Day 1 - September 23rd, 2023
Day 2 - September 24th, 2023
Join us for the Parenthood in Architecture Panel
Parenthood brings about a big shift in one's life and balancing it with a demanding career like architecture can be daunting. However, becoming a parent doesn’t have to mean sidelining your architectural ambitions.
Join us to hear from a panel of experienced architects who are also parents, including Creative’s XP Owner Jennifer Matthews. They've negotiated sleepless nights and stringent project timelines, changing diapers while changing design blueprints. Their stories and strategies will offer valuable insights into managing the delicate balance of parenthood and architecture.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Gain insights from architect-parents on how they've balanced their career and family life.
Understand the potential challenges and rewards of juggling parenthood and architecture.
Learn practical strategies to navigate parenthood without compromising your career ambitions.
Reflect on your own work-family balance with experiences shared by the panelist
MANDY FREELAND, AIA, NOMA
President & Principal Architect at Mandy Freeland, Architect, Inc.
Mandy is an architect, firm owner, advocate for emerging professionals, and a mother of two. She is currently serving as the Vice President of the Academy for Emerging Professionals at AIA California, and she founded / co-founded three social media platform sites to build communities in architecture, including the Parents in Architecture Facebook Group. Mandy participates in panel discussions and podcasts related to EDI and women in architecture, balancing work-life and home life balance, and improving workplace culture. She spends her time learning to play guitar, doing outdoor activities, supporting her children's sports and activities, and exploring the world one place at a time with her family.
CONTACT
Email: mandy@freeland-architecture.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandy.freeland.architect/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyfreelandaia/
JING JOHNSON, MBA, LEED AP
President at Prism Renderings
I'm a mom, a visual storyteller, and an entrepreneur. I worked in architectural firms for 12 years before I founded Prism Renderings, Inc. in 2005.
Prism is an all-women team, located in Houston, Texas. Our specialty is providing conceptual design, photo-realistic renderings, and fly-throughs during the design and feasibility phase. Our visual deliverables have helped hundreds of commercial real estate developers and other stakeholders by catalyzing their marketing initiatives, fundraising endeavors, entitlement pursuits, and leasing purposes.
CONTACT
Email: jing.johnson@prismrenderings.com
Website: https://www.prismrenderings.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prismrenderings/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jingjohnson/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/prism-renderings
STEVEN BIERSTEKER, AIBA
Associate Architect at Thinkspace Architecture Planning Interior Design Ltd.
Steven is an architect by day, a content creator by night, and a dad all day long. He has 3 kids under 5 and an amazing wife (as you can imagine with that chaos in the house). After nearly a decade in the industry, Steven was frustrated by the lack of clear information for young architects. To help change the industry and encourage others to do the same he has been creating daily content on LinkedIn and writing to over 900 architects who are subscribed to his newsletter, The Carbon Architect. Hi plans to grow his personal brand to help more architects design better buildings.
CONTACT
Email: biersteker.steven@gmail.com
Website: https://www.stevenbiersteker.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steven_biersteker/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-biersteker/
JENNIFER MATTHEWS, ASSOC AIA
Healthcare Architectural Designer at SS&A Design Collective, Founder and Owner of Creative's XP LLC, Partnering Collaborator for Apostrophe Consulting
Jennifer T. Matthews, Assoc. AIA is a Healthcare Designer at SS&A Design Collective based in Montgomery, Alabama, and the Owner of the professional development platform, Creative’s XP LLC. She also collaborates with Apostrophe Consulting in their mission to help architects transform their companies by supporting efforts in talent development, change management, and business strategy.
Jennifer obtained her Bachelor of Architecture from Tuskegee University in 2013 and her Master of Arts in Business Design and Arts Leadership from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2020. She served as the National Vice President of the American Institute of Architecture Students 2013-2014.
CONTACT
Email: jennifertmatthews@gmail.com
Website: https://www.ssainc.com, https://www.creativesxp.com, https://www.apostrophe.consulting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifertmatthews/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-matthews-4a253528/
BENJAMIN KASDAN, AIA
Principal at KTGY
Benjamin Kasdan, AIA, is a Principal and Design Leader at KTGY Architecture + Planning in Tysons, VA near Washington, DC. He is a frequent speaker and published writer about the value of design, mentorship, advocacy, sustainable architecture, resilience, student housing, multifamily housing, and mixed-use communities. He has held leadership positions with the American Institute of Architecture Students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, AIA Orange County, AIA California, and AIA National including serving as the 2019 President of AIA California.
CONTACT
Email: bkasdan@ktgy.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bkasdan/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkasdan/