Tina Norden has built her career at the esteemed Conran and Partners since graduating from University of Westminster, joining the firm in 1997, and becoming a partner in 2016. A quote from founder Terence Conran—which Norden often cites—is “Good design improves people’s lives," a lens that guides her and her team in their work for visionary spaces like the Park Hyatt Auckland and The Peninsula Hong Kong.

This episode is brought to you by Craft and Main. For more information, go to craftandmain.com.

Thank you for listening! For more of our great interviews, find us at hospitalitydesign.com.

After cutting her teeth in the interiors department at SOM and Atelier Ace, Little Wing Lee became part of the Exhibition Design Team for the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. Now, the designer is busy helming her own firm, Studio & Projects, as well as overseeing Black Folks in Design, which she founded as a network for Black designers across multiple disciplines.

This episode is brought to you by Craft and Main. For more information, go to craftandmain.com.

Thank you for listening! For more of our great interviews, find us at hospitalitydesign.com.

Born in Limerick, Ireland, Bill Walshe’s passion for design has taken him all over the world—from Dubai, working for the Jumeirah Group to sunny Los Angeles, California where he serves as the CEO of Viceroy Hotel Group. No matter where he is, Walshe’s approach to hospitality stays the same. As he says: “My fundamental essence of hospitality is very simple. We’re human beings who make other human beings happy.”

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A champion of diversity and inclusion, Kia Weatherspoon founded Determined by Design 10 years ago with the belief that everyone deserves well-designed spaces. Together, they’ve created intimate, community-oriented projects including Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books in Philadelphia, and multifamily housing units in Washington, DC, using what Weatherspoon calls Design Equity to create an elevated standard for all, rather than luxury for a select few.

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Lionel Ohayon says "The most important thing you'll ever do is design your own path." Since founding ICRAVE in 2002, Ohayon has taken a transformative approach to design, integrating technology in spaces from hospitals to airports. After 20 years of award-winning work, ICRAVE has joined forces with Futures Intelligence Group and Skilled Creative to create Journey, a futurescaping company to imagine and execute the next generation of hospitality.

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Design duo Lisa Simeone and Gina Deary met while working at a firm in Chicago in the 1990s and became fast friends. Realizing they had a similar vision and passion for design, they took a leap of faith founding their own firm Simeone Deary Design Group in 2002. Their thoughtful approach can be seen in projects such as the Detroit Foundation Hotel and Hotel Kansas City—two historic buildings transformed into modern properties while retaining a strong sense of place. Named Hospitality Design magazine's 2022 Design Firm of the Year, these two—now principals of KTGY Simeone Deary Design Group, after a recent merger with the architecture firm—show no signs of slowing down.

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From learning how to weld for practical reasons to designing the iconic S-Chair for Cappellini to founding his eponymous label, Tom Dixon took an unconventional path to becoming one of Britain's most renowned designers

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Before founding Los Angeles-based Commune Design in 2004, Roman Alonso let his curiosity lead the way. Following his affinity for art and design led to experiences working for Hearst magazines, Barney's, renowned fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, and founding his own publishing company Greybull Press. Informed by his multifaceted career, Commune Design leads residential, commercial, and hospitality projects for clients like Ace Hotel, Opening Ceremony, and Goop.

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Before the term "wellness" became a buzzword and grew into the trillion-dollar industry it is today, Susie Ellis was championing the cause. In 2014, she founded the non-profit organization Global Wellness Institute dedicated to research and educating both public and private sectors about preventative health measures. As Chairman and CEO, Ellis also oversees the organization's annual Global Wellness Summit and Global Wellness Tourism Congress which bring together experts from around the world to share knowledge and influence change. Since the pandemic, Ellis has seen health and wellness brought into the public eye like never before and is happy to continue her groundbreaking work to help change peoples’ lives.

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David Galullo roots himself in the idea of placemaking and how people use spaces to connect and build communities rather than the utilitarian side of architecture. It is with this lens, Galullo founded his multidisciplinary firm, Rapt Studio, where he has been pushing boundaries for clients from Goop to Google for the last ten years. When approaching projects, Galullo wants his team to question everything, noting that just because something has been designed a certain way for years, doesn't mean it should stay that way. Find out why he says "there is no better time to be a designer than now." 

Thank you for listening! For more of our great interviews, find us at hospitalitydesign.com.