ASID recognizes the need to grow diversity and inclusion in the interior design profession. Through ASID Ones to Watch, the Society supports rising leaders to ensure that diversity is reflected at all levels of the industry.
The Ones to Watch program identifies and recognizes rising leaders in the interior design industry who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential and a willingness to push the boundaries of the profession. Emphasis is placed on participants whose backgrounds are currently under-represented in management roles in the interior design industry, including women, members of racial and ethnic minority groups, LGBTQ, and persons with disabilities.
Each year, the Ones to Watch program honors up to 20 applicants as Award Winners representing the industry, including design practitioners, educators, volunteers, and manufacturers. From the 20 award winners, the Society selects up to eight Scholars to participate in an exciting leadership development program. The program teaches Scholars to lead with authenticity through experiential learning, coaching, and mentoring.
DesignGLXY Group
Phoebe Beachner, ASID Allied, LEED GA, Certified Healthy Materials Advocate
Phoebe Beachner is a Partner and Principal of DesignGLXY Group. Her hospitality and residential work is distinguished by a refined, sensory-driven approach that elevates the human experience through cohesion, proportion, and material integrity. She has shaped hotels, restaurants, spas, private residences, and resort destinations with an emphasis on quiet luxury & enduring livability.
Phoebe earned her B.F.A. in Interior Design, with a minor in Architectural History, from Savannah College of Art and Design, and completed her Master of Professional Studies in Sustainable Interior Environments at the New York School of Interior Design. Her professional experience includes hospitality & resort design at Hart Howerton in New York, instrumental to projects across the US and the Caribbean.
A LEED Green Associate and Certified Healthy Materials Lab Advocate, Phoebe integrates wellness and sustainability into every project. She has held leadership roles within IIDA, NEWH, and ASID. She remains deeply committed to advancing thoughtful, equitable design practices.
Courtney Brown, ASID Allied, EDAC
Dr. Courtney Brown Ph.D. is an interior designer at Shive-Hattery in Chicago, Illinois. Her design background transcends various markets, including higher education, retail, hospitality, workplace, healthcare, and community recreation spaces. The belief that designers hold the key to all interior space drives her to put accessibility and inclusivity at the center of her research, advocacy, and professional practice.
Courtney brings a wealth of knowledge in accessible and universal design supported by her extensive academic expertise and practical experience. Her insights encourage the team to think beyond traditional design, fostering a mindset focused on community engagement and end user empowerment. With a commitment to creating spaces that emphasize comfort, inclusivity, and well-being, Courtney’s contributions ensure that all feel welcome and supported through simple, yet intentional design decisions.
Tanaya Deshpande, ASID Educator, LEED GA, MS
Tanaya Deshpande is an Assistant Professor of Interior Design at Mississippi State University, where she teaches through participatory, community-informed methods. Originally from India, she brings over five years of practice experience spanning residential and commercial design in India and graphic facilitation in Philadelphia. She holds a Master of Science in Interior Architecture from Drexel University, where her thesis — Mind Palace: Exploring Connections Between Memory, Accessibility, and Personal Storytelling — was recognized with the Social Change Award for Equity. Her research investigates how interior environments foster belonging and long-term wellbeing for aging, intergenerational, and neurodiverse communities, and has been presented at international venues including IDEC, ICERI, and EDRA. A LEED Green Associate and active member of ASID and IDEC, Tanaya brings to her work the conviction that good design makes room for everyone.
Casey Leardi, ASID, LEED ID+C, WELL AP, NCIDQ
Casey Leardi is an Interior Designer at Amenta Emma Architects in Hartford, Connecticut, whose relentless enthusiasm is driven by a passion for creating purpose-driven spaces. She began her career in Washington, D.C., contributing to projects in the nation’s capital and across the country, building a diverse professional network that extends beyond the East Coast.
With experience spanning workplace, commercial, and higher education environments, Casey excels at translating clients’ needs into thoughtful, effective design solutions. She thrives on challenging expectations, asking questions, thinking creatively, and collaborating closely with teammates. What inspires her most isn’t the end result, but the design process itself, where ideas evolve into impactful solutions.
Internally, she champions material health, leveraging her sustainability expertise to support the AIA Materials Pledge. Named to Interior Design Magazine’s 30 Under 30: Boston Designers in 2023, Casey continues to expand her voice within the industry, believing in the power of thoughtful design.
Nicole Lee, ASID Allied
Nicole was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and attended the University of Oregon where she received her Bachelor of Interior Architecture degree. Nicole believes designing for the human experience and acknowledging a sense of place are important foundational pillars when starting the design process. After graduating, she started her career at WATG Architects in Honolulu, a global integrated design firm specializing in hospitality design. She worked on renovation and new-build work for clientele such as the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and Marriott properties. While immersed in this sector of design, she has learned and enjoyed the importance of brand awareness and storytelling. For further growth opportunities, especially around the technical aspects of interior architecture, Nicole joined ZGF in Portland, Oregon in 2017. She has grown tremendously at ZGF, and continues to be positively challenged, enjoying creating the bridge between big idea concepts and applying it to the built environment.
Christine Marsigliano, ASID, NCIDQ
Christine is an interior designer committed to creating thoughtful, human-centered environments grounded in sustainability, social responsibility, and the belief that great design should serve people and communities. Her experience spans K–12 education, higher education, retail and workplace projects, where she brings strong communication skills, collaboration, and relationship-building to every team. She is deeply passionate about mentorship and cultivating the next generation of design professionals, supporting students as they discover their voices and confidence as emerging designers. As a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), she teaches Materials in a Sustainably Built Environment, guiding students to evaluate materials through environmental and societal responsibility while preparing them for the future of design. Christine’s work and leadership have been recognized through selection as Interior Design Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30 (2024) and the SVA Distinguished Alumni Award (2025).
Varnika Nautiyal, ASID
Varnika Nautiyal is a Toronto-based Interior Designer who brings a vibrant mix of experiences to her work. Her passion for design was shaped early in her childhood, growing up around heritage buildings in India & then completing M.Des from New Zealand. Her portfolio spans workplace, hospitality, and retail design, including contributions to the Scotiabank Arena revamp in Toronto, as well as leading a retail project recognized at the Red Design Awards in New Zealand.
Having lived and worked across multiple countries, she has recognized the pivotal role of a leader who can align people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to deliver better outcomes. She seeks to deeper her abilities to lead with empathy and collaborate across disciplines.
Outside of work, she finds peace in baking and is a self-proclaimed coffee snob always seeking inspiration from her many travels that ground her and quietly shape her creative and leadership lens.
Lucy Wood, ASID Associate
Lucy Wood is a creative design thinker and problem solver who approaches interior design with a holistic and human-centered mindset. Originally from the UK, she brings a diverse and global perspective to her work, grounded in a deep understanding of user behavior and experience. Her designs prioritize not only strong conceptual narratives but also spaces that are intuitive, functional, and meaningful for the people who use them.
Beyond her individual contributions, Lucy plays a key role in mentoring and guiding her team, fostering collaboration and elevating the quality of design outcomes. She is passionate about shaping environments that balance creativity with purpose, and about contributing to the next generation of thoughtful, impactful design.
Her involvement in the industry as Social Chair for ULI YLG further reflects her commitment to building connections, bridging both the design and commercial real estate communities and strengthening the networks that support them.
Katie Hannah Buckley, ASID, CID, NCIDQ
With 7 years of experience, Katie Buckley is a highly motivated designer, artist, and solution-activist at the HDR Richmond, Virginia office. With a dual degree in Interior Design as well as Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University, her design process often start with illustrating graphics, patterns, and visuals that reflect the project site's community. Her illustrations are often transcribed through floor patterns, wall graphics, decorative films, and wayfinding techniques that support the design. With a strong passion for healthcare design, Katie's experience spans the retail, government, corporate, science and community sectors.
Beyond her role at HDR, Katie currently serves as the Professional Development Director on the ASID Chapter Board. She mentors students and other young professionals as they enter the interior design industry.
Instilled in her through her unique upbringing, Katie leads by fostering connection, resilience, and vitality in our communities, creating impactful breakthroughs in the interior design industry.
Dhvani Doshi, ASID Allied
Dhvani Doshi is an Associate and Architectural Designer whose work spans multiple award-winning, high-end corporate workplace projects. Her experience covers complete project lifecycle from schematic programming and planning through construction documentation and administration, ensuring continuity between design intent and execution.
