Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture

Episode 064: A Case Study for Practice: Stayner ArchitectsHow can architects redesign the practice model of architecture?In this week's episode, we interview Christian Stayner to learn more about his process for designing his projects and the business model for his firm. Stayner Architects is a case study firm bridging the role of the architect, developer, designer, builder, strategist, and even expanding into the role of operator.Stayner Architects, a practice based in Los Angeles, is focused on architecture for food systems – the spaces where food is produced, consumed, grown, and distributed – specifically for nonprofit educational and cultural institutions. Additionally, the practice is unique in that it acts as developers and operators of roughly half of the projects in the office at a given time – much of this in food and hospitality. Sometimes this also involves the construction of projects under their general contractor license.The practice has been working to consolidate its food systems knowledge into an online resource called Tools & Utensils, which launches in February and provides educational and cultural institutions strategies for approaching issues such as sustainability, STEM learning, labor equity, and public health/nutrition.Guest:Christian Stayner, AIA, NCARB, Managing Partner of Stayner Architects, is a licensed architect in California, Hawaii, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, and a general contractor in California. He received his undergraduate degree in International Development from Harvard College and his professional degree from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. His undergraduate and graduate research focused on temporary settlement patterns due to forced migration resulting from war and colonialism, specifically two long-term refugee settlements in southern and central Somalia.Christian has fifteen years of experience in architectural design, project and construction management, and development. His expertise includes designing and managing projects from conception through ongoing operations, and works across scales, from campus master planning to single-family homes. He has consulted for governmental and non-governmental agencies, academic and cultural institutions, and private corporations. Christian has held academic appointments at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College, Woodbury University’s School of Architecture, and at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Art and Design. His research focuses on geographies of architectural materials including production networks, infrastructures, and logistics.Christian’s work has been exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale, California College of the Arts, the University of Virginia, Woodbury University, and the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. Before taking on his current role at Stayner Architects, he worked as an architect in Rotterdam and New York City for firms including the Office for Metropolitan Architecture and Thomas Phifer & Partners.📍 Show Links:Stayner Architects📚 Continue Learning:> Tila project overview > shop: Tilda> Bacetti project overview > visit: Bacetti> Desert Wave House project overview > visit: Desert Wave HouseFood Systems Architecture (Stayner Architects' new research tools and utensils site)💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:March 8th - 10th, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference and career fair dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Cottage, Krueck Sexton, Verdant Studio, and more! Register today to reserve a seat by visiting https://sectioncut.com/.💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 063: Podcast Live: DAC Leadership Series: From Team Member to Office LeaderHow can midcareer architects successfully transition from project work into more senior roles dealing with staffing and operations?Traditional architectural training does not often prepare us with the business leadership and people management skills required to successfully lead an office. On top of that, office leadership comes with a variety of challenges that differ from everyday project leadership. Practice Disrupted co-hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen interview firm leaders Amy Perenchio, AIA, NCARB, and Megan Bowles, AIA to explore the following topics:What characteristics are required to make the jump from team member to office leader?What skills are transferable from project leadership to leadership within the office?How can we grow our talent from within to prepare to take on these roles?Guests: Amy Perenchio, AIA, NCARB is a Principal at ZGF Architects and joined us in season 3 on episode [047] – Talent Development in Practice (a top 10 episode on Practice Disrupted). In addition to her role at ZGF, Amy has held leadership positions on the National AIAS and NAAB boards and served on various committees and task forces for NCARB. Dedicated to the professional growth and development of the design staff at ZGF, Amy oversees the staffing and recruiting efforts for a group of 130+ designers and architects and works at the intersection of people and practice. Megan Bowles, AIA is a Principal at LS3P based out of their Raleigh office. She's also a board member with AIA North Carolina, and active with ACE Mentoring and Diversify Architecture. She successfully navigated her career growth from architect into an operations role. Early in her career, she was a project manager and became the Raleigh Operations and Finance Manager. Currently, she co-leads with the Raleigh Office Leader for