Keynotes & Featured Presentations

About the Speaker:

Jessica O. Matthews of Lived Labs, Innovator and Social Entrepreneur, Trailblazing Energy Advocate Innovation, entrepreneurship, and social responsibility have always been intrinsic to Jessica O. Matthews, even from a young age. At just 19, she invented an energy-generating soccer ball that reflects her vision for a better world. She turned that spark into a nearly two-decade career of creating category-defining technology across energy and infrastructure. In 2025, Jessica sold Uncharted Power, the sustainable infrastructure company she founded at age 22. Today, she is CEO of O. Labs, an invention studio helping more people especially people overlooked by traditional innovation spaces turn their ideas into inventions. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Jessica is the holder of multiple patents that have influenced the energy and communications industries. Her work has been cited over 45 times by global technology leaders including Sony, Qualcomm, Intel, and Toshiba. In 2021, her work as a modern-day inventor was recognized by The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. A dual citizen of the United States and Nigeria, Jessica holds a degree in psychology and economics from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Her accolades include Harvard University Scientist of the Year, Forbes 30 Under 30, and Fortune's Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs. Jessica has been featured on the cover of Forbes and Forbes Africa, and her insights on innovation have been profiled by several media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg News, and The New York Times.

About the Speaker:

Nick Foster RDI is a Futures Designer based in Oakland, California. He has spent his career exploring the future for globally renowned technology companies including Google, Nokia, Sony and Dyson. As Head of Design at Google X, Nick led a team of designers, researchers and prototypers developing nascent technologies. Such include: brain-controlled computer interfaces, intelligent robotics, stratospheric internet balloons and neighborhood-scale nuclear fusion. Despite the ambitious nature of much of Nick’s work, he’s well known for his down-to-earth and occasionally irreverent approach to the future. In 2013, he coined the term Future Mundane. Fortune magazine described him as “one of the world’s foremost leaders in speculative design” in 2018. And in 2021, he received the title Royal Designer for Industry—the highest accolade for a British designer—in recognition of his significant contributions to the discipline. An accomplished writer and public speaker, Nick has produced multiple books and shares his thinking about the future with audiences across the globe. While his presentations often focus on the future, they reject the allure of predictions and forecasts, the formulaic comforts of methods and frameworks, and the hollow pomposity of buzzy, corporate jargon. Instead, Nick’s talks are intentionally provocative. He designs his talks to challenge assumptions and inspire people to truly reconsider how they think about the future. He proposes ways of thinking about the future as an extension of the present—a world shaped by human hands and inhabited by people much like ourselves. Nick encourages audiences to approach the future with greater rigor, tenacity, imagination and care. He empowers them to become more discerning consumers and critics of the endless stream of future propositions being presented to us all. Nick Foster was born in Derby—the birthplace of the industrial revolution, and a city once synonymous with innovation, manufacturing and technology. In 2001, he earned his masters degree from the Royal College of Art. In 2018, he became a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has lived in California since 2012 with his wife, Jayne.

About the Speaker:

David Shing, widely known as "Shingy," is a global storyteller, trendspotter, and cultural architect who challenges the status quo with creative foresight. With an illustrious career spanning marketing, digital transformation, and strategy, Shingy is a force who blends art, imagination, and business acumen to ignite change. Formerly AOL’s self-proclaimed “Digital Prophet,” Shingy has a storied track record of identifying emerging opportunities and shaping visionary futures for industry giants. From launching AOL in new European markets to steering the company’s strategic acquisitions under Verizon, his work has redefined what’s possible in digital innovation. A creative polymath and trusted advisor to cultural leaders and global brands like LVMH and Nike, Shingy transforms bold ideas into iconic identities that resonate across markets. His ability to blend creativity with strategy has earned him a unique place on stages around the world, from TED and SXSW to Cannes Lions, where he inspires audiences with mind-bending insights. Since launching his creative advisory in 2019, Shingy has the reputation as a "one-man cultural McKinsey," delivering transformative consulting, creative direction, and business strategy. He helps clients not only envision the future but implement it, offering actionable insights that bridge instinct and innovation. Shingy’s keynotes are known to challenge conventional thinking, making him an indispensable guide in navigating the intersection of art, culture, and commerce. Whether shaping global media strategies, reimagining brand identities, or counseling executives on enlightened futures, Shingy continues to revolutionize industries with an alchemy of imagination, instinct, and impact. His legacy is defined not by following trends but by creating them—turning ideas into world-shifting realities.

