More Connections, Less Connection: The Power of Place Design in a Hyperconnected World
Ryan Anderson, Vice President of Global Research and Planning, MillerKnoll

As technology and AI become increasingly embedded in how we live, work and learn, we’re faced with a growing paradox: more digital interaction can often result in a diminished sense of interpersonal connection. This session examines how thoughtfully designed spaces can put human relationships back at the center. By designing for interaction, inclusion, comfort and hospitality, we can create places that help us reconnect our communities in an increasingly digital world.

U.S. Economic Outlook 
Eliza Winger, Economist, Bloomberg Economics 

Investment has been, as we expected, the main story of the year. That has proven to be the case despite uncertainty related to the war with Iran. More importantly, consumer spending has remained remarkably resilient. In the second half of the year, we expect more of the same, with the AI expansion remaining a key catalyst for growth. On inflation, price pressures will continue to run too high for Fed’s comfort. Pockets of strong demand, elevated energy costs and supply constraints are likely to keep inflation sticky, even as underlying price pressures in some consumer-facing categories continue to ease. 

GPS 2.1: Understanding Gensler’s Product Sustainability Standards and Pathways to Alignment 
Angel Gonzales, IIDA Senior Associate | Resource Director, Gensler
Carey Gallagher, LEED AP ID+C, WELL AP, Associate | Sustainability Specialist, Gensler 

As design accelerates toward a lower-carbon future, Gensler’s Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards provide a roadmap for evaluating and specifying sustainable materials. Angel and Carey will explore the criteria shaping product selection, discuss key sustainability disclosures and certifications, and examine how suppliers can position products to meet growing demands for healthier, more transparent, and lower-impact materials. 

Barriers to Entry: A live podcast recording on technology and design 
Andrew Lane, Co-Founder, HOUSE OF DIGBY & digby
Bobby Bonett, President, SANDOW DESIGN GROUP
Michael Villegas, Director, Design Innovation, IA Interior Architecture 

The leading podcast in the design world will tape a live episode on our stage! Barriers to Entry host Andrew will lead a roundtable discussion with Bobby and Michael to explore the intersection of innovation and design. 

Barriers to Entry – Podcast
Calling Audibles – Substack
www.houseofdigby.com 
www.meetdigby.io 

Material Influences: Emerging Ideas from Europe’s Design Fairs 
Saana Baker, Editor-in-Chief, The Textile Eye 

From evolving materials and craftsmanship to color, pattern and design, Saana will explore themes gaining momentum abroad—and what they suggest for designers and the U.S. market in the years ahead. These emerging ideas are sure to shape the next generation of textiles. 

Keynote Address
Navigating the Next Chapter: Transformation, Resilience, and the Power of Mindset 
Jeremiah Brown, Olympian | Author | Transformation Expert 

You have to embrace the discomfort of constant evolution so you can do hard things. But how? 

Everywhere-all-at-once disruption has left us reeling. How do you find it in yourself to rise to the moment, move forward with urgency, and give your best effort when the future seems uncertain? 

Jeremiah knows what it’s like to be in over your head with no time to catch up. He went from complete beginner to Olympic medalist in just four years—a timeline people said was impossible—and he’s honest about the grit and the grace it took to get across the finish line. In this keynote, he shows what becomes possible when you stop waiting for perfect conditions, accept that change needs to happen, and start moving forward with both curiosity and conviction. 

Ryan Anderson, Vice President of Global Research and Planning, MillerKnoll 

Ryan and his team lead MillerKnoll’s industry research, share insights publicly across the world, and provide workplace and design strategy to their customers. For more than 30 years, Ryan’s work has centered on how the spaces we inhabit can be better designed to support healthy, inclusive and productive communities. He hosts MillerKnoll’s About Place podcast on the future of the workplace and regularly speaks at public events about MillerKnoll’s historical and current research. A regular contributor to Forbes.com, Ryan has also been featured by diverse media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, the BBC, NPR, and Bloomberg News. 

insights@millerknoll.com

Eliza Winger, Economist, Bloomberg Economics 

Eliza covers the U.S. economy for Bloomberg. Previously, for 17 years she was with The Conference Board, where she gained extensive experience with macroeconomic forecasting. The Conference Board’s success in predicting the performance of both GDP growth and consumer price inflation resulted in Eliza’s winning the 2016 Consensus Economics Forecast Accuracy Award for the United States.  

