Program Library

When futurist Nick Foster took the stage, audiences may have expected sweeping predictions, dazzling new technologies, or bold proclamations about what lies ahead. Instead, he offered a moment of intentional pause, inviting the NeoCon community to rethink how we imagine, evaluate, and prepare for the future of the built environment.

Nick explored how our collective ability to think about what’s next with depth, rigor, and clarity remains critically underdeveloped, particularly in the commercial interior design and architecture industries, where rapid social, technological, and cultural shifts continue to redefine how we live and work. In an era of continuous change, he demonstrated how this lack of depth can leave leaders and designers underprepared for what comes next.

Drawing on decades of experience advising some of the world’s most influential organizations, Nick focused not on providing answers, but on helping attendees build better questions. Through thought-provoking insights and real-world examples, he equipped the audience with tools to add structure to their imagination, broaden their perspectives, and navigate an increasingly uncertain future with greater confidence.

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

Nick Foster RDI is a Futures Designer based in Oakland, California. He has spent his career exploring the future for globally renowned technology companies including Google, Nokia, Sony and Dyson. As Head of Design at Google X, Nick led a team of designers, researchers and prototypers developing nascent technologies. Such include: brain-controlled computer interfaces, intelligent robotics, stratospheric internet balloons and neighborhood-scale nuclear fusion. Despite the ambitious nature of much of Nick’s work, he’s well known for his down-to-earth and occasionally irreverent approach to the future. In 2013, he coined the term Future Mundane. Fortune magazine described him as “one of the world’s foremost leaders in speculative design” in 2018. And in 2021, he received the title Royal Designer for Industry—the highest accolade for a British designer—in recognition of his significant contributions to the discipline. An accomplished writer and public speaker, Nick has produced multiple books and shares his thinking about the future with audiences across the globe. While his presentations often focus on the future, they reject the allure of predictions and forecasts, the formulaic comforts of methods and frameworks, and the hollow pomposity of buzzy, corporate jargon. Instead, Nick’s talks are intentionally provocative. He designs his talks to challenge assumptions and inspire people to truly reconsider how they think about the future. He proposes ways of thinking about the future as an extension of the present—a world shaped by human hands and inhabited by people much like ourselves. Nick encourages audiences to approach the future with greater rigor, tenacity, imagination and care. He empowers them to become more discerning consumers and critics of the endless stream of future propositions being presented to us all. Nick Foster was born in Derby—the birthplace of the industrial revolution, and a city once synonymous with innovation, manufacturing and technology. In 2001, he earned his masters degree from the Royal College of Art. In 2018, he became a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has lived in California since 2012 with his wife, Jayne.

Every era has its “impossible.” And every few years, those impossibilities quietly become normal. Smartphones. Remote work. AI that creates. Interfaces that listen. Behaviors that shift almost overnight.

In this keynote, David Shing (“Shingy”) explored how exponential technology and cultural acceleration are reshaping how people live, work, connect, and create, often faster than our organizations, spaces, and design systems can adapt.

This was not a talk about trends. It was a talk about preparedness. About how to design for change when change itself is constant. About why relevance today depends less on predicting the future and more on building creative, cultural, and organizational systems that can evolve with it.

Shingy challenged the NeoCon community to rethink not just what we design, but how we design, centering human adaptability, emotional resilience, and fluid identities as we design for an evolving world where yesterday’s breakthroughs quickly become baseline expectations.

David “Shingy” Shing
Creative Advisor and Cultural Strategist, Former Digital Prophet, AOL

David Shing, widely known as "Shingy," is a global storyteller, trendspotter, and cultural architect who challenges the status quo with creative foresight. With an illustrious career spanning marketing, digital transformation, and strategy, Shingy is a force who blends art, imagination, and business acumen to ignite change. Formerly AOL’s self-proclaimed “Digital Prophet,” Shingy has a storied track record of identifying emerging opportunities and shaping visionary futures for industry giants. From launching AOL in new European markets to steering the company’s strategic acquisitions under Verizon, his work has redefined what’s possible in digital innovation. A creative polymath and trusted advisor to cultural leaders and global brands like LVMH and Nike, Shingy transforms bold ideas into iconic identities that resonate across markets. His ability to blend creativity with strategy has earned him a unique place on stages around the world, from TED and SXSW to Cannes Lions, where he inspires audiences with mind-bending insights. Since launching his creative advisory in 2019, Shingy has the reputation as a "one-man cultural McKinsey," delivering transformative consulting, creative direction, and business strategy. He helps clients not only envision the future but implement it, offering actionable insights that bridge instinct and innovation. Shingy’s keynotes are known to challenge conventional thinking, making him an indispensable guide in navigating the intersection of art, culture, and commerce. Whether shaping global media strategies, reimagining brand identities, or counseling executives on enlightened futures, Shingy continues to revolutionize industries with an alchemy of imagination, instinct, and impact. His legacy is defined not by following trends but by creating them—turning ideas into world-shifting realities.

