Our People

Kiel Kellow

OWNER

Kiel Kellow is an anomaly in the building trade, a design focused builder who believes that estimating and design should always go hand in hand. As the leader of Kellow Construction, Kiel’s approach ensures that all design work is not just creative and beautiful, but practical and aligned with the client’s investment range. This philosophy reduces the typical back and forth between design and construction, making the process more efficient and cohesive.

A highly attuned business owner, Kiel is a naturally calm and effective leader who values ethics, hard work, and communication above all else. He is not your typical builder, he genuinely loves the process of guiding clients through projects that might initially feel overwhelming or out of reach. Helping people accomplish something transformative while balancing design vision with real world practicality is one of his greatest skills.

Kiel grew up in both Tillamook County, Oregon, and Bainbridge Island, Washington. He honed his carpentry skills while living on his 1934 wooden sailboat in the Bainbridge harbor, working on boats, high end custom homes, and in a cabinet shop crafting all things wood. Eventually, he recognized that his passion for client collaboration and project implementation meant starting his own business.

After moving to Portland, Oregon, Kiel became a lead carpenter with an award winning design/build firm specializing in restaurant build outs. There, he mastered the art of integrating complex architectural details into functional spaces, particularly in light commercial projects.

Today, as the owner of Kellow Construction, Kiel brings together design, estimating, and building with a commitment to quality craftsmanship and client satisfaction. His philosophy is simple: build classic structures that endure and create spaces people love. At the heart of it all, Kiel uses his skills to help people bring their dreams to life, combining creativity with practical execution to make the process as rewarding as the final result.

Emily Kellow

OFFICE MANAGER

Emily Kellow was born, raised, and educated in Santa Barbara. She is passionate about this community, and loves it beyond measure. She attended Starr King Parent Child Workshop, Monte Vista Grammar School, La Colina Junior High, and San Marcos High School. She spent all her summers on the beach as a Junior Lifeguard, and to this day is in awe of this city’s natural beauty and public lands.

Emily graduated from UC Davis in 2007 and immediately moved to Portland, Oregon for the cheap rent, and the cool weirdos. Much to her surprise, she ended up opening her own brokerage selling, leasing and renovating real estate in Portland for ten years.

These days Emily is much more comfortable behind the scenes. She wears many hats at KC including accounting, ordering, authoring the blog, marketing and brand direction, risk management, payroll and employee benefits management, and things that require long hold times on the phone. Wow!

She enjoys long directionless walks, podcasts, audio books, cultivating peace, joy and positivity, and of course basking in the brightest light of her life, her young son Danny.

Jason

SITE SUPERVISOR

Born and raised on the Upper East Side of Santa Barbara, and a proud Santa Barbara Don, Jason brings over 15 years of hands-on carpentry experience to his role as Foreman. He manages the day to day activity on site, oversees our subcontractors and production team, and often jumps in with tools on to lend a hand wherever needed.

When he's not on the job, Jason enjoys spending time with his wife Ashley, going on long bike rides, and enjoying the company of his many animals—all while living in the town he’s proud to call home.

Olivia

DESIGNER

Olivia brings a thoughtful, client centered approach to residential design, blending creativity, technical precision, and a deep belief that spaces should feel as good as they look.

With a Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and minors in Sustainable Environments, Indigenous Studies, and Italian Studies, Olivia brings a wide, inclusive lens to her work. She’s not just about pretty spaces, she’s about meaningful ones.

Olivia has worked as a designer, drafter, and project coordinator on a range of residential and commercial projects in Los Angeles and San Diego. She led permitting efforts, built detailed 3D models to help clients visualize their space before construction began, and collaborated across trades to bring plans to life. Her experiences abroad in Ecuador and Italy helped shape her unique communication style and broaden her design perspective.

Olivia is a key part of our design-build process. She doesn’t just create beautiful spaces, she designs with the build in mind. Working closely with our owner and estimator Kiel, Olivia develops design solutions that honor both the client’s vision and their budget. Every layout, material, and decision is grounded in real time pricing, timeline awareness, and construction feasibility.

It’s one of the biggest ways Kellow is different: Our designs aren’t just beautiful, they’re financially responsible, strategically built, and tailored to real life. Olivia is right at the center of that effort. She's a calm, collaborative force who supports clients with clarity, empathy, and total follow through. Her work helps ensure our clients feel confident, cared for, and crystal clear from start to finish.

Our Carpenters

Kellow Construction runs a team of highly skilled carpenters and foremen in the field. Our strict and comprehensive hiring process has proven to be an effective tool at attracting the best people, and repelling those that are not a great fit. We are uncompromising in our hiring process, and make sure that all our team members commit to adhering strictly to our company values with no exceptions. You can be certain that anyone who works for us has “it” and will handle your project with the care, attention, and respect it deserves.

  • Travis - Carpenter

  • Raul - Carpenter

  • Fabian - Laborer

  • Aiden - Laborer

Office Staff

Sasha

OFFICE ASSISTANT

Sasha hails from our close neighbor, Santa Maria! She is currently a devoted student at UCSB, pursuing a degree in Accounting and Finance. Between studying and working she doesn’t have time for much else, but when she can she loves to surf, drink coffee and enjoy all that Santa Barbara has to offer. She is also a world famous jewelry maker and makes beautiful threaded pieces you can check them out here. When Sasha is working you can always find the office cat Frannie sitting on her lap. She assists Emily in pretty much everything she does and is an absolute WHIP when it comes to the numbers, and also making things look beautiful. She is a critical component that keeps Kellow Construction running smooth as silk.

Subcontractors

We partner with local subcontractors and vendors who have a commitment to excellence just like us. Our subs spend time upfront studying the site conditions and the scope of work. They do things right the first time, minimizing project management and oversight fees from us. We bring in the A-Teams which means you are in good hands, all the way down the line.

Conscientious
Construction

Kellow Construction is currently the only contractor in California to hold the Earth Advantage Sustainable Homes Professionals (SHP) designation. We are proud to hold this title and hope it displays our commitment to building and running our company in a way that will reduce not only our carbon footprint, but also our client’s. Read more about the Earth Advantage SHP program or download a copy of our certificate.