to 2019, Levine was the Director of Planning & Urban Development for the City of Portland. In Portland, he oversaw the development of a new Comprehensive Plan (https://PortlandsPlan.me) and developed a set of tools to increase the development of low-income and workforce housing. These tools included development of an inclusionary zoning program for both residential and hospitality developments; creation of a sustainable Local Housing Trust; and land use ordinance changes to allow developers of affordable housing to build along the nodes and corridors selected in Portland's Plan for infill development. Prior to working in Portland, Levine worked in the City of Somerville (MA), where he developed plans for the redevelopment of the Assembly Square district into a new, mixed-use neighborhood centered on a new rapid transit station, as well as for extension of an existing light rail line through the city. He also served as the Director of Planning & Community Development for the Town of Brookline (MA) where he worked on several affordable housing developments, including the redevelopment of the Kennedy family church into a mixed income housing development with new public open spaces. Jeff also serves on the Greater Portland METRO Board of Directors, the GrowSmart Maine Board, and on the Executive Committee of the Northern New England chapter of the American Planning Association.