Entrepreneurial thinking is an engine for change and a pathway to success, but nobody ever said it was easy. In fact, figuring out how to bet on your big ideas — and win — is even more difficult in our rapidly changing world. In this conversation, designers, futurists, and other experts came together to discuss the future of entrepreneurship within the design world and beyond. How do you surface the next big idea amid seismic societal change and successfully execute that vision? In an age of AI and smart materials, what types of services and products will best meet consumer needs and enhance human experience? How can potential entrepreneurs see past trends to build businesses with staying power?

Adi Goodrich
Spatial Designer and Founder, Sing-Sing Studio

Karli Slocum
President, 3form

Carrie Buse
Senior Director of Discovery, Mattel’s Future Lab

Mark Bryan, NCIDQ, IIDA
Chief Research and Strategy Officer, IIDA

Gen Z isn’t just adapting to workplace culture — they’re redesigning it. This conversation brought those insights to life through the perspectives of people shaping what comes next, from leadership expectations and communication norms to company values, hybrid work, and the design of physical and digital environments.

The discussion built on Fast Company’s reporting on Gen Z in the workplace—flexibility, boundary-setting, and new leadership models—and explored how leaders could evolve their cultures for a new era of authenticity, inclusion, and innovation.

Amanda Schneider, MBA
President, ThinkLab

Elanta Slowek
Content and Brand Strategist, The Academy Group, Inc.

Kasia Maynard
Global Head of Knowledge, WORKTECH Academy

Grace Snelling
Editorial Assistant, Fast Company

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping every industry, fueling predictions about its transformative impact on both our work and daily lives. However, the real extent of AI’s influence – particularly for knowledge workers and the built environment – is still unfolding. As we move toward an AI-led future shaped by agentic systems, ambient intelligence, and physical AI, organizations much consider which foundational elements to prioritize and design for today, to unlock tomorrow’s potential.

In this thought-provoking panel discussion, sponsored by Cisco, industry leaders demystified AI by focusing on its core building blocks: compute, language models, and data. This accessible framework guided an exploration of how these elements enable AI’s evolution for knowledge workers and physical spaces, and what strategic steps organizations could take now—including decisions to consider in the design process—to ensure the right strategic and economic outcomes for the upcoming era of connected intelligence.

Brian McCourt
Principal, Future-Proofed Workplace Studio, Cisco

Alfonso Oliva
AI Lead for the AECO Industry, NVIDIA

Nandan Oza
Head of Americas Technology Partners, Microsoft

Amanda Schneider, MBA
President, ThinkLab

Lighting is often treated as an afterthought in the design process, introduced once architecture and interiors are already defined. Yet light is what ultimately reveals space, materials, color, and form. Lighting is the fourth visual element of the built environment, and lighting designers are the fourth visual professionals—because without thoughtful light, the designed environment cannot truly be seen or fully understood.

At a time when workplaces, hospitality environments, and public spaces are evolving rapidly, the quality of light has never been more important. Great lighting supports visual comfort, enhances materials, defines atmosphere, and elevates how people experience space.

Moderated by Al Uszynski of Inside Lighting, this conversation brought together two professional lighting designers, an interior designer, and a manufacturer’s representative to explore why lighting matters and why professional lighting design plays a critical role in shaping successful environments. Together, they discussed the impact of lighting quality and the growing importance of lighting design in the built environment.