About the Speakers:

Adi Goodrich is a Los Angeles-based spatial design studio working across commercial interiors, large-scale event design, and furniture design. Evident in projects ranging from intimate retail spaces like the nostalgic Wine & Eggs and playful Lisa Says Gah to large-scale events for Google, the studio's approach uses a playful use of levity and color, and a deep exploration of materiality, to craft vibrant and bold worlds for its audience. Adi's studies included Painting & Drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and French language at La Sorbonne in Paris. She launched her design career designing window displays for Barneys New York and Anthropologie and then transitioned to designing sets for films and advertising clients for over a decade. Her commercial clients include Apple, Netflix, Lavazza, Adidas, Nike, and more. Adi is co-founder of Sing-Sing Studio with filmmaker Sean Pecknold, where they create film and commercial projects in their Los Angeles studio.

Suzanne Tick has a distinguished career as a CEO, textile designer, weaver and Vedic Meditation teacher in New York City. Tick is the founder of Suzanne Tick Inc., specializing in material brand strategy, product design, development, and direction for commercial interiors. Tick is the former Creative Director at Luum, Creative Director of KnollTextiles from 1997 – 2005, Creative Director at Tandus Centiva/Tarkett from 2002 – 2022, and Design Partner with Skyline Design. Tick was inducted into the ASID College of Honorary Fellows in 2022 and Interior Design’s Hall of Fame in 2023. In 2020 Tick was Initiated into the Vedic Meditation Tradition under the tutelage of Thom Knoles of the Saraswati Tradition. Suzanne Tick Inc., an NYC-certified Women-Owned Business, was founded as a material brand strategy and design studio and operates out of Tick Studio in the East Village where Tick works and lives. The townhouse operates as a new approach in working and living well. Spanning multiple floors including a design studio, weaving workshop and meditation center. Tick teaches Vedic meditation at FIFTH FLOOR MEDITATION™ where she provides daily virtual meditation practice that relieves stress and opens up the waves to one’s creativity as well as knowledge talks and in-person advanced courses on Vedic meditation to engage one’s individuality and creativity on a deeper level. In addition to her meditation teaching, Tick maintains a hand weaving practice and creates fine art woven sculptures from repurposed materials on the three looms in the space that are exhibited worldwide. Innovation through transformation of refuse materials into woven sculptures with deep personal meaning is at the crux of the work, connecting all work from how we feel inside to how we express ourselves to the outside world. Her work has been exhibited in MoMA, Cooper Hewitt, MAD, Art Basel, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, as well as collected by private and corporate clients. Tick’s TEDxNavesink Talk: “Weaving Trash into Treasure” presents her unique and personal approach to hand weaving. Tick is a board member of The Light Inside, expanding the teaching of Vedic Meditation in Rikers Island and other prison facilities in both the U.S. and Australia. Tick holds a BFA from the University of Iowa and an AAS from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Carrie Buse is Senior Director of Discovery at Mattel’s Future Lab, where she leads efforts to imagine and incubate the future of play. Her current focus is on harnessing artificial intelligence to fuel creativity, storytelling, and emotionally resonant play experiences that connect physical and digital worlds. During her nearly 20-year career at Mattel, Carrie has championed the intersection of physical and digital play through advanced concepts that put the needs of the user first. Her credits include Hello Barbie, a fashion doll powered by speech recognition and natural language processing; Hello Dreamhouse, a playset using the same technology, but for the purpose of giving the child more control over bringing their stories to life; and Barbie Video Girl, a doll inspired by YouTube trends in which kids made videos with their dolls. (Keep an eye out for Video Girl’s cameo appearance at the Weird Doll’s house in the Barbie Movie.) Carrie also co-created the content and curriculum for the Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™ programming experience on Tynker, teaching over 1M kids basic coding concepts via playful Barbie themes. In addition to the Barbie brand, Carrie has supported Monster High (both OG and the reboot), Hot Wheels, Mattel Games, and Fisher Price.

