Gulla Jonsdottir is an Icelandic Architect, creating unexpected and poetic modern Designs from her eponymous Los Angeles based Design studio. Known for her sensual and dynamic forms that work in harmony with their surroundings, Gulla's environmental compassion brings unique spatial experiences that respond to nature and surrounding site, always echoing the integration of organic beauty and function.

Icelandic-born Gulla Jónsdóttir studied mathematics & biology before moving to Los Angeles to study architecture at SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture). Before starting her own firm in 2009, she worked for Richard Meier & Partners, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Dodd Mitchell Design.

Gulla & her International team have a reputation for holistic work across the fields of hospitality, commercial & residential design, museums & wellness projects worldwide, as well as having her own furniture line. Gulla was recently named “the next Zaha Hadid” by the Huffington Post and has in her career worked on renowned projects in USA, Japan, Mexico, Iceland, Paris, Beirut, Bahamas and China.

Tania Van Herle is the Corporate Systems Leader of HED, responsible for maintaining and driving

operational results. With over 25 years of experience in architecture, she has participated in all aspects

of the practice including project management, business development, technical leadership, operations,

office management and corporate governance. An effective leader and driven businessperson, Tania

works with internal stakeholders to spur company growth, maintain key operational procedures, create

new processes, and ensures adherence to HED’s mission of creating positive impact through responsive,

innovative, and sustainable design solutions.

Trained in both architecture and engineering, Tania earned multiple degrees at UCLA in both Civil

Engineering and Architecture. She has received various recognitions over her career including the

Building Design & Construction’s ‘40 under 40’ Award, a nominee by the Los Angeles Business Journal

‘Women Making a Difference, ’ and was part of the Southern California Leadership Class of 2013.

Matt Miller is a prefabricated building systems consultant for Clark Pacific. After graduating from UCLA Matt formed Domicile Concrete, an artisanal precast concrete studio focused on residential interiors. Before joining Clark Pacific Matt was a General Manager for a manufacturer of specialty aftermarket hot rod automotive parts, Product Management for a large regional precast concrete manufacturer and taught English and Math at a charter high school for at-risk teens. Matt joined Clark Pacific as a Preconstruction Manager for Structural Systems and is now leading SoCal Business Development for Clark Pacific’s products: Infinite Façade, PARC, and the newly launched NetZERO Building Platform - a prefabricated system designed to meet the 2030 Challenge. Matt’s 20+ years of experience in manufacturing, fabrication, and construction come together to help bring prefabricated solutions to owners and developers for better project outcomes. Through collaborative design, advanced manufacturing, and efficient construction, Clark Pacific is transforming the way buildings are delivered.

Mia Lehrer, FASLA, founded MLA with a vision to improve quality of life through landscape. She is internationally recognized for progressive landscape design, advocacy for sustainable and people-friendly public places, and catalyzing work for a climate-appropriate future. Mia has led the design and implementation of ambitious public and private projects, including the Hollywood Park Racetrack redevelopment and its new LA NFL Stadium, the LA County Natural History Museum Gardens, Vista Hermosa Natural Park, and many Los Angeles River-related projects. She earned her Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and lectures and teaches around the world. In 2017 she received the ASLA’s LaGasse Medal.

Burgeoning was founded in 2009 by Mauricio Espinosa. At the age of 8, with the help of his father - also an architect - Mauricio began to dabble in Autocad, and learn the craft of design. His passion for architecture was ignited early and would lead to a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Oregon. After his undergraduate studies, Mauricio joined the renowned Behnisch Architekten as their design director. He later returned to school, earning a Master’s degree in Architecture from University College London’s The Bartlett School. After his post-graduate work, he became a licensed architect in California, New York and Oregon, and founded Burgeoning. A firm believer in a boundless creative agency, Mauricio strives to create an ecologically balanced future through better design.