Avraham ‘Avi’ Mor, IALD, CLD, LEED AP
Founding Principal, MorLights LLC

Caitlin Mulligan-Ankony, LC
Director of Business Development, Senior Specification Sales, SCI Lighting Solutions

Jenny West, NCIDQ, LEED AP ID+C, PROSCI
Founder, West Consulting | Design, Art, Strategy

Lisa J. Reed, PE, IALD, CLD, LEED AP BD+C
Principal & CEO, Reed Burkett Lighting Design

Rebecca Keehner, NCIDQ, Leed AP
Senior Interior Designer, Senior Associate Stantec

Sohana Arni
Founder and Creative Director, line + form + light

Al Uszynski
Publisher, Inside Lighting

Design is entering a decisive new era, shaped by economic shifts, technological acceleration, and rising expectations for how spaces perform. Drawing on research from the American Society of Interior Designers 2026 Trends Outlook and Economic Outlook, this featured presentation examined how these forces were transforming not only what designers create, but how projects are managed and delivered.

Moderated by ASID CEO Khoi Vo, this panel of ASID members brought together perspectives from across the project ecosystem: Olivia Ribeiro, Senior Workplace Strategist at dancker; Dwayne Stephens, Built Environment Consultant at Impeccable 7; and Kate Pixler, Interior Designer at HOK.

As complexity grows across budgets, timelines, teams, and supply chains, project management has become essential to translating design vision into successful outcomes. Together, the panel explored how collaboration, coordination, and evolving delivery models are reshaping the design process, and how stronger integration across stakeholders can support resilience, adaptability, and accountability in today’s built environment.

Olivia Ribeiro
Senior Workplace Strategist, dancker

Dwayne Stephens
Built Environment Consultant, Impeccable 7

Kate Pixler, RID, IIDA, LEED GA
Interior Designer, HOK

Khoi Vo, ASID, IIDA
CEO, ASID

Expanding beyond buildings, this conversation explored how experiential storytelling, cultural expression, and emerging design technologies foster belonging, joy, and connection in the spaces where we live, learn, and gather. The panel examined two transformative civic projects shaping Chicago’s South Side: the Obama Presidential Center and its adjacent Athletic Center, Home Court. Together, they represent a new model of wellness-centered civic development—one in which architecture, culture, and community converge to support long-term social and environmental well-being.

Tod Williams
Partner, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects

Dina Griffin
President, Interactive Design Architects

Renauld Mitchell
Partner, Chicago Office Director, Moody Nolan

Chris Brown
Commissioner, Chicago Public Library

Matthew Bird, PLA, WEDG
Principal, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.

Joshua Harris
Vice President, Public Engagement, The Barack Obama Foundation

Kimshasa Baldwin, NCARB, NCIDQ, LEED AP
Principal, Deture Culsign, Architecture+Interiors

Circularity in commercial furniture is increasingly being judged not by intentions, but by outcomes. This panel examined where circular strategies are working in the marketplace—and where they fall short—by comparing high-quality, durable products with lower-cost, disposable offerings.

Industry leaders looked at the logistical realities of sustainable design. From designing products with a “vintage-ready” second life to navigating the complexities of reuse logistics, they explored what worked, what didn’t, and why.

They provided real-world examples, candid insights, and actionable strategies for designing and managing furniture products to maximize value while minimizing waste. Whether you are a designer looking for practical solutions, an owner seeking to maximize your asset investment, or a manufacturer caught in the middle, this discussion will illuminate the path forward.

This session is designed for owners, A&D professionals, manufacturers, and service providers who want grounded, operational insights on making circularity work in the real world.

Joshua Belczyk
Sustainability Officer, Keilhauer

Lisa Adams, NCIDQ, LEED AP, WELL AP, LSSYB
Principal, HKS

Kristi Zook, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED Green Associate
Senior Interior Designer, State Farm

Steve Kooy
Director Health & Sustainability, BIFMA

What began as a 2016 Work Design magazine article series—“What I Learned About Workplace Strategy from My Daughter” by Arnold Levin, Principal at CWI and past strategist at Gensler—evolved into a powerful exploration of the real-world challenges neurodiverse individuals face at work. Inspired by his daughter Zoe Levin’s experiences navigating the workforce with severe ADHD and dyslexia, the talk featured Arnold Levin and explored what designers could do better to create workplaces for neurodiverse populations. Zoe was not present at NeoCon; the session was led by Arnold, who shared her experiences through his perspective.

