
DREW SHULA
Connect with Drew: linktr.ee/drewshula
Drew is a social entrepreneur and environmentalist. He is Founder & CEO of Verdical Group, a nationally leading sustainability consulting firm specializing in: green building certifications, engineering services, strategy, and events. Verdical Group is a certified B Corporation and 1% for the Planet member company working on some of the highest profile green building projects in the world with visionary institutions like NASA, Google, Johnson & Johnson, LAX, Meta, and Apple. Under his leadership, Verdical Group won a Real Leaders Impact Award in 2023, and was a Finalist for Small Business of the Year from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC in 2022. He is also founder of the world’s largest annual net zero event — the Net Zero Conference and Trailblazer Awards.
Shula was just the sixth person ever to be honored as both a LEED Fellow and Living Future Hero. He frequently speaks about the building industry's impact on the climate crisis and net zero building design. He has been featured as a speaker at high-profile events such as the Greenbuild International Conference, Metropolis Magazine DesignTV, Living Future unConference, Cornell University, and the AIA 1.5 Degrees Celsius Symposium on Climate Change. Drew sits on several Advisory Boards, including USGBC-LA (where he is a past Board member), Woodbury University School of Architecture, Living Future LA Collaborative (where he was a member of the Founding Steering Committee), and Environmental Charter High School. Drew has been featured or published in USA Today, The Washington Post, Forbes, Metropolis Magazine, USGBC+ Magazine, and Architectural Record Magazine. He holds a 5-year professional degree in Architecture from the University of Notre Dame.
EXPERTISE.
- Business Management: B Corporations
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Net Zero / Zero Carbon
- Sustainability / Green Building / ESG
- Major Events / Movement Building
AWARDS.
- U.S. Green Building Council LEED Fellow
- International Living Future Institute Living Future Hero
- Building Design + Construction Magazine 40 Under 40
- California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition
Publications.
- Facade Tectonics Institute. "Stop F*cking Around — Build Our Zero Carbon Economy Now," by Drew Shula. 2023.
- Verdical Group Blog, "How to Beat the Climate Crisis — Lessons From Don Shula, the Winningest Coach in NFL History," by Drew Shula. 2021.
- Forbes.com. "In The Quest For Net Zero, Lessons From A High Performance... Wigwam?" by Drew Shula, 2013.
- University of Notre Dame Graduate Program in Architecture, Rome Studies Program Publications. "Como: La Modernita Della Tradizione / The Modernity Of Tradition." 2004.
Press.
- Architectural Record. "Architects Zero in on Zero to Define Building Performance." 2023.
- Washington Post. "Moving homes creates tons of waste. Here’s how to be greener about it." 2023.
- USGBC National. "Q&A with Drew Shula, founder of the Net Zero Conference." 2023.
- Metropolis Magazine. "Practicing 'Architectural Disobedience' with Verdical Group CEO Drew Shula." 2022.
- ILFI TrimTab. "Drew Shula's Journey from the Maine Woods to Sustainability Leadership in LA." 2022.
- USA Today. "Designers, Contractors and Individuals Work to Reduce Energy Use." 2018.
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS.
- 2022: Southern California Edison + Verdical Group, "Designing for Decarbonization" (virtual).
- 2022: 1% for the Planet Global Summit, "Implementing an Authentic Commitment" (Los Angeles, CA).
- 2021: SCI-Arc Lecture Series, "How Buildings Impact the Climate Crisis" (Los Angeles, CA).
- 2021: Green Building Matters podcast, “How I Built This” (Apple Podcasts & Spotify).
- 2021: Knoll x Verdical Group, "Building a Sustainable Future - Design Excellence in a Carbon-Conscious Era" (virtual).
- 2021: Metropolis Magazine DesignTV Live: "Earth Day 2021: Design and the Climate Crisis" (virtual).
- 2020: UL Carbon Roundtable, Greenbuild International Conference session (virtual).
- 2020: Cornell University Business Impact Symposium, "Beyond LEED Certification: Revisiting the Concept of Green Building" (virtual).
- 2020: The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, "Sustainability, Climate Change, and the Future" (Agoura Hills, CA).
- 2019: The AIA Los Angeles Chapter, 2 Degrees Celsius Symposium on Climate Change (Los Angeles, CA).
- 2018 - 2019: The Robin Hood Gala, "The Homelessness Crisis in Los Angeles County," Opening Keynote and Host (Los Angeles, CA).
- 2018: The Living Future unConference, "JUST B: Cultivating an Authentic and Impactful Workplace" (Seattle, WA).
- 2016: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Social Innovation Week, "Future Cities" (Los Angeles, CA).
- 2014 - 2022: Net Zero Conference, Opening Keynote and Trailblazer Awards Host (Los Angeles, CA).