2020 Speakers
Since designer Nate Berkus established his award-winning interior design firm at the age of 24, his approachable and elevated philosophy has transformed countless homes around the world through his design work, home collections, books, television shows and media appearances. Ever since Nate’s first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2002, he has become one of the world’s most recognizable interior designers. His work has been featured in publications including Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Harper’s Bazaar, VOGUE, InStyle, O Magazine and People. He is included on the ELLE DÉCOR “A-List” of the world’s top designers and was named to the AD100 list in 2018.
His popular product lines include a bed and bath collection sold at Target, a roller shade collection for The Shade Store and a furniture line with California based retailer, Living Spaces. His latest collaboration, a fabric collection for Kravet, will launch Summer 2019. He currently serves as a Travel Ambassador for Celebrity Cruises. He has authored two New York Times bestselling books: Home Rules (2005) and The Things That Matter (2012), and in 2011 he served as Executive Producer of the Oscar winning film, The Help. Audiences followed Berkus through his own television shows, the daily-syndicated The Nate Berkus Show and 2014’s American Dream Builders (NBC). His latest show, Nate and Jeremiah By Design, premiered on TLC in 2017 and is now in its third season.
To learn more about Nate Berkus, please visit www.nateberkus.com.
Sasha Bikoff is known for her balanced understanding of design, flawless execution, and technical knowhow sculpted from her vast worldly exploits and experiences. Bikoff’s style is heavily influenced by the multicultural flavors of her hometown, New York City, and from her experiences traveling abroad. Sasha studied at George Washington University and the American University in Paris with a background in Fine Arts and Art History. She began her career at Chelsea’s Gagosian Gallery before establishing her own interior design firm, Sasha Bikoff Interior Design.
Following her design debut with an apartment in the famed Dakota, Sasha was dubbed the “interior designer for the young & wealthy” by the New York Times and the “go-to decorator for Manhattan’s well-heeled millennial set” by the New York Post. Her aesthetic is 18th century French Rococo mixed with 1960s Space Age Modern, 1970s French Modernism and 1980s Italian Memphis Milano, which she executes with bright and colorful fabrics and rare antiques. It is a combination that highlights the best of the best from the coveted aesthetics of New York, the Hamptons, Miami, Palm Beach, and Palm Springs. As an antiques dealer on 1stdibs, Sasha sources antique and vintage items from around the world which she reimagines in couture fashion fabrics.
Using a keen understanding of design and culture, Sasha creates spaces based on her clients’ passions and inspirations. For Sasha interiors represent more than just living spaces: They evoke a distinguished lifestyle, offering individuals the unique opportunity to turn their homes into an eclectic, creative oasis and a place they can truly call their own.
Sasha has exhibited her work in leading industry events, including Salone del Mobile in collaboration with Versace, DIFFA, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala, Holiday House Hamptons, Holiday House NYC, and the 2018 Kips Bay Decorator Show House.
Rachael Bozsik is an International Keynote Speaker and Thought Leadership Coach for high achieving female entrepreneurs. Rachael specializes in coaching creative entrepreneurial women to define their personal brand and gain credibility + authority within their niche via press, paid speaking and partnerships. Rachael has been featured by numerous media outlets including Forbes, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Business Insider as an expert at mastering the art of self-promotion. Additionally, Rachael has inspired 20,000+ women on stages including 30+ universities (NYU, Cornell, Duke, Brown etc), Spanx HQ, Life is Good HQ, Nylon Magazine, PBWC to name a few.
As the Head of Media Partnerships at Chairish, Mugs Buckley is responsible for paid media strategy and partnerships. She has more than 15 years of experience developing large-scale digital marketing programs. Prior to Chairish, she served as VP of Marketing at Federated Media, where she worked closely with many blue chip brands and influential bloggers to develop content marketing programs.
Mugs began her career at the Discovery Channel where she was the Executive Producer of Discovery's award-winning multimedia production unit and has held management positions at Comcast, ZDTV (now EsquireTV), Liberate Technologies and RespondTV. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America's New Media Group and of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Interactive Media Committee and holds a BA from Tufts University and an Ed.M. in Technology in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Michel Smith Boyd is an American interior designer and star of the hit Bravo show, Buying it Blind. His Atlanta based firm, Michel Smith Boyd Interiors, is known for Michel’s signature, sumptuous style. Renowned for its distinctive, cultivated, and soulful vibe Michel’s work has received countless accolades including being recognized as one of the Top 20 African American Designers in the country. Additionally, Michel’s work has graced the pages of Elle Décor, Traditional Home, Vogue, Veranda, Ebony, and Washington Post just to name a few. Boyd prides himself on creating spaces that his clients not only adore but also delight in calling home. Michel’s breadth of influence includes residential and commercial interior design as well as curated collections of luxe rugs, fabrics and trims, wall coverings, decorative home accessories, and objets d'art. His signature style masterfully juxtaposes masculine and feminine sophistication and he seamlessly blends it all under one roof to set the perfect mood.
