2025 Design for Freedom Summit

I, Amar Lal from the Banjara community, endured a childhood marked by poverty, child labour, and displacement. My family, lacking land or resources, lived a nomadic life, moving for survival. As a child, I worked in stone quarries and roadside digging, sustaining injuries and hardship.

In 2001, with the intervention of a child rights activist from India, I was given an opportunity for education and a new life. Over time, I became an advocate for child rights, participating in programs like the World Congress for Education, Bal Vyapar Virodhi Yatra (Anti Child Trafficking March), and international events such as the World Children’s Prize in Sweden.

I also held leadership roles, including being elected President of the National Bal Panchayat (National Children’s Assembly), where I championed child education and anti-child labour campaigns. After completing my education, I pursued law, graduating in 2018.

Now practicing at the Delhi High Court, I specialize in child labour and abuse cases while continuing my work as a child rights activist. Going ahead, I want to make sure that no child is caught in the vicious cycle of forced or child labor and that they are given the opportunity to enjoy a life full of rights and possibilities.

Grace Forrest is the Founding Director of Walk Free, an international anti-slavery organisation. Walk Free produces the Global Slavery Index, the most comprehensive dataset on modern slavery, used to inform global laws and policies, partnering with businesses, governments, and frontline organisations. In collaboration with the United Nations, Walk Free develops the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, providing the world’s first global consensus on the scale of modern slavery.  

Grace serves as a Commissioner on the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. She is also a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Australia, and previously served as a board member for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the Freedom Fund.

In 2024, Grace became the first Australian woman ever to receive the Roosevelt Foundation’s “Freedom from Fear” medal.

Hugh Evans is an internationally renowned humanitarian, one of the most recognized leaders in international development and the CEO and Co-Founder of Global Citizen, the world’s largest movement of citizens taking action to end extreme poverty now. Over the course of a decade, Global Citizen has grown to be a movement of tens of millions of people around the world working to defeat poverty, defend the planet, and address inequity.

Hugh’s passion for poverty eradication was sparked at the age of 14, when he spent the night in a slum in the Philippines, built on top of a garbage dump. This later led him to co-found the Oaktree Foundation, Australia’s first youth-run aid organization. The foundation focuses on creating education opportunities to countries in need across Asia Pacific and African regions, and is still run today by people 16 to 26. In 2006, Evans coordinated the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign in Australia, culminating with a concert on the eve of the G20 meeting. With support from Bono and Pearl Jam, the Australian Government agreed to double its investment in international development. Immediately following, with a grant from the United Nations, Global Citizen was born with the mission of building an unstoppable movement toward eradicating extreme poverty.

Sharon Prince is the CEO and Founder of Grace Farms Foundation. Prince commissioned Pritzker Prize-winning SANAA architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa to design Grace Farms, which has become widely known as a global humanitarian and cultural center located in New Canaan, Connecticut. The Foundation’s interdisciplinary humanitarian mission is to pursue peace through nature, arts, justice, community, faith, and Design for Freedom, a new movement to eliminate forced labor from the building materials supply chain. 

Since opening, Grace Farms has garnered numerous prestigious awards for contributions to architecture, environmental sustainability, and social good, including the AIA National 2017 Architecture Honor Award and the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize. For her work launching Design for Freedom, Prince was recognized by Fast Company as one of the Most Creative People in Business 2022 for “cleaning up construction” and the AIA NY and Center for Architecture recognized her with the NYC Visionary Award.

Abi Potter Clough, MBA, CPCU, is a thought leader, author, and keynote speaker. She writes
about insurtech, insurance, and leadership for Risk & Insurance magazine, and several top
insurtechs, carriers, and brokers, after a prior career in claims
leadership and operations for a
major US carrier.

She is the editor of IRMI’s Captive Insurance Company Reports and is on the board of InsurTech Florida and the Leadership Council of the CPCU Society.

Abi is the founder and CEO of AbiLeads, LLC, and the author of
Life After Leaping In and Top 10 Lists for Relocation.

Adair leads strategic initiatives and business engagement for the Centre for Urban Transformation at the World Economic Forum.  Her focus includes global city strategy dialogues on the future of cities, lifecycle approaches to infrastructure, as well as the creation of social value in urban development. She works closely with government leaders and private sector partners, particularly those working in the built environment, to drive impactful investment, foster vibrant communities, and improve quality of life in cities.  

Adair has a proven track record in leading high-impact urban development projects. As Director of Planning and Design for the Lincoln Center Development Project, she played a key role in the $1.2B redevelopment of New York City’s renowned classical performing arts district. She has also served as lead consultant and interim director for several nonprofits, guiding their capital and strategic planning initiatives. Trained as an urban planner, Adair holds a master’s in city planning from MIT, where she was recognized as an MIT Writing Fellow.

Adrienne Nelson is a Principal at Pickard Chilton, a New Haven based architecture studio that designs innovative buildings and transformative environments that deliver value and inspire community. The studio has a proud and established record of delivering sustainable buildings of exceptional design quality, which catalyze change in their respective cities.

Nelson has been at the forefront of strengthening the studio’s increasingly innovative design portfolio, in particular mass timber, life science, and interior architecture. These projects reflect a sensitivity to the integration of thoughtful civic-scaled spaces and structurally expressive design. Underpinning the studio’s commitment to sustainability, Adrienne is currently leading the development of over 2 million gross square feet of mass timber projects nationally in corporate, academic, and mixed-use settings.

Alan co-founded MASS with classmates at the Harvard Graduate School of Design to build a more just and beautiful world. Under his leadership, MASS has garnered international acclaim for its innovative approach to addressing global challenges through design.