Moderated by Mark Bryan.

Mark Bryan is the Chief Research and Strategy Officer at the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), where he leads the organization’s global research, foresight, and strategic intelligence agenda. In this role, he is responsible for advancing IIDA’s future-facing initiatives and expanding the association’s capacity to deliver insight-driven strategy, thought leadership, and applied foresight for the design industry. A designer by training and a futurist by practice, Bryan brings deep experience across the built environment. Prior to joining IIDA, he served as Senior Foresight Manager at the Future Today Strategy Group, where he led foresight work across the Built Environment, Supply Chain and Logistics, Hospitality, Retail, Restaurants, and Consumer Goods sectors. His research has spanned supply chain and logistics, manufacturing, emerging technologies, urban systems, workplace strategy, and the future of communities. Bryan previously served as IIDA’s Futurist-in-Residence and played a central role in developing and proctoring the Certified Design Futurist program. His work sits at the intersection of design, strategy, and foresight, helping organizations anticipate change, understand uncertainty, and design more resilient, human-centered futures.

The discussion builds on Fast Company’s reporting on Gen Z in the workplace (flexibility, boundary-setting, and new leadership models) and explores how leaders can evolve their cultures for a new era of authenticity, inclusion, and innovation.

About the Speakers:

Amanda Schneider, LEED AP, MBA founded ThinkLab, the only research entity wholly focused on the built environment. She's a respected thought leader featured in prestigious publications including Forbes, MIT Sloane Management Review, Interior Design Magazine, and Metropolis. She’s a sought-after keynote speaker, recently featured on the TedX stage and the host of the popular podcast, Design Nerds Anonymous.

Elanta Slowek, a Communications Strategist with 8 years of experience specializing in helping brands, startups, and mission-driven organizations connect with their audiences through content-led campaigns, strategic communications, and digital storytelling. Her work blends creative direction with strategic execution, grounded in design thinking, cultural relevance, and community impact. From brand activations and influencer partnerships to internal & external content systems and experiential design, Elanta crafts bold narratives that build visibility, spark engagement, and drive measurable results.

Philip Ross is a speaker, author, futurist and advisor on the new world of work and hybrid working with a focus on people and behaviors, business outcomes and trends. Philip specializes in predicting the impact of digital disruption and new technology on the way we work, shop, learn, live and consume leisure. Much of his focus has been on workplace innovation, advising organizations such as McKinsey & Co, Marks & Spencer, EY, Allen & Overy, Penguin Random House, GSK, Barclays, Macquarie Group, BBC, PwC, and Boston Consulting Group on innovation and future concepts. He founded his business in 1994 with the publication of The Cordless Office Report. Since then, he has written a number of books on the future of work including The Creative Office, The 21st Century Office, and Space to Work (all co-authored with Jeremy Myerson). He has also contributed to a number of other books and reports including The Corporate Fool, Jelly Bean Working, and the Responsible Workplace. Philip’s most recent book (co-authored with Jeremy Myerson) is called Unworking: The Reinvention of the Modern Office, published on 31st August 2022 by Reaktion Books and distributed in US by Chicago University Press (Oct 6th). Unworking offers a panoramic view of the development of the modern office over the past 100 years and presents a manifesto for ‘unworking’ – unlearning old habits and rituals established for an outdated office and creating new ones fit for an age of digital technology, design innovation, and diverse workforces. Philip has spoken at conferences around the world including; the Wall Street Journal Europe, CEO Forum on Converging Technologies and Intel’s Global Trend Spotting Event. He regularly gives keynotes, presentations and runs thinktanks for organisations in the process of change. He is frequently quoted in the media, including The Financial Times, The Sunday Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, BBC Radio 4, The Australian, OnOffice, and France 24 TV. Philip’s group of companies includes UnGroup - comprising UnWork, Unwired (WORKTECH Events), and WORKTECH Academy, and Cordless Group – comprising Cordless Consultants and Cordless Resourcing.

Moderated by Grace Snelling.

