Safety Innovation & Consulting Center — Campus Opening Q1 2028
The Safety Innovation Center
A community safety project
Schools, parks, public buildings, and other shared spaces are only as valuable as the sense of safety people feel when using them.
The Center gives the people charged with delivering community safety access to the best training, technology, and solutions — in live and simulated environments — so they can deliver best-practice outcomes for their community.
The people behind the Center.
Placeholder bios below — swap in real names, roles, photos, and bios.
Ben Russian
FOUNDING MEMBERWorking throughout the construction sector for over 20 years, Ben has delivered numerous projects in Australia. Now leading the expansion of EZYPA, a communications software company, in the US market as of 2022, Ben is well placed to oversee the construction and initial realization of this important undertaking.
"The Safety Innovation Center will be one of the most important resources for improving public safety. Having the best minds, products, and systems available to stakeholders permanently, and offering objective data to public officials from the private sector, is an important step in maximizing the technology and training available today and in the future."
Katherine Schweit
FOUNDING MEMBERA former journalist and Chicago prosecutor, Katherine spent 20 years as an FBI Special Agent, where she created the Bureau's active shooter response framework and worked with the White House to develop national standards. She is a founding member of the Bureau Consortium consulting group, owner of Schweit Consulting LLC, and a board member and advisor to organizations including the University of Michigan's National Center for School Safety. She is the author of Stop the Killing: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis and A Simple Guide to the Second Amendment / How to Talk About Guns with Anyone, winner of the Ben Franklin Award.
Lori Griggs
FOUNDING MEMBERLori has over 35 years of experience in communication, life safety, and security technologies. She works closely with manufacturers, integrators, and end users to support the design and implementation of effective communication solutions across education, healthcare, and other sectors. Since 2019, she has assisted numerous K–12 school districts in identifying and securing millions of dollars in grant funding for safety and communication technology initiatives.
"Everyone deserves to feel safe — at home, at school, at work, and in every public space. The Safety Innovation Center is a centralized venue where cutting-edge security technologies and strategic approaches can be evaluated collectively, without the noise of competing agendas."
Zhelun Chen
FOUNDING MEMBERZhelun is the PAC Manager for the Texas Association of REALTORS Political Action Committee (TREPAC), overseeing one of the largest political campaign funds in the state. He previously served as Director of Federal & State Relations at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and has worked with the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. A 2016 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (International Relations and History), he is a Founding Advisory Board Member of the TexCap Policy Institute and Chair of the Austin–Greater Manchester Sister City Committee.
"During my time at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, I had the opportunity to work with EZYPA as we explored ways to help Central Texas school districts strengthen school safety through better communication technology integration."
Jason Javaherian
FOUNDING MEMBEROne or two sentences on this person's background and what they lead at the Center.
Steve Orta
FOUNDING MEMBEROne or two sentences on this person's background and what they lead at the Center.
Building the public
private partnership.
Together we can deliver better outcomes.
We have reached a point in community safety where community expectation is now greater than emergency response. Communities are asking legislators to look past responses and relief to prevention and pre-event planning in greater detail.
Legislators have largely delegated this responsibility to local leadership to come up with and implement solutions — be it a school board or a local government body.
The private sector has largely used this as an opportunity to sell more solutions and services, and with many leaders pressured to show progress in the safety space, they have rushed decisions or made decisions that have proven not effective or fit for purpose.
The time is now for the private sector to offer better guidance to communities and a better value-for-money proposition to taxpayers. The Center aims to pull all the relevant resources together to achieve better outcomes for communities — by offering a better pathway for companies to showcase and integrate their solutions and technologies in an environment that makes sense for community leaders to connect and absorb critical information.
Spent annually by U.S. schools on physical security hardening alone.
Estimated global school & campus safety market in 2026, growing roughly 15–20% a year.
Public schools in Texas alone — plus thousands more parks and public-use spaces statewide.
Figures are current industry and government estimates, provided for context and subject to change.
Technology, solutions, experts and training all on one campus.
The Safety Innovation Center, a private-sector-funded campus, will provide agnostic support to community leaders. It will allow them to access the best training, technology, and solutions in live and simulated environments — giving them the opportunity to deliver best-practice outcomes for their community.
Solutions
Several solutions will be showcased in display format and in a functioning, practical environment, so community leaders can visualize how solutions perform in a real-world environment, simulate the situations they'll need to deal with, and compare different options prior to making a commitment.
Technology
Technology systems deployed within the Center are implemented under the principle of agnostic integration. Systems that force siloed, single-manufacturer implementation won't be shown. The ability to integrate systems lets communities leverage the technology they already have and put funding allocations to better use.
Training
The Center will offer a series of training courses for communities, designed by leading experts in their fields and linked directly to the practical tools a community will have access to.
Design and Consult
The Center provides access to a range of designers, consultants, and general contractors who can offer expertise throughout the entire process of funding, designing, and constructing a new or renovated community space.
A 19,400 sq. ft.
purpose-built facility.
The campus is purpose-built to showcase leading solutions in:
- Security technologies
- Building design and architecture
- Construction and infrastructure
- Safety training and protocols
- Expert consulting services
School districts across the USA — invited to the campus when they're training staff, designing a new building, completing technology upgrades, or specifying and standardizing solutions.
What's on site.
Solution Display Pods
A dedicated run of display bays along the ground floor showcasing security, technology, and construction solutions.
A Mini "School"
Two working classrooms plus a school reception, built for simulated training and realistic solution demonstrations.
VR Interactive Space
Immersive simulation space for training scenarios and building-design walkthroughs.
Media Podcast Booth
A dedicated production booth off the main entry foyer for content, briefings, and community communications.
Bar, Kitchen & Entertainment Area
A social hub spanning both floors — bar, kitchen, and an entertainment area upstairs with a viewing gallery over the ground floor.
Conference Room, Consult Suites & Board Room
A main conference room, two private consult rooms, a board room, and sales offices on the first floor.
The campus also includes a mini gym area, on-site car parking, and landscaped outdoor grounds.
Early architectural concepts.
Elevation A
Elevation B
Elevation C
Elevation D
Site Layout
Ground Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Early concept drawings, subject to change through design development.
Projected milestones.
From board appointments to opening day.
Active land assessments underway in Texas and Florida counties.
Early technology partners already committed to the center.
Early-adopter stakeholders onboarding as land and construction are procured.
How can you get involved?
Inquire today about how you can become a featured provider.
Solution Partner
Feature your security, technology, or construction solutions in the campus's permanent, hands-on displays — seen by every visiting facility and community leader.
Consulting Partner
Join the network of architects, engineers, law enforcement, and prevention experts advising districts on site.
Technology Partner
Bring your platform into the VR design lab, broadcast studio, and simulated training environments.
Training Partner
If you offer safety training courses for communities — schools, government buildings, and beyond — we'd love to hear from you. Our campus may be the perfect environment to deliver your training to new and existing customers.
Submit an expression
of interest.
Tell us how you'd like to be involved and we'll respond within one business day.
Let's build this together.
Reach us directly, or use the form to join the founding group of districts and partners.