Alosant Innovator Series

Welcome back to the Alosant Innovator Series. For the second episode in Women’s History Month, host April LaMon is joined by Christen Johnson, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Johnson Development Corp. ​ Christen and April discuss the future of collaboration between marketing and development teams, JDC’s commitment to sustainability and how that translates into community design, and finally how Johnson Development Corp is leveraging technology like community branded apps to extend their brands and activate resident engagement. ​ Since starting her current position in 2016, Christen has seen the collaboration between development and marketing change drastically. Years ago, land development teams would hand over projects after they were complete, and marketing would have to fill in the gaps. ​ Now a new standard for the future exists, in which the most successful communities craft a story, a fabric in which residents are excited to be a part of and represent. This expectation catalyzed development, lifestyle, operations, marketing, and other key teams to collaborate before stakes go in the ground to ensure that all pillars of the project are connected, creating this succinct experience for the home shopper, guest, and resident. ​ Christen’s favorite part of her role is bringing sketches and early ideas to life, knowing that people and their families will enjoy the community for decades to come. ​ When asked about the role of technology throughout JDC’s communities, Christen was quick to acknowledge that the use of tasteful, usable, relevant technology at communities is what ignities lifestyle, programming, and operations. ​ JDC communities leverage community branded apps that bring everything from events, dinner reservations, digital access credentials, info, and much more all into one branded mobile app. ​ Connect with Christen Connect with Christen on LinkedIn Learn more about Johnson Development Corp.

Welcome back to the Alosant Innovator Series. In our tenth episode, host April LaMon is joined by Mollie Carmichael, Principal at Zonda, for a conversation on the intersection between research and home building, and how virtual reality and the metaverse is forever changing the way homes are shown, bought, and sold. ​ It is with no doubt that mentions of the Metaverse and Virtual or Augmented Reality have consumed much of the internet since COVID-19. Introduced to VR from her son, Mollie discusses her take on how VR has and will continue to shift how homes are shown, bought, and sold. For master planned communities, Mollie sees a large opportunity for master planned communities to build virtual environments where potential residents can walk the community, explore amenities, view model homes, and more right from their desktop of VR headset. ​ For the potential resident Mollie sees how, through the proper application of VR, confidence can be instilled and the decision to buy can be de-risked by providing a life-like, easy to navigate experience that is accessible on any device. The efficiency and accessibility that virtual reality provides the real estate industry is grand, and since the start of COVID Mollie has seen a shift towards the attention that leading firms are placing on integrating VR into their marketing and sales strategies. About Mollie Mollie began her career in development, then home building, before finding a role grounded in consulting that combines her development and home building experiences with her passion for consulting and market research. For the past 16 years as a Principal at Zonda, Mollie works on consumer research, strategy, planning, finance, advisory, and much more. Mollie’s commitment to primary research has cemented her expertise in providing firms with the knowledge they need to be successful. Connect with Mollie Connect with Mollie on LinkedIn Learn more about Zonda

In Ep. 9 of the Alosant Innovator Series, host April LaMon is joined by Dave Gilmore, CEO of DesignIntelligence. Amongst a breadth of engaging topics discussed throughout the episode, the conversation revolved around a new challenge that will face the housing market. Dave labels the challengers to the industry the Massive Middle. 10,000 new people in the United States turn 65 everyday. With medicine and science enhancing life expectancy, this generation will live longer than ever before. Longer lifespan will affect their decision as to where they will live in the later parts of their life. The Massive Middle generation is also the wealthiest, with billions of dollars in equity tied up in real estate, some assets of which that don’t have a mortgage. In the conversation Dave talks about the Great Opportunity for the Massive Middle, and how they are primed to unlock wealth through liquidating the equity they have in their homes and relocating to Active Adult, senior communities, and assisted care. Dave sees an opportunity for the industry to create affordable, accessible, and high quality products for this generation. He predicts a shift in the accessibility of amenities and services to residents, calling it the Rise of Proximity - the reintegration of services closer to home, in this case within the community. Communities will now build acute care facilities within its plan to provide more accessible care to residents. Subtle yet impactful changes to the resident experience that Dave mentions in the episode include more places for residents to walk and recover in shade throughout popular walking trails. Listen to the full episode to hear Dave and April talk more about the challenges the industry will face with the Massive Middle, the Rise of Proximity, and much more. About DesignIntelligence DesignIntelligence is made up of a series of business units such as media groups, a research organization, strategic advisory group, capital advisors group, and more. The Design Futures Council is a think tank organization that brings together people multiple times a year and discuss the future of the built environment across a series of themes. The DesignIntelligence Leadership Institute is focused on an expansive set of curriculum that is brought to firms on the redefining and understanding of leadership. Connect with Dave Gilmore Connect with Dave on LinkedIn Listen to This is DesignIntelligence Podcast

