I was fortunate to attend the EQxD Hackathon as part of the American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) National Convening in Orlando, FL http://eqxdesign.com/blog/2017/3/11/meet-the-hackers-eqxdhack17-scholarship-winners. With AIA’s most recent effort to advocate for diversity and equity in the design profession, I was excited to see the range of speakers, workshops, vendors and series aimed at promoting opportunities and inclusive work environments for all. From former First Lady Michelle Obama acknowledging our section at her key address, internationally recognized architects sharing key insights to designing for vulnerable populations, and government officials highlighting the importance of integrating policy and design initiatives to better serve their residents, this year’s conference included a wide variety of perspectives that prompted a call to action from all those in attendance.

Unlike conferences that I’ve attended in the past, it was refreshing to see AIA’s effort to ensure that innovative ideas regarding design implementation and use were present. This provided a renewed outlook throughout the conference, and provided a sense of optimism for the profession to move towards a more equitable and inclusive future. In addition, the speakers’ willingness to engage in conversations outside of the sessions (i.e. at the parties, mixers, or in the hallways) was valuable in creating new networks, and continuing conversations beyond their presented research and/or work.

Cohesively, the authenticity, genuine hunger for knowledge and improvement, interactive workshops, unconventional session topics, and world-renowned speakers created the most memorable conference experience, which has me anticipating future conferences to come.