Arnold C. Levin
Principal, CWI

One of the most frequently renovated spaces in the built environment, interior makeovers can generate as much carbon over a building's lifespan as its exterior. As the urgency to reduce emissions and material waste grows, interior designers are uniquely positioned to lead the transition from linear consumption to circular design.

Led by members of ASID’s Environment Health and Wellness Committee—Brittany McNairy of Perkins&Will and Timothy Anscombe-Bell of the Sustainable Design Collective—this talk focused on the core principles of circular interior design: longevity, adaptability, material health, circular material flows, and end-of-life planning—while addressing why interiors required strategies distinct from architecture. Grounded in real-world case studies, the session demonstrated how circular principles could be applied as actionable, value-driven design decisions rather than abstract theory. A preview of the ASID Circular Design Guide 2026 also offered additional tools for implementing circular design across project lifecycles.

Brittany McNairy, ASID, LEED AP ID+C, WELL AP
Senior Technical Coordinator, Senior Associate, Perkins&Will

Timothy Anscombe-Bell, WELL AP, Fitwel Ambassador, ASID
Director, Sustainable Design Collective

Great design doesn’t come from following rules; it comes from knowing when and why to break them.

Presented by Founder and Principal of Chicago-based DMAC Architecture & Interiors Dwayne MacEwen, this talk challenges designers to ask better questions, interrogate assumptions, and identify the missing information needed to reach solutions. The session explored how the strongest ideas are rooted in deeper stories—of brand, place, and community—and why those narratives matter more than surface aesthetics. It also made the case for rigor and courage in the creative process, citing that the most impactful ideas are rarely the first ones approved and are often the ones pushed to their edge; tested, refined, and picked back up off the floor, where real innovation lives.

Dwayne MacEwen, AIA, NCARB, RAIC
Founder, Principal & Creative Director, DMAC Architecture & Interiors

As architecture and design firms race ever faster to meet client needs, leadership rooted in people, purpose, and culture has emerged as a clear competitive advantage.

In this session, Janet Simpson, President and CEO of Atlanta-based architecture, interior design, and planning firm TVS, shared how she guided the firm’s growth by empowering diverse voices, cultivating emerging leaders, and intentionally strengthening culture as a core business strategy. Drawing from firmwide programs and leadership practices, Simpson explored how a values-led approach to leadership enabled the firm to deliver iconic cultural and civic projects that enriched neighborhoods while creating meaningful community impact. Simpson also discussed how fostering innovation, agility, and performance within the firm positioned TVS to respond to a rapidly changing industry.

Janet Simpson
President and CEO, TVS

Tanner Woodford, the Founder of the Design Museum of Chicago, was joined by the 2026 Designing a Better Chicago grantees for a round of lightning talks that highlighted grassroots design projects that are addressing challenges across Chicago communities. Each grantee shared a finding from their work using design principles to creatively tackle social problems from food insecurity to expanding access to educational opportunities.

Tanner Woodford
Founder, Iterative Work

Why does walking in the forest feel so fulfilling? It’s more than fresh air—it’s fractals.

Nature is full of patterns—from rippling water to the veins of a leaf. Our brains naturally respond to these repeating forms with calmness, focus, and restored creativity. Neuroscience shows that fractal-rich environments can reduce stress and support cognitive performance, yet indoor spaces often feel flat and rigid. When we bring in local expressions of biophilia—textures that echo organic forms, lighting that mimics dappled sunlight, graphics inspired by branching rivers—spaces begin to feel different. These elements quietly signal to the brain: you’re safe, you can breathe.

Mette Shenker, LEED AP, IIDA
Senior Principal, Design Director, SmithGroup

There are two types of people in this world: those who are disabled and those who are temporarily abled.

For Kristin Cerutti, Regional Design Leader at NELSON Worldwide, this mantra helps explain a fundamental issue within the design space and beyond: the invisibility of disability. As a designer of physical space for over twenty years, Cerutti had always designed her projects with the occupants in mind—or so she thought. Two years ago, the way she moves through the world abruptly changed and forever altered her understanding of “people-first” design thinking. In this talk, listen to Cerutti’s personal journey of adversity and perseverance—and how it made her a better designer.

Kristin Cerutti, NCIDQ, Well AP, LEED AP ID+C
Regional Design Leader, Workplace, NELSON Worldwide

Color is often treated as a finishing layer—but what if it’s actually one of the most powerful tools designers have to shape human experience?

Color strategist and founder of LOVE GOOD COLOR, Laura Guido-Clark, provided a thought-provoking conversation on how color operates beyond aesthetics—impacting emotion, behavior, and our sense of belonging within a space. Drawing from her work with leading global brands and her pioneering methodology that integrates science with the senses, Laura explored how color functions as a language—one that influences how we move, connect, and feel in the environments we inhabit.

This session also discussed assumptions that color is experienced universally. In reality, individuals—especially those who are neurodivergent—perceive and process color in vastly different ways. By understanding color as a multi-sensory and neurological experience, designers can begin to create spaces that are not only beautiful, but empathetic and inclusive.

Laura Guido-Clark
CEO, LOVE GOOD COLOR PBC

The contract furniture industry is at a pivotal moment. Geopolitical tariffs, supply chain volatility, the rise of AI, and growing expectations around climate accountability are reshaping the systems that have long supported commercial furniture design and manufacturing. In this talk, Global Head of Sustainability & Impact at iF Design Lisa Gralnek explored the existential questions the industry faces and highlights the opportunities emerging from this period of disruption.

Drawing on iF Design’s global perspective, Gralnek examined how shifting trade dynamics, material scarcity, and digital automation are redefining value, authorship, and responsibility in contract furniture. She explored how AI is transforming not just how products are made, but also how choices about labor, materials and ethics are decided. The discussion also emphasized that sustainability can no longer sit alongside business strategy—it must be central to product development, sourcing, and client relationships as regulatory, economic, and cultural pressures intensify.

Lisa Gralnek
Global Head of Sustainability & Impact, US Managing Director, iF Design

In fast-paced and high-pressure work environments, supporting employee wellness has become a strategic imperative.

This session explored how the integration of art and creative design practices transforms the workplace into more than just a productivity center; it becomes a space for healing, belonging, and human flourishing. Drawing on insights from recent International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) research on how design impacts wellness and real-world applications, attendees learned how immersive, inclusive art strategies advance culture, community, and purpose within intergenerational workforces. Led by wellness expert Stephen Brown of IWBI and disabled artist and healing practitioner Quána Madison, this discussion reimagined workplace design through the lens of accessibility, emotional resonance, and net-positive business outcomes—inviting attendees to design workplaces that feel as good as they function.

Quána Madison
Multi Disciplinary Artist, ArtLifting

Stephen Brown
Senior Vice President of Global Market Development, International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)

In interior design, color is often seen as purely aesthetic, while acoustics are treated as a technical requirement. But what if these two elements could collaborate to shape how we experience a space—emotionally, sensorially, and functionally?

Presented by architect Elettra De Pellegrin of Slalom Acoustics, this talk examined the evolving relationship between color and acoustic performance in contemporary interiors across corporate, hospitality, and hotel environments. Drawing on Slalom’s acoustic expertise, the talk offered insights for professionals seeking innovative ways to balance performance and aesthetics, where sound-absorbing elements are not hidden necessities but expressive design tools that enhance spatial identity.

Emphasizing process and design thinking, the session explored how color influences mood and perception, and how acoustic materials can amplify these effects while improving comfort and well-being. Attendees gained insights into emerging color trends, strategies for integrating color and acoustics, and ways to reinforce brand identity.

Elettra De Pellegrin, Architect
Founder and CEO, SLALOM Acoustics

Many workplaces focus on efficiency or utility but neglect how design physically and psychologically supports well-being. This is where salutogenic design changes the game—by prioritizing factors that enhance health, resilience, and joy.

Presented by Jill Stewart, President of Office Revolution, and Kelly Colon of Eledex Consulting—also known as “The Neurospicy Professor”—this talk explored how to evaluate design through a salutogenic lens, three furniture strategies to support thriving occupants, and ways to measure impact on well-being. As NeoCon continues to spotlight human-centered design, sensory well-being, and the future of work, this session challenged a common industry pattern: treating wellbeing as a feature rather than a foundation. By positioning salutogenic design as a basis of design, not an add-on, we shift from reactive fixes to proactive workplace strategies that use furniture and space to support health, engagement, and the desire to be present.

Jill Stewart
President, Office Revolution

Kelly Colón
Founder, Coach, Educator, and Author of "Life Interrupted", Eledex Consulting