POE Past–Present–Future

Farukh Aslam is the Chief Executive Officer of Sinclair Digital Services, Inc. a low voltage design & consulting company developing Digital DC-Microgrid Buildings. Aslam has been in the telecom industry since starting a VOIP company in 1999 in Fort Worth and was a very early adopter of Cisco Call Manager, first enterprise VOIP office phone system. Also in 2003 he started a FTTH (Fiber to the Home) company in Pakistan when telecom was deregulated which was only the 3rd country in Asia to offer this technology and today has grown to over 2000 employees in several large cities. Using VOIP as a stepping stone, Aslam then began exploring more broadly the use of PoE (Power over ethernet) in creating a DC building infrastructure. In 2019, Aslam successfully developed the Sinclair Marriott Autograph Hotel which is widely considered the most diverse PoE and DC Microgrid project in North America. From the completion of the Sinclair Hotel, Aslam created Sinclair Digital (SD) to bring expertise of the sustainability and cost benefits of a DC building infrastructure to the marketplace. Since its inception SD has been involved in several design build projects and continues to evolve DC infrastructure in buildings.

As an active leader of the New York City lighting community for the past 36 years, Mitchell has extensive experience and relationships within the industry. By covering all aspects in the space throughout his tenure, including manufacturing, distribution, owning several rep agencies over the years and building International Lights to its current status, he has the expertise needed to assist clients and colleagues in every way. Mitchell takes great pride in being an IES member for over 25 years and continues to strengthen his bonds in lighting by staying connected to those in the business through many organizations and events. He recognizes that success is determined by doing the right thing and helping anywhere one can. This carries over to his personal life where he tries to give back by being involved in multiple charities and is deeply rooted in his family and community.

Michael has invested almost his entire career in lighting, representing the leading companies in the industry. Since the beginning, he has worked to develop lasting relationships and strongly believes in and encourages creative collaboration between architects and lighting designers. The passion that drives him is finding sustainable lighting solutions that exceed customers’ needs and support their business growth while also enhancing new or existing architecture. His collaborative project portfolio spans the globe including high profile awards winning designs in China, India the Middle East and across the U.S. Michael is a proud member of the LIRC since 2007 and has been a supporter of IALD since his first Enlighten Conference in 2007. He served as a committee member for the 2016 Enlighten Conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and participated in 3 Enlighten European conferences. For over two decades, he has been a mentor to students through Project Candle at Penn State University, Oregon St., IES and other universities.

Lilian Fu, With over 28 years of experience in professional lighting design and currently serving as the Vice President and National Practice Lead for Lighting at WSP within Property & Buildings, Lilian has been integral to numerous award-winning projects spanning diverse sectors throughout her career, including workplace, hospitality, civic, and streetscapes. Holding a background in Architectural Engineering from Penn State University, Lilian thrives on multidisciplinary integration, fostering innovative collaborations, and mentoring staff on how best to use lighting to invigorate the spaces in which we live and work. She is a committed advocate for sustainable design, having achieved LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge recognition, and possesses expertise in Integrated Project Delivery and Lean Construction methodologies. Driven by her passion for the transformative power of light, Lilian consistently illuminates spaces with creativity and purpose, leaving an enduring imprint on the built environment.