Alan regularly teaches advanced architecture studios, including at Harvard and Yale, where he was most recently the Louis I. Khan Visiting Professor. As a sought-after speaker, Alan has presented at universities, conferences, and events around the globe. He has authored books, op-eds, and essays, as well as produced films, focused on the role of architecture in catalyzing social change. Chris Anderson, chief curator of TED, described his TED talk as “a different language about what architecture can aspire to be.”

He lives in a house he designed in Cambridge, MA, with his wife and three children, who provide him with regular design critiques. Before architecture, he tried many other fields but is mainly asked to tell stories about a stint as a commercial fisherman in Alaska.

Alan holds a Master of Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado College.

As Architect for the University of Virginia, Alice Raucher is the symbolic custodian of Thomas Jefferson’s design legacy, directing the architecture, planning, and landscape design of the University’s Grounds. In addition to being the chief steward of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jefferson’s original college, she oversees a dynamic and expanding campus embedded in the City of Charlottesville and surrounded by Albemarle County and navigates a complex landscape as a true collaborator and team builder. In her previous role as Senior Architect and Chair of the Design Steering Team at Yale University, she oversaw the largest expansion of the college in a generation, as well as the renovation of two of the most iconic masterpieces of modern architecture. At Yale, and now at UVA, she is a strong advocate for design excellence, accessibility, and sustainability, serving as Chair of the Land Use and Environmental Planning Committee for the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the University.

Prior to joining Yale University, Ms. Raucher held senior positions at notable architecture firms based in New York City and managed several significant new construction, restoration and renovation projects, including preparations for the centennial celebration of Carnegie Hall. She also held faculty positions at New York Institute of Technology School of Architecture and Design and Syracuse University School of Architecture, including serving as Director of the school’s Florence Program in Italy.

Ms. Raucher earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art and art history from Queens College of the City University of New York and her Master of Architecture degree from Syracuse University School of Architecture. She is a registered architect in Virginia and holds National Council of Architectural Registration Boards certification. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a member of the Association of University Architects, holds Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, and is a recent graduate of the Darden School of Business Executive Program.

Amy Musanti joined ASSA ABLOY in 2007 and currently serves as the Director of Sustainable Building Solutions where she supports the firm’s opportunities creating products and solutions that deliver energy efficiency for the commercial and institutional construction industry. She is a Certified Sustainability Manager and LEED Green Associate and is a member of the Connecticut Living Building Challenge Collaborative, the USGBC Connecticut chapter, and NYC Urban Green Council.

Anastasia Vynnychenko is a Senior Programme Manager and Head of Ho Chi Minh Sub-Office at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Mission in Viet Nam.

Anastasia has over 10 years of experience in corporate social responsibility, migration, business and human rights, social impact program management, stakeholder engagement, and project management.

Anastasia currently leads IOM’s flagship regional Migration, Business and Human Rights programme in Asia. She has advised governments on labor migration policies and frameworks. She has engaged businesses on labor migration, ethical recruitment and responsible employment, grievance mechanisms and remediation strategies. She has delivered training programs on forced labor and migrant protection in international supply chains to advance implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).

Before moving to Asia, Anastasia had been working with IOM in Eastern Europe. She managed labour mobility and human development portfolios, focusing on migration research and policy development, migrant remittances and investment, as well as diaspora engagement.

Anna is the Founding Director of Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (CEA) and serves as the Hines Professor of Architecture, teaching design, technology, and theory at Yale’s School of Architecture. Dyson ’s work has been exhibited internationally at venues including MoMA, the World Future Energy Summit, and The Center for Architecture and the Postmasters Gallery. She has received numerous awards ffor her designs and innovations and holds multiplate international patents for building systems inventions.

Sustainability collaborator, facilitator, and visionary. Annie doesn’t just want to talk about sustainable impact, she wants to facilitate action and create large-scale, global change.

She enables this market
transformation through her role as CEO for mindful MATERIALS Inc. Over the last decade, Annie has become a trusted executive leader in sustainability for corporate, government, and nonprofit entities. Annie offers a unique blend of business and technical expertise that compliments her over 15 years of sustainability marketplace experience. She knows a truly sustainable world will not be achieved by just one person. She is passionate in working with people and building relationships to catalyze sustainable change. Her expertise and experience allow her the ability to provide unparalleled strategic advice to quickly enhance and increase the robustness and productivity of various sustainability standards, certification organizations, businesses, and nonprofits with a personal mission to drive industry collaboration and acceleration of collective action to scale global impact reduction.

Benafsha (Bee) Delgado is Head of Social Sustainability at the UN Global Compact Network UK (UNGC-UK), a position she has held since 2015. In this role, Bee leads a programme that supports companies in addressing pressing social sustainability challenges, such as modern slavery, child labour, human rights due diligence, transparency in global supply chains, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Bee brings extensive experience in the intersection of business, human rights, and social impact. Prior to joining UNGC-UK, she worked at Aviva plc, where she played a key role in developing & implementing the company’s modern slavery strategy. She previously worked at the Prince of Wales’ International Business Leaders’ Forum (IBLF) as a Coordinator in the Business Standards team and contributed to the development of the “Guide to Human Rights Impact Assessment and Management” tool.

A central aspect of Bee’s work has been advocating for the role of investors in driving change on human rights issues. She has been particularly focused on the critical role of data in identifying and addressing child labour and other human rights abuses within global supply chains. Through her work, she has helped companies and investors better understand how they can leverage data to create more transparent, ethical, and sustainable business practices.