Grace Snelling is an editorial assistant for Fast Company with a focus on branding, product design, art, and all things Gen Z. Her stories have included an exploration into the wacky world of Duolingo’s famous mascot, an interview with the New Yorker’s art editor about the scramble to prepare a cover image of Donald Trump post-2024 election, and an analysis on the design of the popcorn bucket. Grace is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and English literature. Before interning and contributing with Fast Company, she worked as a freelancer at St. Louis Magazine for two years, covering the growth of the local arts and culture scene.

About the Speakers:

Alfonso Oliva is the AI Lead for the AECO Industry, at NVIDIA, where he helps drive the adoption of AI and GPU technologies across design, construction, and infrastructure. With a PhD in AI-driven computational methods and over 20 years of experience spanning engineering, architecture, and technology, he has worked at leading New York firms, founded a consulting practice, and now partners with industry leaders to advance digital twins, simulation, and AI-powered workflows. Originally from Italy and based in New York, Alfonso is a frequent speaker on AI’s impact in AECO.

Brian McCourt is a Principal of Cisco’s Future-Proofed Workplace Studio, where he helps customer's transform real estate strategies and outcomes, by leveraging their IT and AV investments. With a passion for both user experience, and the next generation of intelligent buildings, he is focused on ensuring the right data sets become available to measure a projects strategic and economic goals. Drawing on 20+ years in design and construction leadership at Steelcase, Brian bridges the gap between real estate, A&D and IT – serving as the vital “Rosetta Stone” connecting these worlds.

Nandan Oza leads the Americas Industry Technology team at Microsoft, where he works with strategic partners to accelerate innovation through cloud and AI. His focus is on helping bring new AI-powered solutions to market and enabling organizations to turn data into insights that drive better business outcomes. He works closely with ecosystem partners to advance emerging technologies such as generative AI, intelligent agents, and modern data platforms that are shaping the next generation of digital and physical environments.

Moderated by Amanda Schneider.

Amanda Schneider, LEED AP, MBA founded ThinkLab, the only research entity wholly focused on the built environment. She's a respected thought leader featured in prestigious publications including Forbes, MIT Sloane Management Review, Interior Design Magazine, and Metropolis. She’s a sought-after keynote speaker, recently featured on the TedX stage and the host of the popular podcast, Design Nerds Anonymous.

At a time when workplaces, hospitality environments, and public spaces are evolving rapidly, the quality of light has never been more important. Great lighting supports visual comfort, enhances materials, defines atmosphere, and elevates how people experience space.

Moderated by Inside Lighting’s Al Uszynski, this conversation brings together two professional lighting designers, an interior designer, and a manufacturer’s representative to explore why lighting matters and why professional lighting design plays a critical role in shaping successful environments. Together they will discuss the impact of lighting quality and the growing importance of lighting design in the built environment.

About the Speakers:

Avraham “Avi” Mor is the Founding Principal of Morlights, a nationally recognized lighting design firm. With over 20 years of experience, he leads projects across commercial, hospitality, educational, and residential sectors, including luxury hotels, museums, corporate interiors, and private residences. A visionary designer known for blending innovation, precision, and artistry, Avi is the world’s third Certified Lighting Designer (CLD). He is a professional member of IALD, a past President of the Chicago IES, a DOE Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance Steering Committee member, and an AIA Chicago affiliate. Avi is also a co-host of the Lighting Matters podcast.

Caitlin Mulligan is a lighting professional with over a decade of experience supporting commercial interior projects across workplace, education, healthcare, and mixed-use environments. With a background in Architecture from the University of Michigan, she brings a design-forward perspective that connects architectural intent with real-world execution. At SCI Lighting Solutions, Caitlin leads complex projects and works at the intersection of design and sales—partnering with architects, designers, engineers, and contractors to deliver thoughtful, high-performing lighting solutions. She also collaborates closely with the manufacturers SCI represents, strengthening alignment with the design community and helping position their products for successful specification and implementation.

Jenny West is a licensed interior designer, workplace strategist, and founder of West Consulting. With nearly two decades of experience shaping environments for Fortune 100 organizations, she works at the intersection of design, human behavior, and emerging workplace trends.

Jenny advises companies on how the built environment can drive innovation, wellbeing, and organizational performance. Her work focuses on translating shifts in technology, workforce expectations, and neurodiversity into adaptive environments that support focus, collaboration, and cognitive recovery.

