The People Behind The Vision
Allison Swank
Founder & President of VisionVest
After receiving an MS in Mechanical Engineering in 2001 from Case Western Reserve University, Allison Swank joined a merit shop general contractor in West Virginia, where she was responsible for projects in mission critical, healthcare, higher education, K-12 education, and corporate sectors. In 2010, Allison, who is certified LEED AP BD+C, joined a large global firm specializing in construction management services and was tasked with opening their Pittsburgh office.
During her tenure there as area manager, she became completely fascinated with the heavy highway industry—how crews conduct live lane changes in traffic, move trains of mammoth equipment working in tandem to execute tight specifications, and—most importantly—maintain work zone safety. She got to thinking. How could these workers have more visibility? Is there an opportunity for drivers to see workers before their vehicle’s headlights reach them?
In 2017, Allison set out on her own to focus on VisionVest. She joined the International Safety Equipment Association to immerse herself in product standards education, ultimately working her way through patenting, testing, refining, branding, certifying, and manufacturing of a high-visibility safety vest that integrates active lighting.
Allison’s dedication to the safety culture of workers reflects her sentiment that humans are at the heart of engineering. As such, she is also an active board member for the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the ACE Mentoring Program, which introduces high school students to career opportunities in architecture, construction, and engineering.
Jodi Brutto
Business Partner & Director of Strategic Relationships
Jodi Brutto recognizes the importance of worker visibility, having been in disaster recovery scenarios across the US and throughout the Caribbean, where sites were often made particularly challenging by power outages and dark or low-light conditions.
She began her career as a producer, working with individuals and businesses to help them identify risks and how to protect against them. She transitioned to the claims side of the industry when she joined a restoration firm. There, she worked with facility, property, and risk managers to develop pre-disaster plans and respond to disasters. A repeat presenter at RIMS, the risk management society®, conferences, and events, Jodi brings 35 years of experience in the insurance industry.
Where loss occurred on a job site due to a catastrophic event like a hurricane or tornado, Jodi managed the reconstruction of buildings and facilities to return them to a pre-loss condition. In this space, she met Allison, who worked with Jodi on several projects impacted by catastrophes. When discussing VisionVest, Jodi and Allison’s backgrounds and interests in safety aligned. They decided to collaborate on a superior quality, life-saving product that could transform the construction and disaster recovery sectors.
