Ecosystem Roundup: Connecting the Forces Driving Material Health
The Ecosystem Roundup session brought together key leaders and innovators from across the material health landscape to showcase how collaboration, data, and technology are converging to accelerate industry-wide transformation. Each presenter represented a vital piece of the growing ecosystem—from digital tools that bridge design and procurement to global certification systems redefining how we measure health and sustainability. Together, these organizations are creating a more connected framework where transparency fuels innovation, interoperability empowers decision-making, and shared progress drives a healthier built environment for all.
Barbra BatShalom – BuildingEase
Barbra BatShalom, Founder and CEO of BuildingEase, opened the Ecosystem Roundup by highlighting how digital platforms can break down barriers between design and procurement. Her presentation showcased BuildingEase as the industry’s first tool to connect design intent directly with product data, helping architects and builders easily access and apply verified material health information. Drawing from her decades of leadership in sustainability and her role with the Sustainable Performance Institute, BatShalom emphasized that streamlined data exchange is essential for accelerating the shift to healthier, more transparent products across the built environment.
Andre L. H. Baros – Acelab
Andre Baros, Senior Director of Material Research at Acelab, discussed how the architecture community is reimagining the relationship between materials and design excellence. With more than 25 years of experience in architecture and sustainability, Baros described Acelab’s mission to empower designers through data-driven decision-making. By creating a centralized digital hub that connects architects with innovative, high-performing products, Acelab is helping bridge the gap between creativity and accountability. Baros’s presentation underscored that access to reliable material data not only supports health and transparency goals but also inspires better design outcomes.
Bill Walsh – Safer Chemistry Impact Fund
The symposium’s keynote address was delivered by Bill Walsh, Founding Director of the Safer Chemistry Impact Fund, whose presentation From Transparency to Transformation: Building the Business Case for Safer Chemistry set a powerful tone for the day. Drawing on his decades of leadership at organizations such as the Healthy Building Network, Passport Foundation, and Greenpeace USA, Walsh explored how the building industry can turn chemical transparency into real progress. He emphasized that while tools like the HPD Open Standard have revolutionized visibility into product contents, the next frontier lies in driving innovation—creating and scaling safer alternatives that benefit both human health and the planet. Walsh highlighted how public data, cross-sector collaboration, and strategic investment can accelerate the adoption of safer chemistry at scale, inspiring attendees to think boldly about the systemic changes needed to make healthier materials the industry norm.
Kathleen Egan – Ecomedes
Kathleen Egan, CEO and Co-Founder of Ecomedes, presented how her SaaS platform is helping the building industry simplify sustainable purchasing decisions. Egan demonstrated how Ecomedes integrates more than 2,200 manufacturers and harmonizes data from over 35 certification systems, enabling users to find, compare, and select healthier, greener materials efficiently. By combining sustainability data, cost insights, and performance metrics in one place, Ecomedes empowers manufacturers, designers, and facility owners to make informed decisions that align environmental and financial goals. Her message reinforced that transparency and accessibility must go hand in hand for large-scale adoption of sustainable materials.
Rodolfo Perez – International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)
Rodolfo Perez, Senior Director at the International WELL Building Institute, explored how the WELL Building Standard continues to evolve to prioritize transparency, human health, and ethical supply chains. As the lead for the Materials and Water concepts in WELL, Perez outlined new strategies for integrating material health into global building standards, including efforts to address social impacts like fair labor and modern slavery in product supply chains. His talk demonstrated how WELL is broadening its framework from physical health to encompass the full social and environmental lifecycle of materials.
Terry Swack – Sustainable Minds
Terry Swack, Founder and CEO of Sustainable Minds, shared how her company is transforming how manufacturers and designers approach product transparency and life cycle impact. Sustainable Minds’ Transparency Catalog now connects nearly 2,200 manufacturers with tools to assess and communicate the environmental performance of their products. Swack discussed how life cycle assessment (LCA) data is helping companies move beyond disclosure toward design optimization and innovation. Her presentation highlighted that when product data is made clear and actionable, it drives both environmental accountability and competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Wes Sullens – U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
Wes Sullens, Director of Materials & Resources at the U.S. Green Building Council, concluded the Ecosystem Roundup with an update on LEED’s evolving approach to circularity and product transparency. A LEED Fellow and long-time advocate for regenerative design, Sullens explained how USGBC is embedding safer chemistry, waste reduction, and supply chain accountability into the next generation of LEED standards. His presentation illustrated how data interoperability between organizations like HPDC, USGBC, and WELL is essential to advancing shared sustainability goals. Sullens emphasized that collaboration—not competition—will define the next chapter of material health progress.