Dr. Stephanie Gripne is an academic entrepreneur, impact investor, researcher, educator & the creative force behind Impact Finance Center, Impact Investing Institute, Investor Clubs, Impact Investing Giving Circles, and Who’s Who in Impact Investing and the vision to catalyze the National Impact Investing Marketplace to catalyze $1T of investment. Stephanie founded Impact Finance Center in 2012. Stephanie sets the vision and provides leadership for the entire organization while focusing on business development, client engagement, and industry thought leadership through her research, writing, and speaking.

Dr. Kingsley is known for enthusiastic and creative collaboration with design architects, and has served as engineer of record and/or principal in charge on numerous projects around the country, including the Denver University Burwell Career Achievement Center, the US Olympic Museum in Colorado Springs, CO, the Platte Fifteen mass timber office building in Denver, CO, and many more. His current passion is mass timber and innovative wood construction. He is actively engaged in multiple active projects, research, and public outreach in timber, and he is a regular speaker for WoodWorks. KL&A is a firm built around the idea that structural engineers should return to a master builder role by taking ownership of the design of structural systems and also the cost estimating and at-risk construction. Their integrated approach to project delivery provides a faster, more reliable delivery process than conventional methods.

Named the Association of Washington Business 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year, Russ is a fourth-generation lumberman and founder of Vaagen Timbers. As a former president of Vaagen Brothers Lumber, Russ brings invaluable knowledge of the lumber industry to his cross laminated timber (CLT) manufacturing plant in Colville, WA. The mission of Vaagen Timbers is to be the best producer of cross laminated and glue laminated timber in North America. Using an eco-friendly and integrated approach, they aim to develop and deliver beautiful, strong and versatile wood products that their customers can be proud of. Their vision is to change the way people think about the places they live, work, and play. Their goal is to deliver the best product while connecting our forests and communities together.

A dedicated family man and outdoor adventurer with a passion for building products and sustainability, Arnie serves as the go-to resource for all industry connections in the mass timber world. The Forest Business Network is focused on the forest products and mass timber construction industry. They own and produce the International Mass Timber Conference, the International Mass Timber Report and produce a weekly newsletter reaching over 10,000 subscribers around the world. They love to network and connect people in the forest and construction industries. They know everything starts in the forest and we need to think about the sustainability and effects of every decision. Everything they do is about keeping this momentum going forward.

Since 2015, Andrew has been involved in the development of over $350MM+ in office, multifamily, retail, and hospitality projects. Recently, the Katz Development team was awarded a $250,000 Wood Innovation USDA Forest Service grant and a $250,000 Softwood Lumber Board and USDA partnership for their latest project - the Return to Form, a 12 story 140,000 sq ft mixed use project - to specifically incorporate mass timber products. Katz Development is a family-owned real estate development group headquartered in the River North Art District of Denver, Colorado. We focus on the development of urban-infill multifamily and mixed-use projects and invest in well located value-add opportunities. Andrew cofounded Katz Development with his father, Scott Katz, and brother, Adam Katz.

David’s experience includes the preparation of calculation packages, design details, site layout, and project management. Woodworks is a free nonprofit association that helps people build in Mass Timber. WoodWorks provides free project assistance related to the code-compliant design, engineering, and construction of non-residential and multi-family wood buildings.

Brennan is helping to bring the power of one of the largest contracting companies in the country into the mass timber world. As the senior project manager for The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Brennan is currently leading the charge on the T3 RiNo construction in Denver, CO. With over 50 locations nationwide, Whiting-Turner has a strong presence throughout the country. More importantly, they recognize the value in community involvement and the benefits of strong local subcontractor relationships. They pride themselves on familiarity with their local communities and their ability to give their clients the attention of a small business with the resources of a national corporation.

Laura is the Wood Utilization and Innovations Program Specialist for the Rocky Mountain Region covering Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in Integrative Biology and a minor in Forestry and Natural Resources. She has a master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara. Her area of study was Conservation Planning, and her research focused on the climate vulnerability of an endemic oak species on the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. The USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations Program expands and creates markets for wood products and wood energy that support long-term, sustainable management of National Forest System lands and other forest lands. The program has two national competitive grants programs, as well as project activities funded under discretionary agreements and annual work plans.