Donald Speedie, DBIA, CCM, LEED AP
Project executive · Builder-developer · Construction technologist
For 27 years, I've worked across commercial general contracting, construction management, public works, design-build, preconstruction, estimating, and development. Today, I combine that experience with 11 years of software and AI development.
Nimble Development2023 – presentAn infill development company increasing the housing stock in the Sacramento region, with a pipeline of residential projects including renovations, ADUs, and new homes.
Our Mission: Help Restore Housing Balance by Building Attainable Homes.
nimble-development.com →
HABU — GetRealDeal.ai2024 – presentA free screening check that reads the public record and tells homeowners, in plain English, what their lot may now support — and what it could be worth to a developer.
The mission at data scale: awareness is the cheapest housing policy there is.
getrealdeal.ai →
Fluid Contract Manager2013 – presentCloud construction management built from the contractor's seat, connecting RFIs, submittals, contracts, change orders, drawings, timecards, and daily logs from field to office.
The mission for every other builder: digital tools that fit real crews.
fluidcm.com →
Complex projects and pursuits from $14M to $330M: resorts, schools, adaptive reuse, mixed-use construction, food-processing facilities, advanced-technology cleanrooms, and infill housing.
Project and client lead across business development, preconstruction, design, engineering, operations, and field teams. Led $330M preconstruction and design management for the Grand Hyatt Seaside Resort and a $24M design-build renovation of a continuously operating advanced-technology cleanroom facility, coordinating 15+ client business units.
Managed Division of the State Architect K-12 school projects from procurement and design through construction and closeout, including a $111M sound-attenuation bond program, $27M of sound retrofit work across four schools, a $10M charter school, and a $75M new high school.
Led the $42M Gratts Early Education and Primary Education Center for LAUSD. Worked through more than 165 days of delays and change-order overages of 23%, avoided liquidated damages, and secured more than $900K in compensable delays.
Advanced through estimating, scheduling, field, and project leadership roles on projects ranging from $14M to $92M, including The Montage adaptive-reuse conversion in Reno, The Village at Mammoth, The Village at Palisades, and Freybe Gourmet Foods in Vancouver.
Diploma of Building Engineering Technology — British Columbia Institute of Technology, 1999
DBIA Professional (2022) · Certified Construction Manager (2012) · LEED AP (2009) · OSHA 30
The newsletter — field notes from running a homebuilding company on AI. 14,000+ followers on LinkedIn.
The book: the whole AI-first operating system, and the two years of mistakes behind it.
The anchor essay — using AI to do new things, not just optimize old ones.
The analytical case, with the affordability data that started it.
A free, open-methodology score of whether a market's housing supply matches what residents can pay.
Young Life — ONE Sacramento County
Finance Committee Chair, 2026 – present
Volunteer financial stewardship for a youth ministry serving kids across Sacramento County.
Construction Management Association of America
Board member & Education Committee Chair — SoCal and NorCal chapters, 2014 – 2023
Nine years organizing education for the next generation of construction managers.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brother, 2005 – 2007
Matched one-on-one as a mentor — showing up, week after week, for a kid who needed someone in his corner.
Open housing data
Ongoing
The Nimble Attainability Index and Permit Friendliness Index are published free, methodology and all — whether or not anyone ever pays us a dollar.
If you're building a project, leading a preconstruction team, or creating better technology for contractors, I'd be glad to compare notes.
Get in touch