Happenstance and Hard Work

Turf Elevate MP looks to use experience and technology to meet an industry need.

by Lindsay Fletcher

“Sometimes a missed train, a casual conversation or a childhood memory leads you to exactly where you’re meant to be.” For Lisa Diaz, this refrain has rung true for many areas of her life, both personal and professional. After a chance encounter in 2023, she dug into the vertical-transportation (VT) industry, and with her background in finance and infrastructure technology, she saw an opportunity to bring something new to the table: a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE)-certified procurement firm built on operational rigor, modern tools and a deep understanding of construction challenges. Through an extended journey of immersion, learning and listening, she launched Turf Elevate to “bring fresh thinking, discipline and trust to a legacy industry ready for change.” To learn more about this journey, your author (LF) engaged with Diaz (LD), managing partner (MP) for Turf Elevate, to discuss her unique lens coming into the industry as an outsider and what mark she hopes to leave.

LF: Tell me a little bit about your education and work background prior to joining the VT industry.

LD: Before entering the world of VT and construction, I spent more than three decades in finance, most notably as a managing director at Goldman Sachs, where I led relationships with sovereign wealth and hedge funds. I later served as president and CEO of Prince Street Capital Management, an emerging markets firm focused on innovation and technology. While finance offered challenge and prestige, over time it felt increasingly transactional and ephemeral — everything happening on screens, nothing tangible left behind. Inspired by my grandmother who worked past 100 and a mother who still works today, I wasn’t built for early retirement. I wanted to invest the next 30 years in something more enduring.

That moment of clarity came unexpectedly, after I missed a train at Grand Central Station. I joined a tour of the terminal and learned how Jackie Kennedy had helped save it, and how construction artisans restored its magnificent ceiling with lemon juice. It sparked something in me: a desire to build things that last, things that shape cities. I launched Turf Advisory in 2016 to explore construction innovation, joined Grand Central Tech’s startup community, taught at Cornell Tech, and served on the boards of Smart Cities New York and MIT Delta.

Still, the business wasn’t scaling the way I’d hoped. Then came a pivotal moment during a trip to Buffalo, NY, where I pitched my construction tech portfolio in the context of the new Buffalo Bills Stadium. A senior executive from Gilbane observed, “We’re spending US$800 million — half the project — on MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing) and only $6 or $7 million on construction tech. Do us both a favor — find a great MEP company to buy or build one.”

That insight lit a fire. I explored the MEP space, and when I mentioned the idea to friends at two major OEMs, both pointed me toward elevators. I put my research hat on and discovered a US$23-billion North American industry with strong margins, high barriers to entry and real staying power. Then the spark — a childhood memory — came back: the thrill of riding the express elevator to the Windows on the World Restaurant located at the summit of the World Trade Center. This elevator journey was like an amusement ride to the top of the tallest skyscraper in NYC — incredible! My love of elevators started long before I ever thought about a career, which I interpreted as a sign.

The journey hasn’t been linear, but entrepreneurship rarely is. Sometimes a missed train, a casual conversation or a childhood memory leads you to exactly where you’re meant to be.

LF: How did this turn into Turf Elevate?

LD: The more I dug into elevators, the more it clicked. I began formal market research in 3Q 2023, and dug deeper in 2024, becoming the 15th woman to graduate from the National Association of Elevator Contractors’ (NAEC) VT Management Program, as well as a variety of other VT classes, and officially launched Turf Elevate that year. Our goal is to be a WBEcertified procurement partner that combines operational rigor, supply chain intelligence and modern technology to support smarter elevator modernization and installation.

The idea wasn’t to disrupt for disruption’s sake — but to solve real problems and support great project teams. Turf Elevate started with a simple question: How can we make elevator procurement easier, clearer and more aligned with the way modern infrastructure projects operate?

LF: Can you explain to me what service Turf Elevate provides the VT industry?

LD: We bring structure, transparency and innovation to elevator procurement, an often overlooked — but essential — part of infrastructure delivery. Our services are built around three core pillars:

1) Component Procurement and Strategic Sourcing

We supply elevator parts and curated modernization packages across public and private sector projects. We partner with Made-in-U.S. manufacturers and use modern supply chain tools to deliver competitive pricing, reliability and speed. We also support our independent supplier partners, many of whom are regionally based, with embedded business development services to help them expand into new markets. This model allows us to provide higher-quality alternatives to legacy MWBE vendors and meet the performance expectations of major industry players.

2) Elevator-Specific Construction Technology

The VT sector lacks a dominant technology platform. Turf Elevate is closing that gap through a tailored tech stack and strategic partnerships that improve procurement workflows, asset performance and field service coordination. Our modular approach aligns with industry norms that favor package-based solutions over single-source platforms.

3) Consulting Services To Drive Lifecycle Value

We offer consulting services that support smarter elevator investment decisions — from design assist and specification reviews to Operations and Maintenance (O&M) optimization and bid  strategy. We work closely with real estate teams, healthcare systems and universities to align VT planning with operational and capital goals.

LF: What experience/technology/industry help did you use/rely on to be able to meet this need in a way others haven’t/aren’t?

LD: I leaned heavily on a mix of experience, relationships and curiosity. My background is in capital markets and systems thinking, which gave me a deep appreciation for how structure and clarity can unlock better outcomes. When I transitioned into infrastructure and construction, I brought that same mindset with me.

