Our Shared Journey

Jeff Savage’s path to Monolith was paved with entrepreneurial dreams from childhood, though it would take an unexpected detour through academia before finding its destination. “I was always aware of and interested in entrepreneurship,” Jeff explains. “When I was five, my mom started a sing and dance company as an after-school program. I was the oldest, so at five years old, I was singing ‘Good things come in little packages’ with a box around me wrapped like a Christmas present.” This early exposure to entrepreneurship continued when Jeff’s father and uncle started a company during his high school years. The venture sparked Jeff’s interest, but also delivered a harsh lesson when the chief technology officer attempted to sell the company out from under his father and uncle, plunging the family from middle class to financial hardship. “That experience pushed me toward accounting,” Jeff says. “I wanted security.” After earning his undergraduate and master’s degrees in accounting at Brigham Young University, Jeff pursued a PhD at the University of Illinois, drawn to the study of entrepreneurs—what makes them tick, what leads to their success or failure. This academic pursuit led him to the University of South Carolina, where he discovered an unexpected truth about himself. “An academic’s job is only one-third teaching,” Jeff notes with a wry smile. “The majority is research. I liked asking questions and solving them, but I didn’t like writing about questions I’d already solved. Once I’d figured out the problem, I was ready to move on.” This realization led Jeff to shift his focus from traditional academic research to more hands-on entrepreneurial education. He incorporated consulting projects into his classes, began working with student startups, and eventually took over the entrepreneurship center at the business school. His entrepreneurial itch grew stronger when he took a break from academia to help a friend raise a Series B round for his startup—only to be let go when the venture capitalists brought in their own management team. “That experience made me really hungry for something I could call my own,” Jeff admits. “I’d helped so many startups over the years, and I was itching to do my own thing.” Parallel to this professional evolution, Jeff’s personal interests were drawing him toward alternative building methods. Fascinated by permaculture—permanent agriculture that works with nature rather than against it—he dreamed of building a passive house that would require minimal electricity and live in harmony with the environment. “We had several acres with goats, chickens, and ducks,” Jeff recalls. “I looked into Earth ships and nearly signed up for a class on alternative building methods. But then reality kicked in—the utility costs of our conventional house, the HVAC replacements, and the vulnerable nature of traditional construction. We’d moved to South Carolina in 2017, just after what they called the ‘hundred-year flood,’ which wasn’t that much water but enough to get under people’s doors.” This confluence of professional ambition and personal interest in sustainable building created the perfect conditions for what happened next. In early 2023, Jeff met Jason, and the two began discussing either starting a business to help startups or potentially buying a business together. Then came a fateful call from Ben Snuffer, introduced through a mutual friend who knew of Jeff’s interest in alternative building methods. “Ben called and asked, ‘Have you heard of ICF?’” Jeff remembers. “I said no, and he described this building method that was easy to build with—you could even build your own house—and was essentially disaster-proof. Fire doesn’t ruin it, it performs better in earthquakes, it can withstand small floods, and hurricanes aren’t a big deal anymore. Plus, it’s incredibly energy efficient and quiet.” Ben’s enthusiasm was infectious, and when Kirk joined a subsequent call to speak from his extensive experience with ICF, Jeff was hooked. He began researching the construction industry, recognizing its prime position for disruption. “Construction is old, regulated, slow, with a labor crisis,” Jeff observes. “Houses are getting more expensive but not better quality—that’s a classic sign that an industry is ripe for disruption.” What impressed Jeff most wasn’t that ICF was simply a better window or door, but an entirely new building system so well thought out that everything else works better with it—less HVAC equipment needed, no vulnerable viewpoints for moisture, easier picture hanging, and DIY-friendly construction. Initially, Jeff and Jason offered to serve as advisors for a small equity stake, helping Ben and Kirk develop a business plan and presentation materials. But as their involvement deepened and their excitement grew, the relationship evolved. “They came back to us and said, ‘How about you don’t just be advisors? How about you join us as partners and help us raise the money?’” Jeff recalls, still seeming somewhat amazed by the offer. “I’d never been offered that before. It was such a cool prospect.” The partnership came with a condition: Jeff and Jason could join, but only if they raised the capital themselves. This responsibility fell primarily to Jeff, who leveraged his network and newly discovered passion for the technology. Jeff’s ability to communicate the vision of Monolith proved remarkably effective. The company raised $2.5 million on what was essentially just an idea—no plant, no product, just a revolutionary concept that resonated deeply with investors. For Jeff, Monolith represents the perfect intersection of his academic knowledge of entrepreneurship, his hands-on experience helping startups, and his personal passion for sustainable, resilient building. After years of studying entrepreneurs and helping others launch their dreams, he’s finally found a venture he can truly call his own. “This isn’t just a one-off product,” Jeff says with unmistakable pride. “This is a new building system that’s so well thought out, everything else works better with it. That’s what makes it truly revolutionary.”