(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.
As the leader of Diverge, a Hensel Phelps’s innovation entity, Thai Nguyen is pioneering a new approach to sourcing, evaluating, and deploying disruptive solutions for the construction industry. With more than 20 years of experience in the architectural and construction industries, Thai’s vision is to leverage technology and collaboration while empowering Hensel Phelps to innovate the industry and build the future.
Aaron Toppston is the Managing Partner of GS Futures, an early stage venture investment fund focused on technology for the built environment. The fund is supported by GS E&C, one of the largest contractors in the world and member of GS Group, a large Korean conglomerate. Previously, Aaron worked at Navitas, a proptech venture fund, and The Walsh Group, an ENR Top 20 contractor. Aaron attended Kellogg (MBA) and Miami University (BS) and lives in Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
Kaushal Diwan is the Corporate Director of Strategic Investments and Partnerships at DPR Construction, where he leads efforts in innovation, research & development, and strategic collaborations. With nearly two decades in the construction industry, he has driven technology implementation and innovation on complex projects across healthcare, higher education, life sciences, advanced technology, and commercial building markets. A former Captain in the United States Air Force, Kaushal was honorably discharged with Top Secret clearance, bringing a disciplined, mission-driven approach to advancing the built environment.
