Manufacturing Sustainability
Alicia Chapman
Alicia Chapman, CEO of Willamette Technical Fabricators has a bold vision for workforce development to drive the green revolution.
In her talk, Alicia shared her journey from a bunker in Afghanistan to leading a pioneering metals manufacturing company in Portland focused on producing green infrastructure.
Alicia emphasized the importance of creating good jobs that integrate new technologies and offer meaningful work.
At the heart of her strategy is training a diverse new generation of skilled workers, including those from underserved communities, to support projects like modern, earthquake-resilient bridges and floating offshore wind turbines.
Discover how Willamette Technical Fabricators is setting new standards in the industry while contributing to environmental and social progress.
Alicia Chapman
Owner and CEO |
Willamette Technical Fabricators
Alicia Chapman is the owner & CEO of Willamette Technical Fabricators, a structural metal manufacturing company focused on transportation and clean energy infrastructure projects. Prior to founding the business, she led R&D for major manufacturing firms, worked as an NSF-funded ecosystem services researcher, and managed USAID economic development projects in post-conflict areas. She studied economics at the American and George Washington Universities in Washington, DC, public policy at Portland State, and business at Stanford.
Alicia serves on multiple professional boards including the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Portland Branch, and holds multiple appointed public service roles including Oregon Transportation Commissioner. In 2022 her company was named by the Portland Business Journal as a “Manufacturer of the Year”, and in 2023 she was named one of “Portland’s Forty under 40.”
Fellow Main Stage Speakers
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Cynthia Carmina Gomez
Futurist, Educator, Community Engagement Specialist, Nonfiction Creative Writer
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Edward B. Hill
Co-Founder | CDO - Food Loop Northwest
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Jacob Dunn
Principal | ZGF Architects
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Joseph Bull
Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science | Portland State University
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Marcelino Alvarez
CEO | Photon Marine
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Noel Kinder
Chief Sustainability Officer & Advisor | Nike (retired) goes here
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Patti Brooke
Managing Director | Moonbeam Exchange
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Aina Abiodun
President & Executive Director | VertueLab
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Alando Simpson
CEO | COR Disposal & Recycling