It seems there’s nothing Marquise Stillwell and his New York design and research firm can’t do. His projects promote inclusion and equity, rethink the norm, and bring people together, seen in forward-thinking concepts for Black Girls Code, the Lowline, and the DC public library. Stillwell is also a film producer and co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, an organization focused on developing policy solutions for coastal cities. Our conversation spans the different, fascinating facets of his career, and it’s clear Stillwell’s mantra can be boiled down to one succinct remark he made: “Empathy is a muscle. It’s something you have to practice and build every day.”

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