BIMigration: Transforming AECO Through Immigration, Diversity, and Technology

SHIR RUSTICI: OK. So we're at 10:30. Let's go ahead and get started. Thank you again for choosing us over Ryan Reynolds. That really--

[LAUGHTER]

It really means a lot. And so today, we're-- our panel is BIMigration, Transforming AECO through Immigration, Diversity, and Technology. We're going to start with a brief introduction. We will have the QR codes that are linked to our LinkedIn, so if you want to connect with us, you can scan the QR codes, and we really, yeah, want to connect with everybody. So feel free to follow us, connect with us, do all the things.

So before we get started with the introductions, I do want to welcome everyone to Vegas. It's great to be back at AU in Vegas after last year's experience, as I would put it. And we are going to go and travel the globe as we introduce our different panelists, who are from all over, right?

And the first one I will start with is myself. I am a first-generation American, so I'm not an immigrant, but my parents are immigrants to the US. And I'm from Israel. My parents-- or my parents are from Israel. I put both my last names. I just got married last month, so I'm still working out changing the last name, so I go by either one for now. And I am a product owner, product manager, at Symmetry. And shalom, everybody. Heh.

First off, from India, California, Florida, Virginia, and now Maryland, his journey has taken him from India to America to the Middle East and back again to America. And our first panelist and primary speaker, who put this amazing panel together, is Prateek Chitnis. With a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from India and a master's in mechanical engineering from Florida, he works as a strategic implementation manager and product specialist at Symmetry.

PRATEEK CHITNIS: Namaste, everyone.

SHIR RUSTICI: [LAUGHS] So with over 15 years of experience in AECO industry, Eve Lin, from Taiwan, is a strategic consultant and sustainability advocate at Symmetry, committed to empowering sustainable practices through cutting-edge digital technologies. Eve's passion for developing digital twin solutions and integrating AI breaks common industry barriers.

EVE LIN: Ni hao. Ni hao. Anybody knows Mandarin? Yeah?

[LAUGHTER]

SHIR RUSTICI: Thesla is a design technology manager who has worked at firms such as Gensler, Leo a Daly, HNTB, and more. She has a bachelor's in architecture from the University of Honduras, Central America. She has worked in the AEC industry for over 25 years, always seeking new avenues of technology to improve design workflows possible to conceive, visualize, and adapt to a project's specific needs.

THESLA COLLIER: Muy buenos dias.

SHIR RUSTICI: And last but not least, Nima from Iran, with over 10 years of experience in the AEC industry, holds a master's in construction management from New York University and possesses a strong background in civil engineering. With approximately eight years of specialization in BIM VDC, complemented by three years in construction management, Nima currently serves as the BIM VCD director at AHA Consulting Engineers.

NIMA AZAD: [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

SHIR RUSTICI: OK. Thank you, everybody, for saying hello to our audience. And I want to quickly, with a show of hands from everybody, because this is about immigration-- you know, everyone here who is either from-- has traveled abroad to the US, or even if you are for the US, for the most part, you're either an immigrant, a descendant of immigrant, perhaps. And we want to see where everyone else is from as well.

So please raise your hand if you are from North America, where we are right now. South America? All right. Europe? No? Nobody is from there. OK.

[LAUGHTER]

Asia. There we go. And last but not least, Australia. Anyone from Australia?

PRATEEK CHITNIS: Africa.

SHIR RUSTICI: Oh, Africa. I forgot Africa, sorry. Yes. Australia. And nobody's from Australia. Antarctica?

[LAUGHTER]

Just throwing it out there, maybe. You never know. Well, that's amazing. We are pretty diverse. And so now that we've done our little introductions, let's get started with why we're really here, which is to hear the amazing stories of our immigrant panelists. So whether you come from the US or you go somewhere else, cultural shock is a big thing, right? For example, if I say football, I'm sure half of you think of kicking a ball and the other half of you think of throwing a ball or hitting people, maybe, in the United States.

