Closing the Gap Between Builders and Home Technology: Jennifer Mallett to Join National Panel at 2026 Builder Innovator Summit

ST. LOUIS — April 28, 2026 — Jennifer Mallett, founder and CEO of Level Up Automation, will take the stage Wednesday at the Builder Innovator Summit to address one of the most persistent challenges in new residential construction: how builders and home technology integrators can work together to deliver smart home experiences that meet the expectations of today’s buyers.
Mallett joins the panel Innovating on Trade Partnerships to Get Home Tech Right, part of the Summit’s TecHome HiVol track for builders completing 100 or more homes annually. The session, moderated by Paul Williams, CEO of Williams Apex Advisors and Track Chair for TecHome HiVol, also features Scott Cerniglia, General Manager of Phoenix Systems, and Tony Pratte, Production Manager at Audio Advice. The panel convenes at 11:45 a.m. Central on April 29 as part of Builder Innovator Summit, held April 28–30 in St. Louis.

The discussion will examine what separates a transactional vendor relationship from a true trade partnership — and how that distinction shows up in the finished home. Builders who embed integration partners early in the design and production process consistently deliver better networking, better lighting, better entertainment systems, and fewer callbacks. Builders who treat technology as a late-stage line item often discover the cost of that decision after the homeowner moves in.
For Mallett, the conversation reflects a philosophy Level Up Automation has practiced for years across its national footprint. The company operates Experience Centers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Orlando, and works alongside custom builders, architects, and interior designers in markets from New York Metro to Big Sky.

Level Up Automation national footprint:

Connecticut · Florida · Louisiana · Maryland · Massachusetts · Montana · New York Metro · Ohio · Virginia

“The builders we partner with aren’t asking us to install boxes. They’re asking us to help them deliver a home that performs the way the buyer expects it to perform — on day one and ten years in. That kind of outcome doesn’t happen at the punch list. It happens when the integrator is at the table during framing, with the architect and the designer, solving problems before they become callbacks.”
“What I hope this panel makes clear is that trade partnerships aren’t a soft skill. They’re the infrastructure underneath every home that actually works. Builders who get this right protect their margins, protect their reputations, and deliver homes their buyers genuinely love living in.”

Mallett is a CEDIA-certified instructor whose CEU coursework, including Balancing Technology and Design, is taught nationally to architects, designers, and integrators. Under her leadership, Level Up Automation has grown from a single integration firm into a national network operating through its Automation Nation franchise program, with locations across Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New York Metro, Ohio, and Virginia.

The Builder Innovator Summit, produced by AE Ventures and formerly known as the TecHome Builder Summit, convenes leaders from the nation’s largest single-family and multifamily builders alongside the technology partners shaping the next generation of new construction.

About Level Up Automation
Level Up Automation is the premier sales, design, and service provider of smart home and commercial automation technology, guiding clients to solutions that work in concert to personalize their homes for the way they actually live. A BBB A+ rated company and Sonos Platinum Dealer, Level Up Automation was named #1 Smart Home Tech in the 2026 Orlando Home Design Awards and operates a national network of franchise locations and Experience Centers under the Automation Nation banner. The company specializes in Smart Safety, Entertainment, Healthy Spaces, Energy Efficient solutions, Shades & Lighting, Care Technology, and Networking. Learn more at