Ewinger4@bloomberg.net

Angel Gonzales, IIDA Senior Associate | Resource Director, Gensler 

With more than two decades of diverse experience and 13+ years as a resource director, Angel plays a key role on the Gensler Product Sustainability Firmwide team and steers outreach efforts for all product categories. He communicates group needs effectively and drives collective success. Whether leading Gensler’s Design Centers across multiple markets or supporting design teams with material sourcing, Angel consistently demonstrates a commitment to collaboration and excellence. He is deeply invested in mentoring future design professionals, particularly in areas of sustainability and inclusive design. Angel’s industry expertise has been recognized nationally—he was selected as one of 50 professionals to serve on the Best of NeoCon Jury in both 2023 and 2024.

Angel_Gonzales@gensler.com

Carey Gallagher, LEED AP ID+C, WELL AP, Associate | Sustainability Specialist, Gensler 

Carey is passionate about advancing equitable, sustainable, and high-performing built environments through embodied carbon reduction, material transparency, circular economy strategies, and nature-based solutions. Working in Gensler’s Climate Action + Sustainability practice in New York, she helps clients integrate climate action goals into projects across commercial, academic, and institutional sectors. As Global Criteria Development Lead for Gensler’s Product Sustainability Standards (GPS), she conducts research and collaborates with subject matter experts to establish sustainability standards for building products. Carey advises project teams on sustainable materials; advances the digitization of product sustainability data to improve decision-making and design workflows; and translates goals into actionable project outcomes.

Andrew Lane, Co-Founder, HOUSE OF DIGBY & digby 

Andrew is co-host of the Barriers to Entry podcast for the A&D and creative industries, and creator of the new Calling Audibles Substack newsletter dedicated to helping individuals and businesses build resilience through rapid personal and professional transformation. A seasoned entrepreneur, Andrew co-founded HOUSE OF DIGBY (an importer of authentically designed commercial furniture) and its sister company digby (an innovation consultancy and business coaching platform). He has dedicated his career to building and leading teams and organizations through change. Andrew has designed and delivered courses in emerging media and technology at prominent universities, spoken at major conferences, and sat on boards and councils helping design-forward organizations and individuals chart new territory.

andrew@houseofdigby.com

Bobby Bonett, President, SANDOW DESIGN GROUP 

Bobby leads the sales, marketing, and creative services teams across Sandow’s design brands including Interior Design, Metropolis, Luxe Interiors + Design, and Azure magazines and the Architizer digital platforms. A business and media leader, Bobby launched a series of media initiatives including DesignTV by SANDOW, a digital video network that amassed more than 10 million views in its first year; The Agency by SANDOW, a boutique digital agency for the architecture and design industry; The Studio by SANDOW, a video production studio; and SURROUND, a podcast network and production studio. Before joining Sandow, Bobby was director of global media distribution for the NBA. He began his career in the news industry (Newsday and Digital First Media), then worked at SiriusXM in content development and marketing. He is a frequent speaker and panelist at industry events. As president of Sandow Bobby engages a global digital audience of 12 million+ daily. 

bbonett@sandowdesign.com

Michael Villegas, Director, Design Innovation, IA Interior Architecture 

Michael is a multidisciplinary creative whose work bridges design, technology and storytelling. He leads innovation initiatives that connect concept to execution. His work focuses on translating emerging technologies into practical frameworks, workflows and tools that enhance design quality, accelerate decision-making, and expand creative possibilities. Michael partners with leadership to shape how these capabilities influence IA’s operating model, driving alignment between design practice, technology and organizational strategy. Michael co-leads AIRIA (AI Research at IA), a firmwide platform for governance, enablement and strategic integration of AI. Through this platform, he helps define how technology is embedded in design culture, rather than applied to it. 

