2501 Blake Street
Denver, CO 80205
Equity by Design:Why We Need to Represent the Demographics We Serve
Design Thinking, Gender, Architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Professional Development, Community
Purchase TicketsWhile women make up 42 percent of graduates from programs accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board, a mere 17 percent go on to become principals or partners. In response to the gender inequality, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) established the Equity in Architecture Commission—a call to action to retain talent, advance the profession, and further the value of design in society through a more diverse, empowered workforce. And that’s significant, as the architecture community cannot reach its fullest potential for impact, meaning, and influence until the profession reflects the demographics which it serves. In this panel discussion—which will recognize, inform, and champion the work being created by women in architecture—you will:
● Learn the findings from the AIA Equity in Design study.
● Understand the factors contributing to gender inequality in architecture.
● Learn the impacts of underrepresentation in your firm.
● Hear experiences from local female leaders.
● Gain insight on ways to attract and retain diverse talent and advance women in leadership positions through advocacy and professional development.
| ABOUT THE PRESENTERS |
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| Beth Mosenthal has worked as an architect in Shanghai, New York, and Chicago. She is an AIA and AP LEED BD+C with Denver firm AndersonMasonDale, where she creates architectural design that bridges art, urbanism, storytelling, and sustainability. She also serves as News Editor of the Young Architect’s Forum Connection Magazine and as a contributing writer for the AIA Colorado Emerging Professionals Blog. She writes a column for Colorado Real Estate Journal’s Building Dialogue magazine. |
| AIA Colorado President Angela Van Do, AIA, received her bachelor’s degree in Design from Clemson University and her Master of Architecture from the University of Tennessee. She joined Boulder Associates in 2001 and has worked on many outpatient healthcare facilities across the country ranging from ambulatory surgery centers to rehabilitation facilities to medical offices. Van Do has been active with AIA since 2003, serving on both the AIA Colorado North Board of Directors and AIA Colorado Board of Directors. |
| Cathy Rosset is the Executive Vice President and CEO of AIA Colorado. Originally hired as the Executive Director to four local AIA chapters within Colorado, she was promoted to her current position in 2013. Rosset was instrumental in merging the four local chapters into AIA Colorado and working with the five boards of directors to reorganize into one incorporated chapter with four local sections. The merger not only saved AIA members within Colorado money, but allowed staff and volunteer leaders to shift time and resources from the governance and administration necessary to run five companies to more direct member service. |
| A fine arts major prior to moving into architecture in 1975, Martha Bennett serves as Principal-in-Charge of project development, architectural programming, and historical preservation at Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects PC. She has been specifically trained to be the firm’s leader in facilitating workshops with department directors, staff, students, and communities and assumes role and responsibility of goalkeeper throughout a project to assure program compliance. |
| As Design Director, Michelle Liebling brings 20 years of experience to Gensler’s Denver office. With a commitment to a collaborative and client-focused design process, Liebling brings exceptional leadership to the design of interior environments. She is driven by a passion for helping clients engage their most valuable asset—their end users—through the creation of award-winning spaces that support and enrich their mission and the community. |
| Moderator Traci Lounsbury is the principal owner of ELEMENTS, a corporate interiors dealership, ranked by the Denver Business Journal as the eighth largest woman-owned business in Colorado, with annual sales of approximately $53 million. ELEMENTS provides a consultative approach in helping clients navigate change, select interior product solutions that best match their corporate vision and goals, and aids clients’ recognition of the investment in their work space as a business tool. |