Her design ethos centers on creating functional, human-centered environments that thoughtfully balance aesthetics with technical performance. With a strong foundation in architecture, she takes a holistic approach to the built environment, aligning spatial planning, materiality, and building systems to deliver cohesive, enduring solutions.
Driven by a deep commitment to community impact, Dhvani is equally passionate about mentorship and fostering growth within the design industry. Recognized as one of Washington, DC’s emerging leaders, she was selected as Interior Design’s National 30 Under 30 and National Exceptional Talent Award recipient. She continues to pursue opportunities that expand her influence and shape a practice rooted in purpose, innovation, and cultural awareness.
Kathy Henriques, ASID, BID, ARIDO, IDC, NCIDQ
Kathy has a bachelor of interior design with over 10 years experience in workplace interiors. She began her career as a summer intern learning the fundamentals of design before transitioning into her current intermediate role. She has worked with clients on a wide range of projects, from one-off small companies to complex corporate renovations. Kathy’s specialties include furniture procurement, space planning, material selections, and color theory. She brings a balance of practicality and artfulness to her work by merging cohesive design with style and functionality. Her dedication to continuous learning and mentorship have made her a trusted figure in the industry, with a reputation for transforming spaces into inspiring environments. Kathy’s work is a testament to her passion for interior design, by seeking new opportunities to work on projects that push the boundaries of design to bring unique, transformative solutions to her clients’ spaces.
Paul Lee, ASID Affiliate
Paul Lee is a Toronto-based Interior Designer working across hospitality, retail, and residential environments. Their work centers on crafting human-centric experiences, using design as a tool to shape connection and create thoughtful storytelling through space.
Paul’s process is driven by their persistent curiosity, care for community engagement, and a deep interest in investigating culture and technology. A collaborative designer at heart, Paul thrives in dialogue with partners, clients, and users, believing that the strongest ideas emerge through sharing perspectives and creating singular narratives.
Their disposition is to challenge cultural perspectives, push the boundaries of conventional design thinking, and contribute leadership that encourages experimentation, dialogue, and meaningful outcomes. Known within the studio as adaptable, highly creative, and responsive, Paul brings flexibility, fresh ideas, and iterative thinking to interdisciplinary teams. Energized by the evolving landscape of hospitality design, they are committed to creating spaces that are functional, meaningful, and memorable.
Danielle Lewis, ASID, NCIDQ, WELL AP, ALEP
Danielle is a Certified Interior Designer, Accredited Learning Environment Professional (ALEP) and WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP) at LaBella Associates with a focus on K-12 and higher education projects. She recognizes trends in pedagogy cross over between both markets and strives to create spaces that prepare learners for graduation and beyond. Danielle is passionate about designing learning environments that enhance student success, joy, and well-being and believes that the best designs stem from engaging with stakeholders early in the process to craft solutions that capture the clients’ visions and goals. She is currently an Adjunct Faculty Member at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the Interior Design Program, President Elect for the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) New York Chapter, and board member for the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) New York Chapter.
Janie Blair Luft, ASID, LEED AP ID+C
Janie Blair joined Perkins&Will, Dallas in 2018 following graduation from the University of Arkansas. Driven by a passion for design, she excels at creating innovative, artful spaces that are purposeful, unique, and concept driven.
Her work spans diverse sectors, including workplace, education, healthcare, and aviation. She strive to approach projects as people-centric, a sharp design eye, and a collaborative spirit.
Shamus McVicar, ASID, NCIDQ
Shamus McVicar is a commercial interior designer whose work focuses on workplace, healthcare, science and technology, and experiential environments. His experience spans all phases of project delivery, with an emphasis on creating spaces that balance design quality, functionality, and human experience. Shamus began his career at HDR, where he contributed to a range of large-scale projects including the Bristol-Myers Squibb JuMP Business Center, the Turf Experience Center at the Merchandise Mart, and the Moffitt McKinley Cancer Center. His work on these and other projects has been recognized through awards from organizations including the International Interior Design Association and Interior Design Magazine. He currently works at CannonDesign in New York, where he collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to develop thoughtful design solutions across complex workplace and healthcare environments. Shamus also serves as a member of the ASID National Advocacy Committee, where he supports initiatives that advance the interior design profession.