And so as I ask all of our panelists about some cultural shocks that they've experienced, I want all of you guys to think about some cultural shocks that you've experienced, whether it was when you came to the US or whether it was when you went abroad as well. So Prateek, Thesla, Nima, and Eve, what was the biggest cultural shock that you experienced in the AECO industry when coming to the US?

PRATEEK CHITNIS: Yeah, so whether it's pounds or kilograms, inches or centimeters, kilometers or miles, gallon or liter, having studied engineering in the metric system, when I came to the US, it's all imperial systems, so it was very hard to adjust and learn how to convert those in your head when you're working and to work on projects that work only in imperial system. So that was one of my biggest challenges.

THESLA COLLIER: Well, Prateek, I totally agree with you. First of all, for me, I came from a small town in Central America, so traffic in LA was pretty big shock to me. And it took me almost a year to get my first architectural job. And when I did that, actually, can extend what he's saying, going from metric to imperial was something really, really hard for me. And in the first project I worked, I get a scale, the architectural scale. And I'm like, oh my god, is this in fractions? What is this?

Working a couple projects, learn how to divide by 12, and that was a journey. And then I work in this project, and I start with the civil drawings, and I get the scale, and now I have to divide by 10. What is this? Is this in metric? It was really interesting, my journey, just to get my foot in. Having a BA in architecture from Honduras, all metric, I came in and pursue a master's in interiors, so I can learn by heart all those numbers. And that was kind of my biggest cultural shock, just going to the career.

NIMA AZAD: Well, I second that, what Prateek mentioned as well, about imperial versus metric system. Same thing about football and soccer, heh. But to just be more specific about AECO industry, scheduling and coordination efforts and their impact on efficiency-- that was the first one. And also, not just that. All computer-aided programs and technologies in construction phases and design phases. And I would like to also add soft safeties and safety regulation and codes. That was also huge to me.

EVE LIN: Yeah. Thank you. I think I can echo all of what they're saying. But from me, the biggest culture shock is that when I came here I have to call my friend's parents by their first name, professor by their first name, or even bosses by their first name. And our culture is kind of offended people, and so I have to encourage myself, hey, you can call them first name. You are equal now. But it's really uncomfortable for me.

And then as well as two other things-- for example, the traffic issue. I never experienced such a bad public transportation, especially in the United state, where I live. I was like, come on, here, we are so convenient, and why the public transportation is not there? So that's my experience.

SHIR RUSTICI: Yeah. That's pretty incredible. I mean, most of us, a part of learning new cultures is also like the pop culture and the social aspects, and we're going to touch a lot about on that and how important it is in terms of that personal connection with people that you work with.

So I know we are all in the AECO industry, right? And we had to make a big decision to do that, to pursue that. And it's not easy. A lot of people might call us crazy for doing this. But we're all here because we love what we do. And so Nimo, specifically, what led you to pursue a career in the AECO industry?

NIMA AZAD: So I would like to say I have a personal connection with AECO. Ever since I was a kid, I was really into heavy machinery and construction. You know, my father owned a construction company, so that's how I got exposed to construction at a very young age. And you know, something I really like about construction is watching transformation of raw land to functional building. That's very impressive to me.

So I did two summer internships when I was in high school at my father's company at a construction site. And that's when I realized that I'd like to learn more about the details, about the design. And I got this opportunity to get my bachelor in civil engineering. And I learned a lot about the design, about the details, about the industry itself, about transportation, about hydraulic, about building industry. And after graduation, I came back, and I continued my professional career again at my father's company for another two years as a construction superintendent.

Another thing I really like about construction that I forgot to mention is, you know, during construction, there are diverse challenges that come up every day and during the project's life cycle. And dealing with this, this continuous problem solving and progress witnessing is very-- it keeps me driven and engaged, I would say.

After maybe two years and three years work as a construction superintendent, I got this great opportunity to come to the US. And I got my master's degree at NYU in civil engineering construction management. Oh, another thing I forgot to mention-- I was very good at tech and computer and all that stuff when I was a kid, so I was, like, IT kid. I was helping everyone around myself with the computer stuff, IT, software, hardware issues, all the troubleshooting. So combining my interest with interest in construction and my tech curiosity, I found my career in BMI VDC industry.

SHIR RUSTICI: Amazing. That's really inspiring, especially with the fact that you had that back home, and you were-- even still chose to come to the US and pursue the career here. And Thesla, you are a studio design technology manager. I mean, that's really incredible, not just as a woman to be in such a top position, but also as an immigrant which, as we know, is quite rare. So what led you to pursue a career as not just an architect, but also a design technology manager?

THESLA COLLIER: Well let me tell you a little secret. Actually, when I was pursuing just my degree in university, I told my mother I wanted to be a doctor. And her response was that's not a career for women. They sleep-- they don't sleep. They work long hours. They're on call. But little that she knew when she suggested architecture.

[LAUGHTER]

We can all relate to those long hours. And actually, doctors sleep more than us, so it's really interesting. Interestingly enough, the biggest experience I have in my career is in health care and life sciences. I did about 10 years of my career on that, so I got my-- I flushed it out. That was really good. But just when she suggested that I did application-- a test for-- see my skills, if it fit, because I was not really sure. I was not very good at drafting, and I really didn't know what an architect did when I got into architectural school.

Fall in love with the career. I'm in love with the career. And I don't work. I actually-- every day, I do what I love. So that's something that I really care with me every day. So if you do what you love, you won't work a day in your life. And that's something that I really live for that.

During the process, I came to the States in 2000. It was really hard to get my first job. I'm not going to lie. It took about a year. I was really good in CAD. Then I was introduced to BIM. And now I'm technology agnostic. Let's call it that way. Technology junkie.

SHIR RUSTICI: Yeah.

THESLA COLLIER: That's why we're all here. And I love and I have a passion for helping others and grow their knowledge, the level of knowledge, to the next level. So that's how I got into the AEC industry. I've been in the side of the architect. I've been in the side of the engineer. I've been in the side of the construction administration. So I've been in several aspects and using technology.

Once that came in, I was the person to answer questions. And that just came naturally. It wasn't something that I said, I want to be a technology leader. It's something that people will come to me to ask the questions, and it was just very organic. That's how it happened.

SHIR RUSTICI: Amazing. It's really inspiring. I mean, especially to bridge all the differences that you face, the cultural differences, the language barriers and coming here, and being so successful, both of you, in what you're doing, is really inspiring. And just to talk about those cultural impacts and how that affects how all of you work, Prateek, how have you navigated those cultural differences in the workplace, and how have these differences impacted your work in our industry?

PRATEEK CHITNIS: Yeah. So I started off by watching movies and having open communication with my colleagues. They were nice enough to teach me some of the cultural things, which songs they listen to and all that stuff. That was one of the most important things. And one of the companies that I worked for, I was the only Indian there, and very few people of color as well, so that's actually where I learned to play cornhole for the first time.

And shout out to Autodesk for having the cornhole play in the community zone. Because you go there. You play. You talk to people. You interact. And I played pickleball today as well, so great way to interact with people. You're learning to play something. You're doing something interesting for the first time. And you know-- so yeah.

One of the other challenges that immigrants face is network. Like Thesla was saying, it's hard to find a job because we come from other countries. We don't know a lot of people. I've been very fortunate that one of my dad's friends-- he was an architect, and he was the one who got me my first internship, so I'm always thankful that I had that great connection. And I always remind myself, you know, like, I'm always putting in 110% effort because I know there's someone else out there who might deserve more than me, but I want to show that I'm here and I'm doing it. And I want to chase the American dream, as we call it.

NIMA AZAD: Great points, Prateek. Something I'd like to add to this, you know, about cultural differences and having a diverse workplace is having a diverse workplace, from my opinion, is a rich ground for success and innovation, but only if we have positive attitude towards these differences and we accept and respect the cultural differences that we have. The more informed we are about the cultural differences, the more considered we can be.

Something about culture that I would like to say-- culture affects communication types, management styles, our problem-solving methods. So understanding this will help us to have a better communication in cross-cultural interactions. In my personal-- from my personal experience and my professional career, something I learned quickly is having direct and open communication here is highly valued, so I started to be proactive in asking questions or sharing my ideas or initiating discussions with my colleagues or in networking events.