LS3P. Her focus on firm management and operations makes her a key point person in conversations related to finance, legal considerations, people management, and technology.Co-hosts:Evelyn Lee, FAIA, MBA, MPA | Founder, Practice of ArchitectureJe’Nen Chastain, MBA, Assoc. AIA | Founder, Apostrophe ConsultingSpecial thanks to:AIA DCAlison Pavilonis, AIA, LEED AP BD+C | Associate, GenslerDerek Roberts | Senior Design Manager, Architect of the CapitolKatie Spencer | Program Director, AIA DC📍 Show Links:ZGFCareers at ZGFZGF Architects | LinkedInZGF Architects (@zgfarchitects)Amy (@maisondomino) LS3PCareers at LS3PLS3P | LinkedInLS3P | (@ls3p)📚 Continue Learning:Practice Disrupted [047] – Talent Development in PracticeDAC Leadership Series: From Team Member to Office Leader | AIA|DC (aiadc.com)📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 062: 2022 AIA Gold Medal Winners: Brooks + ScarpaWhat lessons on architecture, practice, and change can we learn from AIA Gold Medal winners Angela Brooks and Lawrence Scarpa?In this episode, we welcome Angela Brooks, FAIA and Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA of Brooks + Scarpa to talk about their careers together from undergrad to the 2022 AIA Gold Medal. Their firm, Brooks + Scarpa is known for globally award-winning designs across a variety of project types, often elevating the ordinary into something that is truly extraordinary. In our conversation, we diver deeper into the lesser-known aspects that inform their practice, including mentorship and scholarship, as well as environmental stewardship and advocacy.Larry and Angie are redefining the role of the architect in the best way possible.Guests:Angela Brooks, FAIA is a recognized leader in the field of environmental and social-equity design and is responsible for her firm’s development in the area of housing and policy, leading initiatives and overall design staff management.  Angie believes that it is not enough to create great buildings and has worked to create complete neighborhoods- she co-founded a non-profit to promote good policy, density and livable communities, lectures extensively on these topics and was 2018 Chair of the National AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE), developing programs and advocating for policy changes at the Federal level-promoting design that achieves high levels of performance. In 2020 Angie received the AIA National and Local Citizen Architect Award and the AIA State of California Maybeck Award (the first woman ever to do so) for exemplary achievement in architectural design and ‘a different kind of legacy’ as an advocate for issues that extend beyond buildings.  Ms. Brook’s firm BROOKS + SCARPA has received over fifty major design awards including five AIA COTE ‘Top Ten Green Building’ Awards. In 2009 Ms. Brooks received the National American Institute of Architects ‘Young Architect’ Award and in 2010 she received the USA Network ‘Character Approved’ Award for her innovative work in the field of architecture and her firm was awarded the National and State Architecture Firm Award from the American Institute of Architects. In 2014, her firm was awarded the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award in Architecture.  Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA has garnered international acclaim for the creative use of conventional materials in unique and unexpected ways. He is also considered a pioneer and leader in the field of sustainable design. Mr. Scarpa has received more than 200 major design awards including twenty-two National AIA Awards, Architect Magazine’s Progressive Architecture and R+D awards, the HIVE 50 Innovator Award, National AIA Collaborative Achievement Award, AIA Los Angeles Chapter Gold Medal, Architect Magazine’s Top 50 Architecture Firms (ranked 2nd, 4th and 9th respectively), AIA California Council Lifetime Achievement Award, Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, Record Houses, Record Interiors, Rudy Bruner Prize, six AIA COTE “Top Ten Green Building” Awards and was a finalist for the World Habitat Award, one of ten firms selected worldwide. His work has been exhibited internationally including the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, MOCA Los Angeles, A+D Museum, and the Smithsonian Museum. He has been featured in NEWSWEEK and appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show. In addition, Interior Design Magazine honored him with their Lifetime Achievement Award. And his firm Brooks + Scarpa was awarded the National and State of California Architecture Firm Award from the American Institute of Architects. Most recently he was the winner of the  $4.5 mil Housing Innovation Challenge sponsored by Los Angeles County.He is currently on the faculty at the University of Southern California and has taught and lectured at the university level for more than two decades.  Some of those institutions include Harvard University, UCLA, SCI-arc, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Florida, University of Michigan, University of Southern California and the University of California at Berkeley.  He is a co-founder of the A+D Museum, Los Angeles, Affordable Housing Design Leadership Institute, and Livable Places, Inc.; a nonprofit development and public policy organization dedicated to building mixed-use housing and helping develop more sustainable and livable communities.