Joining the show this week is a talented multi-disciplinary designer with over 25 years managing a variety of projects. As a designer, she’s led teams through the full life of a project. Our guest this week is none other than the Managing Director at AvroKO’s Miami Studio, Kimberly Jackson!

In a candid conversation with Host Dan Ryan, Kimberly shares her insights about her journey in the field of design and hospitality. She sheds light on her practice of incorporating "hospitable thinking" into all of the spaces she designs, highlighting the aspects of security, surprise, significance, and synergy, and emphasizes the role of diversity in the industry.

Takeaways: 

• Hospitality extends beyond mere spaces like hotels and restaurants, and is fundamentally a mindset. It revolves around how we interact with everyone around us, including friends, family, colleagues, bosses, and employees. 
• The concept of hospitable thinking revolves around four key elements: security, surprise, significance, and synergy. It is important to create spaces that make guests feel comfortable, delighted, and important.
• Pushing boundaries and surprising both guests and the ownership team is a key aspect of innovative projects. Incorporating unexpected elements and layering them into the design process will drive innovation and shape future designs.
• Collaboration between the interior design team and the brand bureau is crucial in creating a cohesive narrative and strategy for each design. By combining their expertise, they can develop a unified vision that incorporates both spatial and branding elements.
• When crafting a spatial-heavy brand, it is important to set up a cohesive brand identity across all spaces. If a brand focuses on individuality, it is advisable to create unique and hospitable spaces that complement the brand without overshadowing it.
• The Hospitality Diversity Action Council (HDAC) was formed to create a more diverse hospitality industry at all levels. By embracing diversity, the industry can craft more hospitable spaces where everyone feels comfortable.
• Ensuring security in a space involves more than just the physical layout, such as not placing people in high-traffic areas. It also means creating an environment where all the elements work together seamlessly, providing comfort for everyone involved.

Quote of the Show:

• “What is it about this project that is going to push the boundary a little bit? That's going to surprise the guest?” - Kimberly Jackson

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-jackson-aia-noma-11215a8a/ 
• Website: https://www.avroko.com/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avroko/?hl=en 

Shout Outs:

• 15:50 - Brand Bureau: https://www.brandbureau.com/ 
• 21:32 - Danny Meyer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhmeyer/ 
• 27:56 - Hospitality Diversity Action Council: http://www.wearehdac.org/ 
• 28:35 - Stacy Shoemaker Rauen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-shoemaker-rauen-766b253/ 
• 29:34 - HD Expo: https://hdexpo.hospitalitydesign.com/ 
• 29:35 - BDNY: https://bdny.com/ 
• 37:06 - Saxon and Parole
• 38:02 - Madame Geneva
• 38:05 - Ghost Donkey: https://www.ghostdonkey.com/ 
• 39:20 - MIT: https://www.mit.edu/ 
• 42:18 - William Harris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-harris-901b1b139/ 
• 42:19 - Kristina O'Neal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinao1/ 
• 42:19 - Adam Farmerie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-farmerie-a6a7b5a1/ 
• 42:20 - Greg Bradshaw
• 46:57 - Mike McCall
• 54:05 - Tory Schenkkan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tory-schenkkan-82b39812/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419