Saana Baker, Editor-in-Chief, The Textile Eye 

Saana is a textile designer, consultant, founder and editor-in-chief of The Textile Eye—an ad-free quarterly publication covering ideas, materials, colors and products shaping tomorrow’s interiors through international design fair coverage, trend analysis, and industry interviews. Early in her career she worked at Doblin Fabrics, Weave Corporation, Schumacher (director of woven design), and Barbara Barry (textile development). Since establishing her consulting practice, she helped develop collections for Jiun Ho, Kravet, Clarence House, Crypton, and McGuire Furniture. A frequent speaker and industry commentator, she serves as a Trend Spotter for Home Accents Today and has appeared on Business of Home’s The Thursday Show. Saana’s work has also been featured in Arch Digest Pro, Aspire Design and Home, and HUE. 

saana@thetextileeye.com

Jeremiah Brown, Olympian | Author | Transformation Expert 

A bestselling author and Olympic rowing medalist, Jeremiah is a change and transformation expert. He electrifies audiences with battle-tested strategies on goal resilience, transformation, and team success; he equips people with the grit, leadership mindset, and collective resolve to overcome obstacles and achieve ambitious goals. A former commercial banker who had never rowed a stroke in his life, Jeremiah stood on the podium at the London 2012 Olympic Games just four years later as a silver medalist in the men’s eight. His remarkable underdog journey has been featured on CBC, CTV, Sportsnet, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and USA Today. His book The 4 Year Olympian spent five weeks as the #1 bestselling sports memoir in Canada. Today, as an internationally booked keynote speaker, Jeremiah bridges the gap between high-performance sport and corporate reality. His background as a commercial analyst gives him insight into the metrics that drive business. His experience as the former National Manager of Game Plan for the Canadian Olympic Committee—where he led strategy for athlete career transitions and mental health—deepens his understanding of navigating critical pivots. Jeremiah has delivered hundreds of presentations for world-class organizations including Spotify, TD Bank, Cisco, and the NHL’s Calgary Flames. 

Arc-Com
Amanda Eaton
Ki-Yeoun Kim

Bernhardt Textiles
Megan Devine
Susan Green
Kathrin Hagge

Brentano
Allen Chen
Matthew Muccino

Burch
Jenni Chilver

Burch
Jenni Chilver

C.F. Stinson
Lauren Kidwell
Shannon Picklesimer

Charles Samelson
Phil Landau
Maria Rodriguez

Designtex
Phil Borrero
Alejandra Delgadillo
Carol Derby
Mae Gordon
Deidre Hoguet
Kim Land
Andrea Langlais
Owen Lasko
Laura McIntyre
Patrick McNulty
Betty Moscati
Viridiana Piedra
Teesha Prezeau
Elizabeth Sanzari
Eve Singer
Catherine Stowell

Fabricut Contract
Valerie Hamroff
Julia Rodriguez Dalton

Gabriel
Tobin Anderson
Mette Krebs Petersen
Cindy Schleh

HBF Textiles
Casey Baxter
Dusty Lockwood
Annie Ming
Heather Murphy

Kravet Contract
Megan Ayers
Karen Keating

Kvadrat
Shawn Cook
Kelly Queen

LebaTex
Melissa Katz

Luum Textiles
Jane Ardielli
Andrea Babb
Olivia Colquhoun
Dorothy Cosonas
Carol Lindsey
Melanie Roven
Mee Ok Ryu
Honrina Rozario
Daniela Tonini
Dave White

Maharam
Sabarish Janardanan
Allison Lipman
Nicole Manzari
Jordan Pyle
Christina Russo
Lindsey VanVeen

Mayer Fabrics
Maggie Mayer
Rob Mayer

Momentum 
Linsay Bittinger
Leo Bushell
Paul Cleary
Eduardo Elizondo
Jill Nelson

P/Kaufmann Contract
Armistead Booker
Mark Denecour
Leigh Douglass
Cindy Krewson
Sarah Nestel
Laura Romanoff