Known for her ability to connect design decisions to business outcomes, Jenny brings a cross-disciplinary perspective that blends business strategy, change management, and human-centered design.

She holds a degree in Interior Architecture and Product Design from Kansas State University and is a licensed NCIDQ interior designer, PROSCI change management practitioner, Fitwel Ambassador, and LEED AP ID+C professional.

Jenny lives in Golden, Colorado with her family and their spirited German Shorthaired Pointer.

Moderated by Al Uszynski.

Al Uszynski is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of lighting industry experience. He is the Principal of inside.lighting, an online media company that provides valuable resources to lighting industry professionals. Additionally, Al provides strategy consulting and serves in advisory roles for select clients.

Al has held management roles with leading lighting companies including CEO of Traxon Technologies, a division of Osram; Area Vice President for Cooper Lighting; and National Sales Manager for Hubbell Lighting. Al also served as an Adjunct Professor at Drexel University, instructing courses on Professional Selling and Public Speaking. A recipient of an Alumni Award for Meritorious Service from the Villanova University College of Engineering, Al mentors college students in applying engineering degrees to non-traditional technical career paths.

About the Speakers:

Olivia Ribeiro is Senior Workplace Strategist at dancker, a New Jersey–based interiors integrator. She holds a BFA in Interior Design from Marywood University and an MFA in Interior Design from Savannah College of Art and Design. Olivia began her career at dancker as an intern throughout college and graduate school, joining the design team full time after graduation. She worked with major corporate clients including AT&T and J&J, building a strong foundation in workplace design and client strategy. In 2016, she transitioned into a sales role, combining her design expertise with a talent for concept development and client engagement. In 2017, Olivia took a sabbatical to teach interior design at SCAD’s Lacoste campus in France. Since returning, she has partnered with leading A&D firms, industry partners, and corporate and life sciences clients to deliver tailored workplace solutions, with a focus on headquarters projects and the development of new standards.

At the intersection of strategy, design, and delivery stands a dynamic voice perfectly aligned with the theme “Where Design Connects.” With a strong academic foundation formed at thee, Savannah College of Art & Design, where Dwayne Stephens studied Architecture and Historic Preservation, Dwayne bridges theory and real-world application. Dwayne has cultivated a deep understanding of the built environment, pairing rigorous educational training with hands-on expertise in complex project execution. As a seasoned project management professional and trusted owner’s representative, Dwayne has led multidisciplinary teams through every phase of design and construction, ensuring that vision, budget, schedule, and stakeholder priorities remain seamlessly aligned. Drawing on experience guiding projects through economic shifts, evolving technologies, and increasingly sophisticated delivery models, Dwayne brings a forward-thinking perspective to the conversation. Known for translating ambitious design intent into accountable, resilient outcomes, Dwayne embodies the connective tissue between creativity and execution, demonstrating how strong project management is not just supportive of design, but essential to its future.

Kate Pixler earned her BFA in Interior Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design and is currently an Interior Designer at HOK’s Chicago studio. Her experience spans a wide range of market sectors, including corporate, retail, and residential design. Currently specializing in Civil and Justice projects, she brings expertise in creating thoughtful, functional environments that support complex user needs. She believes design can influence behavior, shape experiences, foster health and well-being, and spark inspiration. Kate is a strategic thinker and collaborative professional who is passionate about meaningful dialogue, practical solutions, and purpose-driven design.

Moderated by Khoi Vo.

Khoi Vo is the chief executive officer of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Since taking the helm at ASID, Vo has led the association to broaden inclusivity through expanded membership to the entire design community, and elevated visibility for the association as a thought leader through its prestigious research, which has been acclaimed in top national and international publications. Vo has over two decades of experience across interior design, architecture, and education. In 2002, he founded Studio Four Los Angeles. He later founded Khoi Vo Design and was the studio’s design director for 12 years. Vo began his career at California State University as an assistant professor for the interior design program. He later became a professor and chair at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)’s department of interior design before teaching at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Vo later returned to SCAD to head its former Hong Kong campus. Vo became CEO of ASID in 2022. He is also serving on the governance council of the International Well Building Institutes (IWBI). Vo’s awards include the 2015 Honorable Mention for the CIDA Award for Excellence in Teaching, the 2017-18 DesignIntelligence Top 25 Most Admired Educators, and a SCAD Presidential Fellowship. He has served on competition juries including VMark Interior Design Awards, Vietnam, Society of Interior Designers, Singapore 2020 Competition and 7th IIDA Annual Best of Asia Pacific Design Award. Vo earned a Bachelor of Arts with a design focus in architecture from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fl., and a Master of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. A first-generation American, Vo was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and immigrated to the U.S. with his family as a child. He currently lives in Savannah, Ga., with his wife, son, and two dogs.

