Welcome to the 3rd Annual
mindful MATERIALS Forum Summit
Over the past two-plus decades, your leadership has reshaped how this industry thinks about materials. That collective progress has brought us here—to a gathering unlike any other, where collaboration becomes action and alignment becomes momentum.
This week, nearly 70 of us from ~65 organizations will review the first draft of the CMF Implementation Toolkit—the tangible result of our Forum’s shared work over the past three years and the capstone to mindful MATERIALS’ first strategic plan.
The conversations ahead are about more than what’s next for the CMF—they’re about what’s possible when we combine hope and action. Because when those two come together, a revolution begins.
Use this time to connect, to question, to imagine what a connected, less duplicative future really looks like. The relationships built here will shape where we go next.
We’re thrilled to have you with us in Minneapolis, for the conversations, the collaboration, and the future we’re building together.
To the future. Together.
Wednesday, Oct. 8
Hewing Hotel Bar + Lounge, First Floor
5 p.m.: Optional Welcome Happy Hour
Thursday, Oct. 9
Hewing Hotel Andrews Ballroom, First Floor
8—9 a.m.: Name Badge Pick-Up; Breakfast
8:45 a.m.: Engagement Exercise
9 a.m.: Welcome
9:30 a.m.: Tour of the CMF Implementation Toolkit
10 a.m.: CMF Working Group Updates/Outcomes
11 a.m.: Facilitated Feedback on Resources
12 p.m.: Lunch
1 p.m.: T&D Working Group Updates/Outcomes
1:45 p.m.: Facilitated Feedback on Resources
2:15 p.m.: Break; Refreshments Provided
2:45 p.m.: A&A Working group Updates/Outcomes
3:30 p.m.: Facilitated Feedback on Resources
4 p.m.: Closing
5—7 p.m.: Happy Hour with heavy hors d'oeuvres at Parlour Bar, 730 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55401—walkable from the Hewing!
Friday, Oct. 10
Hewing Hotel Andrews Ballroom, First Floor
8—8:30 a.m.: Breakfast
8:30 a.m.: Thursday Recaps
9 a.m.: BBB Collective Presentation on CMF + Data Ecosystem in Practice
9:30 a.m.: Toolkit Launch Plan
10 a.m.: Facilitate Discussion and Feedback
10:30 a.m.: Advancing Industry Awareness
11 a.m.: Facilitate Discussion and Feedback
11:30 a.m.: Future Vision + Next Steps—2026-2028
12 p.m.: Close
Brightworks Sustainability is a leading sustainability consulting firm in the United States, with a track record of advancing sustainability since 2001. The firm works with visionary clients to establish and implement innovative sustainability programs, focusing on enhancing operational performance, achieving net zero carbon targets, addressing human health in buildings, and promoting holistic sustainability. Through their leadership, Brightworks challenges traditional approaches to sustainability, driving ambitious change across industries.
In support of the building materials industry, Brightworks has decades of experience advising project teams on the specification of sustainable building products. They focus on providing cost-effective, market-ready solutions, while also promoting best-in-class products. Brightworks is particularly proud of its role as contracted staff to mindful Materials, contributing to the development of the Common Materials Framework (CMF). They also offer the “Basic, Better, Best” (BBB) framework, designed to help project teams quickly identify sustainable products that meet varying levels of sustainability criteria, from baseline requirements to market leadership. Brightworks Sustainability supports innumerous Owners as a consultant in the build out and management of their sustainable materials programs and will be bringing all of their perspectives into the room.
Through their participation in the Summit, Brightworks hopes to continue driving progress in sustainable materials and beyond.
AvalonBay Communities, Inc. is an equity REIT specializing in developing, redeveloping, acquiring, and managing apartment communities across premier U.S. markets. The company prioritizes long-term value creation for shareholders and has established itself as a leader in providing quality homes for its residents. With a portfolio of 299 apartment communities housing approximately 147,000 residents, AvalonBay integrates sustainable design and operational practices into its business, ensuring the quality, cost control, and risk mitigation of its developments. Their comprehensive approach, which spans design, development, construction, and management, allows AvalonBay to address the evolving needs of residents, associates, and stakeholders.
A key focus of AvalonBay's strategic initiatives involves reducing embodied carbon emissions, which are significant in their operations. In 2023, they implemented life cycle assessments (LCAs) for new developments to evaluate materials that contribute the most to embodied carbon, such as concrete, sub-flooring, and drywall. By piloting these lower-carbon materials and rewriting specifications, AvalonBay is committed to using more sustainable materials across future projects. Additionally, they are utilizing the Common Materials Framework to standardize product selection, focusing on sustainability across key material categories.