Another thing that I would like to mention here is about sports. Sports-- something I learned about the sports is sports play an important role in daily discussions here in the US. And I knew nothing about, honestly, about football, basketball, baseball, or golf. Not even the rules. So as Shir mentioned, our favorite sports back in my home country is soccer, so in our office, we have this great opportunity that we can play fantasy football with each other, which [INAUDIBLE]. It's very great opportunity, in my opinion.

And I joined, and I learned-- it's been maybe two years that I play this, and I learned a lot about the players, about the teams, so it helped me to engage in daily discussions with my colleagues, and not just in a work environment, but also when I go out in a networking way, I find this opportunity, when I find the topic that is being discussed, I join the discussion and try to engage myself.

Another thing that I would like to add about culture-- we all live in this country, right? So it's very important that we understand and we learn the culture of the country that we live in because we call it home, right? So it's very important that we learn the culture. You know, holidays and celebrations, both, they have positive impact on our mental health and our social life and our life in general. So I would say we are very lucky because we can celebrate both our home countries and these new countries, holidays. So just imagine that we can celebrate New Year twice a year in different months. So how amazing, right?

So just to wrap it up, I would say navigating, understanding, and learning these cultural differences-- it's not just a skill, in my opinion. It's a necessity for all of us.

SHIR RUSTICI: Yeah. I think those are all really good points, especially the fact that at the end of the day, we're all people, just trying to build these connections. And immigrants specifically, all the barriers that they have to go through, some might argue is an advantage. Some might say it's a disadvantage. So I want to hear from some of you about that. Thesla, do you think that your cultural background provided you with any advantages or disadvantages?

THESLA COLLIER: Well, I think I have both. Let's start with-- let's end in a positive note, so we're going to start with the challenges, right? I have the perfect combo. I am a woman. I am Latin immigrant. And I'm a mother of four. So you get a lot of profiling as you just walk into a room. And it takes a lot of effort to prove yourself that you can be equally competent with others, just like you and your work.

And I'm very lucky. I have a super supportive husband. He helps me with the kids, so we divide and conquer, and that's how we do it. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be here. He's with the girls at home.

But being an immigrant has provided me with the strength to overcome a lot of stuff because when you come from a country that is different, you have to learn the language. You have to learn the network. You have to hustle to make your work in. So it's really important to note that it doesn't matter where you come from. That hustling is really embedded in our DNA. And it really carries through in everything we do. And we go that extra mile not because we want to outshine other people. It's because we need to survive the ecosystem that we are.

And that makes us stronger, but with that also comes in challenges, right? Being a woman, being in a meeting room in which you are-- you have to wait for three men to speak for you to have maybe a line and be interrupted on the third word. That happens very frequently. And just get-- earning that respect, it takes time. It takes a lot of conversations like this. It really takes a lot of empathy from both sides to understand why things happen that way.

But this is a strength as well. Because my English was not perfect when I got here, I did have accent everywhere, I was terrified to be in a stage like today and being-- speaking with two people just looking at us. But you have to overcome that. And just being that hustler has been really gratifying and being able to open many doors.

So for me, for example, I'm going to tell you a story. A long time ago, someone offered me a leadership position, but in the same room, they mentioned there was no pay increase. And I really stood on my ground and I said, why would I take something that has more-- why would I take more responsibility, and there will be no compensation? You really have to challenge these kinds of things.

I challenged it. It took maybe a year, but I did-- got the promotion with the proper compensation. It took a while. The reason I think this is important to say is because you know your value and stand for it because that is really what's going to drive this to change and to change for the better, for diversity. It really is-- it's changing. It's slow, but we're going to get there. And thank you. That's basically what I think. And it provides me a lot of skills.

EVE LIN: Yeah, I agree with Thesla. There are definitely a lot of advantages and disadvantages. And I think one, two aspects I can emphasize. One is the communication styles, and the other is the work ethic.

