Architect, Wilson Associates

Julia is an experienced architect and planner with broad project experience in architecture, urban design, and landscape design. Currently designer and project manager at Wilson Associates, a design/build/development firm in Oakland, Julia’s recent work focuses on innovative commercial and residential projects that serve as urban catalysts. Julia is also very involved with AIASF’s Equity by Design, serving as the group’s 2016 Symposium Chair. Previously, Julia worked for four years with SWA Group on large-scale urban design and landscape work in China and Houston, Texas. She received her Master of Architecture from Rice University and her Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Columbia University.

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Annelise Pitts is a designer with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in San Francisco, CA. In her design work, she has collaborated with clients and interdisciplinary design teams on programmatically complex design and planning projects. Recent projects include the UC Davis Large Lecture Hall, and campus planning for Dominican University of California.  As a member of the Equity by Design core team, and the group’s current research chair, she is responsible for the development and oversight of the Equity in Architecture Research Project. She looks forward to sharing the results of the 2016 survey at this year’s symposium. Annelise spends her time outside of work exploring California’s ski mountains, running and hiking trails, and traveling with her husband.

Vice President, Strategic Industry Relations, Autodesk

Phil is responsible for leading a team that sets the company’s future vision and strategy for technology as well as cultivating and sustaining the firm's relationships with strategic industry leaders and associations. Prior to joining Autodesk, Phil practiced architecture as a principal at Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects where he managed many of the firm’s most complex commissions. Phil has taught at the Yale School of Architecture as a Lecturer in Professional Practice since 1988.

Phil writes and lectures extensively about practice and technology issues, has been published in Architectural Record,Architecture, Architecture+Urbanism, Design Intelligence, Fast Company, Fortune and Perspectaand quoted in The Economist, Vanity Fair, Dwell and The Wall Street Journal. Phil is co-editor of Building (In) The Future:Recasting Labor in Architecture(2010) and BIM In Academia (2011), and co-author of Goat Rodeo: Practicing Built Environments (2016). He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council and former Chair of the AIA National Contract Documents Committee. He is a licensed architect in California.

Principal, The McIntosh Group

Lanny McIntosh, AIA is Founding Principal of The McIntosh Group, a national architecture firm based in Tulsa, Okla. Lanny has built his business on the principal that its people are its best asset, and is a firm believer that equity and inclusion foster relevance and prosperity. The McIntosh Group has been named a “Best Place to Work” Honoree by the Tulsa Business Journal and a “Fast 40” small business winner by the Journal Record for four consecutive years. In 2015, it was recognized as an EP Friendly Firm by AIA Central States Region. The small firm of 25 includes 30% women, 30% emerging professionals, and a wide variety of people with unique cultural backgrounds. Lanny’s business has grown such that in 2016, he was selected as the U.S. Chamber’s “Small Business Person of the Year” for Oklahoma.He is now working to promote inclusiveness and equity across the industry.

Director of Research and Information, ACSA

Kendall Nicholson is a licensed educator, trained architectural designer, and an avid architectural researcher.  He works as the Director of Research and Information at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA).  With a BS in Architecture from the University of Virginia, a MPS in Real Estate from Georgetown and a EdD from Regent University, his research explores the built environment through the lens of a social scientist.  He has presented research internationally and his research interests surround teaching, learning, and training within the context of architecture.  At the ACSA, he makes efforts to engender research surrounding issues of 1) diversity within the discipline of architecture, 2) architectural relevancy and economy, 3) social justice and the opportunities for architectural impact, and 4) design scholarship and measurable student outcomes.

Stanford Venture Studio

Singari Seshadri is a venture capitalist turned social entrepreneur and startup advisor.  She currently runs the Stanford Venture Studio, a program for student entrepreneurs at Stanford.  She is also the co-founder of Sparkup, a collaborative community for women in career transition, and is currently working on launching her next passion project - Women.Ventures - an initiative to help women explore, learn and engage in entrepreneurship.  Coming from a family of feminists, Singari has always been passionate about empowering women and has a strong interest in women’s empowerment in business and in the workplace.

Architect, PIVOT Architecture

Karen E. Williams joined PIVOT Architecture Eugene, OR, as a Project Architect in 2014. Currently she is working CA on a local elementary school. Born in London, England, Karen has always had an international perspective. Karen attended Florida A & M University where she received a Master of Architecture degree. In addition to practicing architecture, she is an Adjunct professor at the University of Oregon, instructing the courses of Professional Practice and Fundamentals of Revit, as well as serving as a career advisor. Karen was the emeritus chairperson of the Women In Architecture – Orlando (WIA-O) committee where her personal goal was to learn from the influential women in Orlando’s architecture community. Consistently she is works to educate people about the overall benefits of the architecture community. She believes strongly in the need to market architecture to citizens of all ages and is willing to share her talents with the community.