8 questions with built environment marketing expert, Keith Kennedy

Get to know Keith Kennedy, Director, AEC Marketing Innovation at OpenAsset

OpenAsset is pleased to welcome Keith Kennedy to our team, a New York based marketer with more than 15 years of experience inside some of the biggest names in the built environment.

Keith joins us most recently from ZGF Architects, where he served as Marketing Director, following senior marketing and strategy roles at Mancini Duffy, STUDIOS Architecture, and Dewberry. 

Keith has been an OpenAsset champion for years, a contributing member of our Customer Advisory Board, and has spent the last six months working directly with our Product team as a consultant. Outside of work, he serves as Vice President of Build Out Alliance and was named a Crain’s Notable LGBTQ Professional in 2024.

We sat down with Keith to hear about the mentors who taught him to turn big ideas into strategy, what fifteen years as an OpenAsset customer showed him about the product he now helps build, and why he believes belonging matters as much as winning the next pursuit.

1. You’ve worked at some of the biggest names in the built environment, from ZGF to Dewberry to STUDIOS Architecture. What have you taken from that?

While AEC firms share similar pursuit goals, their internal mechanics, how they tell stories and collaborate, are radically different. Having worked across both architecture and engineering, I’ve seen firsthand how these distinct perspectives shape a firm’s strategy.

There’s incredible power in cross-firm dialogue; even as competitors, sharing insights elevates the entire industry. My biggest takeaway is that marketing requires deep empathy for how different teams naturally think and create.

2. Who are the top people who have influenced how you work, and why?

Early in my career at Dewberry, my manager, Erin Gehan, opened her playbook and taught me foundational strategies I still rely on 15 years later.

Later, Julie Pampuch at WB Engineers+Consultants became a pivotal mentor and friend.

Both of these powerhouses share a rare quality: whenever I approach them with wild, moonshot ideas, they don’t push back with cynicism. They match my energy with rigor, helping me think big and turn ambitious concepts into actionable, high-impact strategies.

3. You’re Vice President of Build Out Alliance, having served on their Board of Directors before that. What does that work involve, and why does it matter to you?

Build Out Alliance creates community and amplifies voices for LGBTQ+ professionals and allies across the built environment. What started over eight years ago as a local NYC initiative has grown into a national organization across five major cities, driven entirely by grassroots demand.

This work matters deeply to me because career growth and personal belonging go hand in hand. Building spaces where people feel seen and supported is profoundly rewarding, both for the individual and their firm.

4. You’ve been an OpenAsset customer for years before joining us. What did you see from that side of the table that made you want to help build it?

On my very first day in the industry at Fuss & O’Neill, I was tasked with managing our OpenAsset rollout. Amazingly, the team members who guided me then, like Jason Janicki and Andres Morinigo, are still here today.

Over fifteen years, I watched OpenAsset consistently listen to customer feedback and actually build features we discussed. They don’t force marketers to change how they work; they enhance our existing workflows. That rare, genuine customer obsession made joining the team an easy choice.

5. OpenAsset is a tech company built by people who have sat where our customers sit. Why does that matter, and what does it change about how we build?

It changes everything. When product teams understand the high-stakes pressure of proposal deadlines and client pursuits, every workflow is designed with real intent.

Instead of forcing AEC marketers to adapt their proven processes to rigid software, OpenAsset designs tools that seamlessly fit into their daily rhythm. That deep empathy eliminates friction and speeds up adoption, ensuring technology serves the user. 

When software feels intuitive rather than burdensome, teams actually use it, and that’s where true ROI lives.

6. What does AEC Marketing Innovation actually mean to you, and where do you want to spend your energy in this role?

To me, innovation means making deliberate, thoughtful adjustments that yield meaningful results, rather than chasing shiny disruptions that upend working systems. It means asking better questions and creating space for fresh perspectives.

In this role, I’m spending my energy acting as a direct bridge between our customers and our product teams. By translating real-world AEC marketing nuances into actionable product insights, I can help iterate tools that solve daily pain points and make our customers’ lives noticeably easier.

7. What’s the biggest misconception firms have about proposal and marketing technology, and what would you tell them instead?

Firms often assume technology is plug-and-play magic, or that AI can instantly automate complex pursuits. Because AEC is a specialized niche, mainstream software rarely fits, forcing marketers to rely on elbow grease and duct tape to patch workflows together. 

I remind firms that our work relies heavily on human nuance, relationships, and storytelling. Great technology should eliminate administrative drag so marketers can focus on high-value strategy, without replacing that connection.

To me, the goal is balance, not total automation.

8. What does life outside the built environment look like for you?

Living in New York City, I treat the city itself as an ever-evolving canvas. I make a point to catch a Broadway show or explore a museum at least once or twice a month, constantly seeking fresh creative inspiration.

Outside of NYC, I love traveling the world, but there’s equal magic in discovering a new neighborhood right here at home.

Staying curious outside of work keeps my perspective fresh and fuels everything I bring to the industry.