Renauld Mitchell believes in the power of collaboration and its ability to shape the world through design – giving voice to the underrepresented to transform communities – including his own!

In his accomplished 30-year career, Renauld has skillfully led the design of several of Chicago’s most visible projects – including the New Malcolm X College & School of Health Sciences, Wintrust Arena, Englewood S.T.E.M. High School (built in Renauld’s childhood Englewood community), and most recently, Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center.

In service to the architecture profession, Renauld is an active member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Organization for Minority Architects (NOMA), co-chaired the task force responsible for aligning Chicago’s Building Code with the International Building Code (IBC), and served on Chicago’s inaugural Committee on Design. Beyond the architecture profession, Renauld has mentored youth from the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago and My Block, My Hood, My City.

In acknowledging the catalytic impact of his work on the communities he’s touched Renauld was elevated to Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) in its 2021 Investiture Class.

Dina A. Griffin, FAIA, NOMAC, IIDA, NCARB, became president of Interactive Design Architects (IDEA) in 1999. Under her leadership, along with partners Charles Young and Robert Larsen, IDEA has successfully completed a multitude of projects for a variety of clients. Dina has been instrumental in bolstering the firm’s commitment to collaboration and the opportunity to create, learn and interact with other thought leaders in the profession. The firm has partnered with internationally renowned firms including Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, and Renzo Piano Building Workshop. In 2016, IDEA was awarded The African American Cultural Center project at Dina’s alma mater, the University of Illinois. That same year, IDEA was selected to join the team of Tod Williams | Billie Tsien Architects to design the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

Dina’s belief that change is inspired through leadership and has motivated her active involvement both within and outside the profession. In addition to past leadership and board positions with the National Organization of Minority Architects and the American Institute of Architects, Dina served as Chair of the Illinois Architect Licensing Board and has served as treasurer for Region 4 of National Council for Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB.) Dina is also a member of the University of Illinois School of Architecture Alumni Board.

Reaching aspiring students is fundamental to Dina’s mission to encourage and guide people of color interested in building valuable careers in architecture. Dina recently participated in the Obama Foundation’s Futures Series at Hyde Park Academy, a collaboration between the foundation and high school that connects students with leaders from various professions. Dina was elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects in recognition of her service to the profession, and to society, through her dedicated outreach to minority architecture students and emerging professionals.

Chris Brown is the Commissioner of the Chicago Public Library, where he leads a 150-year-old public institution grounded in a constant mission: the freedom to read, learn, and discover. Recently named Best Institution in the City by the Chicago Reader, Chicago Public Library operates across 81 neighborhood locations and 1.9 million square feet of public space, housing a six-million-item collection and welcoming more than five million in-person visits annually. Brown’s work focuses on strengthening families to support a world-class Chicago, using libraries as essential civic infrastructure. Under his leadership, Chicago Public Library has expanded its role as the city’s most accessible out-of-school-time platform and the largest provider of free early literacy programming. This work is reinforced by a landmark data-sharing agreement with Chicago Public Schools that moves the city toward automatic library access for students. Chicago Public Library exemplifies Chicago’s deeply committed civic way of life, serving as a trusted platform for partnerships that bring essential services closer to residents and elevate quality of life across neighborhoods. This includes one of the nation’s few library-based food pantries and extends to the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center Branch Library. This space will showcase how Chicago does civic and neighborhood life, highlighting collaborations that encourage authorship, youth voice, and community participation in shaping the built environment. Brown serves on the boards of Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago and Latinos Progresando. He is the first Filipino Commissioner of the Chicago Public Library—and, at home, a devoted nightly picture-book reader for his toddler.

Moderated by Josh Harris.