In Ep. 8 of the Alosant Innovator Series, host April LaMon is joined by Debra Wyatte for a conversation on the importance of connecting brand pillars to all aspects of a project, challenges the industry may face with Gen Z buyers entering the market, and more. President of WE Consulting, Debra explains how she works with communities to examine and align many aspects of the project with their brand pillars. She also discusses how she helps communities measure and analyze this work. Visit the Alosant Innovator Series to read more. 

In episode 7 of the Alosant Innovator Series, host April LaMon is joined by Feed Balda.  President of Hillwood Communities since 1992, Fred is instrumental in providing leadership in operations, acquisitions, design, and. development at Hillwood.  Fred's experience in development spans more than 100 master-planned communities across 13 states and two countries. He is dedicated to thoughtful placemaking -- designing and developing communities that inspire a sense of belonging amongst community members and creates long lasting value for everyone involved.  Read the full show summary at www.alosantinnovatorseries.com/episode7

Welcome back to the Alosant Innovator Series. In the first episode of season 2, April LaMon is joined by Tom Hoban Owner at Kitson and Partners. Mission, Vision, and Today at Babcock Ranch Tom and the many teams working at Babcock Ranch are collectively inspired by the mission of creating great places to live that enrich the lives of those who live there. In this episode, Tom discusses how these teams are collaborating to elevate the innovation throughout new development at Babcock Ranch and how they are successfully facing the challenge of building a town for the future. Tom has been involved at Babcock Ranch since the inception of the town planning in 2005. Since then, he has seen the plan evolve into one of the largest and most innovative communities in the world. Today, Babcock Ranch is over 18,000 acres with more than 20,000 homes. Seeing first time home buyers and families choose Babcock Ranch continues to validate the grand vision “they” had for the future back in 2005. Babcock Ranch continues to deliver an unprecedented experience to residents through solar power, fiber internet, a school system, the first autonomous shuttle service, and more. Innovation at Babcock Ranch In 2019, Tom went to the executive team at Kitson & Partners and proposed an event that would soon shift the attitude around innovation at Babcock Ranch. Innovation Summit, first held in 2019, was designed to bring the best and brightest in home building together to discuss new ideas for building practices, technology, and more. A positive byproduct of the first Innovation Summit in 2019 is Innovation Way. Innovation Way is a street in Babcock Ranch dedicated to showcasing homes of the future. Forging partnerships with the largest home builders in the country enabled Babcock Ranch to expand what is feasible with the model homes, putting on display cutting edge features. The next Innovation Summit will be held in the spring of 2023, and will be more comprehensive to include topics of home building like the last summit, and also include areas of focus on common area, infrastructure, technology, and parks and place. Connect with Tom Learn more about Babcock Ranch Learn more about Kitson and Partners Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

