UNEARTHED // Authentically BIPOC
Join us for our first conversation where we will be celebrating designers of color, breaking down the generalizations of a “Professional” and creating a seat at the table.
UNEARTHED is an EDI focused conversation series to inspire conversation and provoke thought around important topics that touch and influence our profession and our connected industries.
This series unfolds in three parts with each conversation revolving around a dynamic topic. After each conversation, attendees will be left with a series of actionable items and tangible points they can take back to their firms, friends, and community to help continue the conversation.
Questions:
Please contact edi@iidanc.org
Date
Wednesday, June 22 2022
Time
5:00-6:30pm
Location
VIRTUAL
Organizer
Moderators
Account Executive
CRI San Francisco
IIDA NC VP of EDI
Director, HR Business Partner
CRI San Francisco
Panelists
Maddy Raman
A&D Manager
Steelcase
As A&D Manager at Steelcase, Maddy partners with the design community to help create unique and compelling workspaces. Through her 10+ years in the industry, she has dedicated her last 8 to contract furniture and how it shapes the workplace – and is officially obsessed with all things design.
With a BA from UC Davis and MA from Florence Institute of Design International, Maddy is a true expert in Interior Design. Beyond design, she is also incredibly passionate about advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion within the design community and beyond; her desire to keep the industry moving forward comes through in every conversation.
DeQuese May
Vice President of Sales
Metro Contract Group
As Vice President of Sales for Metro Contract Group, DeQuese brings his experience developing strategic partnerships, executing high-value sales and consulting throughout the US Western Region. His experience includes end-to-end management of supply chains, product sales, and technology services in the Higher Education market and the Contract Furniture industry.
DeQuese is enthusiastic about expanding diversity and inclusion in his community. He has served as Assistant VP of Philanthropy for the Northern California IIDA chapter and is one of the founders of The Black Design Collective, a professional networking group aimed at creating safe spaces for Black professionals to congregate and collaborate.
DeQuese earned his education from Villanova University and is a proud resident of Oakland, California.
Christina Cho Yoo, AIA, PE, LEED AP BD+C
Co-Founder
Atelier Cho Thompson
Christina received a BS & MS in civil & structural engineering and construction management at Stanford University and received a masters in architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Christina is a licensed architect and engineer in California and has been LEED accredited since 2003.
Her work has spanned typologies from single-family to multifamily residences, hospitals, labs, museums, innovative workplaces, hospitality and food service, to retail, exhibits, furniture, and graphics for various organizations. She has lectured on Green R&D at Harvard and served as a critic at Parsons, Stanford, Harvard, & the California College of the Arts (CCA). She is an Adjunct Professor at the CCA, having taught advanced urban studio on the Post-Retail City and Integrated Building Systems.
Recently, together with her partner Ming Thompson, she founded A Rising Tide, to cultivate leadership and increase visibility of Asian and Pacific Islanders working in design for the built environment.
Roderick Allen, Associate IIDA
Interior Designer
Quezada Architecture
IIDA NC Assistant VP of EDI