This executive panel will set the stage for the afternoon by exploring how AI, automation, and machine learning are transforming the construction and built environment industries. The conversation will provide insights into emerging trends, practical applications, and strategic implications, while offering an honest reality check on the future of design and construction. The session will conclude with dedicated time for audience Q&A.
(DBEI) organizing committee whilst in Asia and is now part of the DBEI North America Committee since her relocation back to San Francisco. After realizing the slow pace of digitization in the construction industry, Alice joined the Brick & Mortar Ventures team to work with startups that want to disrupt the way we design, construct and maintain the built world.
Alice holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Brown University where she was on the Formula SAE racecar team and worked in a materials science lab researching lead-free piezoelectrics.
This executive panel will set the stage for the afternoon by exploring how AI, automation, and machine learning are transforming the construction and built environment industries. The conversation will provide insights into emerging trends, practical applications, and strategic implications, while offering an honest reality check on the future of design and construction. The session will conclude with dedicated time for audience Q&A.
Briston Blair is Senior Vice President of Innovation and Strategy at Comfort Systems, where he partners with the C-suite to architect growth and long-range strategies that have driven revenue from $1 billion to over $7 billion, expanded the workforce from 7,500 to more than 21,000 employees, and diversified the company’s offerings to include electrical and modular construction. Under his leadership, the company has expanded into advanced industries such as hyperscale data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, EV battery plants, and pharmaceutical facilities.
Briston has identified and scaled leading-edge technologies across Comfort Systems’ 40+ subsidiaries while capturing core and non-core business opportunities to deliver meaningful growth for customers, employees, and investors. He has managed P&Ls—including portfolios with over 1,100 employees—served as a corporate strategy, business unit, and start-up advisor, and led teams through $500M+ in acquisitions, divestitures, and integrations. Over fifteen years, he has developed three five-year strategic plans that have enabled billions in organic and inorganic growth.
Jim Barrett is Turner Construction’s Chief Innovation Officer, where he leads the research, development, and deployment of cutting-edge solutions aimed at transforming the built environment through “purposeful” innovation—customer-centric, human-oriented, and forward-thinking. Over nearly three decades with Turner, he has held multiple leadership roles, managing and directing various divisions across the U.S., and has been instrumental in numerous enterprise-wide organizational change initiatives.
Jim’s career is defined by a relentless curiosity and a commitment to realizing what is possible. His work has cultivated a broad and diverse expertise, enabling him to anticipate industry trends and position Turner to capitalize on them. He has developed and implemented a comprehensive framework for innovation at Turner, driving continuous advancement across areas such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), Lean practices, modular and prefabricated construction, virtual, augmented, and extended reality (VR/AR/XR), artificial intelligence, and robotics and automation.
Mike Sewell is Gresham Smith’s first Chief Digital Transformation Officer (CDTO), effective January 1, 2026, leading the firm’s digital and technology strategy to enhance project delivery, optimize operations, and drive innovation. He joined Gresham Smith in 2003 and was named Director of Innovation in 2023, becoming a nationally recognized thought leader on emerging technologies, including AI.
With over two decades of experience in the Transportation market, Mike has advanced road safety and usability through technology, including developing the patented Empathic Insights platform (MPATH), recognized by Fast Company and Architect Magazine for its impact. His work in innovation contributed to Gresham Smith being named one of Fast Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies.”
Mike serves on the Boards of Gresham Smith and the League of American Bicyclists, has testified before Congress on transportation policy, and is a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council.
