Merrick K. Macomber has built a career at the intersection of people, culture, and innovation in the off-site construction industry. With more than 17 years of experience spanning operations, management, workforce development, branding, and environmental design, she has become known for her people-centered approach to organizational culture and her belief that the environments companies create for their people are fundamental to innovation, retention, and sustainable growth.
Since 2021, Ms. Macomber has served as founder and chief executive officer of Modular Maven, where she works with leaders and organizations to cultivate thriving, people-first cultures within off-site construction and next-generation manufacturing. Through Modular Maven, she brings together culture strategy, operational understanding, and human connection to help organizations create environments in which both people and businesses can thrive.
Ms. Macomber also serves as partner and vice president of Waypaver International, a global consulting firm specializing in modular factory development. In this capacity, she contributes expertise in branding, operational structure, strategic culture development, and business development while supporting clients in the planning and execution of new modular manufacturing facilities worldwide.
A founding member and chief culture officer of Prefab Logic, Ms. Macomber has been part of the organization since its inception in 2017. She leads culture strategy, brand visibility, and industry engagement for the design-assist and modular consulting firm, which operates offices in both the United States and India. An important aspect of her work is helping unify teams internationally while supporting a shared culture across geographic and cultural boundaries.
At Autovol, Ms. Macomber serves as chief culture officer and executive assistant to the chief executive officer and co-founder. Having helped establish the organization in 2018, she has played a key role in developing and sustaining the people-first culture surrounding one of the nation’s most advanced automated modular manufacturing operations. Autovol has been recognized as one of Idaho’s Top Workplaces for six consecutive years, from 2021 through 2026, and has received USA Today Top Workplaces recognition for four consecutive years, from 2023 through 2026. Ms. Macomber also designed Autovol’s 30,000-square-foot headquarters, for which she received the APR Gold Global Future Design Award in 2022.
Further extending her involvement in the industry, Ms. Macomber is a member of the P4 Housing Collective, a strategic alliance of four companies that together form a complete ecosystem for off-site construction manufacturing. The Collective integrates expertise in factory development, design, engineering, and culture creation to accelerate new facility launches and expand housing production capacity worldwide.
Ms. Macomber’s path into construction and manufacturing was not a traditional one. Her early career provided experience across project management, accounting, operations, safety, human resources, and employee engagement. During her tenure at Guerdon Modular Buildings, she progressed through numerous operational responsibilities before serving as director of employee happiness. Those experiences gave her a firsthand understanding of both the systems required to operate a manufacturing business and the human dynamics that determine whether its people flourish within it. She ultimately found her calling at the intersection of construction, culture, and organizational development.
As a speaker and industry thought leader, Ms. Macomber has presented at national and international construction and manufacturing forums, including the Modular Building Institute’s World of Modular conferences and the NAHB International Builders’ Show, where she participated in a featured panel on “The 4 P’s of the New Multifamily Ecosystem.” Her presentations have explored workplace culture, workforce development, women in construction, and the intersection of robotics and humanity. Across these subjects, she advocates for ensuring that technological advancement and human potential progress together.
Ms. Macomber’s contributions extend beyond her professional work. She is the founder and executive director of Dragonflybrary, a nonprofit established in honor of two siblings she lost to suicide. Through the organization, she promotes mental health awareness and community connection, turning personal loss into an opportunity to help others. She also serves as a board member of the College of Western Idaho Foundation and participates in community and youth outreach focused on workforce development and career awareness in construction and manufacturing.
Throughout her career, Ms. Macomber has attributed her success to optimism, perseverance, curiosity, and a willingness to continue learning. She also credits the influential mentorship of Rick Murdock and Curtis Fletcher, whose trust, leadership, and vision have helped shape her professional growth. Her philosophy is grounded in the belief that ego should never stand in the way of learning and that people are capable of extraordinary things when they are trusted, valued, and given an environment in which to thrive.
Born in Prescott, Arizona, and now residing in Boise, Idaho, Ms. Macomber values time with her teenage daughter, two adult sons, and two dogs. She enjoys traveling, backpacking, fishing, snowboarding, dancing, painting, and art. Looking ahead, she continues to expand her influence across industries and continents through her work in off-site construction and culture design. Having contributed to the growth of the nation’s first fully automated robotic manufacturer for multifamily housing production, she remains dedicated to advancing modular methods, strengthening operational excellence, and fostering workplaces and communities where purpose, innovation, and human potential grow together.