Kimberly Dowdell is an architect with a passion for creating remarkable places where people can sustainably flourish and thrive. A native of Detroit, Kimberly grew up with an ambition to revitalize cities using design as a tool for progress. She is a Principal at HOK in Chicago and President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). A graduate of Cranbrook, Cornell University and Harvard University, Dowdell has practiced in Detroit, Washington D.C. and New York City.

Billie Faircloth, AIA, is a practicing architect, educator, and Partner at KieranTimberlake, where she leads transdisciplinary research, design, and problem-solving processes across fields including environmental management, chemical physics, materials science, and architecture. She fosters collaboration between trades, academies, and industries in order to define a relevant problem-solving boundary for the built environment. Billie has published and lectured internationally on themes including research methods for a trans-disciplinary and trans-scalar design practices; the production of new knowledge on materials, climate, and thermodynamic phenomena through the design of novel methods, tools and workflows; and the history of plastics in architecture to demonstrate how architecture’s ‘posture’ towards trans-disciplinary practices and new knowledge has changed over time.

Alex Gilbert is an Associate Director at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery where she works with clients and acts as artist liaison for designer Misha Kahn. Gilbert was formerly a Vice President at Sotheby’s Home, where she oversaw the development of its online marketplace. Previously, Gilbert was at Artsy, where she led their design division and curated numerous public events. Active in the design community for over 15 years, she is also currently active with Storm King, a board member of the Female Design Council, committee member for NYC Jewelry Week, and in 2019, co-curated the Out of Office exhibition at A/D/O.

Gabrielle Golenda is the product editor at Architect’s Newspaper. She is from the Mile-High City, Denver, Colorado (where her first-ever published work was the winning poem in the Denver Post’s rodeo-themed haiku contest). She graduated from Parsons with a BBA in design strategy and then earned an MA in the History of Design from the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. Golenda’s writings have been published in Metropolis, Dwell, Architizer, AIGA’s Eye on Design, Cooper Hewitt’s blog “Design of Everyday Things”, and other publications.

Jeff Haber is a Managing Partner at W&W Glass and has been working with specialty architectural metal and glass systems for over 25 years. He is directly responsible for sales, marketing, and estimating for Pilkington Planar and other highly engineered glazing systems sold throughout North America. W&W Glass, LLC is based in the New York Metropolitan area and has operated for over 70 years in the industry. The company is currently one of the top 10 glazing contractors in the U.S. with an annual turnover of approximately $180 million.

Sharon Johnston, FAIA, is a founding partner of Los Angeles-based firm Johnston Marklee and Professor in Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Since its establishment in 1998, Johnston Marklee has been recognized internationally with over 40 major awards. A book on the firm entitled House Is a House Is a House Is a House Is a House was published by Birkhauser in 2016; monographs include 2G N. 67 (2014) and El Croquis N. 198 (2019). Sharon was named Architectural Record’s Women in Architecture: New Generation Leader in 2019. Together with partner Mark Lee, Sharon was the Co-Artistic Director of the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, is an owner and principal of global design practice Olson Kundig. Kundig has received some of the world’s highest design honors, including a National Design Award in Architecture from the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, an Academy Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and election to the National Academy as an Academician in Architecture. Kundig was also awarded the AIA Seattle Medal of Honor as well as a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Washington. Known for his contextual approach to design, Kundig emphasizes the primacy of the site. His buildings are a direct response to place, often serving as a backdrop to the built, cultural or natural landscapes that surround them.

(James O’Mara)

Samuel Medina is the executive editor of The Architect’s Newspaper. He was previously the editorial director of Metropolis magazine. As a writer, his work has been published in art and architecture magazines such as Artforum, the Art Newspaper, and Domus, among others. He recently edited a monograph on the architect Eric Owen Moss, due out this year.

Irwin is a Principal and Design Director at Gensler. He has served as Firmwide Lifestyle Leader, Global Retail Practice Area Leader and a Studio Director and currently the Museums+Culture Practice Area leader. Prior to joining Gensler over 20 years ago – he studied at RISD and Harvard Graduate School of Design. He spent many years working throughout Europe for a variety of award-winning architects. His 30-person Studio focuses on Retail, Restaurant and Culture projects – including clients such as Netflix, Eataly and The Broad. His passions include the impact of experiences, collaboration between diverse and divergent designers – and the ongoing search for everything outside his profession.. When he is not at Gensler, Irwin has created award-winning music videos, animations and short film work. Visit his instagram @irwinopolis

Jonathan Moody is the CEO of Columbus, OH-based Moody Nolan, the largest African-American owned firm. Moody has more than 12 years of high-end design experience focused on digital fabrication and social engagement. He approaches design with an overall goal of having a major positive impact on communities in need. The Cornell University and UCLA graduate formerly worked at Cannon Design and Eisenman Architects. Over the last several years, he has passionately devoted himself to community service through mentoring and education programs dedicated to the development of young men.

Dr. Adam Polcyn is Vice President of Research and Development for Vitro Architectural Glass. After beginning his career in computer hard disk drive development at Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (now Western Digital), where he developed sputtered thin film products on glass and metal substrates, he joined PPG in 2005. From 2005 to 2012, Dr. Polcyn led development efforts for several large area sputtered thin film products on glass for the solar energy and commercial glazing industries, including Solarphire® AR glass, Solarban® R100 glass and Solarban® 67 glass. From 2012 to 2015, he led a group of scientists and engineers focused on float glass technology, before returning to glass coatings R&D in 2015 and leading PPG and later Vitro’s glass coatings R&D effort until August 2019, when he assumed his current role. He is named as an inventor on 7 granted US patents and has co-authored 5 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Polcyn holds an A.B. in physics Summa Cum Laude from Princeton University, and a Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Asad Syrkett is a design editor, writer, and brand strategist based in Brooklyn, New York. Currently, he runs New York operations and East Coast business development for Hem, an independent design studio and furniture brand headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Previously, Asad was Deputy Editor at Curbed, where he led special projects and a team of senior reporters and editors. He has also been on the editorial staff at Architectural Digest and Architectural Record magazines. Beyond the written word, Asad has guest-lectured for a Harvard Graduate School of Design seminar on professional practice in design, moderated an official SXSW roundtable, and co-hosted two seasons of a weekly design podcast, the Curbed Appeal.

Jejon Yeung is a licensed architect in New York State, a member of the American Institute of Architects, and an accredited LEED professional. A Canadian native, he obtained a Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree from Carleton University in 2004, and a Master of Architecture degree from Yale University in 2007. In 2015 he co-founded Worrell Yeung with Max Worrell in New York City. The practice is an award-winning full-service architectural firm with a diverse portfolio that includes residential, public and commercial spaces. Backed by technical proficiency and experience, the work is characterized by a minimal, refined and restrained aesthetic, relying on a balanced play of elements such as light, color, form, and material, to create unique and comfortable spaces. Previously, Jejon was an integral team member at Architecture Research Office for nine years serving as Project Director overseeing multiple projects including several Knoll Inc. showrooms and offices nationwide. At Worrell Yeung, Jejon has led the design on the adaptive reuse of a 6 story, 24,000 SF masonry factory building now occupied by New Lab by the Brooklyn Navy Yard. In 2020, near the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, together with 5 other small architecture practices, Jejon and Max helped establish Design Advocates, a platform for architects and designers to share resources and collaborate on efforts to serve the public good through pro bono projects, research, and advocacy. Jejon is an avid supporter of collaborative design across various disciplines and seeks to enhance public and private environments at multiple scales.