Pollack
Rachel Doriss
Jenia Myagkov

Posh Textiles
Sarika Shah

Richloom Fabrics
Lauren Pelusio
Robyne Peterson

Thibaut
Anne Lekow

United Fabrics
Lindsey Josepayt
Kait Ruder
Scott Warwick

Valley Forge
Nadia Love

Weitzner
Janice Lynch

Wolf-Gordon
Nicole Layne
Michael Loughlin
Sierra Neale
Marybeth Shaw
Shashi Sirsi

Haworth
Andrea Nelson

HNI
Jake Diercks
Jenna Elenbass
Jacqueline Fisher
Melissa Hart
Hannah McGrath
Courtney Moyer
Ann Roubal
Marcus Simpao
Kandice Tjebkes
Ashley Upchurch

Irwin
Anne Chapman

MillerKnoll
Liz Gibbons

Novawall Systems
Bill Rankin

OFS
Adam Lewis
Celia Yow

Stylex
Carolyn Mitchell

Teknion
Farnaz Naeiminia
Patricia Wong

Antex
Pol Berenguer

Applied Textiles
Jessica Pickerd
Hannah Schroeter
John Schroeter

Color Communications
Nicole Chapple

Colormass
Tas Sóti

Configura
Chris Cantu
Rob Detrick

Cortex Fabrics 
Aaron Gelvan

Crypton
Jack Eger
Lisa Hennigar
Rebecca Lee
Kevin Nichols
Nikki Rubalcaba

Culp Contract
David Wells
Shawn Davé

David Rothschild
Kelsey Adams
Walter Rothschild

Dominion Sample
Jacob Edwards

Duvaltex
Billy Ford
Jennifer Lampani Karel
Irene Miller
Lisa Olson-Wong
Ann Reinhard
Juliet Terzian
Michele Tung

Enduratex
Jim McKeon

Foresight Management
Amy Robertson
Wendy Schlett

Geo. Sheard Fabrics
Perihan Sheard

Glen Raven
Heather Covert
Susan Goldstein
Tracy Greene

KM Fabrics
Paul Tantillo

Lady Fabrics
Kelly Picard

Leslie Jee Textiles
Leslie Jee
Amanda Pietsch

Mercato Place
Alison Goldman

Milliken
Peter Dow
Jenna Eason
Heidi Noriega
Kay Sawdy
Elizabeth Stuart
Chris Wulforst

Morbern
Dan Bogo
Sarah Manojlovic
Todd Norris
Justyna Pikul
Amanda Wilkins

MTL
JoMarie Battle
Tom Hillebrand
Megan Marion
Joy McGruther Alaoui
Erin McHugh
Cigdem Ozturk
Danielle Plante
Taya Thongyoo

My Resource Library
Jeff Carlson
Laura Carlson

Nassimi
Larry Barbash
Gregory Battreall
Kaila Donohue
Joe Filippi
Andreea Flores
Debbye Lustig
Jordan Matthew
Edward Nassimi
Iwan Nassimi
Elizabeth Schoonfield
Lillian Slate
Taylor Small

Omnova
Olivia White

Pointe International
Matthew Cohen
Hoe Jung
Mindy Marcus
Ed Marquez
Moira Murray
Franco Nannucci
Naoko Tanabe

Rohleder
Matthew Mackenzie

Samplz Unlimited
Katie Brockman

Sattler
Ari Gasner

Spradling
Joey Alvarez

The Mitchell Group
Michael Fisch
Roslyn Muney

Thoroughbred Fulfillment
Ray Sayers

Ultrafabrics
Scott Ackaway
Tina Barone
Jeremy Brown
Amanda Bylsma
Julio Cobos
Kimberle Frost
Jennifer Hendren
Jillian Love
Kealy Moyna
Danielle O’Kane
Sergio Prosperino

Valdese Weavers Contract
Rosemary Harley
Jacquelyn London
Ji-hong Park
Tyler Putt
Crystal Sigmon
Bill Snyder

