Management Team / Advisory Board Bios
Dustin Feider
Owner and CEO
Designer, builder, and owner Dustin Feider started O2Treehouse with the intention to inspire people to reconsider how we can more harmlessly co-exist with nature. O2Treehouse was born in 2005 when Dustin Feider built his first geodesic structure 50 feet up in a Poplar tree in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
Dustin’s treehouse designs have received national and international recognition in the design community, appearing in over 100 design publications and television shows around the world, most notably Popular Mechanics, Dwell and Wired Magazine. Most recently, he was featured on NBC Nightly News with Lestor Holt.
Heather Feider
CFO and Secretary
A pinch-hitter for O2 Treehouse for years, Heather has been absolutely monumental to the success of O2 Treehouse. The resident jill of all trades, Heather’s role has quickly become crucial to smooth day to day operation as she floats between business management, project management, marketing and outreach, event planning, and everything in between. Her positive attitude, organization, quick thinking and creativity are a boon to the helm of the team.
With a background in general management, a penchant for planning, and a passion for nature and sustainability, she is happy as a gnome to be a part of the O2 Treehouse family.
Joel David
Lead Architectural Designer
Joel started experimenting with tiny wood architecture in 2013 by building a multifunctional and collaborative veggie-food carriage as a public space activation in his hometown of Nantes, France.
David later decided to move explore greater Europe where he eventually settled in Germany’s lively architecture and design team in Stuttgart. There he connected with several architecture firms working as an Architectural designer. Joel soon found himself relocating to the Bay Area in the name of love at which point he discovered O2 Treehouse in early 2019. There, he saw a way to combine his passion for design, nature, and craft. When Joel is not acting as lead 3D computer modeling design wizard and pixel magician with O2 he sharpens his photography skills and enjoys the great outdoors frequently climbing and backpacking in and around the Bay Area.
Kendrick Calkins
Project Engineer
Kendrick is a Bay Area native with a passion for numbers. He obtained his Degree in Mathematics while working at Siemens and Tesla, continuously gaining an appreciation for how the world works.
He brings his experiences as a Safety and Project manager to O2 Treehouse.
Although new to the world of trees, Kendrick is ready to tackle these problems like any other.
Niko Kush
Marketing Director
Niko digitally commutes managing O2T’s social media and and other marketing outreach strategies.
Niko started with O2 Treehouse in 2017 during the pinecone treehouse rental activation install and although he was a bit fresh to building his curiosity and clear intent to learn brought him up to speed quickly. Niko’s calm cool and collected demeanor and friendly style makes him a custodian of good vibes and always fun to have on the crew. Kush’s thirst for new experience has him traveling abroad and developing prototypes for a additive-manufacturing modular home. All while showing off our beautiful structure online.
Jon-Paul Chapman
Lead Foreman
JP has been building treehouses with O2 since 2009 and is O2 Treehouse’s lead foreman. His skills range from mechanical HVAC, traditional framing, rigging and large scale tensegrity structures. After moving west in 2007 from NM Chapman began work with Bamboo DNA and quickly expanded his network amongst the greater festival production community throughout the west coast. JP moonlights as a lead foreman for the premier festival production company Do Lab and is a cherished member of the CA alt community.
When is comes to getting it done on time, with limited resources, Jp will always be top pick, he is the O2T Mc Guyver.
Hadley Clarke
Fabrication Specialist
Professional tree hugger, creative charmer, life lover, creative crusher, and plant enthusiast. Hadley would rather spend most days in the canopy of a Redwood tree, but she stays grounded by building dream homes for people in search of a more meaningful relationship with nature. She has a New Mexico heart, a California state of mind, and is living the Peter Pan dream.
Evan Aardahl
Foreman (Contractor)
Evan grew up working with the family business designing and building high-end custom homes in the Sierras. He galvanized his natural skill as an outdoors man working for Yosemite search and rescue as well as many other ski patrol posts in and around Tahoe. With a certification in first response, wilderness survival, a talent for climbing, and many years of experience in high craft carpentry Ardal was a perfect fit for leading ropes course company Bonsai Design.
Evan began work with O2 Treehouse in 2017 and became a project lead in 2019. Evan continues to work with O2 Treehouse on a contract basis.
Nick Early
Lead Builder (Contractor)
With years of experience teaching tree climbing, rigging, and carpentry, he is intent on sharing his knowledge and providing opportunities for personal growth, competency, and contemplation in the trees. Nick is driven by a passion to build community through experiences in nature. By getting people in the air, out of their comfort zones, and supported by living structures, he hopes to galvanize a new understanding of our relationships with each other and our planet. He aspires to inspire others to reduce their ecological impact and to live differently.
In his free time, Nick can be found hiking and biking under forest canopies, building his wooden boat, crafting functional art, and photographing wild places.