Founder of The Kaleidoscope Partnership and Savour Partnership
Leslie Carothers, named by Home Furnishings Magazine as 1 of the Top 40 Most Inspiring Women In Home, is the founder of The Kaleidoscope Partnership and Savour Partnership, and a 37 year veteran of the home furnishings and interior design industry. In 2008, she pioneered the use of influencer marketing and social media marketing for brands and interior designers, running the first-ever multi-brand influencer marketing/social media marketing program for a division of the USA's largest privately held company, Cargill.
Since then, her company, The Kaleidoscope Partnership, has set the strategy for and executed on social media and influencer marketing programs for over 100 brands, including manufacturers, retailers, tradeshows, publishers, software companies and interior designers, to help them achieve their goals, faster.
In 2017, she partnered with The Discovery Network's #1 rated visual content producer, Sam Henderson, to found her second business, Savour Partnership, where together they design, write and market luxury digital products and online magazines that help their clients generate revenue 24/7 in the short term and build sellable media assets in the long term.
Leslie and Sam currently are the co-editors of the online consumer luxury lifestyle magazine, Seasonal Living Magazine, being produced for the indoor/outdoor furniture manufacturer, Seasonal Living.
She is also a well-known speaker having keynoted for Lightovation at Dallas Market, High Point University, World Trade Center Las Vegas, and the Interior Design Society's National Convention. For 9 years, she was the writer of Furniture Today's *RETAIL IDEAS* blog and has contributed dozens of articles to other well-known trade publications.
Her private Facebook Group for professional interior designers, #DesignWealth, helps its members learn how to design a 24/7 income strategy into their businesses, and how to drive the consumer traffic to their websites that make that business strategy successful.
In 2019, Leslie herself was voted by her peers as one of the *Top 100 Influencers In The Interior Design Industry*, in a poll conducted by the well-known site, Modenus. In her spare time, she has been a long-time volunteer board member for the Bienenstock Furniture Library and enjoys time spent on her hobbies: being with her family, nature photography and all things books and paper. www.savourpartnership.com
Christian Daw is an architectural designer who is passionate about homes and design since he was the littlest kid, decorating his makeshift tree fort with garbage finds. Christian comes from meager beginnings in rural Ohio and has since attended college on scholarship and law school in CA, before leaving it all behind to bring things full circle, all on Instagram. Christian gained momentum and followers by being vulnerable and quitting a good job to start his own design business. Hundreds of thousands now follow along as he showcases homes he loves, shares his designs, and brings the viewers along for the craziness that is building an elegant, budget-friendly lake house. Christian is the earnest designer next door with a great outlook on life: enjoy everything you have, learn whatever you can, and love on everyone you meet.
Owner and Principal Designer, Joy Street Design
Kelly Finley is the owner and principal designer of Joy Street Design. Kelly founded Joy Street design in 2011 with a simple idea in mind—that everyone deserves to live in a home they love which can only be achieved when the space is personal, functional, and comfortable. As a former lawyer, Kelly is no stranger to managing large, complex projects. With her fun personality, energy, and love of bold colors she brings the perfect combination of project management, creative design ideas, and unparalleled service to her clients. Kelly studied interior design and interior architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a law degree from Stanford Law School and a business degree from Emory University. When she isn’t designing, you can find Kelly traveling the world with her family, and gaining inspiration for her projects, or working on her non-profit, Joy Street Initiative.
Sandra Funk is the founder and principal designer of House of Funk, a full-service and online interior design firm with offices in NY and NJ. This is Interior design with a soul and a sense of place; reflecting your desires, personality, and style.
House of Funk creates thoughtful homes with an emphasis on clean lines and soulful touches, all rooted in tradition. Sandra’s award-winning design work has been featured in many publications, including Elle Decor, House Beautiful, The Huffington Post, Apartment Therapy and Luxe Interiors + Design.
With almost two decades in the interior design industry, Sandra is launching the Interior Design Standard in the spring of 2020 – a template for designers to utilize her streamlined processes and profitable business format.