Vescom Textiles
Jason Romero

VIP Samples
Adam Montgomery

York Wallcoverings
Christine Ganse
Nobina Preston

Baldwin Sales
Amy Baldwin

Barbara Weber
Barbara Weber

Casey Design
Nicole Casey

Collection 280
Amy Pisansky

Elisabeth Karp Consulting
Elisabeth Karp

Ellen Shultz Consulting
Ellen Shultz

Joe Kilby
Joe Kilby

MJP Textiles
Michael Paul

MLB Textile Sales & Design Consulting
Margaret Blum

North Coast Design Studio
Jay Correia

Bloomberg Economics
Eliza Winger

Gensler
Carey Gallagher
Angel Gonzales

HOUSE OF DIGBY & digby
Andrew Lane

IA Interior Architecture
Michael Villegas

Keynote Speaker
Jeremiah Brown

MillerKnoll
Ryan Anderson

SANDOW DESIGN GROUP
Bobby Bonett

The Textile Eye
Saana Baker

ACT
Merry Hoefle
Lynne Willis

Gerald Forster Studio
Gerald Forster

Volunteer
Jennifer Rabiah

ACT
Stephen Haydon
Janan Rabiah

Adam Debus
Adam Debus

Bartolini Home
Fabiano Gori

Chase Taylor Studio
Chase Taylor

EDPA USA
Alp Benadrete

Fashion Institute of Technology
Victoria Grodzki

Innovasia
Andy Grow

Sarah Baker
Sarah Baker

Anzea
Arc-Com
Architex
Bernhardt Textiles
Brentano
Burch
C.F. Stinson
Camira Group
Carnegie
Charles Samelson
Chilewich

Concertex
Designtex
Ennis Fabrics
Fabricut Contract
Gabriel
Guilford of Maine
HBF Textiles
KB Contract
Knoll Textiles
Kravet Contract
Kvadrat

LDI Interiors
LebaTex
Luum Textiles
Maharam
Mayer Fabrics
Momentum
P/Kaufmann Contract
Pallas Textiles
Paul Brayton Designs
Pindler

Pollack
Posh Textiles
Richloom Fabrics Group
Somato Textiles
Standard Textile
Thibaut
United Fabrics
Valley Forge Fabrics
Weitzner
Wolf-Gordon

AIS
Davis Furniture
Decorator Industries
Global Furniture Group
Gus* Design Group

Haworth
HNI
Irwin
Keilhauer
Lutron Electronics

MillerKnoll
Novawall Systems
OFS
Room & Board

Rose Brand
SitOnIt Seating
Stylex
Teknion

American Flamecoat
Antex
Applied Textiles
Bredemeier Material Sampling
CiCLO Technology
Color Communications
Colormass
Configura
Cortex Fabrics
Crypton
Culp Contract
David Rothschild
Diversified Testing Laboratories

Dominion Sample
Duvaltex
Enduratex
Europatex
Foresight Management
Gen Phoenix
Geo. Sheard Fabrics
Glen Raven
Heritage Textiles
Hopetex
JB Martin
KCT USA
KM Fabrics
Lady Fabrics

Leslie Jee Textiles
Majilite
Mercato Place
Milliken
Morbern
MTL
My Resource Library
Nassimi
Omnova
Pointe International
Rohleder
Samplz Unlimited
Sattler
Seaqual Initiative

SGS Govmark
Sileather
Spradling
Symphony Mills
The Mitchell Group
Thoroughbred Fulfillment
TSG Finishing
Ultrafabrics
Valdese Weavers Contract
Vanelli Textile
Vartest Laboratories
Vescom
VIP Samples
York Wallcoverings

Amy Baldwin
Geraldine Blanchot Fortier
Margaret Blum
Robert Carlton
Nicole Casey

Jay Correia
Janet Hild
Elisabeth Karp
Joe Kilby
Michael Paul

Amy Pisansky
John Rowan
Ellen Schultz
Suzanne Tick

Eugene van Veldhoven
Barbara Weber
MaryPaul Yates
Anna Zaharakos