Our team

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The Builders Avenue Team

The Builders Avenue team consists of a group of dedicated professionals who excel in their respective fields. From staff and leadership to construction managers and industry specialists, our team embodies a diverse range of talents and expertise. By leveraging their collective skills and knowledge, they work collaboratively to ensure the successful completion of each project.

Mejai Kai Dyson

Mejai leads our Estimating Program, helping our construction entrepreneurs improve their ability to cost estimate and bid through one-on-one coaching and training.

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Mejai began his decades-long career in commercial construction as a Project Engineer, coordinating and delivering built spaces for private and public clients. As Chief Estimator, Mejai has assembled cost estimates for a variety of skilled trades and building types. He has represented all sides of the table from contractors and GCs to owners' rep. Mejai is passionate about continuous improvement, ensuring value and margins for all stakeholders.

Mejai Kai Dyson

Chief Estimator

Mena Prince

Applied Data Fellow

Mena Prince

Applied Data Fellow

Hanaa Letaief

Project Associate

Hanaa Letaief

Project Associate

Kyle Johnson

Kyle works with service providers and contractors on a daily basis to build our shared back office.

Raised in the Northwoods of Minnesota, Kyle left a radical puppet theater in Minneapolis to join a microlender in Chicago, where he used grassroots organizing to extend a small business loan program across the city’s diverse neighborhoods.

Kyle Johnson

Chief Operations Officer

Nitika Nautiyal

Nitika directs our strategic partnerships to develop a coordinated ecosystem of supports for Chicagoland contractors. 

Nitika previously led the nation’s largest network of local, regional, national and international institutions anchored in the Chicagoland, with upwards of $20B in collective spend, driving inclusive economic growth through place-based strategies. 

Nitika Nautiyal

Chief Strategy & Development Officer

Trazell Primuse

Program Manager

Trazell Primuse

Program Manager

Our board of directors

Guided by a visionary and experienced board of directors, our organization is driven by a commitment to excellence and innovation in the construction industry. Comprised of industry experts and business leaders, our board provides strategic direction and ensures that Builders Avenue continues to evolve and meet the evolving needs of our clients and service partners.

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Delmar Gillus, Jr.

COO, Elevate
Board Member

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Deon Lucas

President, EG.Woode
Board Chair

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Claudette Soto

President, BASO Ltd.
Board Member
In Memoriam

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Nora Sobolov

Founder, The Dividend Project
Chair Emeritus