📍 Show Links:Brooks + Scarpa📚 Continue Learning:M E M O R Y F R A M E - The Work of Brooks + ScarpaBrooks Scarpa on Affordable HousingCommunity by Design Brooks + ScarpaA single-family home in the Chicago area, designed by Brooks+ScarpaAnimo South Los Angeles High School by Brooks + ScarpaBrooks Scarpa CAM Museum Raleigh, NC📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 061: S4 Launch: Leading Change Through EntrepreneurshipHow can architects lead change through a blended career of entrepreneurship and architecture?Welcome to the fourth season of Practice Disrupted, a podcast where we explore the evolution of architecture practice from many different angles! Mark R. LePage, AIA, NCARB joins us to share his story of becoming an architect and entrepreneur through the creation of EntreArchitect and Gābl Media. EntreArchitect is a community of architects building profitable architecture firms to better serve the world. EntreArchitect Podcast has produced over 450 episodes and has been downloaded over 2 million times. Through his career as an entrepreneur, Mark has brought together a community of inspiring, passionate people who share their knowledge and expertise to help small firm entrepreneur architects succeed. Mark helped launch Gābl Media, the largest, most engaged AEC multimedia network on the planet.Guest:Mark R. LePage, AIA, NCARB is a residential architect/developer based in Charlotte, North Carolina and the founder of EntreArchitect, a global online platform launched in 2012 to provide resources, training and community for small firm entrepreneur architects. In January 2020 Mark partnered with architect and founder of SPACES Podcast, Dimitrius Lynch, Jr. to launch Gābl Media. As President and CEO of Gābl Media, Inc., Mark leads the multimedia network, empowering global leaders in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. Gābl Media creates and distributes industry leading podcast series, including EntreArchitect Podcast, Archispeak Podcast, SPACES Podcast, Build Your Brand Podcast, Practice Disrupted, TRXL, Build Smart, She Builds Podcast, and more. The mission at Gābl Media is to create content that informs and entertains an audience dedicated to building a better world.Co-Hosts:Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA, MBA, MPA is a licensed architect in the state of California, with over 15 years of experience working with individuals and companies that are looking to reshape their future. She is the founder of Practice of Architecture, the first-ever Senior Experience Designer at Slack Technologies, and the first female Treasurer to AIA National‘s Board of Directors.Je’Nen M. Chastain, MBA, Assoc. AIA is the founder of Apostrophe Consulting, a purpose-driven, woman-owned management consulting practice dedicated to helping architects transform their companies. With expertise in talent development, change management, and business strategy, Je’Nen helps her clients navigate growth in a changing world. 📍 Show Links:  Check out EntreArchitect Join the EntreArchitect CommunityGābl Tech Network for ArchitectsEntreArchitect Annual Meeting📚 Continue Learning:EntreArchitect SearchGābl Media

Episode 060: Disruption and the Season 3 FinaleHow has Practice Disrupted grown and evolved over 60 episodes?This week show creators regroup to celebrate 60 episodes. Dimitrius Lynch, Chief Creative Officer at Gābl Media, rejoins Practice Disrupted co-hosts Evelyn Lee and Je’Nen Chastain to reflect on the 20 new conversations that happened during season 3. What began as an idea to start a podcast has grown into a timely series on change in the industry, featuring conversations with over 70+ disruptors. Evelyn and Je’Nen take a moment to reflect on what they’ve observed and their experiences through this process.If you’ve been following the growth of the show -- thank you for your ongoing support! The team is planning for season 4, which will launch in January 2022.Co-Hosts:Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA, MBA, MPA is a licensed architect in the state of California, with over 15 years of experience working with individuals and companies that are looking to reshape their future. She is the founder of Practice of Architecture, the first-ever Senior Experience Designer at Slack Technologies, and the first female Treasurer to AIA National‘s Board of Directors.Je’Nen M. Chastain, MBA, Assoc. AIA is the founder of Apostrophe Consulting, a purpose-driven, woman-owned management consulting practice dedicated to helping architects transform their companies. With expertise in talent development, change management, and business strategy, Je’Nen helps her clients navigate growth in a changing world.Moderator:Dimitrius Lynch, NCARB, LEED BD+C, Well AP is the founder and principal architect of LYNES, and a licensed architect in the state of California. He has practiced both domestically and internationally in various building types with a focus in residential and specialty retail. Dimitrius also created and hosts SPACES Podcast, a show dedicated to detailing the spaces that we occupy everyday. To expand on this endeavour, he co-founded and is the Chief Creative Officer of Gābl Media, a multimedia network that empowers global thought leaders in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries to entertain, inspire and share their knowledge with an audience dedicated to building a better world.📚 Continue Learning:The PoA Lab is a community of like-minded disruptors that collaborate virtually across the country. Join by visiting: practiceofarchitecture.com/labShow Links:Listen to SPACES PodcastCheck out Gābl Podcasts💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. 👉 Visit Monograph now.💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit https://getarchit.com/pd/  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 059: Building the Pipeline Through K-12 EducationHow are architects increasing representation in architecture through early educational outreach?Project Pipeline was born at the 2002 NOMA conference. Then-president Paul Taylor asked Drake Dillard and David Kirk to research and establish a plan for the camp that would introduce minority students with a focus on black students to architecture with the ultimate goal of creating more licensed black architects. The first camp was held in 2006 in Cincinnati. Since then dozens of camps have been held in more than twenty cities. This week we interview Prescott Reavis, one of the co-founders of the SFNOMA Project Pipeline Architecture Summer Camp. Designed for students in grades 6th-8th, the camp teaches minority youth about environmental and community based design while developing STEAM skills through the discipline of architecture. As one of the few national initiatives in the nation connecting youth and architecture, the program helps K-12 students gain an understanding of the essential elements of architecture. Working alongside mentors, students work both individually and collaboratively to address community-focused issues through creativity and design innovation with a real project site. Project Pipeline Summer Camp is only possible through the continued support of members and friends. Please consider donating towards their annual summer camp through SFNOMA.To learn about other local camps across the country visit: Project Pipeline – National Organization of Minority Architects – NOMA.Guest:Prescott Reavis, NOMA, NCARB, LEED AP, SEED is an Oakland-based Spatial Activist, architect, planner, and award-winning educator who has merged over 20+ years of experiences in architecture, planning, and education to develop and construct inclusive communities internationally with a focus on equitable design and planning justice. He is the Founder and Director of Kulima, a community design, planning, and teaching practice, empowering everyday citizens of all ages to use their collective knowledge and voices to shape the physical environment to their visions by engaging them in their spaces for nonprofits, small business, community based and governmental organizations. Prescott is also an experienced youth educator with 15 years of practice from elementary school through university students on architecture, planning, culture, and sustainability. Read more about Prescott and his work at Kulima.Show Links:📍 KULIMA📍 SFNOMA Project Pipeline💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. 👉 Visit Monograph now.💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit https://getarchit.com/pd/  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 058: A Case Study for Practice: RIOSHow do you build an entrepreneurially forward-thinking firm?The Practice of Architecture was founded on the basis that for architects to remain relevant, we must seek opportunities to increase our careers and firms beyond traditional services, fully embracing entrepreneurship and constantly pursuing new opportunities. Rios is a firm that is doing just that, collectively working beyond boundaries and not only seeking out but diving head-first when it comes to embracing the moment to try and pursue something new. Founded in 1985 as a multi-disciplinary design firm, the design studio has evolved to meet the changing needs of a changing world. Their success is underpinned by the unique culture of their firm and an agile operating model that not only helps them adapt during a pandemic but also leaves them free to pursue ideas, projects, and products.We hope our conversation with RIOS' dynamic co-CEOs, Jessamyn Davis and Andy Lantz, leaves you with the same optimism it gave us regarding the profession's future. Guests:Jessamyn Davis is the Co-CEO of RIOS based in LA.As Co-CEO, Jessamyn is responsible for RIOS’ growth and financial vitality. She oversees the health of finance and business operations and the realization of strategic planning goals.After joining the firm in 2015 as the first CFO, she created infrastructure to catalyze sustainable and scalable growth among the studio’s many disciplines. She drives the creation of processes and procedures that direct and support overall firm operations.Jessamyn’s diverse background spans biotech to renewable energy to extreme sports, which strengthens the entrepreneurial drive behind RIOS. In addition to her role within the practice, she serves as CFO of notNeutral, a sister company focused on tabletop products. Her passion for design amplifies her talent for creating operational clarity to scaffold the bold, transdisciplinary design RIOS is known for. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of California at Berkeley, and her Master of Business Administration from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.Andy Lantz is the Creative Director and Co-CEO of RIOS based in LA.Andy Lantz is an Architect and visionary leader directing groundbreaking design solutions as Creative Director at RIOS. His depth of experience is all-encompassing of multidisciplinary design as he influences teams across the firm with his perspectives and point of view for achieving dynamic experiences through design. For over a decade, Andy’s work has served an impressive roster of clients and projects – from competition-winning places that enhance the public realm along the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood and along the banks of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, to notable music institutions and content production facilities in Los Angeles, to leading the industry in envisioning the future of work with market-ready products and forward thinking design approaches that reframe potential in workplace design.Andy reimagines creative office environments informed