1 Year of Inspiring Mornings, by the Numbers

The 2024 Leaders Breakfast series celebrated and spurred our creativity — all before 10 a.m! We celebrated the work and legacy of designers and members across the nation, and heard inspirational talks from leadership experts, a MacArthur Genius musician, and even an academic studying happiness. Join us for a look at our 23rd year, by the numbers:

What did we eat and drink?

200 gallons of coffee consumed (around 25 gallons per city, with New York taking the lead at 50!)

800 mimosas sipped

600 mini Tabasco bottles used, spicing up each morning

A cheerful person with curly hair waves while holding a coffee cup, dressed in a light shirt and blue bottoms, exuding positivity.

What about the people?

13,286.42 miles flown by our Leaders Breakfast manager extraordinaire, Emilee Lyons

Over 2,600 attendees nationwide, including 100 first-timers!

Each honoree with an average 30+ years of design experience!

A teal suitcase with a handle and wheels, featuring stickers, stands upright against a plain background, ready for travel.

What did this accomplish — and where?

Over $25,000 in educational scholarship funds raised

2 new venues: the Westin San Francisco Union Square and the Swissotel Chicago

7 host cities: New York, Atlanta, Houston, San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Chicago

A cheerful graduate wearing a cap and gown holds a diploma, with rosy cheeks and a bright smile, symbolizing academic achievement.

8 Honorees:

Dale Alan Greenwald | Vice President, Interior Design Leader, CannonDesign (New York)
Karen S. Freeman | HOK Principal, Pediatrics Practice Leader (Atlanta)
Lauri Lampson, IIDA | President and CEO, PDR (Houston)
Brian Graham, IIDA | Founder and Creative Director, Graham Design (San Francisco)
Kris Walsh, IIDA | Interior Design Director, Principal, Page (Dallas)
Vickie Kropensk | Director, Hope Street Margolis Family Center (Los Angeles)
Jennifer Cusack, IIDA | CEO and Co-Founder, Corporate Concepts (Chicago)
Jamie Cavalier, IIDA | Associate and Project Manager, Huntsman Architectural Group (Chicago)

Two hands, one in a lighter shade and one in a darker shade, are shown in a clapping motion with motion lines indicating action.

6 Keynote Speakers:

Cassi Chandler | Motivational Leadership Expert; FBI’s First African American Female Special Agent Assistant Director (New York)
Austin Johnston | CEO, AKJOHNSTON Group; President, Experiential Guild of America (Chicago)
Vijay Gupta | Founder, Street Symphony; Co-Founder, Skid Row Arts Alliance; MacArthur Genius (San Francisco, Los Angeles)
Sarah Williams Goldhagen, Ph.D. I Author: Welcome to Your World: How the Built Environment Shapes Our Lives; Architecture Critic (Dallas)
Kelli Harding | Assistant Clinical Professor Psychiatry, Columbia University; Author: The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness (Houston)
Katie Peditto Ph.D. | Co-Director, Human Experience Lab, Perkins&Will (Atlanta)

A woman in a pink shirt and green checkered skirt holds a microphone, smiling and gesturing as if speaking to an audience.

13 Hosts:

Lance Amato, IIDA, Canoa Supply, and Anne Drysdale, Ind. IIDA, MillerKnoll (New York)
Lindsay Shockey, IIDA, President, IIDA Georgia and Bryce Walker, Ind. IIDA, Panolam Surface Systems (Atlanta)
Jessy Fuller Longbotham, IIDA, J. Tyler Services and Joseph Kirkland, MillerKnoll (Houston)
Melissa Pesci, IIDA, President, IIDA Northern California (San Francisco)
Michael Francis, IIDA, AIA, MillerKnoll and Rachel Speakman, Ind. IIDA, Geiger (Dallas)
Sarah Devine, IIDA, President, IIDA Southern California and Robert Norwood FIIDA, President-Elect, IIDA Southern California (Los Angeles)
Kimberly Martin, IIDA, President, IIDA Illinois and Christine Gould, Ind. IIDA, President-Elect, IIDA Illinois (Chicago)