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NeoCon Podcast Lounge

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The NeoCon Podcast Lounge returns for 2026 in a fresh new home on the 11th floor, Suite 1110. 

Experience a dynamic lineup of SURROUND Podcast Network shows recorded in real time, giving attendees a front-row seat to candid conversations with the industry’s most influential voices.

Join us for an interactive twist with the “Would You Rather” activation, inviting attendees to weigh in on the future of work in a fun, thought-provoking way, brought to you by Momentum - in collaboration with ThinkLab and Design Nerds Anonymous

Plus, don’t miss two special events in the SURROUND Speakeasy, including a Design Nerds Anonymous live audience event hosted by Amanda Schneider and with exclusive giveaways, including coveted Design Nerds hats and copies for Amanda’s new book, Work For What’s Next.

2026 Schedule

  • Monday, June 8, 10:30 a.m. CDT

Barriers to Entry

Barriers to entry
HOST
  • Andrew Lane
    Co-founder, Market Lead, House of Digby

GUEST
  • Bobby Bonett
    President, SANDOW DESIGN GROUP

What innovations are shaping NeoCon this year? Andrew Lane and Bobby Bonett kick off the NeoCon Podcast Lounge with a conversation on the standout ideas they’re most excited to explore throughout The Mart.

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  • Monday, June 8, 11:30 a.m. CDT

Design Drop

DD Placeholder
HOST
  • Caroline Murphy
    futureGen Engagement Lead, SANDOW DESIGN GROUP

GUEST
  • Jessica O. Matthews
    Founder and CEO, Lived Labs

Jessica O. Matthews discusses scaling from invention to infrastructure, exploring how energy, design, and human behavior intersect in the systems we rely on every day.

  • Monday, June 8, 12:00 p.m. CDT

Once Upon a Project

OUAP Cover Momentum Op1
Host
  • AJ Paron
    EVP + Design Futurist, SANDOW DESIGN GROUP

Guest
  • Michael Ford
    Momentum/Founder of Hip Hop Architecture

Michael Ford, “The Hip Hop Architect,” explores his collaboration with Momentum, blending influences from music, architecture, and community into expressive textile and wallcovering design.

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  • Monday, June 8, 1:00 p.m. CDT

Once Upon a Project

OUAP SHAW Caroline Zimbalist 1x1
Host
  • AJ Paron
    EVP + Design Futurist, SANDOW DESIGN GROUP

Guests
  • Shannon Crider Langley
    Director Workplace + Retail Marketing, Shaw Contract

  • Frances Phillips
    Senior Content Manager, Shaw Contract

  • Caroline Zimbalist
    Artist and Designer

Shaw Contract’s marketing leaders and artist Caroline Zimbalist discuss the creative process behind a cross-disciplinary project blending art, design, and brand storytelling.

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  • Monday, June 8, 2:15 p.m. CDT

Just A Moment

Just a Moment Show Image
HOST
  • Brant Menswar
    Founder, Black Sheep Foundry LLC

GUEST
  • Philip Sheppard
    Award-winning composer & cellist

Award-winning composer and cellist Philip Sheppard joins Brant to share two defining moments from his remarkable journey in music. Philip opens up about the moment that changed everything for the better—and the one he wishes he could get back. A powerful conversation about creativity, choices, and the moments that shape who we become.

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  • Tuesday, June 9, 9:00 a.m. CDT

Just A Moment

Just a Moment Show Image
HOST
  • Brant Menswar
    Founder, Black Sheep Foundry LLC

GUEST
  • Patrick Loechle
    CEO, Architonic

CEO of Architonic, W. Patrick Loechle, sits down with Brant to reveal the two defining moments that shaped his path in design and leadership. From building one of the world's premier platforms for architects and designers to navigating an industry in transformation, Patrick reflects on the experiences, decisions, and lessons that continue to guide his vision today.

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  • Tuesday, June 9, 10:00 a.m. CDT

SURROUND Presents

SURROUND PRESENTS
Host
  • AJ Paron
    EVP + Design Futurist, SANDOW DESIGN GROUP

Guest
  • Wick Wolfe
    President, Unika Vaev

Wick Wolfe shares insights on leadership, legacy, and the evolving role of textiles in shaping modern interior environments.

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  • Tuesday, June 9, 11:00 a.m. CDT

FUTURE OF XYZ

Future of XYZ IF Podcast Cover Final 2048x2048
Host
  • Lisa Gralnek
    US Managing Director, iF DESIGN

Guest
  • Brad Ascalon
    Industrial Designer/Founder, Brad Ascalon Studio

Future of (Not) Fast Furniture - Acclaimed industrial designer Brad Ascalon will speak candidly about craft, brand voice, building for longevity, collaboration, and micro-innovations that are needed to help overcome the rush towards corporate profit and trend fulfillment in an era of techno-overload, climate risk, and economic uncertainty.

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  • Tuesday, June 9, 12:00 p.m. CDT

Design Nerds Anonymous

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Host
  • Amanda Schneider
    President, ThinkLab

Guests
  • Joseph Olivieri
    Project Coordinator I, Corgan

  • Candon Murphy
    Firmwide Materials Resource Manager, HOK

  • Caroline Murphy
    futureGen Engagement Lead, SANDOW DESIGN GROUP

We Tested a Gen Z Advisory Model. Here’s What We Learned.

Recorded live at our industry’s largest trade show, we tested a Gen Z advisory model by giving the next generation a seat at the table in real time. This builds on multiple years of research and an ongoing cohort designed to bring their perspective into real business decisions. Here’s what we’re learning—and what it could mean for how your organization works next.

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  • Tuesday, June 9, 1:00 p.m. CDT

Deep Green

Deep Green 8bit
HOST
  • Avinash Rajagopal
    Editor In Chief, Metropolis Magazine

GUESTS
  • Jonathan Mountfort
    Creative Director, Autex Acoustics - New Zealand

  • Julia Gillespie
    VP of Marketing and Sustainability, Momentum

“Mine” your business. Autex explores why waste is a sound investment, sharing its journey toward carbon neutrality through regenerative materials, PET innovations, and circular product design. The session examines how designing for disassembly and extending product life cycles through adaptable accessories can help reshape the future of sustainable manufacturing.

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  • Tuesday, June 9, 1:00 p.m. CDT

Design Fuel

Design Fuel Cover Art FINAL 0225dtc
HOST
  • David Polzin, AIA, LEED AP
    Principal, Design Executive Director

GUEST
  • Richard Olcott, FAIA, FAAR
    Partner, Ennead Architects LLP

Host David Polzin will speak with Richard Olcott, Design Partner at Ennead Architects, about the role of architecture in shaping the public realm, growing and evolving a design practice to endure over successive generations, and some of the great work Richard has led over his career – from embassies and consulates around the world to world-class academic institutions coast to coast.

  • Tuesday, June 9, 2:00 p.m. CDT

Barriers to Entry

Barriers to entry
Host
  • Andrew Lane
    Co-founder, Market Lead, House of Digby

Guest
  • Nick Foster, RDI
    Futures Designer, Former Head of Design, Google X

From Google X moonshots to the keynote stage at NeoCon, Futures Designer Nick Foster RDI joins Andrew to dive into the challenge of how the architecture and design industry thinks about what’s next — and why better questions may matter more than any answer AI can provide.

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  • Tuesday, June 9, 2:30 p.m. CDT

The Design Board

The Design Board 2024 V2 2048x2048
HOST
  • Caroline Schillaci
    Vice President + Chief of Staff, UpSpring

GUESTS
  • Amanda Schneider
    Founder and President, ThinkLab

  • Sarah Terzic
    President, UpSpring

If Workplace Culture Is Failing, How Do We Earn the Trust of the Next Generation? This live NeoCon conversation will explore what “failing culture” means for the people designing and furnishing workplace environments, who the next generation of workers are, and what they want from work. It will also look at what it takes for brands, firms, and leaders to stop assuming trust and start earning it.

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  • Wednesday, June 10, 10:00 a.m. CDT

FUTURE OF XYZ

Future of XYZ IF Podcast Cover Final 2048x2048
Host
  • Lisa Gralnek
    US Managing Director, iF DESIGN

Guest
  • Cheryl Durst
    Executive Vice President/CEO. IIDA

Future of Interiors — Who better than Cheryl Durst, EVP and CEO of IIDA, to take on such a broad topic? From material choices and sustainability certifications to educating the next generation, protecting the industry from a tech takeover, and continuing to deliver wellness, practicality, and character across spaces, this conversation will cover a lot of ground — and 30 minutes may not be enough.

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  • Wednesday, June 10, 11:15 a.m. CDT

NeoConversations

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Host
  • Nubia Henderson
    Director of Programming, NeoCon

Guest
  • David "Shingy" Shing
    Creative Advisor and Cultural Strategist, Former Digital Prophet, AOL

David “Shingy” Shing joins NeoConversations to discuss the cultural shifts shaping how brands, workplaces, and people connect in a rapidly changing digital world.

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