But I also knew that experience alone wasn’t enough. To enter this industry with credibility, I needed to listen and learn, on the ground, from the people doing the work. I have completed training, had hundreds of conversations with elevator consultants, contractors, public agencies and suppliers and showed up consistently to industry events. Those relationships, and that access to firsthand insight, have shaped every part of Turf Elevate. Technology plays a key role, as well. We saw that procurement teams were overwhelmed with dense specs, inconsistent drawings and short bid windows. So, we invested in tools that could streamline the front end of the process — helping teams analyze packages faster, spot issues earlier and get more time back for decision-making.

We didn’t come in trying to reinvent the industry. We came in to support it with humility, preparation and deep respect for the people who make these projects possible.

LF: Tell me about Turf Elevate today.

LD: Since launching Turf Elevate, the core mission has stayed the same: to bring clarity, structure and responsiveness to VT procurement. But what’s evolved is our perspective on where we can drive the most value. The more we’ve worked alongside agencies and contractors, the more we’ve realized this isn’t just about parts or bid packages — it’s about helping teams make smarter long-term decisions around their vertical assets and help shine a light on this important but sometimes overlooked infrastructure asset.

Elevators aren’t just one-time purchases. We encourage our clients to treat them as part of a living portfolio, not as isolated line items. That mindset shift, thinking beyond install and into lifecycle, has become a cornerstone of how we operate.

We’ve grown intentionally, keeping our team focused and agile, with our core operations based in NY and partnerships that allow us to support projects nationally. Our clients range from general contractors to public agencies and facilities teams and organizations that are managing complex scopes and looking for more clarity and support in the elevator procurement process.

We’re active in markets like NY and Chicago, and we’re continuing to grow our national reach through public sector and university work.

LF: How is Turf Elevate using technology — like AI or cloud monitoring — to support elevator procurement and asset management today, and where do you see that heading in the future?

LD: Technology is a core strength for us, and one we’ve built through years of advising construction tech companies and working closely with innovators in the built environment. From that foundation, we’ve developed a clear understanding of how to apply the right tools, not just for the sake of innovation, but to solve real, day-to-day challenges in procurement and asset management.

At Turf Elevate, we work with trusted technology partners who share our vision for a smarter, more connected elevator ecosystem. Together, we offer tools that complement our sourcing work and bring immediate value to clients in the field.

Our AI-powered Request for Proposal (RFP) Analyzer helps teams quickly digest complex bid packages, identify scope requirements and reduce time spent on manual spec review. It’s designed to support faster, more informed decision-making, especially when every hour counts during the bid process. We also offer cloud-based elevator monitoring that provides real-time visibility into asset performance across a portfolio. From live status updates to predictive maintenance insights, it allows clients, especially agencies and large facility owners, to manage risk proactively and extend the lifecycle of their equipment.

LF: Is there anything you have learned from being in the industry that has maybe tweaked your business idea or something you didn’t expect?

LD: Absolutely. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is how much nuance there is in this industry, how every project has its own rhythm, and how much institutional knowledge lives in the field. Coming in, we had a clear vision around modernizing procurement and improving how elevator scopes were managed. But what I didn’t fully anticipate was just how critical trust, timing and relationships are at every step of the process.

That’s shaped our approach in a big way. We’ve leaned further into being a true partner — not just a supplier or tech layer. Sometimes that means helping interpret specs, and other times it means picking up the phone on a Friday night because a bid is due Monday and something doesn’t look right. We’ve built our model to be flexible, responsive and grounded in what teams actually need on the ground.

It’s also reinforced my belief that this work is deeply human. Technology matters. The certifications matter. But at the core, it’s about people. That’s why we stay engaged, we go to Elevator U, NAEC and association events not just to stay informed, but to stay connected. Every conversation helps us refine the way we show up for this industry.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is how much nuance there is in this industry, how every project has its own rhythm, and how much institutional knowledge lives in the field.
— Lisa Diaz, MP, Turf Elevate

LF: What does success look like for you and Turf Elevate?

LD: Success, for me, isn’t just about growing Turf Elevate as a business, it’s about building something that lasts. I deeply admire how the elevator industry is rooted in legacy. You see families who’ve been in the business for generations, and there’s something incredibly beautiful and grounding about that. It’s an industry that values trust, longevity and relationships, and those values resonate deeply with me.

I’d love to look back in a few years and know that Turf Elevate helped raise the bar for how VT procurement is done, bringing more structure, clarity and strategic thinking to the process. But beyond that, I want us to contribute to the industry in a way that feels personal.

As a woman-owned firm, we’re showing up in spaces wherethere hasn’t always been representation. And as a fourth-generation career mother with two daughters, I dream of Turf Elevate becoming a true family business. My older daughter, who recently graduated from a business program focused on innovation, has expressed interest in joining me someday, if I can scale Turf Elevate. My younger daughter is a mechanical engineer who specializes in manufacturing. I hope to convince her one day that elevators are a consumer product waiting for more creativity to enhance the user experience of a building. I know it’s a long shot, but a mother can dream.

So, success isn’t just about market share or contracts. It’s about creating a legacy, a company built with care, purpose, and pride. If we can do that while helping clients think smarter about the lifecycle of their vertical assets and make space for the next generation along the way, I’ll be proud of the mark we’ve made.