Walter Allen, Founder and CEO of Acumen Building Enterprise, Inc.

In this episode of the Think Factory Podcast, Walter Allen, founder, owner, CEO, and president of Acumen Building Enterprise, shares the journey that took him from engineering and military service to building a company focused on transportation systems and infrastructure. Walter discusses Acumen’s early work with BART, where the company developed one of the first systems designed to convert large bills into smaller denominations for transit passengers. That project became a foundation for Acumen’s expertise in fare collection, revenue systems, and transportation technology, leading to work with major transit systems including WMATA and Amtrak.Walter also explores the future of transportation, from digital fare collection and facial recognition to high-speed rail, autonomous vehicles, and mobility hubs designed to solve the first-mile and last-mile challenge. He shares his perspective on California’s high-speed rail efforts, the role of public-private partnerships, and the need to connect clean transportation with clean energy to reduce emissions. Looking ahead, Walter discusses Acumen’s work on mobility solutions and offers three lessons for the next generation of leaders: stay positive, remain a lifelong learner, and be flexible while staying humble.