Graciela Carrillo, AIA, originally from Colombia, immigrated to the United States in 2003. She works as a Senior Manager at Nassau BOCES Facilities Services, coordinating the school’s capital and operational projects serving Nassau County school districts.

Graciela has been involved with the AIA at the local, state, and national levels, currently serving as AIA New York State representative for the AIA National Strategic Council, the Past President of the AIA Long Island Chapter, and the Chapter’s Women In Architecture Co-Founder and Co-Chair. Graciela is also the Co-Founder of the Immigrant Architects Coalition, a group committed to helping and providing resources for immigrant architects to achieve a prosperous career in the US. In 2019, Graciela was the recipient of the AIA NYS Young Architect Award, and in 2022 she was the recipient of the AIA Young Architect Award. In addition, in 2021, she was an honoree of the Top 50 Women in Business in Long Island. In 2023 Graciela was awarded the 2022 AIA NYS President’s Honor Award.

Graciela is a national speaker, featured on various industry podcasts, and a featured author in the book “Latinas in Architecture: Stories of raising the 1% one Latina at a time”. In 2022, Graciela co-authored the book, "City Shapers: Stories of Immigrant Designers." The book compiles stories from 24 successful professionals in our industry, navigating life in a new country, the challenges throughout the licensing process, and starting a new architectural firm.

Sculptor and installation artist Kaili Chun negotiates ideas of containment and exposure, agency and restraint. Process and materials transform physical spaces into unique environments commenting on contemporary issues in her work. She often constructs narratives through symbols and objects that address the impact of historical events on the present day. Organic elements are sometimes included in her pieces, and the changes they undergo during the course of an exhibition metaphorically reference the nature of culture as an evolutionary process. Chun’s diverse training includes receiving her Bachelor’s in Architecture from Princeton University, during which time she also studied with renown ceramicist Toshiko Takaezu; a Master of Fine Art degree from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa; and an apprenticeship with master canoe builder and woodworker Wright Elemakule Bowman, Sr.

A creative thought leader, Mani Ardalan Farhadi’s experience spans 30+ years of strategizing for learning environments. As Senior Facilities Planner at Stanford University School of Medicine, OFPM (Office of Facilities Planning and Management), Mani combines her passion for education with extensive planning skills to develop design ideas and solutions for research space. Using strategic thinking and consensus-building, she is integral to campus planning, having collaborated with public and private institutions from K-12 to Higher Education. Mani’s keen abilities include advocacy and building consensus with her customers.

Mani’s leadership roles include: WIA (Women in Architecture) AIA Silicon Valley Steering Committee; Co-founder of BIBI (Banous in Building Industry) for Iranian-American women; DEI Officer for Wellesley College Alumnae Class; Advisory Board of NICA (Niosha International Conservatory of Arts); Board Member of Institute for Traditional Psychoethics and Guidance; 2022 Steering Committee for WLS (Women’s Leadership Summit); former Board of Trustee (Los Gatos Union School District); and Chair of Bond Oversight Committee (upon which she received ‘Citizen Architect’ award).

She has served as moderator, juror, panelist, speaker, and docent at professional events and conferences, such as Learning by Design, SF Design Week, GenARTS, SCUP, EQxD, WLS, WIA, AIA, CCFC, CCLC, A4LE, SPUR, Wellesley and Mills College; topics ranging from Career-Building to Inclusivity and Intersectionality. A graduate of Wellesley College (B.A. Arch) and Boston Architectural College (B.Arch), Mani supplemented her formal education with training at Stanford LEAP (Leadership, Education, Access, Power) and Stanford Supervisory Academy, MIG (Management in Governance), SCUP Planning Institute, and Leadership Los Gatos.

Yu-Ngok Lo is the founding principal of YNL Architects, Inc. His work received various design awards such as the AIA California Urban Design Award, NAHB Best of American Living Awards, Gold Nugget Awards, American Residential Design Awards, and various AIA design awards. His work is published at various media such as ArchDaily, Hinge Magazine, CONDE, CommArch Magazine, and Hospitality-Interiors Magazine. Yu-Ngok also served on various design and professional award juries such as the AIA Long Island Design Award, AIA Hong Kong Design Award, and the NAHB Best In America Living Award.

Yu-Ngok served on various leadership positions such as the AIA Strategic Council, AIA Construction Contract Administration Knowledge Community Advisory Group, YAF Advisory Committee, AIA California Communication Advisory Committee, the AIA California Committee On The Environment, NAAB Visiting Team, and the Immigrant Architects Coalition.

Yu-Ngok is also an architectural journalist. He was the editor-in-chief of the AIA College of Fellows Newsletter, AIA YAF CONNECTION, NOMA magazine and is current the editor-in-chief of the AIBD magazine and the AIA Long Island Chapter annual design award magazine.

Yu-Ngok was a recipient of the AIA Louis Blanchard Bethune Fellowship, AIA Presidential Citation, AIA National Young Architects Award, NAHB Young Professional Award, BIA San Diego County RISE Forty and Under, BD+C 40 Under 40, ENR 20 Under 40, and the winner of the AIACC Young Architect Award and AIBD Designer of the Year. He was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2020.