Josh Harris serves as the Vice President of Public Engagement for the Obama Foundation where he oversees government affairs, tourism and community impact, and stakeholder engagement. Josh is charged with implementing a plan to build support for the Obama Presidential Center and its programs and expand local impact ahead of the Obama Presidential Center opening. Josh is a community organizer at heart, having worked on various issue campaigns throughout the country upon graduating from college. In 2011, he joined President Obama’s re-election campaign and served as a senior staff member in the battleground state of North Carolina. Prior to joining the Obama Foundation, Josh worked on the advocacy team for AARP Illinois and in the offices of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and former Chicago City Treasurer Kurt Summers. Josh is an active member of the community and is a graduate of Black Bench Chicago, Crain’s Leadership Academy, and New Leaders Council.

Join industry leaders as they look at the logistical realities of sustainable design. From designing products with a “vintage-ready” second life to navigating the complexities of reuse logistics, we’ll explore what works, what doesn’t, and why.

Expect real-world examples, candid insights, and actionable strategies for designing and managing furniture products to maximize value while minimizing waste. Whether you are a designer looking for practical solutions, an owner seeking to maximize your asset investment, or a manufacturer caught in the middle, this discussion will illuminate the path forward.

This session is designed for owners, A&D professionals, manufacturers, and service providers who want grounded, operational insights on making circularity work in the real world.

About the Speakers:

Joshua Belczyk is the Sustainability Officer for Keilhauer where he leads the organization’s broad range of triple bottom line initiatives, from Product Life Cycle Environmental Impact to Chemical Management to Social Impact. Prior to joining Keilhauer, he was the Principal and Founder of Green Wave Management Inc., a Sustainability Advisory Practice and held senior executive roles in Operations, Finance, and Strategy in Cleantech and Manufacturing industries. He holds a BA from Harvard University in Environmental Science and Public Policy and an MBA from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

Lisa Adams is an interior designer and Principal at HKS, a global design firm. Coming from a background in healthcare and corporate interiors, Lisa is part of HKS’s Design Green team. In her role as Sustainable Design Leader for Interiors, she promotes research and sustainability, including healthy materials and carbon reduction strategies, as part of forward-thinking design solutions. Lisa is also Director of Citizen HKS, an initiative within HKS dedicated to pro-bono public interest design projects. From community supportive services to sensory rooms supporting neurodiversity, Citizen HKS projects apply innovative design thinking to create positive social change.

Kristi Zook has over 35 years of commercial interior design expertise serving State Farm throughout her entire career. She has embraced numerous growth opportunities as the company has evolved, continually expanding her skills and impact. Kristi’s most memorable and challenging projects include the design of three new office locations, each comprising 3-5 campus-style buildings totaling approximately 2 million square feet. These projects involved overlapping phases and extensive travel, requiring collaboration with local design firms to incorporate regional influences while maintaining a consistent, cohesive experience across sites. This balance of local flavor and unified design has been particularly rewarding for her. Kristi has a strong passion for sustainability. In addition to earning her LEED Green Associate, she recently joined the Kimiko Green steering committee to further contribute to environmentally responsible design initiatives. Married to her high school sweetheart for almost 37 years, Kristi is a proud mother of three who loves spending time with her two grandchildren. She enjoys antiquing and collecting McCoy pottery. Kristi also appreciates being outdoors, especially working in her flower beds and immersing herself in nature.

Moderated by Steve Kooy.

Steve Kooy has over 15 years of experience as a sustainability professional in the furniture industry. He currently leads BIFMA’s Health and Sustainability programs including the e3/LEVEL sustainability certification program adopted by most commercial furniture manufacturers. Steve also serves in the role of government advocacy for the commercial furniture industry with a focus on environmental and trade policies. Prior to joining BIFMA, Steve worked in sales and business development for Intertek – a third-party auditor, certifier, and test lab, and as Director of Sales and Marketing for environmental certification Services at SCS Global Services – a third-party sustainability certification company. Steve served as Haworth’s Global Sustainability/Open Innovation Manager for 10+ years where his WELL and LEED experience included managing or co-managing LEED certification projects in Asia, Europe, and North America as well as piloting the WELL certification in Shanghai and Los Angeles.