Architect, WRNS Studios

For Prairna, design is a ‘way of life’ ‐ not only that which we are currently living but also that which we aspire to live. A double masters and a summa cum laude degree holder from two very reputed universities; IIT, Chicago and CCA, San Francisco; Prairna is extremely fascinated and inspired by the combination of art and engineering that makes architecture. For her, a great designer is not someone who creates spaces, but someone who crafts experiences and she incorporates this philosophy in all her work. With experience in both India and the United States, Prairna has contributed her talents to a variety of project types. The process of design thinking and strategy excite her as much as the final product itself. A licensed architect, an avid design leader and enthusiastic team player, she is actively involved with several AIA committees and is currently serving as the Academic Chair for BAYA.

Ayers Saint Gross

Linsey Graff, Assoc. AIA got her start in public outreach as Chair of the award-winning Architecture + Education Program in Buffalo, New York. During her time as Chair, she was able to expand the program and focus on low-performing schools within the district. Linsey is currently serving on: the AIA Diversity & Inclusion Council to help support diversity, inclusion and equity in the profession nationally, the Equity in Architecture Commission to create strategies to diversify the profession, and the AIA K-12 Task-Force which is focusing on the creation of an architecture and design curriculum to bring architectural education to more kids nationally. Linsey holds an M.Arch from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and is a Campus Planner with Ayers Saint Gross in Tempe, Arizona, where she works on large-scale campus planning projects for higher education and research institutes. Linsey has been awarded the AIA Buffalo/WNY Community Service Award, as well as the AIA New York State Associates Award.

Manager, Experience + Education, NCARB

Patricia Ramallo joined NCARB late 2015 as part of the Experience + Education team.  Her focus is to provide support and contribute to the development of the Architect Licensing Advisors Community. Patricia has over 14 years of experience in architectural design, management and construction administration. Prior to joining NCARB, she worked in Michigan, Kentucky and New York in a variety of projects ranging from residential and multifamily, to religious, commercial and mixed-use buildings.

Patricia holds a Master of Architecture degree from Lawrence Technological University and is licensed to practice architecture in Argentina, Kentucky, and New Jersey. She is a Certified Passive House Designer and LEED AP® Homes & BD+C; a member of the American Institute of Architects; and holds the NCARB Certificate for national reciprocity.

Mia Scharphie, is a designer, do-er and big-picture thinker working at the intersection of creativity, empowerment and urban change. She helps mission-driven, community-oriented people and organizations realize their goals beyond their expectations and is known for empowering people and organizations to achieve the future they envision for themselves. Mia runs Creative Agency, a creative engagement and design research firm whose past clients have included the Harvard Business School and Enterprise Community Partners. She founded Build Yourself+, an empowerment workshop for women creatives, and co-founded Proactive Practices, a research collaborative investigating business models of social impact design. Mia has been a resident at the Harvard Innovation Lab, an entrepreneurial practice Research Fellow at Northeastern University, and has been an invited speaker at the Association of Community Designers and A Better World by Design. She serves on the Equity Roundtable of the Boston Society of Architects and curates the Creative Somerville Series, a speaker series for local creatives and entrepreneurs.