IIDA Leaders Breakfast (Leaders) is an annual event series hosted by local IIDA chapters with the support of IIDA Headquarters, international benefactor MillerKnoll, and media partner Interior Design.
Leaders events celebrate design’s importance in the global marketplace by honoring the people who are both the legacy and future of design. Each event features a renowned keynote speaker who enlightens, provokes, and encourages new ideas, and a celebration recognizing one local Leadership Award of Excellence Honoree who has made significant contributions to the design industry.
About the Leaders Breakfast Award of Excellence
A Leaders Breakfast History
2025 Leaders Breakfast Series
New York
Keynote Speaker

Lindsay Shookus
Co-Founder, Women Work F#cking Hard | Legendary Saturday Night Live Producer
A legendary presence behind one of America’s most beloved television shows, Lindsay Shookus worked as a veteran producer for Saturday Night Live. During her tenure, as both producer and head of the talent department, Shookus helped engineer the show’s success from booking and managing celebrity hosts and musical guests, to scouting rising stars to join the show’s ranks cementing her reputation for having a sharp eye for talent. Shookus speaks to her own experiences to lead an on-stage masterclass on personal transformation, building connections, and embracing life’s obstacles on the road to overcome them. She is the co-founder of Women Work F#cking Hard, a women’s community focused on empowering female founders and helping businesswomen develop their careers. Shookus brings a unique blend of inspirational insight and authenticity to share relatable stories with messages that will spark action and remain with audience members for the long term.
Leadership Award of Excellence Honoree
To Be Announced Live at the Event!
Previous Years
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2024 Leaders Breakfast
New York
Award of Excellence Honoree | Dale Alan Greenwald
Keynote Speaker | Cassi Chandler
Houston
Award of Excellence Honoree | Lauri Goodman Lampson, IIDA
Keynote Speaker | Kelli Harding
San Francisco
Award of Excellence Honoree | Brian Graham
Keynote Speaker | Vijay Gupta
Los Angeles
Award of Excellence Honoree | Vickie Kropenske
Keynote Speaker | Vijay Gupta
Dallas
Award of Excellence Honoree | Kris Walsh
Keynote Speaker | Sara Williams Goldhagen, PhD
Atlanta
Award of Excellence Honoree | Karen S. Freeman, IIDA
Keynote Speaker | Katie Peditto, PhD
Chicago
Award of Excellence Honoree | Jennifer Cusack
Keynote Speaker | Austin Johnston
Emerging Leader Honoree | Jamie Cavalier -
2023 Leaders Breakfast
New York
Award of Excellence Honoree | Hilda Longinotti
Keynote Speaker | Candace Doby
Houston
Award of Excellence Honoree | Kristin Ledet, IIDA
Keynote Speaker | Maria Brito
San Francisco
Award of Excellence Honoree | Joan Price
Keynote Speaker | Sloan Leo
Vancouver
Award of Excellence Honoree | Carol Jones, Emeritus FIIDA
Keynote Speaker | Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA
Los Angeles
Award of Excellence Honoree | Rose Tourje
Keynote Speaker | LaToya Ruby Frazier
Dallas
Award of Excellence Honoree | Ana Pinto-Alexander, FIIDA
Keynote Speaker | Minda Harts
Atlanta
Award of Excellence Honoree | Chris Heard, IIDA
Keynote Speaker | Donna Dennis
Chicago
Award of Excellence Honoree | Jennifer Sobecki, Ind. IIDA
Keynote Speaker | LaToya Ruby Frazier -
2022 Leaders Breakfast
New York
Award of Excellence Honoree | Jennifer Graham IIDA
Keynote Speaker | Leyla Acaroglu
Houston
Award of Excellence Honoree | Stephanie Burritt, IIDA
Keynote Speaker | Scott Dikkers
San Francisco
Award of Excellence Honoree | Donald Cremers, IIDA
Keynote Speaker | Jane McGonigal
Toronto
Award of Excellence Honoree | Marilyn Donoghue, FIDC
Keynote Speaker | Ian McCallum
Los Angeles
Award of Excellence Honoree | Barbara Bouza, IIDA, FAIA
Keynote Speaker | Ben Nemtin
Dallas
Award of Excellence Honoree | Art Bloodworth
Keynote Speaker | Michael Ford, AIA, NOMA
Atlanta
Award of Excellence Honoree | Ronnie Belizaire, FIIDA
Keynote Speaker | Maria Brito
Chicago
Award of Excellence Honoree | Jim Prendergast, IIDA, FAIA
Keynote Speaker | Annie Jean-Baptiste
The Leadership Award of Excellence
Presentation of the Leadership Award of Excellence is the signature activity at every Leaders event. This award recognizes an honoree, typically a member of the local design community, for their exemplary leadership within the profession of commercial interior design and architecture or a non-practitioner for outstanding contributions to the profession. Honorees are presented with an iconic, limited-edition Herman Miller or Knoll gift to commemorate their achievement.
Honorees are selected for their achievements recognized by IIDA that have advanced the interior design profession, have a history of conscientious and ethical behavior with colleagues, clients, and others in business interactions, and have been recognized within their local professional design community. Honorees have a strong connection to IIDA and reinforce the Association’s significance in the design community.
History
Launched in New York in 1989 by Jeannie Bochette of Steelcase, the IIDA Leaders Breakfast series began as a single event. The goal was to introduce IIDA to the business world as a leading association of commercial interior design and to inform IIDA members about the major issues affecting them and the industry. The event established a forum where members and their clients could participate and network with their peers.
Since expanded in 2001 by IIDA Headquarters and through the support of international benefactor MillerKnoll and media partner Interior Design, Leaders Breakfast has become an annual event series that celebrates design’s importance in the global marketplace.
Made possible by our International Benefactor and Media Partner:

