Graphic above designed by OUSD student Skylar Kolias

As one of the leading Interior Design and Architecture communities in the country, we have a unique platform to inspire those who will one day take the reigns. Collectively we have a hope and belief that the future holds a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community for all. 

To help inspire these future leaders, we want to highlight and celebrate the different career path opportunities that exist in the A&D world. To help spread the word, we are hosting this panel discussion in partnership with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).

We are more than just designers and architects.  We are marketers, business developers and project managers – to name a few. All together we form an industry and more importantly, a community.

Moderator:

Paul Mabe
Business Operations Strategist, two

Paul is a business strategist at two and supports marketing strategy for Pair in San Francisco. He joined Pair in 2018 and then shifted over to two in 2019 to continue his passion for problem-solving and working with cross-functional teams, to develop and execute strategies for top brands. Paul is and always has been fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit and possesses a strong belief in educating, motivating, and activating internal and external customers for success. Paul is also the President and head of the board for the Gay Lesbian Tennis Federation board, one of the oldest sports-based non-profits dedicated to inclusive tennis.

Panelists:

Nadia Colquiett
Interior Designer, Noll & Tam

Nadia is an NCIDQ certified interior designer at Noll & Tam in Berkeley. A Virginia native, she found her passion for design at the intersection of art history, storytelling, and architecture in high school. Nadia believes that taking the design field to the next level requires increasing accessibility to & diversity within the industry as well as appreciating the essential nature of community input to successful projects.

Enrique Sanchez
Principal, STUDIOS architecture

Enrique is a Principal at STUDIOS architecture, an international design practice offering architecture, interiors, master planning, branding, and workplace strategy services. He focuses on designing spaces that connect with the people who use them. His training as a certified professional coach enables him to listen, understand what makes others tick, and support them in contributing with their own voice. Enrique is passionate about accessibility, universal design, and creating spaces that welcome everyone. He has worked on a range of project types across industries, including interiors, new construction, and renovation. His clients include SFMOMA, Lyft, Nickelodeon and UCLA. Enrique also serves on the board of a Creativity Explored, an SF-based non profit which gives artists with developmental disabilities the means to create and share their work.

Brandon Maddox
Regional Vice President NorCal, Teknion
Brandon entered the flooring and sales industry in 2012 after receiving his BBA from LaGrange College in Georgia. He joined Teknion in early 2020 as a Regional Vice President. As an accomplished national sales leader, Brandon brings his sales acumen to Teknion’s growing client base and expanded product categories. His goal is to always provide great service through products he believes in. Brandon is a talented individual with excellent lead generation potential and many years of experience. He is industrious and a tenacious sales professional with a strong history of surpassing objectives by leveraging strategy and advanced people skills.  Brandon was recognized as Young Leader of the Year for the Northern California Chapter in 2020 by CoreNet.  He also belongs to the CREW Mentorship Program and participates in the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee for the Northern California CoreNet Chapter.

Pamela Aguinaldo
Business Operations Manager, two
Pam became the Business Operations Manager at two after a career built upon various positions in the contract furniture industry. Curious and a lifelong learner by nature, she loves opening herself to new ways of thinking, and imagining solutions from ideas that might appear disparate at first. In college she thought that she would be a journalist or a researcher, but instead cultivated her career in this industry. And then in graduate school, she thought she would become an urban planner. Thankfully her combined experience from formal schooling, work background, and personal life have all crystallized to prepare her for her current role. She thinks that diversity begins with letting individuals have agency over their own unique contributions, so that any feelings akin to “being out of place” should be harnessed to motivate oneself. She also believes that diversity in one’s way of thinking is the key for us to better understand each other.