Brian Wood Capobianchi
Fabrication Specialist (Contractor)
Builder, musician, photographer, Brian joined O2T in 2017 soon after completing works with world-renowned human-nest builder Jayson Fann. Brian’s hard work ethic, his empathic ability, and prolific creative output in various media keeps the O2 Treehouse crew humbled and inspired.
Under the musical moniker Driftr, Brian spearheads the recent musician collaboration “The Pinecone Series” a candid musical performance in the O2 Treehouse Pinecone Treehouse featuring guest talents from around the nation. You’ll likely find Capobianchi casting sultry rat pack style notes, plucking bluegrass on his ukulele, or skillfully weaving words at venues around Santa Cruz.
Forrest Kelly
East Coast Lead Builder (Contractor)
Forrest has over 15 years professional experience as an arborist and treehouse builder. His diverse skill set has taken him the world over facilitating workshops in tree climbing and yoga. His early passion for the outdoors and environmental stewardship connected him with a thriving local counter culture in Asheville, NC. His good nature and keen wit quickly expanded his network coast to coast and to Central America. Kelly's skill as a beat boxer brought him recognition as a member of the group Rising Appalachia.
Kelly currently stewards his two land projects in Barnardsville, North Carolina where he runs an arborist business and lives in his new geodesic sphere treehouse. Forrest has worked with O2 Treehouse since 2012 as an east coast project lead.
Steve Mills
Construction Advisor
Steve brings his 43 years of construction experience on a wide variety of projects to the O2T team. He has built high rise office towers to cleanroom manufacturing facilities for demanding clients around the world. Steve came up through the ranks as a superintendent, leading to being a vice president for both DPR Construction and Turner Construction. His ability to deliver overall project execution coupled with excellent build quality has elevated O2 Treehouse projects to world-class standards.
David Feider
Renewable Energy Advisor
David has been an electrical engineer for 20+ years beginning with lighting and electrical power distribution systems including backup generators for commercial buildings. Then as a consultant to developers of wind, solar, and hydroelectric renewable energy, energy storage, biomass, waste-to-energy, and gas-to-liquid fuel systems.
Ellie Paget
Short Stay Hospitality Advisor
Ellie is the founder of Homeslice Stays, a full-service rental property management company currently managing 150+ properties. She brings an enthusiastic drive to make the Treewalkers experience unforgettable and streamlined.
Peter Ackerman
Business Law Advisor
A carpenter, business lawyer, judge, businessman, and intellectual property expert, Peter is enthusiastic about all things O2 Treehouse and proudly helps wherever he can, but especially in business law and intellectual property rights such as IP security.
Lindsey Burns
Corporate Hospitality Advisor
Lindsey has 15+ years of experience in the hospitality, multi-family and STR industries. She has extensive experience in new-build, conversion, and renovation-based initiatives with the likes of Marriott International, Loews Hotels & Co., Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Niido, powered by Airbnb.
Jake Jacob
Treehouse Advisor
Treehouse veteran, co-founder of TreeHouse Workshop, Inc. in 1997 and program organizer/host of the annual World Treehouse Conference, Jake is an innovator and industry lead in treehouse building technology and design with branches that span the globe.
Scott Baker
Arboriculture Advisor
Founder and Principal of Tree Solutions Inc., Scott is a master arborist, bringing advanced technology and an encyclopedia of tree knowledge to the table. Scott is a Registered Consulting Arborist and an honorary life member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Daniel Reichman
Financial Advisor
Specializing in sustainability, Daniel has over 25 years of global financial management expertise and excels in his ability to analyze and structure complex transactions as well as his understanding of startups and turnarounds. His specialties include financial planning, cash flow forecasting, valuation and management reporting.
Anthony Johnston
Construction Finance Advisor
Anthony has worked as a senior investment associate for large real estate projects such as multi-family dwellings, office, hospitality, and industrial buildings. He has considerable experience in underwriting and marketing high-stakes real estate developments and is looking forward to expanding his connections into the trees.
John Marburger
Sustainable Business Advisor
John is a retired Naval Officer who holds degrees from the United States Naval Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography. His science background combined with time and experience in business development and entrepreneurship will help Treewalkers build a strong, durable business model that is both innovative and scalable in today' fast paced corporate environment.
Katalin Zaim
Global Sustainability Advisor
Katalin has trained in four countries in environmental technology, economics and business management among many others. She has a long-standing career as researcher, academician and project manager, 12 years working with the United Nations, and is the founder & head of the environmental economics network group established for Middle East and Central Asia (NEEMECA). Currently she serves as an advisory board member for Sustainable Academi, Green Growth and Sustainable Development NGO, and World Business Angels Association.
David Foxe
Design and Build Advisor
David is a registered architect, an Associate at Epstein Joslin Architects and a faculty member at the Boston Architectural College. He specializes in international design/construction process management and BIM oversight as well as integrated, multidisciplinary design and coordination across architectural, landscape, and engineering disciplines. He served as the editorial director and co-author of the structural design textbook Form and Forces (Wiley, 2009).