AIA-LBSB
A Component of the American Institute of Architects
- This event has passed.
REDI Speaker Series
October 5, 2023 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee (EDI) is a committee of the AIA Long Beach / South Bay
1.0 LU
Online attendees – ZOOM meeting link will be provided in your confirmation of registration email
Description:
As we strive to improve our own practice and make it more inclusive, we see greater diversity in our total staff population, but this is mostly at junior levels. The people of color or other disadvantage groups within our own organization look up to our current leadership, which is still predominantly White men. By inviting in other narratives, we hope to inspire our own teams to pursue advancement within our organization, given that many of our guests would have been trailblazers in their respective organizations.
Learning Objectives:
Understanding the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion:
- Recognize the significance of diversity and inclusion in professional fields, particularly architecture or related disciplines.
- Gain insight into how diversity at leadership levels can inspire and empower underrepresented groups.
Exploring Varied Career Paths:
- Learn about the diverse career paths available within architecture and multi-disciplinary firms.
- Understand the challenges and opportunities associated with navigating professional life as a person of color or from a disadvantaged background.
Gaining Strategies for Overcoming Barriers:
- Acquire practical strategies for breaking through barriers and biases in the workplace.
- Understand how guest speakers utilized networking, mentorship, skill development, and self-advocacy to advance their careers.
- Develop a toolkit of proactive measures to overcome adversity and foster career progression.
Leadership and Trailblazing:
- Recognize the leadership qualities demonstrated by the guest speakers as trailblazers in their fields.
- Analyze how leadership roles and diversity can intersect to drive positive organizational change.
- Identify opportunities for personal leadership development and the potential to inspire change within one’s own organization.
About the speakers:
Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick, AIA, Director of Strategy & Design, is in her element when she has the opportunity to impact all aspects of an organization through an integrated approach that leverages her ability to deal with ambiguity while driving the work forward. A creative at heart, she loves understanding “existing conditions” and working with staff from across an organization to imagine and realize transformational change. Starting out her career as an architect and designer with a BArch from Pratt Institute, Alethea spent almost 20 years managing workplace strategy and corporate headquarters projects for major global brands while working for firms such as STUDIOS Architecture, Skolnick Architecture, and Gensler. She holds a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University and is an MBTI Certified Practitioner and certified leadership coach. Born and brought up in the UK, Alethea lives in Brooklyn with her husband and her 11- and 14-year-old boys.
Malaika Aaron-Bishop, Director of Learning & Methodology, is an experienced and thoughtful strategist and facilitator. She creates space for learning, while improving levels of engagement and connection between people on teams, both large and small. Malaika’s work is informed by her adaptability, insight, keen observation, humor, and an openness for the idiosyncrasies of our shared humanity. While the focus of her work changes with the needs of each organization, several factors are critical to her approach: a racial justice lens, an understanding of power and power differentials, and the ability to engage difficult conversations across lines of difference. Born in Guyana before coming to the US as a child, Malaika has a background in broadcast television, anthropology and higher education. She lives in Brooklyn where she is also a community organizer concerned with racial justice, energy justice, women’s health & reproductive rights, health justice, and criminal justice. She is also committed to working with educators, change-makers, and advocates to build the knowledge, agency, capacity, and empathy that ultimately fuel the work of manifesting justice.