Since establishing his own studio, Shimoda Design Group, in 1999, his work has been consistently published and award-winning, and the product thus far indicates even greater promise for the future. Joey earned his bachelor of architecture degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo in 1988. After graduation Joey worked in several notable studios around Los Angeles, including Morphosis, Frank O. Gehry, Marmol + Radziner, Johannes Von Tilburg and Partners, Keating Mann Jernigan Rottet, and DMJM Design. He also spent time in Europe working for Peter Wilson of the Buros von Bolles + Wilson. The Shimoda Design Group has a core staff of six and currently has projects underway in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Phoenix. Joey has taught at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and continues to participate in symposia and student reviews at USC, UCLA, SCI-Arc, Art Center College of Design, and Woodbury University. He is also an appointed Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles Affordable Housing Commission.

A graduate of Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo, David formed McCullough Landscape Architecture as a sole proprietorship in 1999 while consulting for another firm. After wife and partner, Catherine joined the business in 2001 and became Chief Executive Officer and President in 2002; the firm became a woman-owned corporation and a certified Small Business by the State of California.

With offices in San Diego and the Bay Area, McCullough creates spaces for hospitality, retail, mixed-use and institutional properties around the world. As principal landscape architect, David oversees all aspects of the design and production of firm projects at McCullough. He serves as head designer on all projects and maintains quality control on all work completed. Previous projects have earned awards and recognition in several national publications.

David finds time in his schedule to take leadership in creative organizations such as the the San Diego Architecture Foundation (SDAF) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) local Urban Design Committee. He currently serves as Chair of the Pecha Kucha Night program, which is on its sixth successful year. He finds it inspiring to take part in such a diverse mix of creative minds while bringing them together to share with the public their wild ideas.

In addition, recently David was appointed by San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer to serve on the Historical Resources Board as Chair, which governs the identification, protection, retention and preservation of historical sites in San Diego. Concurrently, he has been invited to serve on the city’s Code Monitoring Team (CMT).

David’s design philosophy is centered around merging context and creative passion with grit, soul, and style. The firm takes every project with a uniquely creative approach that centers around diversity, discovery and conservation. David feels it’s important to engage the human spirit with nature, while expressing empathy.

Recent projects include a large waterfront development in Shanghai, China, Seaport San Diego redevelopment, several multifamily projects in Calgary and Vancouver, along with other notable hospitality, entertainment, and mixed-use collaborations in the Western US and Canada.

Daniel Gehman attended Cornell University in upstate New York before relocating to California. Daniel has been involved in the industry since 1986 and brings specialized expertise in architectural design to the Ware Malcomb team. As Director, Multifamily, he is responsible for the growth of the multifamily practice, focusing on business development, client service, and project execution. Daniel's background includes a variety of multifamily project types, with 25 years of specialization in Southern California and current projects in the Central Valley and Arizona. He currently teaches a class in the Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) program at the University of Southern California as an adjunct professor and is active in many industry associations.

Andy Cohen, FAIA is one of two Gensler Co-CEOs, whose collaborative

leadership model sets itself apart in the marketplace as the #1 ranked global

design firm, with $1.2 billion in revenue in 2016. For his innovative leadership,

he and Co-CEO Diane Hoskins rank on Business Insider’s elite “Creators” list, a

who’s who of the world’s 100 top creative visionaries. A hands-on leader, Andy

oversees Gensler’s global platform and its day-to-day operations, some 5,500+

people networked across 47 offices, serving clients in 120+ countries.

A champion of design, resiliency and sustainability, Andy is Chair of Gensler’s

Board of Directors, spearheading design excellence strategies across Gensler’s

31 diverse practice areas. Andy has been a speaker at many premier industry

conferences, including the Urban Land Institute (ULI), Milken Institute

Global Conference, Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) and TEDx. Andy

is an active Board Member of the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban

Economics and the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. In his

role as Co-CEO, Andy is one of the key contributors to what is acknowledged,

by its peers, to be the most admired and largest architecture firm in the world,

pioneering project types and design innovation strategies for the next century.