Design Nerds Anonymous

Recorded live at the Mannington Atlanta showroom, this episode explores a question facing every industry: as Gen Z enters the workforce, are we collectively setting them up to succeed?

Gen Z is entering a workplace with changing context to the one we entered. AI is changing how work gets done. Communication norms are shifting. Career paths are less linear. And the definition of “work ready” is changing right along with them. So, what does Gen Z need to learn? What does the workplace need to unlearn? And how do students, educators, and employers prepare for what comes next?

Amanda brings together leaders from business, education, and the next generation itself: Janet Simpson, CEO of TVS, one of the nation’s top design firms; Tony Purvis, who leads interior design at SCAD Atlanta; and Amy Breidenthal, who teaches business at Agnes Scott College and Georgia Tech. They’re joined by students from all three institutions, putting the people preparing the next generation, hiring them, and becoming them in the same conversation.

This episode is presented by Mannington Commercial.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recorded live with Office Revolution in Chicago in the Haworth showroom, this episode explores what may be the next great workplace challenge: how organizations can deliver individualized experiences while maintaining alignment, efficiency, and culture.

Inspired by ideas from I Can Fit That In and Work for What's Next, Amanda is joined by leadership coach and author Erin Coupe alongside Tyler Blackwell, a corporate leader who is navigating these tensions in real time. Together, they examine why flexibility looks different for everyone, why most people have never stopped to define what "better" actually means for themselves, and what organizations can do when individual preferences collide with business realities.

Because employees increasingly expect work to fit their lives, yet businesses still need systems that are fair, scalable, and effective. Here's what we're learning—and what it could mean for how your organization works next.

This episode is presented by Office Revolution.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recorded live at the Momentum showroom, this episode explores a tension at the heart of Work for What's Next: people can experience the same workplace very differently—and those differences have something important to teach us.

Inspired by recent conversations across the industry, Amanda is joined by Cheryl Durst (IIDA), Libby Gillen (Women of Color in Design), and Lisa Chung (Gensler) to discuss how identity, background, and lived experience shape our experience of work, what those perspectives reveal about the systems we operate in today, and what organizations can learn when more voices are part of the conversation.

This episode is presented by Momentum.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After appearing together on Oprah’s podcast, Amanda knew one thing immediately: we needed more time with Jean Twenge.

Jean is one of the world’s most cited and influential generational researchers, known for shaping how leaders understand Millennials, Gen Z, technology, mental health, and cultural change. Her newest book draws from more than 42,000,000 data points, making it one of the most comprehensive studies of generational differences to date.

In this conversation, Amanda and Jean go deeper into the workplace tensions leaders everywhere are trying to navigate right now: burnout and resilience, loyalty and turnover, communication and professionalism, feedback and coaching, and whether Gen Z is truly prepared for a rapidly changing, AI-powered workplace. Because if work feels different right now, this conversation helps explain why, and what leaders may need to rethink next.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cindy Kaufman turns the mic around, live, at the Mannington showroom in Denver for a more personal conversation with Amanda Schneider. Together, they go beyond the ideas in Work for What’s Next to explore the moments, questions, and experiences that shaped the book. This is the story behind the story—what it took, what surprised her, and what didn’t make it onto the page.

This episode is presented by Mannington Commercial.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this milestone 100th episode of Design Nerds Anonymous, recorded live at our industry's largest trade show, Amanda is joined by Candon Murphy (HOK), Joseph Oliveri (Corgan), and Caroline Murphy (FutureGen) for a live conversation testing a Gen Z advisory model. Building on years of ThinkLab research and an ongoing Gen Z cohort, the discussion brings the next generation into real business conversations, revealing fresh insights into leadership, collaboration, and the future of work.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're hitting the road... and we'd love for you to come along.

Over the next few months, Design Nerds Anonymous is leaving the studio for a series of live podcast recordings, keynotes, and conversations across North America as part of the Work for What's Next Road Show.

In this special episode, Amanda shares what to expect, why every stop is intentionally different, and how you can join the conversation—whether that's in person or right here on the podcast. Here's where we're headed, what we're exploring, and how you can be part of it.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The future of work isn’t a distant horizon—it’s already taking shape in small, often overlooked signals. In this episode, we explore the early indicators reshaping how work is designed, led, and experienced. The conversation connects these signals to practical action, offering leaders a clearer way to spot what’s emerging and make smarter decisions about what to do next.

Links Mentioned: 

• Grab your copy of Work for What's Next. 
• Sign up for ThinkLab’s Newsletter to keep up with industry trends.  
• Follow Amanda on LinkedIn for more workplace insights. 
• Book Amanda to speak  

This season of Design Nerds Anonymous is presented by Mannington Commercial, THE MART & NeoCon, and The Mav Group.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special episode of Design Nerds Anonymous, host Amanda Schneider takes you inside the PDC Summit—one of the rare events where the full spectrum of healthcare decision-makers comes together under one roof. Recorded live from the show floor, this episode captures an unfiltered look at the real conversations unfolding between owners, clinicians, facilities leaders, architects, engineers, designers, and construction managers. 

Featuring voices like Clayton Mitchell (Yale New Haven Health), the award-winning Dr. Scott Zeller, Kelly Miller (RWJ Barnabas Health), Ed Cheshire (Nationwide Children’s Hospital), and Lynn Aguilera (Stanford Medicine Children’s Health), this episode dives into what leaders are truly grappling with right now—from funding pressures and ROI to communication breakdowns and what happens after a project is complete. 

Because today’s biggest challenges in healthcare design aren’t just about space. 

They’re about how decisions are made, and what it takes to make them better. 

Links Mentioned:  

• Grab your copy of Work for What's Next. 
• Sign up for ThinkLab’s Newsletter to keep up with industry trends.  
• Follow Amanda on LinkedIn for more workplace insights.  
• Book Amanda to speak 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Season 10, Episode 6 of Design Nerds Anonymous, host Amanda Schneider turns to two critical forces shaping the future of work: mentorship and learning. She’s joined by Elisabeth Mejia, President of IIDA New York and Interiors Leader for HKS in New York, and Paridhi Chawla, Vice President of Student Development for IIDA New York and a Gen Z designer at TPG Architecture. Together, they explore what happens when institutional knowledge is at risk of retiring out, why mentorship can no longer sit only with the most senior leaders, and how learning must become more distributed, reciprocal, and adaptable to keep pace with change. 

Links Mentioned: 

• Grab your copy of Work for What's Next. 
• Sign up for ThinkLab’s Newsletter to keep up with industry trends.  
• Follow Amanda on LinkedIn for more workplace insights. 
• Book Amanda to speak  

This season of Design Nerds Anonymous is presented by Mannington Commercial, THE MART & NeoCon, and The Mav Group.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.