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Digital Speakers

Learn from the Industry's Best at World of Modular

World of Modular’s top-notch educational breakout sessions will equip industry professionals with the latest knowledge in every facet of the commercial modular construction business. Attendees learn new skills and techniques, find ways to operate more efficiently, and make valuable contacts to improve their business...all from the comfort of home or work!

2022 Keynotes

Anirban Basu

SPONSORED BY

Anirban Basu

Economic Trends Expert | CEO & Founder of Sage Policy Group, Inc.

Construction Drivers & Trends in 2022

Economist Anirban Basu returns to World of Modular to offer an informative and entertaining forecast for the construction marketplace. Basu is chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, a consulting firm in Baltimore, MD, and is one of the most recognizable economists in and around Washington, DC. He provides policy and economic consulting for numerous clients including developers, bankers, brokerage houses, energy suppliers and law firms. He has also written several high-profile reports on construction, including MBI’s “Economic & Financial Performance of Relocatable Buildings in the US Modular Building Industry.

Also included in digital passes.

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SPONSORED BY

Karen McCullough

President | Karen McCullough & Co.

Going Beyond the Brand

Karen McCullough takes you beyond the brand, helping you grow a culture that focuses on people. Today, as the world changes, the human-centric customer experience becomes the brand differentiator in the marketplace. Your customer experience goes hand-in-hand with the employee experience. That’s why investing in employee engagement is the best way to deliver a better customer brand experience. After all, your brand is the CORE of your company, the HEART of your business, the SOUL of your culture, and the FOUNDATION for building trust. Karen McCullough is a nationally known expert on change, generational opportunities, and workforce trends. She helps organizations just like yours cut through generational biases, leverage team strengths, enrich the workplace, and ultimately drive better results.

Also included in digital passes.

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SPONSORED BY

Jim McGeever

CEO | Silver Creek Industries, LLC

From Oracle to Offsite: How A Former Technology Executive is Using Modular Construction to Address the Housing Crisis

As a former and well-known technology executive having served Oracle NetSuite for 21 years, Jim McGeever is turning his attention to construction as the new chief executive officer of Silver Creek Industries, a modular building manufacturer in Southern California. Jim was a driving force in NetSuite's successful public offering in 2007 as chief financial officer and helped finalize Oracle’s $9.3 billion acquisition of NetSuite. In 2010 he was named chief operating officer, leading NetSuite to become one of the world’s leading cloud computing software companies. Having lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay area, Jim is familiar with the affordable housing crisis that plagues large and small cities worldwide. He has been inspired to make a difference by using modular construction. In this session, Jim will share how his experience in technology is shaping his new role at Silver Creek and how the modular builder is managing growth, building out new processes, using automation, and improving customer experiences. He will also address the current supply and demand ratio of affordable housing, how the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the housing crisis, how the pandemic has impacted design and construction overall, and how the industry can work together to accelerate construction in any market.

Also included in digital passes.

Featured Speakers

Take a look at our digital speakers and presentations below and stay tuned for exciting updates. All presentations will be broadcast live from the in-person World of Modular conference in San Antonio, Texas.

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Jairo Aguilar
Architectural Associate
ModularDesign+

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Vaughn Buckley
Founder & CEO
Volumetric Building Companies

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Charlie Chupp
Founder & CEO
Fading West

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Glen Guyton
Diversity & Inclusion Expert
GuyStar Enterprises, LLC

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Robert LiMandri
Senior Principal
SOCOTEC, Inc.

Rick Murdock

Rick Murdock
CEO & Co-Founder
Autovol

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Ankur Podder
Research Engineer
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

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Matt Smith
Director of Business Development
Factory_OS

Presentations

Who’s on First? Why Including Modular on Day 1 Will Keep Your Project on Track

Jairo Aguilar, Architectural Associate, ModularDesign+

The rise of modular delivery methods paired with the general unfamiliarity within the construction industry often leads to uncertainty in roles, scope, and responsibilities. Integrating a modular design company at the beginning of the design process allows for a clear delineation of scope to be identified between the consultants, the contractor, and the modular team. Designing alongside these partners allows for modular modalities to be used as parameters, accelerating the project timeline while reducing risk. See how the development of the “modular scope matrix” can help save your project time, money, and headache.

 

The Manufacturization of Housing vs. Offsite Construction

Charlie Chupp, Founder & CEO, Fading West

In this session, learn how the manufacturization of housing can create high-quality homes at attainable price points for the displaced workforces globally. In this session, Charlie Chupp, founder and CEO of Fading West, will discuss the principles and philosophies behind “Home-as-a-Product.” With America, in particular, facing a 7-million unit housing deficit, it is essential to increase construction capacity and expand supply to build thriving communities.

 

People and Robots: Why the Future of Construction Means Both

Rick Murdock, CEO and Co-Founder, Autovol

Robotics and automated assembly have been in most industries for decades. Construction has some catching up to do, and the industry benefits will be great. As the first automated factory of its kind, Autovol has been a huge—and successful—learning experience. The factory design is driven by a simple concept: identifying the things hardest on the human body and the designing robotic systems to do those things. This approach is a game-changer for a factory. Autovol is achieving breakthroughs in quality, speed, and productivity. But what’s most exciting and gratifying is the impact on the company’s team—who they call “Solutioneers.” With automation doing the heavy lifting, more people of various skills, abilities, and backgrounds can work in construction. They can take a more active role in innovating how their work is done. And they can enjoy greater job satisfaction and career growth.

 

DEI Done Right: Get the Right People in the Room

Glen Guyton, Diversity & Inclusion Expert, GuyStar Enterprises, LLC

How do you translate your diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) efforts to workplace success? We all want to meet the diverse needs and expectations of our workforce and clients. Despite the barriers that exist, people want assurances that they matter and have equal access to the products, services, and opportunities we provide. To achieve our DEI goals, we have to invite people—the right people—into the proper processes. Only then will we reap the proven benefits of being a more diverse, inclusive, and culturally competent organization. Join expert Glen Guyton for this important session that will give you practical advice for your own DEI journey.

 

Urban Modular. Are We Ready?

Robert LiMandri, Senior Principal, SOCOTEC, Inc.

A national housing crisis, acute supply chain disruptions, and the adoption of new national building codes means cities need to adjust and grow, NOW. Robert LiMandri, the former New York City Commissioner of Buildings and SOCOTEC’s Code and Planning Service Line Leader, explains how and why modular construction can play a greater role in urban development. LiMandri led the adoption of code compliant approvals of mid-rise modular buildings in New York City, one of the most stringent code and zoning municipal authorities in the country, over ten years ago. As a former regulator and development consultant, he will expand on how modular construction has the potential to transform the construction industry. Discussion will include different modular products and how they are received by the market and municipality with regard to transportation, construction constraints, zoning, and inspection protocols.

 

The Future of Modular and a Behind the Scenes Discussion with Q&A

Vaughan Buckley, CEO, Volumetric Building Companies

In this session, Vaughan Buckley, CEO of Volumetric Building Companies, will share the current trends impacting the development of modular construction programs and the players in the space—including factories, customers, investors, and developers. Vaughan will reveal behind-the-scenes information on what VBC is doing and what he sees for the future of modular technology. This session will feature a candid discussion of the industry’s opportunities, weaknesses, and threats combined with a positive outlook and a lively time of Q&A. Do you have tough questions about the modular space? Bring them to this session.

 

Factory_OS: How Partnering Can Change an Industry

Matt Smith, Director of Business Development, Factory_OS

From clients to labor, technology giants to material suppliers, join Matt Smith as he walks you through the “Factory_OS Method” and explains how strong partnerships have been the key to the company’s success. Factory_OS has combined pioneering technology with tried-and-true manufacturing methods to build multifamily modular buildings efficiently and cost-effectively. Modular construction cuts the time it takes to build an apartment building in half and cuts cost by as much as 30 percent. In the San Francisco Bay Area where the price of building a single affordable housing unit is close to $1 million, that can mean the difference between a developer building an apartment or not. During Matt’s time at Factory_OS, the company has grown immensely, having completed almost 2000 units for the majority of California’s largest non-profit developers.

 

Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment Efforts on Integrating Energy Efficiency Strategies with Modular Construction

Ankur Podder, Research Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory introduced the Industrialized Construction Assessment Framework to achieve affordable zero-energy modular multifamily buildings at the last World of Modular. Since then, NREL has continued to drive the ambitious plan to accelerate optimal integration of energy efficiency strategies during industrialized construction with little or no additional cost, labor, and production time. This follow-on presentation is on research efforts over the last two years in collaboration with multiple industry partners to develop an ‘idealized zero-energy modular multifamily building design.’ The research addressed barriers to whole-building system integration, such as poor installation quality of thermal and air barriers; lack of unitized systems for space conditioning, energy recovery and ventilation, and water heating; problematic on-site installation, commissioning, and configuration of controls; and lack of cost-effective integration for grid-friendly design and emerging technologies. The presentation also delineates next steps for future work with NREL’s partners towards developing a transformational pathway for our clean energy future.

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