Expediting Your LA CITY Fire Rebuild – How to Avoid Many Years of Permit Nightmares!

Jenifer Carvalho
CEO & Founder | LA Expedite Inc

Some homeowners have waited more than six years for fire rebuild approvals. In this session, Jenifer reveals the real reasons rebuilds get stuck in LA City, and what it takes to cut through the bureaucracy. This is your chance to learn the insider process her firm uses to deliver faster approvals and real results, even for projects that go beyond a simple like-for-like scope.

Future Proofing Homes: Residential Electrification and Wildfire Resilience

Kavita Rodrigues & Robert Hagstrom
Advisor and Professional Mechanical Engineer | Southern California Edison

Explore strategies to boost home sustainability and resilience. Learn about electrification, energy-efficient systems, and wildfire-resistant materials. Discover how to protect your property, cut energy costs, and rebuild or retrofit homes in wildfire-prone areas using proven, cost-effective technologies for a safer, greener future.

Permitting Fire Rebuilds in LA City – Step-by-Step Through Zoning and Compliance

Anthony Spann
Lead Architect | LA Expedite Inc

Get clear on what’s required for your rebuild inside LA City. This seminar walks you through zoning code constraints, site plan expectations, and key submittal pitfalls. Learn how to avoid roundtrip revisions and how to use the City’s own language to position your plans for success.

Venting in the Wildfire Zones: Rebuilding and Retrofitting to Keep Embers Out

Wednesday 2:30-3:30 | Room 301B

Kelly Berkompas
Co-Founder and GM | BrandGuard Vents

Wildfire-resistant design is more important than ever after the Palisades and Eaton fires. This session explores how vents impact wildfire vulnerability and how to reduce risk. Learn how embers infiltrate homes, key features of fire-resistant vents, retrofit best practices, building code updates (WUI and Chapter 7A), and real-world case studies with proven success.

From Wildfires to World Stages: Smart City Accelerated Workforce Solutions & How Tech, Training & Equity Support LA’s Rebuild

LaQuia Howard, Shain Hymon, John Schindler
CEO (QC Network), CEO (NLGT), Founder (ARC) | QC Network

Using Los Angeles as a case study, this workshop explores strategies to meet workforce and infrastructure demands amid urban challenges. Learn recovery models after disasters, workforce training standards, and technology to streamline operations. Explore Community Benefits Agreements, equity-focused hiring, and community engagement tools to strengthen large-scale projects from disaster recovery to major event preparation.

ERRCS & DAS: What Architects, Builders, and Developers Need to Know Before TCO

Bob Luhrs
President | PACIFIC DAS

ERRCS and DAS are now mandatory Fire Code requirements in most jurisdictions and often tied to TCO approval. This session helps architects, builders, and developers avoid costly delays by planning early. Learn proven compliance strategies, real-world project lessons, and how to work effectively with AHJs to keep projects on schedule and inspection-ready.