AvalonBay is participating in the Forum Summit to share insights and work together to reach agreement on scalable industry wide solutions.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
2024 Cohort One Member
Resources:
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Strategic Plan for the Built Environment
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Impacts of Housing Materials
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Consumption-based Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory for Oregon
Contact:
Amanda Ingmire
Connect
Rita Haberman
Connect
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is committed to its 2050 Vision for Materials Management, focusing on responsible material use, resource conservation, environmental protection, and enhancing quality of life. Through its Built Environment program, DEQ uses a life cycle materials management approach to reduce the environmental impacts of building and construction materials. The program’s mission is to foster relationships, shape policy, and support work that mitigates harmful impacts of the built environment while promoting equity and well-being for all.
Strategically, DEQ is actively working to reduce the environmental footprint of building materials, addressing climate change, health concerns, and equity. As the environmental agency for Oregon, DEQ is involved in numerous collaborative efforts, such as the Pacific Coast Collaborative Low Carbon Construction Task Force and the West Coast Climate and Materials Management Forum. The agency conducts original research, provides expert testimony, collaborates with other state and local entities, and offers technical assistance to support policies and initiatives aimed at minimizing the impacts of construction materials.
DEQ's recent efforts include studying opportunities to reduce embodied carbon in building codes, developing sustainability guidelines for state projects, incentivizing local manufacturers to create Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), and consulting on reducing embodied carbon in state construction. Past initiatives have supported smaller housing, deconstruction, and low-carbon concrete. By participating in the Summit, DEQ aims to collaborate with other organizations to align efforts and strengthen initiatives within the materials ecosystem.
Their program is focused on addressing the impacts of materials holistically through policy, programs, initiatives, incentives, and other support including working in all 5 CMF Impact Areas.
They are seeking to expand collaborations with organizations and people throughout the material ecosystem to find opportunities to align and bolster all of our efforts.
The Green Cities Company
The Green Cities Company is an investment management firm that currently has twelve assets across the nation under management. For over a decade they have sought innovation through the confluence of environmental, social and investment value. With this forward-thinking strategy and fully integrated in-house expertise, the firm acquires, manages, and develops office, mixed-use and multi-family assets. Deep experience in select U.S. markets, combined with meaningful attention to ESG considerations, positions The Green Cities Company for enhanced tenant retention and superior operations. This differentiated approach, along with disciplined risk management, encompasses the environmental footprint of an asset, the diversity and inclusivity of its community and the wellbeing and fulfillment of its occupants and neighbors.
Each member of the team is dedicated to a resilient investment portfolio that yields results to the firm’s investors, employees, tenants, and communities. Green Cities works with all our AEC teams on all design, materials, construction and repairs. They actively report 4 out of 5 categories of the Common Materials Framework (currently excluding Circularity).
Jennie has been responsible for selecting and assessing materials in both base building and FFE for the past ten years. She is well versed in the issues of transparency and lack of reliable data, and I understand the burdens that each distinct group (Owners/AEC/Manufactures) face.
By participating in the Forum Summit, they want to accelerate understanding between all parties as the industry's ability to source and procure and report on more sustainable products is crucial. They are grateful to have a community where they can discuss these important issues. Tenants demand healthy materials and we would like nothing more than to give them that - it's just a much harder proposition than most people would imagine.
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What’s a Data Ecosystem?
It’s how we connect the dots—from manufacturers (“Givers”) to architects, contractors, owners, and tools (“Receivers”)—through a shared structure and open communication channels.
Instead of siloed PDFs and spreadsheets, we’re creating a system where product impact data flows seamlessly across platforms.
What Data Ecosystem v1.0 Unlocks
A shared, CMF-aligned Data Schema
Best practices for managing and verifying sustainability data
Clear paths for manufacturers to share their data digitally
API connections to design, construction, and certification tools
Time, cost, and resource savings across the value chain
Why This Matters
Data is no longer optional—it’s how we quantify risk, reduce impact, and future-proof decisions.
When sustainability data is structured and connected, it becomes:
Actionable
Scalable
Trusted
Call to Action
This ecosystem is being built by nonprofits—for the benefit of the entire industry.
But to scale it, we need your support. Funding will accelerate:
Shared Infrastructure
Cross-Platform Integrations
Education and Support
A Future Where Sustainable Product Decisions Are the Default