In this episode, host April LaMon is joined by Rick Severance, Division President at Wellen Park, Mattamy Homes. Rick discusses how he and the team at Wellen Park are building one of the fastest growing, most environmentally conscious communities in the country. He also discusses how collaboration, fresh perspectives and high energy are key components to designing a multi-generational community that can withstand the test of time. Rick joined the Wellen Park team just over three years ago and brings a wealth of industry knowledge with him. His mission: infuse energy, rebrand and create diversification. Rick believes the best master-planned communities in the country are those that have true diversification including single family homes for purchase, multi-family communities for rent, the right mix of healthcare, schools, commercial interest, amenities and a connection to the natural environment. Within the first 90 days of his tenure, he and his team had a plan for Wellen Park’s town center in place. Rick speaks to the importance of quality and why it's at the core of their design process. Whether that means investing more to create a better retail mix or creating “aha” moments that feel distinctive and special, Rick always prefers to err on the side of quality. Rick shares his perspective on designing communities around hallmark features. In the case of Wellen Park, building the community around solar technology was essential. He also discusses how he and his team are creating a community that fosters walkability and encourages alternative modes of transportation like bikes, golf carts, electric vehicles and even kayaks. Rick is a trusted voice in the industry and has often been commended for creating a collaborative and energetic environment during design charrettes. He prides himself on creating an environment where it is safe to express new ideas and even disagree.  He encourages others, particularly junior-level executives, to have the confidence to  “speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.” This cooperative approach has added tremendous value to these hands-on planning meetings. About Wellen Park Wellen Park is a mixed use, master planned development on Florida’s West Coast. Formerly land that was used for cattle ranching and citrus, the land has been transformed today into one of the most advanced, environmentally friendly and interactive communities in the country. About Rick Rick finds inspiration everywhere! From traveling around the world to public art and unique branding, Rick believes imitation is the greatest form of flattery.  While he’ll never duplicate what’s been done, he often seeks to create his own unique spin on a great idea. Connect with Rick Connect with Rick on LinkedIn Learn more about Wellen Park Learn more about Mattamy Homes

In this episode, host April LaMon is joined by Nicole Godfrey, Global President at Runway. Nicole discusses the origin story of Runway amidst the financial crisis of 2008, how Runway is leveraging the metaverse to create virtual, immersive home buying experiences and how PropTech can empower consumers when buying a home. About Runway Runway is an international, award-winning inventory management and sales and marketing tool partnering with leading community developers and home builders. Runway solves the most complex back office challenges faced by the industry and delivers incredible home shopper experiences that increase sales velocity and conversion rates. Runway is privately held and was established in Melbourne, Australia in 1997. The metaverse, and the new immersive homebuying experience In Australia, developers sell land directly to consumers, followed by builders selling home designs to those same consumers. That means there are two separate transactions, each with different contracts. In order for a builder to generate leads, they must put together detailed virtual house and land packages outlining all details and expenses. This process can be time consuming, inefficient and can often lead to mistakes. Upon entry into the US market, Runway quickly recognized the challenges of that process and in turn, developed a series of configurable algorithms to allow builders to create thousands of these packages within minutes. Runway’s cutting-edge technology creates dollar-perfect packages that are compliant with all rules and design guidelines. Builders can generate a PDF and publish these virtual packages to websites and major portals within hours rather than weeks. By eliminating that manual, repetitive effort, Runway has been successful in getting builders what they need faster, more efficiently and from a single source of data. Typically, only builders and sales teams have had access to these virtual packages, however in 2018, Runway released the first version of Homebuyer, a program that enables consumers to access, build, and customize these virtual packages for their home. Through confidence in their market pricing and integrity of their data, Runway is able to empower consumers with key information and allow them to customize their home with precise detail. Connect with Nicole Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn Explore Runway:

In this episode of the Alosant Innovator Series, host April LaMon is joined by Greg Wagner, Assistant General Manager at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, MT. ​ Greg discusses how the world-class team at Moonlight Basin is using innovative technology such as the newly implemented Alosant Access Connector™ to enable residents to access amenities and spaces with the ease of their smartphones. He also shares how living in Montana keeps him inspired. ​Greg moved from Santa Monica, California to Big Sky almost ten years ago to join the team at Moonlight Basin. With extensive experience as a PGA Golf Professional, Greg combines his passion for marketing and business with his competitive nature to create success throughout Moonlight Basin. Here are some highlights from his conversation with LaMon: How Moonlight Basin leverages innovative technology to enhance the member experience Moonlight Basin strives to provide an authentic, hospitable experience to members, residents, and guests of the community— technology enables them to do that. ​In 2020 Moonlight Basin launched its Moonlight Member App powered by the Alosant ResX™ Community Branded App Platform. The app was originally used by members to access club information, book reservations and easily locate contact information for club staff. However, last year, Moonlight Basin implemented the Employee User Role, offering  all staff members access to important  content such as the community’s handbook, schedules, urgent messages, community values and more. As members roam the property, staff is now better equipped to answer questions and provide direction seamlessly.Greg discusses how these little touches go a long way, and how the flexibility of the Alosant ResX™ Community Branded App Platform. allows the Moonlight Basin team to elevate the member experience. ​The Newly Implemented Alosant Access Connector™ at Moonlight Basin Moonlight Basin and Alosant partnered to redesign how members and guests access amenities and spaces throughout the community. With the technical expertise of local provider SAV Digital Environments based in Bozeman, MT, Moonlight Basin is the first community to have fully integrated access control throughout every building in the community. Members, residents, and guests can now shake their smartphone to access ski lockers, gym and pool access points and much more. In this episode, Greg shines light on the entire process from the many benefits of discontinuing its fob access system to the tremendous cost savings the new technology has afforded the community. He explains the collaborative nature of the system and how it encourages the partnership with trusted vendors to maintain the system. Connect with Greg Connect with Greg on LinkedIn Learn more about Moonlight Basin

The Alosant Innovator Series is excited to release Ep. 2 with another esteemed guest. In this episode, host April LaMon chats with Monaca Onstad, President and CEO of OnPlace, a placemaking firm that specializes in community strategy, amenity planning, and lifestyle design. They discuss the intentionality that she and her team use to design resident-centric amenities, her successful career in community lifestyle marketing and what she sees on the horizon for the industry. Onstad has over a decade of experience in community lifestyle management and recently launched OnPlace in 2022, which combines her passion for lifestyle and community planning. Connect with Monaca Connect with Monaca on LinkedIn Visit OnPlace

In this episode of the Alosant Innovator Series, Paul Johnson sits down with host April LaMon to discuss his notable career in community development, how residential lifestyle trends are changing in a post-COVID world, and what he sees on the horizon for the industry. Johnson has over 25 years of experience in building, planning, and developing some of the leading master-planned communities in the country including Ladera Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo in Southern California. From the start of his career, Johnson has always believed in the core values of having fun and building communities that are financially feasible, sustainable, and innovative. In this episode, Johnson speaks to the power of those around you. He accredits the innovation at Ladera Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo to the legacy of the ownership and the teams that challenge themselves to innovate and enhance the resident experience in unprecedented ways. Connect with Paul and Rancho Mission Viejo Connect with Paul on LinkedIn https://www.ranchomissionviejo.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/rancho-mission-viejo/

Thanks for listening to the Alosant Innovator Series. In this episode we learn more about the host of the Alosant Innovator Series, April LaMon April is the CEO and Co-Founder of Alosant, and is an experienced entrepreneur and real estate technology expert with an innate curiosity for consumer behavior. Together with Co-Founder Michael Swanson, the duo has pioneered the creation of purpose-built software that connects real estate developers and their communities with residents, prospective home buyers and local businesses. Alosant-powered apps allow users to seamlessly engage with their community by providing a solution that helps them stay informed while receiving relevant content. Prior to launching Alosant, LaMon served as a marketing executive for global companies – such as PepsiCo., Kraft Foods Group and Armstrong World Industries. In 2012, she co-founded Lead InSite, a provider of active adult/senior living industry online research behavior, with Swanson. The company’s expertise in data analytics and predictive personalization led to an opportunity to develop a fully functional mobile app to meet the needs of Rancho Mission Viejo, a lifestyle-rich master-planned community in Southern California.  Alosant, the residential experience platform, was officially launched in 2017. Listen to the full episode to learn more about April. Learn more about the Alosant Innovator Series by searching Alosant.com/innovatorseries

The Alosant Innovator Series features one-on-one conversations with April LaMon, Co-Founder and CEO of Alosant, and her trusted experts. Discussions include invaluable insights from a diverse group of forward-thinking and well-respected leaders in real estate development, PropTech, lifestyle marketing and more. Each episode is designed to inspire, educate and provide key takeaways from the brightest minds in the industry.  Listen to the Alosant Innovator Series wherever you listen to podcasts, and learn more at www.alosant.com/innovatorseries