Emily Patterson, ASID, NCIDQ
Emily Patterson, RID, NCIDQ, IIDA, ASID is an Associate Principal and Interior Designer who has been a valuable part of LS3P since 2016. Armed with a Bachelor’s of Science in Interior Design from Endicott College, Emily brings a wealth of expertise to our team. Her unwavering commitment to the built environment and its profound impact on end users ignites her fervor for crafting secure, inventive, and inspirational spaces.
With a diverse portfolio spanning various sectors including civic, workplace, education, healthcare, and hospitality projects, Emily stands out as a versatile designer. She wholeheartedly immerses herself in projects, actively contributing during each design phase from initial programming through post-occupancy evaluation.
Emily’s distinctive approach centers on forging robust client relationships from the project’s inception. Her engagement and collaboration yield triumphs in the form of seamlessly integrated designs, transforming spaces from the inside out.
Meghan Schababerle, ASID Affiliate, NCIDQ
Meghan Schababerle is an Interior Designer originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, now based in Brooklyn, New York.
Her enthusiasm for design stems from her curiosity about the world and how we interact with it, to better understand how and why we design. As she travels through life, she keep an open lens to new perspectives and experiences as exposure and empathy continues to shape her design perspective.
Meghan prides herself on being a versatile and capable designer known for her ability to balance creativity and logical problem-solving. She is happiest at the transition point between schematic and design development. When sketches and ideas are still swirling, she is honing materials and details into focus. Working for high-caliber design and boutique firms, she thrives in a team that has a hands on approach to design collaboration.
Kennedy Scott, ASID, NCIDQ
Kennedy Scott is an Interior Designer at HKS with nine years of experience shaping thoughtful, human-centered environments. With a master’s degree in Interior Architecture and a background in finance, Kennedy brings a strategic, story-driven approach to design—crafting spaces that not only function beautifully but also shape how people live, work, and connect.
Raised in Calgary, Canada, Kennedy developed an early appreciation for the relationship between the built environment and human experience, a perspective that continues to inform her work today. At HKS, Kennedy has led interior design efforts on sports projects, creating immersive, narrative-driven spaces that connect teams, fans, and communities.
Guided by a belief that design is a powerful tool for impact, Kennedy approaches each project with intention, balancing creativity, practicality, and collaboration. Her work reflects a commitment to meaningful design and a legacy defined by environments that resonate long after they are experienced.
Simon Tibbo, ASID, NCIDQ
Raised in Newfoundland and now living in Toronto, Simon brings a fresh and innovative perspective to every project, combining a strong passion for sustainability with a commitment to thoughtful, high-quality design. His experience spans the full spectrum of interior design practice, including planning, design development, site verifications, client coordination, and construction documentation, allowing him to navigate complex projects with confidence and precision. Simon’s ability to integrate creative vision with technical rigor ensures that designs are both conceptually compelling and practically achievable. A natural storyteller, he is able to establish nuanced and memorable design narratives, and though a collaborative mindset and comprehensive skillset, consistently contributes to outcomes that are functional, aesthetically engaging, environmentally responsible, and emotionally resonant.
Devin Waddell, ASID Affiliate
Devin Waddell is an architectural and interior design educator, practitioner, and emerging leader shaping the next generation of design thinkers. After serving as Assistant Professor and Preceptor Assistant Professor at Appalachian State University, Waddell now teaches at Winthrop University, where he continues to advance human‑centered, industry‑aligned design pedagogy.
At Winthrop, Waddell revitalized the ASID student chapter, strengthening its professional presence and securing $20,000 in donated furniture to enhance the program’s studio environment. He is also the founder and owner of Haus of Waddell Studio Inc., a narrative‑driven design practice integrating architectural thinking, interior detailing, and emerging technologies.
Waddell holds a Master of Architecture from UNC Charlotte and a CIDA‑accredited Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Appalachian State University. His mentorship has guided students to more than $16,000 in national competition scholarships, and he has secured an additional $15,000 in program funding during his director tenure. Currently pursuing NCIDQ certification, Waddell blends AI‑driven workflows with foundational design rigor. He maintains professional affiliations with IIDA, ASID, IDEC, and NCARB.
January 29, 2026 – Nominations and Applications Open
March 11, 2026 – Nominations Close
April 2, 2026 – Applications Close
April 6-24, 2026 – Jury Review
May 1-8, 2026 – Finalist Interviews
Late May 2026 – Award Winners and Scholars Informed