by science, culture, and the importance of the human experience. Each project’s location and cultural vibe help to determine unique solutions. Notably, he led the design of the Austin-based Vrbo headquarters that explores a data-driven process to manifest thoughtful programming and experiential design. Additionally, he produced a mission-driven experience that blends aesthetics and wellness at the GoodRx Headquarters in Santa Monica. Andy has also worked to create a flexible and dynamic workplace laboratory at RIOS’ Los Angeles HQ as a means to address the swift change in the market that goes beyond pandemic-thinking and fully embraces the work-from-anywhere revolution.From industry panels to national broadcast segments, Andy’s thought-leadership continues to impact and engage.Show Links:📍 RIOS📍 RIOS: Silver Linings, Audacity and Joy - The New Practice Playbook w/Jessaymn Davis & Andy Lantz💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. 👉 Visit Monograph now.💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit https://getarchit.com/pd/  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 057: Southeast Asian American ArchitectsLeaders of the profession share diverse perspectives on race, equity, and architecture.Practice Disrupted is committed to elevating conversations on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to teach, empower, and build greater awareness across the industry. Building from prior diversity conversations, this week we learn about Southeast Asian Architects. Guests:Meghana Joshi, AIA, NOMA is a strong proponent of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Justice in the architecture profession. At SoCal NOMA, she is a Director of Outreach and Recruitment for Project Pipeline and works towards increasing minority representation in architecture through summer camps for middle and high school students. She founded AIA Orange County’s Women in Architecture Committee in 2015 to give a platform for Orange County firms to meaningfully contribute towards the improvement of professional conditions for women in architecture. She joined AIA Orange County’s Board of Directors in 2019 and founded EDI+J Committee to increase minority representation through mentorship in leadership. She founded “Project Amplify” to amplify voices and works of minority architects in the AEC industry. She is an active member of ULI-OC/IE’s Office and Commercial Product Council. She is currently engaged in bringing ULI’s Urban Plan program to educate underrepresented demographics and communities. She is also an active member and advocate for “Belong at Little” – Little’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force.📍Follow Meghana on Instagram or on TwitterSuyama Bodhinayake, Assoc. AIA diverse experience in architecture spans three continents, shaping his commitment to design excellence, sustainability and service. He currently resides and works in Southern California. Throughout his career, Suyama appreciates the opportunities to contribute to international and national award-winning projects, as well as the opportunities to serve the profession through a variety of leadership roles within the AIA. Since 2018, he has been a member of the AIA Orange County (AIA OC) Committee on the Environment (COTE) and a founding member of the COTE Southern California Coalition in 2019. In 2020, he joined the AIA OC’s Board of Directors and has since served as the chapter’s Director of Sustainability and the Chair of COTE, leading a multi-faceted approach to promoting sustainability. As a member of the AIA California COTE Advocacy Task Force, he advocates for building decarbonization policies at a local and state level. Suyama is committed to sustainability as part of design excellence. As a member of AIA OC’s Design Awards committee, he guided the process of how every AIA OC design awards submission must now comply with the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence. Additionally, Suyama advocates for architects to be recognized as stewards of the built environment. He was nominated, and currently serves as AIA Orange County’s first Director of Advocacy. He has advanced AIA’s role as a leader in sustainability within communities around Orange County, California. He has been supporting education in architecture since 2016, serving on the Advisory Board for the Architectural Technology Program at Orange Coast College.As a champion of causes that impact our future, Suyama firmly believe in the Native American saying, “we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Farah Naz Ahmad is an Architect and LEED Accredited Professional based in New York City, specializing in building sustainability and green building standards. Her public sector experience in city government agencies includes sustainable design review of projects, assessment and development of technical standards and energy code compliance. Additionally, Farah is engaged in green building journalism, spreading awareness on environmental policy and current events. Farah also shares her experience in sustainability through social media, documenting eco-travel and lifestyle, as well as best practices on energy efficiency. Farah previously served as a building energy code official at the New York City Department of Buildings and is now working on green school projects for The City of New York.📍You can find more of her work on: www.farahnazahmad.com or on InstagramShow Links:📍 Little Diversified Architectural Consulting📍 BAUER ArchitectsPractice Disrupted Diversity Series:Episode 009: Voices from the Future of the Profession (Black Architects)Episode 016: Voices from the Future of the Profession (LGBTQIA+ Architects)Episode 035: Asian American ArchitectsEpisode 048: Architecture, Identity, & CultureEpisode 053: Immigrant ArchitectsEpisode 054: Architecture, And: EDI+JStay tuned for upcoming episodes on this series!💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. 👉 Visit Monograph now.💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit https://getarchit.com/pd/  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 056: Leading with Finance & EntrepreneurshipHow can architecture firms focus on elevating their financial management?This week we explore our love/hate relationship with numbers and discover tips and tricks that help keep projects and their budgets financially sound. Bolanle Williams-Olley is a CFO and partner at Mancini, but also an incredible entrepreneur managing multiple businesses in various stages of growth all at the same time.Our conversation with her will help you reframe your approach to accounting and bookkeeping tasks and leave you asking yourself what type of business you want to build next. You will also get a first look at her BOLD framework from her new book, Build Boldly launching early next month focused on how individuals can spark courageous action for grow and become leaders that inspire others to rise and be their best.Guest:Bolanle Williams-Olley sets a new standard of expectations for financial professionals. As Chief Financial Officer for Mancini, Bolanle brings a unique vision to the firm’s leadership team and thrives on building relationships between finance and management teams to ensure the overall financial success of projects and her firm. At 36-years-old, she is a true multi-hyphenate. In addition to her C-suite role, she is also a mom of two and a dynamic leader in the built industry as the founder of several impact organizations for improving education in a low-income school in Nigeria (where she was raised), empowering women in the A/E/C industry and at small design firms, as well as creating awareness about NGOs across Nigeria. Show Links:📍 She Builds Money📍 She Builds Waves📍 She Builds Lives📍 BolaneWO.com📍 Build Boldy Book💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. 👉 Visit Monograph now. 💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit https://getarchit.com/pd/ to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

Episode 055: Architecture, And: MBAWhat is the value of an MBA paired with an education in architecture?This week’s episode is a group discussion between our co-hosts and two fellow MBAs in the profession. Each participant has a foundation in architecture education and training, and is at a different stage in the process of pursuing an MBA. Three of our guests are licensed architects, with the last guest through IDP. Together they’ll demystify the MBA and discuss how they pursued and use their business education in their careers. Learn from these personal experiences to better understand what they’ve gained, what they wish they knew, and their recommendations to others who are considering going to school for business. We also discuss how architects can leverage the talents of someone with an MBA to improve their business operations and performance.Guests:Korey White is driven by her zest for the built environment, bringing open-mindedness and creativity to her role as an architect and urban planner. She applies her dual master’s degrees in architecture and urban and regional planning to an interdisciplinary approach that creates impactful outcomes for her clients and the community. Korey currently works for DLR Group in the Chicago office, focused primarily on educational facility master planning for K-12 school districts. Korey is recognized for her leadership within architecture by her recent election to the AIA Strategic Council as 2022 Moderator-elect and has been awarded the AIA Young Architects Award, the BD+C 40 under 40 and the AIA Colorado Leadership Award. She is currently enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the iMBA program. She is a Forte Fellow and will graduate with her MBA in Fall 2022.Keith Kato is an architect and MBA based in Honolulu, Hawai’i. He’s worked on a variety of project types including small & large custom homes, K-12, and higher education. Keith is interested in how business innovations can expand the market for architecture and how our communities can grow stronger by unleashing hidden potential. While in school, he was fortunate to participate and then lead the AIAS club Freedom by Design that delivered projects that served seniors and houseless individuals. Keith is currently participating in the great resignation and exploring possibilities aligned with his values.Show Links:📍 For more information on University of Illinois’ iMBA program, visit: https://onlinemba.illinois.edu/get-info/💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:Monograph is the cloud-based practice operations solution built for architects by architects. It is easy to use, beautifully designed, and helped firms streamline operations by empowering them to see project and firm-wide financial health in a single tool.  Plan your projects with schedules, budgets, roles, and team members. Track a project’s financial health with their unique MoneyGantt which takes timesheet data and makes it simple to see whether you are on track or not.  Use firm-wide revenue forecasts to make strategic decisions. With Monograph, you never have to make a decision in the dark again. 👉 Visit Monograph now. 💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit https://getarchit.com/pd/  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.📍 Follow Practice Disrupted on Social:Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter