Gensler co-CEO Diane Hoskins (with colleague Jordan Goldstein) grew up in the shadows of Chicago’s supertall skyline: “When the tallest building in the world is right downtown, it captures your imagination.” She got an architecture degree from MIT but sought the finer points of the business side with an MBA from UCLA. Diane says architecture greats like Margot Grant Walsh (from her time at Skidmore Owings & Merrill) and Art Gensler were a tremendous influence. Their tutelage helped drive her to work on projects like Discovery Communications’ interior design in Silver Spring and the Gaylord at National Harbor. But her success wasn’t without mistakes, and she says learning from those is part of any young pro’s toolbox: “Some of your best learning is from when you really blew it.” (Of all the advice is these profiles, we'll keep this one with us at all times, as evidence.)