Since Alexa Hampton took the reins of Mark Hampton, her father’s iconic firm, as owner and president in 1998, she has advanced its legacy of elegant, practical, classically based interiors for modern living – and extended its global reach. From New York City to Hangzhou, China, her project portfolio encompasses luxe, beautifully layered urban apartments, expansive town and country residences, private airplanes, and yachts. Regularly named to Architectural Digest’s AD100 and House Beautiful’s Top Designer list, Hampton translates the classical principles of good design and decoration into some of today’s most elegant, enduring, and functional domestic landscapes.
An industry force who honors tradition and commits to the future, Hampton sits on the board of trustees for the New York School of Interior Design and the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art.
Kyla Herbes is the owner and art director behind House Of Hipsters, a lifestyle and design blog that inspires its readers to think outside the box and create layered, comfortable, unique spaces. Her interiors have been featured on The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Refinery29, Chairish, and Rue Magazine to name a few, and she has made appearances on Chicago’s WGN TV's Weekend Workbench. When she's not researching the latest and greatest in home decor, you can find her standing in line at an estate sale or meandering around a local flea market. With an eye for the unusual, Kyla describes her style as relaxed, curated, recycled glam.
Nicole Heymer is the founder of Curio Electro, a boutique creative agency specializing in intuitive branding, compelling design, and actionable strategy. Since 2011, Curio Electro has worked with a wide variety of clients at every stage in their development, from nationally known interior design firms to local craft breweries.
Nicole's clear, practical take on branding has been featured by a range of design industry resources—from the A Well-Designed Business® podcast to the Business of Design. You’ll find her methods in print, on podcasts, and as the framework for branding workshops.
Caroline Hipple is President of Norwalk Furniture. Previously, Caroline worked closely with Norwalk as a partner in HB2 Resources, a home furnishings consultancy based in Atlanta. Her work with Norwalk has included providing strategic counsel, creative direction, product development, and fabric curation. She also served as president of retailer Storehouse Furniture Co., a division of manufacturer Rowe Furniture Co., and in multiple positions at This End Up, beginning her career with the company as a sales associate and progressing to executive vice president of sales, marketing and merchandising. She is also a co-author of “A Pathway to Profit.”
Young Huh Interior Design is a full-service design firm specializing in residential and commercial interiors. A Detroit native, Young attended the Cranbrook School, received a degree in English from Smith College and a law degree from Fordham University. While pursuing further education and an internship in interior design, Young discovered her true calling and founded her eponymous New York City-based design firm in 2007.
Resetting the design narrative for each project, YHID’s work is about finding harmony and dynamism through the application of classic and modern design principles. Thoughtful architectural details provide the groundwork for warm and welcoming interiors, each animated by sophisticated surface treatments, a singular play of pattern and color, and a touch of wanderlust. YHID continues to expand beyond its original repertoire to include large commercial and hospitality projects, as well as a growing line of licensed collections.
In 2019, Young joined Elle Decor’s prestigious A-List. She was named one of Vogue’s five interior designers on the rise and, in 2011, she won the Connecticut Cottages & Gardens Innovation in Design Award for Interior Design. Her work can be seen in the pages of Architectural Digest, Domino, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Interior Design, Luxe, The New York Times, Real Simple, The Wall Street Journal, etc. Young actively bolsters the local and global design community, participating in speaking engagements and charitable events including, among others, the Kips Bay Decorator Show House and NKBA Board of Directors.
Garrison Hullinger is the Principal at Garrison Hullinger Interior Design. GHID’s meteoric rise from its 2010 start in Garrison’s attic to a bustling studio in downtown Portland is a direct result of the talent and flexibility of the team he has assembled and nurtured over the years. Combined with his background in branding and retail business systems, Garrison’s commitment to client-centered design and deep understanding of color, form, and construction shape every project that GHID takes on – whether it’s a private home, a multi-family development, or a high-end hotel.
Linda Holt, of Linda Holt Creative, launched her interior design business in 2011 after a twenty five year career as one of Boston’s top commercial head shot photographers. Her past photography clients sought her out not only for her ability to make them look their very best but for her skill in having their personality shine through the lens. Today she applies those very same principles to designing rooms that not only look beautiful but reflect the unique personality of the homeowner and their family. Linda’s blog, “Focus on Creativity” is where she shares her two passions of photography and interior design. Over the past few years she has put aside her heavy DSLR cameras and now shoots exclusively with her iphone. She is currently working on an on-line photography class geared toward interior designers and creatives to help them get the best photos possible using their iphone. Linda is also a contributing writer on trends and design for Merrimack Valley Magazine.
Follow Linda on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindaholtcreative/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaHoltcreative/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/LindaHoltCreative/pins/
twitter: https://twitter.com/LHoltCreative/
Adam Japko is CEO of Esteem Media and founder of the Design Influencers Conference. Esteem Media is home to leading national and local media brands in the luxury home design, gardening, and fine wine communities; focused on connecting professionals and consumers around their passions and businesses. Design Influencers Conference, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, New England Home, and WineZag leverage events, print media, social media, blogs, and digital marketing… but overall, community connection as the catalyst for their constituents’ commercial success.
Best known for her celebrated career as one of the world’s most influential and respected models, after almost two decades in the fashion spotlight Miranda Kerr has transitioned from the runway to the boardroom and become a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur as the Founder and CEO of KORA Organics. Her certified organic skincare line is now sold worldwide, across 25 countries including: Australia, USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Miranda also designs a range of fine china and giftware under her name for Royal Albert, and has designed successful collaborations with Swarovski and Mother Denim.
In addition, she recently partnered with Universal Furniture in the launch of Miranda Kerr Home.
She is also a dedicated supporter of numerous causes relating to women, children, health and the environment and never tires from ensuring her voice and influence are used to make a positive difference in the world. Find Miranda on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest @mirandakerr.
Before Stacy Kunstel became an interiors stylist with nearly 100 magazine and book covers to her credit, she began as a writer covering luxury travel destinations, architecture and design. She combines both skills in her work as Homes Editor for New England Home Magazine and as a Regional Editor for Traditional Home, Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living and others. Her work has appeared in Coastal Living, Country Living, Luxe, Rizzoli Books, the London Observer, Harper’s Bazzar UK and a dozen other publications. In 2010, between photoshoots and writing assignments, she and her partner Michael Partenio launched the lighting and furniture brand Dunes and Duchess, which is sold in luxury boutiques and to the trade.
Taylor Loren is the head of content marketing lead at Later, the #1 Instagram marketing platform. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs grow their business through the power of Instagram marketing, which she does through the popular Later blog and free online Instagram courses. Taylor was named a LinkedIn Top Voice of social media marketing and awarded Best Startup Marketing in Canada. You can follow her on Instagram at @taylor.loren
Kate O’Hara is the CEO + creative director for Martha O’Hara Interiors where she pioneered the interior design firm’s expansion to national markets and international clientele. Today, MOI is one of the most well-known interior design studios in the country whose award-winning work has been featured on the Today Show, HGTV, Better Homes and Gardens and beyond. Named one of Austin’s Social Influencers and Minnesota’s Top 32 Under 32 Marketing Professionals, Kate is a sought-after speaker on topics ranging from social media to women in business, to online branding.
Sherry H. Qualls, CEO, and owner of White Good, a full-service MARCOM agency, has been involved in the marketing, PR and advertising industry for 40 years. Qualls began her career with a Philadelphia agency where she worked on the Altro Safety Flooring account. Moving to Armstrong World Industries she spent the next 20 years in various marketing roles supporting the floor covering, acoustical ceilings and furniture businesses. In 1997 she joined the agency White Good, eventually acquiring the shop in 1999. WG, begun in 1981 by Ann White and Bob Good, was and still is, uniquely positioned to serve only clients in the furnishings, finishes and building products niche.
Over the past 20 years, Qualls has advised a number of national and international clients looking to further their position with the design community and make a mark with the media who influence design. Representing brands like the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), Rutt Handcrafted Cabinetry, ROHL faucets & Fixtures, Kalamazoo Outdoor Grills, Miele Appliances, Natuzzi Leather Upholstery, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), Thompson Traders Decorative Copper, Tile of Spain, the HD Expo and CEDIA Expo has given Qualls and WG a wealth of challenges and opportunities to drive brand awareness and preference with important influencers.
Qualls and her husband Scott, split their time between Chicago and Lancaster, PA. When not traveling, she can be found sailing, skiing or chasing her Westie, Kingston.
Known for his timeless approach to interior design, internationally recognized interior designer Jonathan Rachman brings the best elements of East and West, classical, old-school, and current to his individually tailored plans for each client and collaborative project on which he embarks. Born in Sumatra, Jonathan developed an appreciation of Indonesia’s natural beauty and attention to detail in the craftsmanship of their furniture, textiles, and sculpture. Bringing together his education in Switzerland with his enthusiasm for travel, Jonathan’s exposure to antique and flea markets across the world, helped to define his keen eye for curating collections of textiles, objets d’art, leather goods, and historical treasures.
Jonathan’s most recent accolade includes his much-lauded design installation for the living room of the 2019 San Francisco Decorator’s Showcase, inspired by Houghton Hall and Lady Rose. His work has been published in ELLE Decor, Vogue, The English Home, Travel + Leisure, Harper’s Bazaar, Dolce, House Beautiful and Luxe among others. Jonathan is also included in Maria Spassov’s book, Celebrity Designers: 50 Interviews on Design, Architecture, and Life as well as Louis Vuitton City Guide. Recently he has been named one of America’s Top Designers.
Besides his collaboration with Ellis Dunn Textiles, he is working with a noted light fixture company designing a collection and he is developing his own fragrance and candle line. Lastly, he is working on his coffee table book.
Elizabeth Ralls is the Editor-in-Chief of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, the preeminent publication of design in the Southeast, and oversees the magazine as the sponsors of both The Southeastern Designer Showhouse and Gardens and The Atlanta Holiday Home. Elizabeth is a seasoned veteran of the publishing world with twenty years of editorial and writing experience and having served as the Editor-in-Chief of Atlanta Weddings Magazine. Elizabeth has worked with designers and photographers throughout the Southeast while overseeing the vast communications in both print and social media that Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles utilizes to reach tens of thousands of readers and viewers each month. http://atlantahomesmag.com
Kim Salmela has been a creative director for one of rock and pop music’s biggest icons, Prince, owner of award-winning retail stores, designer one of the country’s largest home furnishings launches, manufacturer and designer of her own custom furniture line, and she’s just getting started.
Her inspiration originates from her globe-trotting adventures. She has an impeccable ability to mix colors, patterns, and texture. She is a believer in buying what you love and not worrying about any design rules. She is truly a designer at heart.
In 2001, Kim started manufacturing furniture in order to fulfill her vision of bold, handcrafted pieces in modern and classic silhouettes. She strives for quality over quantity and is driven by the desire to bring the latest design trends to her customers at value prices. Kim oversees the production of her furniture in order to ensure the highest quality. And overall, she wants her furniture to bring joy to her customers.
Ashley Schroeder, Creator Marketing Lead, Pinterest
Ashley (@schroederash) leads global creator marketing for Pinterest. She oversees marketing strategy, campaign planning, and creative execution to tell stories that drive awareness and inspiration among the creator community. Before Pinterest, she spent her career at a variety of creative agencies, managing global advertising campaigns for clients like Walmart, Kipling, and Clorox. Ashley is a California native, but recently returned to the Bay Area from a 3-year stint in NYC. Although she loves marketing to her core, her true loves are her dogs Smalls and Baloo–and she has an unabashed appreciation of voice acting (she dreams to one day be a cartoon VO, specifically for a dog).
Jen Smiga believes that brands and designers grow better together. Creating strategic partnerships is in Jen's DNA and she's at her happiest when she's matchmaking. The co-owner of ultraviolet agency, she leads her team to empower the design and architecture industries with powerful partnerships, content and connections. It’s marketing at a higher frequency. The agency is located at Bell Works, the reinvention of the former Bell Labs building in Holmdel, NJ - two million square feet of stunning mid-century modern architecture designed by Eero Saarinen.
A genteel Southerner with a deep-rooted connection to Great Britain, Scot Meacham Wood is as renowned for his distinctly timeless design aesthetic as for his larger than life personality. Drawing inspiration from his Scottish heritage Scot’s signature style evokes a mélange of European and Southern sensibilities, merging sartorial influences, bold prints and more than a dash of whimsy to create luxurious spaces that bridge generations with his uniquely modern voice. Launching his eponymous design firm in 2001, Scot quickly became one of Northern California’s most sought-after interior design professionals, rapidly developing an impressive portfolio of projects across the United States.
An early recognizer of the benefits of technology, Scot quickly rose as one of the industry’s most vivid influencers, becoming a popular speaker and frequent face among the pages of House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, and Traditional Home magazines. With the opening of his lifestyle boutique Scot Meacham Wood Home in 2014 this former concert pianist partnered with the world’s most historic mills in creating a bespoke collection of custom textiles, bringing old-world elegance and luxury to the San Francisco Design Center. Since then, the SMW Home family of products has grown to include furnishings, accessories, décor, and art appealing to trade professionals and discerning homeowners alike.