So as I mentioned earlier in my stories, in our culture, to name other people in the first name basis is disrespectful, and so that put us in a position that we grew up in the culture that need to be-- have that hierarchy have to be respectful, so we don't talk until other people finish their sentences, or we have to wait, and then until, like, hey, do you have any questions? And we're also in a culture that in the training school, that in the classroom, like, we can see if you in an American culture classroom, like, hey, do you-- everybody know something, something? And people are like, raise their-- raise their-- I know. I know. I know.

But if you're in an Asian group of community, people just quiet. They have a lot of thoughts, but they will just listen and absorb. And that's carried through the work environments out here. So that's definitely a disadvantage, from the outset, it looks like it, because I have to break through to voice myself to say, hey, I'm not shy, and I have my opinion, but you have to listen to me, so that-- I need to learn that.

But on the opposite end, it also gives me a way of communication which is more polite, more indirect, which is a good setting, especially in a teamwork and to resolve conflict in a more harmony or smooth or peaceful way. So I will say it's both good and bad, and I find a balance and win both.

And the second part, about that work ethic, I think Thesla mentioned greatly, like, we all have that hustle in our DNA because we just have so many things, language barriers. I wasn't talked like that when I first got here. I couldn't barely say or write sentences, but somehow, professor and all my friends helped me along the way, which I'm really grateful.

But it's really a struggle to put ourselves on a stand, be able to talk to you, and then that's-- it's that hustle to make us here. And then that work ethic-- it's like, I didn't realize until this panel gets started. I though, oh, yeah, in my country, where I come from, I never been recognized the hard workers or straight A students or whatever. I was like, well, I was a party girl. But when I was here, like, people will saying, hey, Eve, you stop working. You don't work so hard. You're a nerd. I was like, hmm? No, no.

So that brings to us like, oh, so that DNA I brought here, I didn't even realize it, and I infused some of American culture, like Prateek mentioned about-- and then Nima was mentioned about some culture, like how to really live and enjoy life. And so that balances it out. So I think it's both advantage and disadvantage.

SHIR RUSTICI: Yeah, I think a lot of you guys that come here-- you might think something is a disadvantage, right? But in reality, it's a superpower. Like, you guys all have this superpower in you of how you've learned and adapted and taken your experiences from all over the world and made an impact in your organizations and in your careers here. So talking about experiences, Nima, how has your experience as an immigrant shaped your perspective in the AECO industry?

NIMA AZAD: That's a good question. So as an immigrant, you know, I understand the importance of diversity. I say that. So we can reach the best results and outcomes when different minds come together. And then we can redefine what's possible and we can challenge norms. With a diverse team, I would say, as you may know, we bring a wide range of ideas and perspectives to the table. So this-- at the end of the day, this helps and contributes to problem solving.

I also like to say some similar challenges, that I also faced cultural and language barriers. I also felt like being outsider to the community. But some very important lesson that I learned here after-- maybe after my two-year program at NYU, and when I was looking my first job, I realized something. I learned that it doesn't matter how good you are with your technical skills. It's very important, your technical skills, but it's not enough. We are only as good as we can communicate, so if we cannot present, if we cannot sell or showcase your great product or your skills, your ideas, it doesn't matter because they won't be recognized.

So that's when I realized this. And I started working on my communication skills. I started working on my networks. And I created powerful network around myself. So I feel about having communication skills and having powerful network is very important to have successful career.

Another thing that I'd like to mention about immigrants, immigrants often show and display remarkable resilience and being flexible. You know what? Because starting from scratch in a new country is not easy to build a successful career. You have to be flexible. You have to adapt yourself to the new environment, right?

And some-- let's talk about an example. You know, AutoCAD was released in 1980s, right? 1982. And people started using it maybe 10 or 15 years after that, right? Same scenario about Revit. Revit was released in 2000, and I guess it joined AutoCAD-- Autodesk after two years, Autodesk products.

So when did Revit become the most popular software? Can you tell me? Maybe 2015 or maybe--

SHIR RUSTICI: There's still people who don't--

NIMA AZAD: 2020?

