8:00 – 9:00 AM ET
Grand Hyatt Hotel
1000 H Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
Speakers
Diane Yabut, AIA, Architect/ Senior Designer at KTGY, Washington, DC
Mika Naraynsingh, AIA, LEED AP, Project Architect at Perkins & Will, Washington DC
Kaitlyn Badlato, AIA, WELL AP, EDAC, LSSYB, Architect / Medical Planner at HKS
While architecture strives to be for everyone, the industry faces a lack of diversity in leadership. Talent retention in the emerging to mid-career range continues to be a challenge, exacerbated by lack of mentorship. The annual WIELD event by AIA|DC’s Equity Committee celebrates stories of diverse leadership, establishing meaningful dialogue between emerging and senior leaders. Since 2017, the event shared ways to overcome pinch points and career dynamics with the goal of strengthening the professional pipeline, advancing equity, and empowering the next generation of diverse leadership. In its 7 years of impact, this unique storytelling forum has shared encouraging stories, inspiring and engaging various communities. This session seeks to expand equity nationally with a WIELD toolkit, providing AIA chapters a framework to host their own forum featuring tips including budgeting, sponsorship, marketing, and engagement with local organizations. The advancement of equity, diversity and inclusion in your architectural community starts here.