Bernard Peng is a Senior Associate at Howeler + Yoon Architecture, contributing mostly to the design and delivery of H+Y’s institutional projects including UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy. Located in Boston, H+Y has built a reputation for work that is formally and technologically innovative, socially engaged, and conceptually rigorous resulting in architecture that is both contemporary and contextual in different social and historic environments.

After getting his Master of Architecture from the Harvard GSD, Bernard has worked at various firms located in London, Chicago, & New York, with over a decade of experience designing across various scales from preschool furniture to large master plans.

David Lemont is an accomplished technology executive and go-to-market strategist with over 30 years of experience leading high-tech companies, with particular expertise in SaaS business applications and construction technology. As CEO of Revit Technology Corporation, he led the company that developed today’s predominant 3D building design platform, revolutionizing how architects and engineers create and document buildings.

Throughout his career, Lemont has successfully guided five software companies to acquisitions by industry leaders, including Autodesk, Trimble, HP, and Oracle. His deep understanding of technology transformation and market dynamics has consistently enabled him to identify and scale innovative solutions that address critical industry needs.

Currently, as Executive Chairman of Acelab, Lemont is focused on transforming how the building industry makes material decisions through an integrated platform that combines AI-powered search with practical workflow tools. He also serves as an advisor to Higharc and Augmenta, two pioneering companies applying generative AI to revolutionize residential design and MEP engineering respectively.

His current role at Acelab, building on his transformative experience at Revit, represents his continued commitment to advancing technological innovation in the building industry.

David Keith, FAIA, is Chief Executive Officer and Design Principal at Hanbury, guiding a team of 165 professionals across seven offices from Virginia to Michigan. His leadership and design vision have shaped a diverse range of academic and civic projects, including the Karsh Institute of Democracy—a Design for Freedom Pilot Project—as well as the Virginia African American Cultural Center and AtlanticPark in Virginia Beach. Since joining Hanbury in 2017, Keith has steered significant growth, earning statewide and national awards for design, sustainability, and innovation. He cultivates strategic collaborations with national and international partners, bringing together a broad range of perspectives and expertise to deliver meaningful impact. By engaging closely with contractors and suppliers, Keith promotes shared understanding that enhances constructibility, economy, precision, and project quality.Keith’s career is distinguished by his involvement with the Virginia Tech College of Architecture Arts and Design Advisory Board, his elevation to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects and receipt ofAIA Virginia’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2020—acknowledgments of his design excellence, integrated approach, and leadership in the profession

Ed Thompson is the Director at Brick & Wonder, a global platform connecting and supporting hundreds of interdisciplinary SMBs in the built environment industry. Brick & Wonder’s mission is to connect and support owners, founders, and senior leaders in the built industry to hone their entrepreneurship and to build a better built world. In both his personal and professional life, Ed is deeply committed to environmental stewardship and fostering entrepreneurship. Ed holds a BA in English Literature from University College London.

Heather Henriksen has served as Harvard University’s inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer since 2008, guiding the institution’s sustainability strategy and leading the Office for Sustainability. She oversees major initiatives like the Sustainability Action Plan, co-created with faculty, students and staff, and the University’s Climate Action Plan, to be Fossil Fuel-Free by 2050 and Fossil Fuel-Neutral by 2026 (climate goals recommended by a faculty-led task force in early 2018). Heather is a recognized leader in addressing climate change, sustainable development and advancing healthier building and supply chain practices. She currently is a board member of International Living Future Institute and the International Sustainable Campus Network. Heather holds an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Illya Azaroff, FAIA, is an architect, geographer, and professor at New York City College of Technology (CUNY), a minority-serving institution. He is the founding principal of +lab Architect, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, dedicated to uplifting underserved communities globally.

An expert in disaster mitigation, resilient adaptation, and regenerative design, Azaroff is a co-founder of the Kalinago Institute for Global Resilience and Regeneration in Dominica. Honored as a 2023 Star of Oceana for his regenerative design work in the Pacific and Caribbean, he advises on climate adaptation worldwide, including recent efforts in Moldova and Türkiye.

Azaroff has contributed to New York’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, the state’s Climate Impact Assessment, and HUD’s “Designing for Natural Hazards.” He has advised NGOs, governing bodies, and think tanks, including the White House. Past engagements include Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ disaster recovery framework.

A leader in the AIA, Azaroff has served as a chair to COP-28 and COP-29 and is honored to be the 2025 AIA President-Elect, 2026 president.

With over 30 years of experience in the U.S. and Europe, Azaroff continues to shape global strategies for resilience and sustainability, leveraging design excellence to foster equitable and regenerative communities worldwide.

Ina Dajci is an architectural designer and Ph.D. researcher at the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture. Her interdisciplinary research integrates art, culture, material science, and technology to advance the development of regenerative building materials and energy systems. She investigates biological and natural systems to not only reduce environmental impact but also actively contribute to ecological regeneration, redefining architecture’s approach to metabolizing energy, water, and materials in innovative ways. Her research elevates system performance by hybridizing ancient biomaterial cultivation techniques with new, environmentally responsive functions emerging from contemporary material science and nanotechnology. Dajci’s work highlights the connection between nature and architecture, advocating for a future of coevolution, ethical decarbonization, and the preservation of traditional cultivation methods in harmony with environmental sustainability. She emphasizes the importance of global cultural landscapes—shaped by a deep, intimate relationship between people, culture, and nature—as key to the future of materials and biodiversity enhancement.

Jeff Mosher, RPF (BC), is the Chief Forester for Taan Forest, a Haida Owned Forestry Company in the Pacific Northwest off the Coast of British Columbia. A graduate of the University of New Brunswick (UNB) with a BSc in Forestry and Environmental Management, Jeff brings over 25 years of extensive experience in Coastal Forestry to his current role. His expertise and dedication have been instrumental in advancing sustainable forestry practices on Haida Gwaii.
As Chief Forester, Jeff is responsible for the implementation of the Haida Gwaii Land Use Objectives Order, ensuring that the management of forests aligns with the cultural, ecological, and economic values of the Haida people. His commitment to excellence is further demonstrated through his oversight of the FSC® Forest Management Certification Standards on Haida-owned tenures, promoting responsible and sustainable forest management.
Jeff’s profound knowledge and unwavering dedication to sustainable forestry have earned him a respected position within the industry. His work not only supports the preservation of Haida Gwaii’s unique ecosystems but also contributes to the well-being and prosperity of the local communities. Jeff Mosher’s career stands as a testament to his passion for forestry and his commitment to environmental stewardship.

Justin Den Herder’s love of trees and poetry have informed his 17-year career as a structural engineer at T.Y.Lin. He cares deeply about the impact of the built environment on the natural world and leads the firm’s sustainability, mass timber, and computational design communities of practice. He oversees the firm’s Building Equity Initiative which offers pro-& lo-bono design services to public and non-profit programs.

Justin has collaborated on more than 500 projects. He is especially fond of the challenges associated with adaptive reuse projects and takes pride in designing public projects–libraries, museums and other civic institutions. His class at Cooper Union at the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, titled ‘Structural Poetics’ explores the creation of efficient, elegant, equitable structures

Kelly is a sustainability and public health practitioner, with over 10 years of experience optimizing real estate development and investment processes to pursue long term growth through environmental and social performance. Currently, she leads social sustainability efforts at the International WELL Building Institute which creates and maintains the WELL Standard for healthy buildings and organizations.

Previously, Kelly worked with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and GRESB to develop industry standards to elevate social sustainability. This includes the LEED Integrative Process for Health Promotion for use by green building practitioners and the GRESB Health & Well-being Module for use by real estate companies and investors.

Kelly also has experience working in global health advocacy at the World Heart Federation in Geneva, Switzerland. She holds a Master of Public Health from George Washington University and a B.S. in Human Biology from the University of Texas in Austin.

Kim Yao, FAIA, is Principal of Architecture Research Office (ARO), a New York City firm united by their collaborative process, commitment to accountable action, and social and environmental responsibility. ARO’s diverse body of work has earned the firm over a hundred design awards including the 2020 National AIA Architecture Firm Award. Kim is a lecturer at MIT and has taught at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation; the School of Constructed Environments, Parsons the New School for Design; and Barnard College. She has lectured throughout the United States and abroad. Kim has been awarded the AIA New York (AIANY) Medal of Honor and the Beverly Willis Foundation Mentorship Award. She was President of AIANY in 2020 and serves on the Board of the Center for Architecture. She holds an undergraduate degree in architecture from Columbia College: Columbia University and a Master of Architecture from Princeton University.

Leticia Hill of the Gaag’yals KiiGawaay (Skedans) Clan, grew up in HlGaagilda Skidegate. Leticia is the current Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Haida Enterprise Corporation (HaiCo) as of November 2024. She joined HaiCo in July 2023, bringing 14 years of experience from the Council of the Haida Nation, where she served as Chief of Staff. In her role as HaiCo’s Chief Operations Officer, Leticia has been instrumental in shaping strategic initiatives, driving operational excellence, and enhancing human resources practices. She has closely collaborated with outgoing Chief Executive Officer Candace Dennis, benefiting from her mentorship to strengthen her leadership capabilities. Alongside her executive responsibilities, Leticia is pursuing an Indigenous Business Leadership Executive MBA (IBL EMBA) from Simon Fraser University.

Lindsay Baker is a movement leader, speaker, author, and podcast host working nationally and internationally to transform the building industry for a regenerative future. As CEO of Living Future, Lindsay advocates for a world where everyone lives in buildings that are safe, healthy, decarbonized, and affordable.

A lifelong environmentalist and building scientist, Lindsay has spent her career leading and scaling impactful initiatives, partnerships, and programs across sectors. She was a Senior Fellow at RMI, taught at UC Berkeley, and serves as a board member and advisor to numerous nonprofits and climate tech startups, including The Clean Fight and SPUR.

Lindsay is a published author and frequent speaker on subjects including climate action, the regenerative building movement, and social impact in the building industry. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies from Oberlin College and Masters Degree in Architecture and Building Science from UC Berkeley. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and now lives in Oakland, California with her partner and their many precious houseplants.

With over 30 years of experience in the construction industry, Mike Castle has a proven track record of leading construction projects of all sizes from inception to completion. He brings extensive expertise in contract negotiation, project management, and preconstruction services, ensuring seamless project execution while maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, and sustainability for Hourigan’s clients.
Mike’s leadership has been instrumental in advancing ethical and responsible construction practices, particularly through his involvement in new constructions projects such as the Karsh Institute of Democracy on the grounds of the University of Virginia, piloting adoption of the Design for Freedom movement. His deep understanding of risk assessment, constructability, and supply chain transparency enables him to drive meaningful change in the built environment.
Beyond his professional responsibilities, Mike is committed to giving back to the community. He serves as a board member of the Building Goodness Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives through construction. He’s passionate about leveraging his industry expertise to create positive, lasting impacts both locally and globally.

Myrrh Caplan is the SVP of Sustainability for Skanska USA Building. In this role, she leverages Skanska’s global and domestic initiatives to protect the environment and ensure the resilience of the communities they build in. She oversees their talented, enthusiastic sustainability team, located throughout the country, who help clients meet and exceed their sustainability goals/certifications, advance industry and client outcomes through innovation and research, and identify opportunities to manifest more value-add solutions. Myrrh and her team play an important role in helping Skanska meet its own target of climate neutrality across its entire supply chain by 2045 and to build healthier, more resilient communities, and are recognized by clients for their expertise in carbon strategy, Living Building Challenge, LEED, and general organizational consulting. She was named a 2022 LEED Fellow and carries accreditations and expertise across multiple other sustainability programs such asLiving Building Challenge and WELL. Myrrh has applied this knowledge in advising on nearly 300 projects.In 2023, she co-created and chaired the AGC Task Force to create standardization of reporting and reducing carbon emissions within construction (published in April of 2024). Sheco-Chairs the board of mindfulMaterials, serves on several industry committees, and participates in various research

Nasreen Sheikh is a survivor of Modern Slavery, and a visionary leader committed to ending modern slavery through survivor-led initiatives. Her profound journey interwoven with her roles as the founder of the Empowerment Collective Foundation, an organization dedicated to ending modern slavery, and Local Women’s Handicrafts (LWH), a women’s social business venture in Nepal. Her emphasis on a transparent global economic system, and supply chain transparency, corporate engagement, and modern slavery legislation, these are important steps toward ending modern slavery.

Nasreen’s life story embodies courage and hope, having emerged from the harrowing shadows of modern slavery. Her personal history illuminates the urgency to solve this complex issue, motivating her to take a transformative stand. Empowerment Collective, recognizing the power of survivors in leading the solution with a profound belief in their strength and resilience, Nasreen envisioned an organization that places survivors at the forefront of innovative solutions to this global crisis. Nasreen establishment of Local Women’s Handicrafts,The Social business venture provided a platform for marginalized women, fostering economic independence through traditional craftsmanship. Nasreen’s belief in the potential of women, coupled with her unwavering commitment to preserving cultural heritage, shaped LWH into a thriving safe space for women artisans.

Nasreen’s philosophy advocacy revolves around empowering survivors and individuals with lived experiences of modern slavery to take autonomous roles in leading solutions and spreading awareness. She firmly believes that their firsthand knowledge and resilience are indispensable in crafting effective strategies and initiating societal change.

Nasreen emphasizes community-centric approaches that prioritize the voices and leadership of survivors through education, awareness, and economic empowerment.

Nasreen Sheikh’s tireless efforts to champion survivor-led initiatives, recognizing them as the catalysts for a future free from modern slavery. Her commitment and transformative vision continue to inspire change-makers globally

Nina Cooke John’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Dwell, NBC’s Open House, the Center for Architecture’s 2018 exhibition, Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip-Hop Architecture and PBS NewsHour Weekend.

Born in Jamaica, Nina has always been inspired by the creativity she witnessed in her homeland: the art of people transforming everyday hardships and limitations into innovative solutions through multiple spheres of life. She imbues the spirit of transformation and innovation into every design project, from the structure of a home’s interior to the streetscape of a city block.

Nina began her professional career designing houses in Connecticut, Arizona and Virginia with the architecture firm Voorsanger and Associates. She went on to work on large cultural institutional projects like the New York Botanical Gardens master plan, the Clinton Library and the Biltmore Theater at Polshek Partnership (now Ennead)

Orrin Quinn serves as the Western Canada Manager at the Forest Stewardship Council(FSC) Canada, where he champions forest certification and promotes certificate holders’ responsible management practices and wood products. Prior to this role, Orrin spent three years as President of KPMG’s Forest Certification Services Inc., overseeing forest certification, carbon auditing, and consulting services across North America and Indonesia. He also held the position of Director at Ecotrust Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a conservation-based economy. There, he supported First Nations in developing land use practices and established a substantial certification group that included 55 wood processing facilities and several forestry woodlots.Earlier in his career, Orrin was the Forestry Extensions Officer at the University of Northern British Columbia, where he managed forest ecology research projects in collaboration with master’s students, forest companies, and funders. He also provided consulting services to industry, government, and First Nations on silviculture, forest development, and technical training. Orrin’s academic credentials include a Forest Resource Technologist Diploma, a Bachelor’s in Natural Resource Management, and a Master’s in Business Administration. He is also a Registered Professional Forester in British Columbia.

Peter Swartz is co-founder and chief science officer at Altana, the world’s first Value Chain Management System. Altana applies artificial intelligence on top of the world’s largest organized body of supply chain data in order to help solve some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Peter has spoken on value chains, global trade, and machine learning at the World Trade Organization, the World Customs Organization, the US Court of International Trade, the National Academies of Medicine, and the O’Reilly and Wolfram conferences. Previously, Peter was Head of Data Science at Panjiva (listed as one of Fast Company’s most innovative data science companies in 2018 and sold to S&P Global). He holds a number of patents in machine learning and global trade. Peter completed his undergraduate and graduate education at Yale, MIT, and the Federal Polytechnic of Lausanne (EPFL), with a focus on engineering, statistical methods, and global trade. He has high-level proficiency in both French and Chinese.

Through a unified, comprehensive approach to managing all production processes from extraction of raw materials through distribution of the final goods, Altana provides unprecedented visibility, contextualized AI decision support across business areas, and a collaborative network with end-to-end workflows to get jobs done.

As President of Sustainable Northwest Wood, Ryan is a regional leader in the effort to provide local and sustainable wood products to the green building community. Sustainable Northwest Wood is a B-Corp and the only wood distribution yard focused exclusively on offering local products from responsibly managed forests. 

Ryan has been involved with sustainable forestry for nearly 30 years. Prior to his current position, he directed the Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities Partnership, a network of locally owned mills and forests and was Community Forestry Program Director and The Forest Guild.

Long standing relationships with Northwest sawmills, combined with an intimate knowledge of the green building community inform Ryan’s ability to ensure that each purchase for the built environment has a positive impact in the natural one.

Sarah Billington is Chair and UPS Foundation Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Stanford. Professor Billington received her B.S.E. in Civil Engineering & Operations Research with high honors from Princeton University in 1990. She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study civil engineering at the ETH-Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in 1991. She received her M.S. (1994) and Ph.D (1997) in structural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Prof. Billington was Assistant Professor of Structural Engineering at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University from 1997-2002. She joined the Faculty at Stanford University in 2003. She has twice been a visiting professor in the Computational Mechanics group in Civil Engineering at the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands, first in 1998 and most recently for the 2008-2009 academic year.. Billington received her B.S.E. in Civil Engineering & Operations Research with high honors from Princeton University in 1990. She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study civil engineering at the ETH-Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in 1991. She received her M.S. (1994) and Ph.D (1997) in structural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Prof. Billington was Assistant Professor of Structural Engineering at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University from 1997-2002. She joined the Faculty at Stanford University in 2003. She has twice been a visiting professor in the Computational Mechanics group in Civil Engineering at the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands, first in 1998 and most recently for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Sarita Herman is the Supervisory Team Leader for the Historic Preservation Team in CapitalConstruction & Renovations at the University of Virginia. In addition to managing capital projects at UVA, Sarita oversees the project management team in charge of the University’s UNESCO WorldHeritage Site. Notable projects Sarita has worked on include a major renovation to UVA’s iconic Rotunda, the construction of the University’s Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, theContemplativeCommons building completed in 2024, and the Karsh Institute of Democracy currently under construction in the University’s Ivy Corridor development area.Sarita also serves on Board of Directors for Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm, a 219-acre nature conservation area sited on a historic African American farm. Sarita has a BA in Art History from Hollins University and an MA in Architectural History from the University of Virginia.

Suchi Reddy is an architect, designer, and artist based in NYC. In 2002, she founded Reddymade, which focuses on public art installations, large-scale commercial spaces, and residential projects ranging from single-family homes to interiors and prefab architecture. Guided by her mantra “form follows feeling,” Reddy’s architectural and artistic practice is informed by her research on neuroaesthetics, which examines the impact our environments have on the brain and body.

Reddymade’s most celebrated projects include the first flagship Google retail space in New York, rated LEED Platinum; “me+you,” an interactive AI and light sculpture currently on display at Michigan Central Station in Detroit, and first unveiled in 2021 at the Smithsonian in DC for the Futures exhibit; a minimalist home in Salt Point, New York, with artist Ai Weiwei; “Look Here,” a solo exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.; X, a temporary sculpture in the center Times Square; “A Space For Being,” a collaboration with Google, Johns Hopkins, and Muuto during Salone del Mobile measuring the impacts of neuroaesthetics; an award-winning hybrid prefab home in Los Angeles; and The Connective Project in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, featuring 7,000 yellow pinwheels carrying messages and images from the surrounding communities.

Reddy has presented and lectured on the firm’s work at numerous venues including Bloomberg’s CityLab 2023, The Salk Institute for the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture’s annual conference, the WSJ Future of Everything Festival, the Aspen Ideas Festival, the University of Illinois, and the University of Wisconsin.

Reddy teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and serves on several boards, including the Design Trust for Public Space and Storefront for Art and Architecture.

Currently at STRUCTR Advisors, Sydney’s passion for environmental stewardship benefits her clients throughout every stage of a building’s development and lifecycle, resulting in a steadfast champion to usher forth sustainable building and human wellness. Her breadth of experience includes involvement in the Brock Environmental Center, a LEED platinum and Living Building Challenge-certified facility. With her certification experience in LEED, LBC, WELL, Green Globes, EarthCraft and Parksmart, Sydney has helped to certify over 4 million square feet of sustainable building space across Virginia. Sydney is currently leading the material transparency research for Hourigan Construction on the UVA Karsh Design for Freedom Pilot project.

Sydney is the Vice President of the Board for the Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School for Marine and Environmental Sciences Education Foundation. Sydney serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia PACE Authority. Sydney has also been a guest lecturer at 9 different Virginia high education institutions including Old Dominion University, Virginia Tech, and the College of William and Mary. Sydney was named to the 2022 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 list. Most recently, Sydney was named to the CoVa Biz Magazine NextGen 2024 List and the Virginia Business 100 People to Meet in 2025 List.

Vardhan Mehta is a second-generation architect and co-founder of Acelab, an AI-powered platform transforming how the AEC industry makes material decisions. After working as an architect designing U.S. embassies and institutional projects for MIT and Yale, he recognized the critical inefficiencies in how architects, owners, manufacturers, and contractors communicate about building products.

He co–founded Acelab while at Harvard to solve this problem by creating a new universal language for material decision-making. The platform helps design teams evaluate and select materials based on real performance data, costs, lead times, and sustainability metrics. His work earned him recognition on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 2025 for digital transformation in AEC industry.

Today, Acelab’s Material Hub serves as a central platform where 15,000+ project teams research products, compare options, and make informed decisions. Working alongside industry veteran Dave Lemont (former CEO of Revit), Vardhan is focused on streamlining the entire material selection process – from initial design through procurement. By connecting all stakeholders through a common platform and language, Acelab eliminates the communication barriers that have historically slowed down construction projects.

Wade Myers is a serial software entrepreneur, chairman of a venture studio, partner of a global venture fund, and a partner in multiple public equities and real estate funds. He also worked at the Boston Consulting Group and Mobil Corporation. Wade served as an Airborne Ranger in the US Army and is a decorated veteran of the Gulf War. He holds three degrees and is a Baker Scholar graduate of Harvard’s MBA program.

Adam Thatcher is co-founder and CEO of Grace FarmsTea & Coffee. He envisioned the model of a nonprofit-owned business after learning about the innovative social enterprise structures possible under the IRS code while getting his MBA at NYU. Prior to Grace Farms Tea & Coffee, Adam served as the Director of Operations and Sustainability for Grace Farms Foundation from 2015–2020. With a passion for ethical and environmental sustainability efforts, Adam led Grace Farms’ LEED Silver Certification for Operations + Maintenance. Before joining Grace Farms, Adam served as the Director of Food and Beverage at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski resorts in Lake Tahoe, California. In 2014 Adam was named of the 10 most impactful leaders in the ski industry under the age of 30.

Anna Greco joined the team at Grace Farms Foundation in 2021. Anna’s work has focused on museum education and providing lifelong learning opportunities for her community. Previously Anna was the Director of Education at the Greenwich Historical Society where she led award winning programs for school groups, developed public programming, and curated exhibitions. She created the Education Advisory Committee which established an open dialogue between the Historical Society and high school students. She oversaw the establishment of an endowment and expansion of the Title 1 School Programs which provided free arts and history programing to three Title 1 elementary schools in the district. She also was as staff liaison to the “Reimagine the Campus Campaign” which redesigned the organizations campus provided expanded visitor services and collections storage. Anna develops place-based educational opportunities designed to bridge communities.

Anna has held positions at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History and deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. She received a B.A. in Art History and Classical Civilizations from Wellesley College and an MLA in Museum Studies from Harvard University.

Brigid Abraham is the Design for Freedom Senior Project Manager. To this role, she brings a duality of experience in both architecture and information science. Brigid uniquely combines her education and passion for architectural research to further the movement of Design for Freedom, eliminating forced labor in building materials supply chains.

Before joining Grace Farms, Brigid was the Director of Research at Pickard Chilton, a global design architect in New Haven, Connecticut. Prior to Pickard Chilton, Brigid worked in the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation Division of the New York Public Library and in interior design for Eve Robinson Associates in Ma
nhattan. She is a licensed architect in the state of New York and certified as a LEED Green Associate, WELL Accredited
Professional and Fitwel Ambassador.

As Founding Creative Director and Chief Strategic Officer, galvanizes a diverse set of collaborators together across artistic disciplines to enhance our CEO and Founder, Sharon Prince’s vision for Grace Farms. Chelsea has been a key contributor to Grace Farms Foundation since 2015, and is also a member of Grace Farms Foundation’s Board of Directors. Chelsea’s distinct contributions to Grace Farms includes the development of international partnerships with cultural institutions, leading design companies, and artists; the manifestation of the Grace Farms brand identity; site-responsive arts projects and commissions, and publications. Impactful collaborations include partnerships with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, MillerKnoll, and Pentagram.

Chelsea initiated the first Design for Freedom Pilot Projects; The Brij Cultural Center in New Delhi, India; Shadow of a Face monument celebrating Harriet Tubman by Nina Cooke John in Newark, New Jersey; Theaster Gates’ 21st Serpentine Pavilion at Serpentine Galleries in London, England; and New Canaan Library, New Canaan, Connecticut.

Chelsea curated and initiated Grace Farms’ exhibits, beginning with Common Good Through Crisis with MASS Design and Pentagram, and Peace Forest, with Shohei Yoshida (Shohei Yoshida + associates) and Peter Miller (Palette Architecture). Chelsea curated With Every Fiber, the first Design for Freedom exhibit, which opens May 4.

This year, Chelsea is introducing an artist-in-residency program, starting with a year-long residency with James Florio, who will be creating images of Grace Farms using large-format film.

Chelsea currently leads all arts programming with a suite of best-in-class advisors, Music Director, Marcus G. Miller, and Toshihiro Oki, Architectural Advisor, and Director of Arts Operations, Publications, and Exhibits, Emily Altman.

She also leads all marketing and design, and is focused on developing a foundation-wide project to enhance Grace Farms’ design for neurodiversity in partnership with Grace Farms’ executive team and with consultation from BuroHappold.

Chelsea co-edited and managed the design and editorial process of Design for Freedom, Grace Farms’ high-level industry report on slavery in the built environment and made critical contributions to the report’s editorial impact, which features more than 30 leaders within the ecosystem of the built environment. Chelsea has also created additional Foundation publications, including its first book, and souls are candles, annual reports, and thought leadership pieces.

Prior to joining Grace Farms Foundation, Chelsea started two businesses, including an award-winning publishing company, and gained traditional publishing experience at Conde Nast and through education at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University. In July 2024, Chelsea was elected to the Ridgefield Academy Board of Trustees, a policy-making body responsible for guiding the Academy’s mission and ensuring its successful fulfillment of academic excellence and fostering the individual growth of each  student.

Elaine is the first International Lead for Design for Freedom. In this role, Elaine is establishing Design for Freedom hubs in both the U.K. and India and is spearheading the next iteration of the Design for Freedom Toolkit, a comprehensive resource for design and construction professionals to implement ethical, forced-labor free materials sourcing strategies into their practices. Elaine is also instrumental in the rigorous application of Design for Freedom Principles to Design for Freedom Pilot Projects in India. 

Emily Altman is Director of Arts Operations, Publications and Exhibits at Grace Farms Foundation. Emily brings almost 20 years of arts management experience to this role, from both for profit and non-profit arts institutions. Throughout her career, creating a connection with audiences through art and communicating the importance and power of the arts has been a central goal.

She started her career at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, working directly with the Senior Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Collections and other departments on the collection management and exhibition management of the Museum. After MoMA, Emily became Exhibitions Manager at Christie’s, New York, where she led exhibition installations with all auction departments, in advance of the public auctions. After Christie’s, Emily’s career shifted into visual arts education, where she directed the Visual Arts Program at the Darien Arts Center, and most recently managed the Education and Public Programs at the Katonah Museum of Art.

Frank currently serves in the role of Tea Expert and Educator focusing on special projects and tea programs at Grace Farms. He has been with Grace Farms Foundation since its inception, starting as the Director of Hospitality where he served as a welcoming ambassador for Grace Farms. In that role, he often provided a first introduction to Grace Farms and its work by pausing over tea in the Pavilion, a reflective space in the River building with 360-degree views of natural landscapes.

In his current role, Frank is Grace Farms’ resident Tea Expert, where he welcomes the public with a simple cup of tea and invites them into a deeper appreciation of the intentionality of SANAA’s architecture and the impact of the Foundation’s work to advance good in the world.

Before joining Grace Farms, Frank co-founded and managed a boutique tea company based in Brooklyn, New York, and spent several years focused on the sourcing and supply chains for tea ingredients. Frank has brought that experience to the Foundation’s work on ethical and sustainable supply chains across sectors, including tea, coffee, food, and architecture. Frank hosts a wide variety of tea education programs on the vast world of tea, its history, and on the ethical and sustainable production of tea and coffee. This serves as a critical entry point to educating people about ethical and sustainable supply chains in other fields.

Frank brings a depth of knowledge and experience of various cultures to his work at Grace Farms. A son of a diplomat, he spent his childhood living and traveling across three continents.

Karen has spent the last twenty years building a career in the philanthropic, not-for-profit, and private sectors – leading innovative solutions at the crossroads of the respective fields. Her broad-based experience and deep expertise have given her a passion for creating social impact, driving change, and delivering results.

Prior to becoming Grace Farms Foundation’s first West-Coast based Senior Program Officer to expand awareness about Grace Farms Foundation’s work and Design for Freedom, a new movement to eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain, Karen was the Foundation’s Community Initiative Director, leading the Foundation’s focused work fostering inclusive communities with a focus on gender and racial equality and food equity.

Grace Farms Director of Horticulture, Kimberly Kelly, brings over 25 years of experience to Grace Farms. During her career, she has fostered inclusive and meaningful ways to connect the public to the natural world, through horticulture, ecology, and regenerative land-use practices using both formal and informal educational programs.

Kimberly currently serves as member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Master Gardener Association and is the President of the Board of Director of the International Association of Butterfly Exhibitors and Suppliers. She has also served on local and statewide land-use boards including Inland Wetlands and Water Course Commission and the Connecticut Association of Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commission. Kimberly has worked for leading educational and conservation organizations including the University of Connecticut’s (UCONN) Cooperative Extension System where she was a Master Gardener Coordinator and Instructor, as well as the State Junior Master Gardener Coordinator.  She was the Horticultural Director at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) at Goodwin State Forest’s Education and Conservation Center before moving on to the Connecticut Science Center where she was the Horticulture and Butterfly Encounter Manager. Her experience ranges from designing and managing large and small ecological landscapes, green roof systems, tropical greenhouses filled with butterflies, and creating and delivering environmental educational programs for all age groups.

She has earned numerous certifications including Pace University’s Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) and University of Connecticut’s Advanced Master Gardener certification.

Kimberly has a passion for plants, gardening, education, and all things outdoors.

Nora is Grace Farms Foundation’s first Ethical Materials Director, focusing on the Design for Freedom Movement. Design for Freedom aims to eradicate modern slavery from the built environment by addressing the systemic use of forced labor in the building materials supply chain.

Nora serves as Ethical Material Advisor on Design for Freedom Pilot Projects and led the development of the Design for Freedom Toolkit. Design for Freedom Pilot Projects include Black Chapel by Theaster Gates (21^st Serpentine Pavilion, London, UK), Shadow of a Face by Nina Cooke John (Harriet Tubman Monument, Newark, NJ) and the New Canaan Library (New Canaan, CT).

For more than 15 years, Nora has dedicated herself to creating change in the built environment through her sustainability, resiliency, and social equity work. Before joining Grace Farms, Nora spent over a decade as Director of Sustainability for Fusco Corporation in New Haven, CT.

Nora currently serves on the Board of Directors for mindful MATERIALS and the CT Green Building Council and was invited to serve on the Governor’s Council for Climate Change (GC3) Infrastructure and Land Use Adaptation Working Group.

As one of the first Ambassadors in the world to be accredited by the International Living Future Institute, she founded the CT Living Future Collaborative. Nora also co-chairs the bi-annual Northeast Summit for a Sustainable Built Environment (NESSBE) Conference. This multi-day convening of industry experts has focused on themes including Health of Place, Equity of Place, and Power of Place.

Toshihiro Oki, an architect and active member of the Design for Freedom Working Group, develops and conducts programs and tours that offer unique insights into the architectural choices that informed the River building’s distinct look and award-winning design. As a member of the Working Group, he also provides an informed perspective to not only industry professionals but to the public at large on how buildings, homes, and landscapes can be designed and built with materials less at risk of forced labor.

He established his office in New York after working for several years at the Japanese architectural office of SANAA / Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa (Pritzker Prize 2010) to build the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City and the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion in Ohio. Since 2009, he has been working on his own independent projects. Oki is licensed to practice architecture in New York and has taught architecture studio at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture and Princeton University Graduate School of Architecture.