PRATEEK CHITNIS: [INAUDIBLE]

NIMA AZAD: I mean, very recent, right? So I mean, I agree. We had some hardware limitations. I mean, hardware was behind, but also, we had seen a lot of resistance from people that they didn't want to transit from AutoCAD to Revit. Look just-- look at general sessions that we had yesterday or look at AU this year. What is it about? It's about AI, right?

So as it was mentioned yesterday in maybe two or three general sessions I attended-- so AI is going to be-- revolutionize our industry and design software. ChatGPT-- let's talk about that quickly. So according to Yahoo Finance, ChatGPT reached 100 million users in just two months. It's a huge number. And it's recent, right? It's last year, just to have an understanding of the magnitude of the number.

So same thing about Instagram. Instagram was about 30 months, and TikTok was nine months. So ChatGPT did that in two months. So that's how it's getting accelerated, you know? So we have to adapt ourselves proactively unless we're going to fall behind. That's something very important. We have to adapt ourselves and our companies.

So just to wrap it up, I would say immigration is not just a demographic shift, in my opinion. It's a powerful force that shapes the way that we see the world.

SHIR RUSTICI: Yeah. You make so many great points, especially about being adaptable. Many of us, as we know, in our industry are afraid of change. But immigrants embrace change because they have to. That's their whole life. So especially in this new age of technology, we can look to immigrants and see how they're adapting and learn from them. So Prateek, speaking of immigration, how have you, as someone-- well, all of you have, but specifically who has gone through the US visa process, how has that shaped your experiences?

PRATEEK CHITNIS: Yeah. So usually, when you come as a student-- that's how I came here, to study, you come in on a student visa. You have restrictions on-- you can only work 20 hours outside to earn money, so you're in a very tight bind. And after that, when you're looking for a job-- I had an experience where I was standing in line for a company and they were asking people, oh, do you need sponsorship, or are you a citizen? And I was like, oh, I do need sponsorship. And it wasn't a federal company or anything, because I understand how that works. And they're like, oh, unfortunately, we're not sponsoring for that role. So you can have the technical skills and the communication, but then you get another hurdle, which is your visa.

The other hurdle is even if you do have a great company that does sponsor you, that's great, right? They get you a work visa and everything. You can only work for that specific company. And then if there is a layoff, then you have 60 days to find another job in your specific field and in your line of work. So it's not like you can find another job, survive, and then keep going. And then there's a timeline, right? 60 days.

So I say that we're good at adapting. We're also good at deadlines because--

[LAUGHTER]

--we have those 60 days to get our stuff together, go interview, and make sure we get a job, and then you can start the transfer process. Because the work visa has to now transfer from the old company to the new company. And I'm pretty sure we're all immigration experts.

[LAUGHTER]

Eventually we can start our own firm or something, but yeah. Yeah. And then the other part is having worked in different companies, I've noticed that companies that focus on hiring on merit from a diverse pool are really successful versus companies that only look for-- they want to fill in a quota, as they say, and just try to hire from that.

So it's more important to hire talent. Are they really good? They can be from anywhere. And you know, sponsoring them-- yes, that's a challenge, but someone good who's now great had someone trusting them, right? And they took that chance. So just take a chance on an immigrant, and then give them the opportunity. This is the land of opportunity, right? So yeah.

SHIR RUSTICI: Yeah. I think not just myself, but I'm sure a lot of you, just learned a lot about immigration, as-- they all become basically immigration lawyers by the end of their journey. So we all know how difficult that is in the US, and it's another barrier to overcome, but at the end of the day, like I said, these are all superpowers, not just through the obstacles you face, but all the things that you've learned and how you've learned them. Because we've all learned everything differently, whether we live in the US-- I'm sure the North learns different than the South than the East and the West, as well as in other countries.

So I want to have another little exercise, if this slide works. Because especially-- I don't know if you guys have seen all of the new ways people are doing math now, and something as simple as multiplication, right? There's all these new ways, old ways, ways that other people in other countries learn how to multiply, and it allows you to see everything in a different way. And that is really an advantage to all of us here.

So again, show of hands. Who has learned the window box method? Got one. OK. The partial product expanded method? A few there. There we go. The traditional method? Most of us?

[LAUGHTER]

I think that ages us a lot.

[LAUGHTER]

And the lattice method.

EVE LIN: My kids.

THESLA COLLIER: My kids.

SHIR RUSTICI: Your kids?

THESLA COLLIER: My kids.

SHIR RUSTICI: See? I told you. It just aged all of us, the traditional method.

PRATEEK CHITNIS: And then who had to memorize all the multiplication tables? I think 12-- OK. Yeah, again, aging. Again.

NIMA AZAD: Up to 10.

THESLA COLLIER: Up to 10.

PRATEEK CHITNIS: 10? OK.

THESLA COLLIER: 10.

PRATEEK CHITNIS: We had to go above and beyond, always.

SHIR RUSTICI: Yeah. And what-- didn't they tell us that it's not like we were going to have a calculator everywhere we went with us? Who has a calculator right now? Everybody who has a phone? Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, exactly.

So now that we've had some fun learning about how all of us learn, I want to turn to Eve for a minute and say, do you have a story that highlights how you leveraged your immigrant background to overcome a challenge?

EVE LIN: Yeah. There are several little stories. I believe all the panels and all of you guys, but one of them, major, was when I was accomplished my PhD. So at that time, interestingly, my PhD was partially sponsored by Autodesk at that time, in Idea Studio, so I was at the end of the Idea Studio gallery as a part of the exhibition. And I was trying to figure out a prototype. It's actually the precursor of current Autodesk Insight as well as a generative design, so trying to see if that process-- the feedback can actually feedback for the early design stage for multiple objective design decision making.

So I had to develop a prototype tool as a plugin of the Revit. At that time, it was Asari, actually. I don't know any of you heard of it. But after the funding, and then-- I haven't finished a prototype yet. And then I was like, my professor ran out of source, so he was like, going out of the way. He's like, hey, in grad school, you need to have research funding to hire like graduate students or interns to help out the plugin.

But for that, this is where the cultural differences gave me that advantage, that I can find like-minded people. It's not like we don't have that financial burden. But I think during the grad school, the same students or my colleagues or friends that are in this culture, they need to work and study at the same time.

But some fortunate background for my culture is that, yes, we still have our financial burden, but we also can see that vision. So I was fortunate I can find five additional, four additional, computer science students who were willing to share my vision. I told them, like, this is the angle of the prototypes, and then-- but also see what their trajectory of what they want to accomplish that can be put on their resume. So we would spend amount-- like, 13 more months to continue to use our spare time without get paid, and then to finish that prototype tool, and then so I can finish my PhD research.

And now they are-- each of them are in the majority of the computer tech company, like Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and Airbnb. And then-- so which is very rare, I think, that we can bond it together. So I think that that's also another way of saying the culture differences, yeah, like in here, it's hard to find-- because the individual's voice are more important.

And then-- so this is what I do, or you should do what-- my things. And it's hard to have that team voice like, hey, how about we work together to achieve everybody's win-win as a team, as a vision? But because this opportunity-- sometimes there is a disadvantage as an Asian culture, oh, you don't have that innovation, and where is your idea? But because we're in this country, and then we blended that innovation thoughts that we think about some idea, but we can accomplish as a team, to reach each of the goals. So I think that's a story I want to highlight. Yeah.

SHIR RUSTICI: Yeah. I mean, that is really incredible. It shows how your different background really made you excel, but also blended what you came to do here in the US. So Thesla, I want to turn to you with that same question. Can you please highlight a story for us in which you leveraged your immigrant background?

THESLA COLLIER: Well, I truly believe that Latin countries bring the spice and flavor to the workplace.

EVE LIN: [LAUGHS]

PRATEEK CHITNIS: Yes, I agree. I'm married to one.

[LAUGHTER]

THESLA COLLIER: So it's really interesting that-- being bilingual, it's such a blessing, especially if you have to work with multiple teams. I've collaborated with a lot of teams using consulting services in the past within a global firms, internal collaborations with different offices that they speak Spanish-- Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia. And being that diversity of learning metric and having imperial and working overseas in a lot of countries, especially the 19650, the ISO 19650, it comes very handy, having these cultural differences for people that probably don't speak a second language. That had given me the opportunity to efficiently communicate, whether it's in English or Spanish, with coworkers that are in Tokyo and who wouldn't even believe that there are Spanish people at the other side of the world.

And it's really wonderful, this blessing that we have as immigrants, because it doesn't just give us that leverage to do stuff. It just really empowers us to use the tools and blessings and gifts that have been given to us and pass it to others as well. So I truly believe-- I'm going to pile in your AI a little bit, since we-- Autodesk just released Autodesk AI. I think AI is an immigrant. It really is. It's a hustler.

[LAUGHTER]

If you look at AI and the core, right, you can-- what would happen if you teach AI to fish, right? He will learn biology, chemistry, oceanography, and fish the fish to extinction. So it's a powerful tool. It's really changing our industry. So watch out for that immigrant because it's coming here to stay and actually change the way we work things.

SHIR RUSTICI: Yeah. I mean, we haven't touched on language yet, but that is a huge advantage for you guys, that you are multilingual, if not just bilingual. For those of you who don't know, I actually tried to live somewhere else. I moved to Germany for a few years, had to learn German. And

I wouldn't necessarily say I can speak it now, but what I learned was how difficult it is to communicate in a language that isn't your native language. It taught me so much patience for people who English isn't their first language and speaking and communicating to them. And it also showed me how incredible how your mind works, how powerful that is, that you now can communicate in multiple languages, getting your point across, you know, when you said how important communication really is. And so, again, that's something that I always thought was profound for those who can speak multiple languages.

And so as we start to conclude this panel, you were talking about having multiple people help you and how much of a support system. I mean, you guys came here alone, more likely than not. [CLEARS THROAT] Sorry. And it's important to find a support system that will help you. And so Prateek, what kind of support or resources you wish you had through your journey to smooth out the process for you?

PRATEEK CHITNIS: So yeah, I'll highlight the good before I go a little bit to the bad. So I've been very fortunate. I would say, all my managers, my teachers, professors-- they've been very supportive helping me out. One of my mentors-- I call him my mentor. He's here in the audience with us. He used to be my manager, and he still is my manager, Brendan Gregory.

SHIR RUSTICI: Let's give him round of applause, Brendan.

[APPLAUSE]

PRATEEK CHITNIS: So he hears me vent. He teaches me. He guides me in what I should be doing. And it's been great. So learning from someone is always great. You have a mentor. And I would also like to say he uses his white privilege very well.

SHIR RUSTICI: [LAUGHS]

PRATEEK CHITNIS: So he gets me in the right spots where I need to go, and "your network is more important than your net worth," Times. But that's one of the things that I wanted to discuss about is a lot of companies do have mentorship programs, but like-- I met my mentor, it was very organic. There was no mentorship program. I wasn't assigned anyone. I just met him on one of the projects, and it was just like, I like this person. I want to follow in his path and learn from him.

So if companies try to do something like that, where they would have programs, but allow you to meet different multitude of people and then kind of see who vibes with your career path or you think, oh, this is a person that I want to follow. That would be beneficial. Or letting immigrants, or not only immigrants, but early career professionals, to come to these conferences because you'll meet a lot of seasoned veterans here who you can look up to and say, hey, this is the person I really like. I like the way they deliver their class or the way they speak and talk to people. I want to follow them. And then maybe you can help connect them, and that would be great.

So one important lesson I want to leave you guys with is learning from everyone. Because being in the AECO industry, I've been on site, and the company I used to work before, we had a lot of field personnel, so I don't shy away from learning from them as well because I know whenever you go on site, there's engineers out there. You're the person with the fancy college degree, and you always get a little bit of slack from them, and they'll always yell at you.

But they don't bite. They will bark a lot in the field. But getting that experience, hands-on experience, going to the field, learning from them, is very helpful. So learning from everyone. You have to be like a sponge and just learn and adapt.