Brianna Hunter, IIDA, NCIDQ, LEED AP ID+C

A Florida native, Brianna's journey started in her hometown of Port Saint Lucie. There, she obtained her degree in law which allowed her to work on pre-litigation and probate cases. Having a natural talent and passion for design, Brianna decided to return to the world of academics and pursue her Master’s in Interior Architecture at Florida International University. Being surrounded by the culturally diverse world of Miami, Brianna was excited to join as many professional organizations as possible and get involved in the design community. She was fortunate enough to work for FIU’s Department of Academic Space Management which introduced her to real world applications of design.

 After graduating in April 2019, Brianna was able to embrace her first professional role with Perkins & Will. There, she developed skills in concepting and executing design projects with a specialization in ideation and graphics. During her employment, she aggressively pursued certifications. In December 2020 she obtained her LEED ID+C credential and in October 2021 she passed the NCIDQ exams. She is now a registered Interior Designer in the state of Florida.

 March 2022, Brianna joined the MKDA team as a Project Designer and now manages her own projects from start to finish. Although there is a lot to learn, Brianna understands that anything is attainable with hard work and dedication.

Mike Johnson II , AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, NOMA

Mike Johnson II is an Associate Principal and Director of Interior Design at Hickok Cole in Washington, DC. Licensed as both an architect and interior designer, his award-winning designs have focused on providing creative solutions for interior spaces that support health, wellness, culture, equity, diversity, inclusion, and brand. His belief is that design is a thoughtful process through captivating storytelling which creates a unique solution for each client. Mike’s clients include corporate workplace design, trade floor facilities, higher education and building repositioning throughout the country. Mike is on IIDA’s International Board of Directors as a Vice President, served as a Past President of IIDA’s Mid-Atlantic Chapter, Co-founded the Mid-Atlantic Chapters leadership development program for young professionals and was featured in IIDA’s Perspective magazine article “The Instagram Effect”.

Tari Pelaez-Czech, NCIDQ, LEED GA

Tari is a registered interior designer and brand storyteller with 15 years of experience envisioning the future of work. Her work is known for its purpose-focused experiences rooted in design research and branded concepts. Her mission is to establish a sense of place and to empower individuals and teams to do their best work.

Tari began her career at Gensler Miami, where she focused on a multitude of practice areas: PSF, FSF, Media, Consumer Goods, and Tech. In 2015, she joined Studio O + A in San Francisco, where she told stories through space for clients such as Uber, Cisco, Nike, adidas, and McDonald’s. 

Soon after, she joined WeWork as their Creative Director. During her time there, her team of 35 designers designed and built over 250 new WeWork locations across the United States. In 2012, she boomeranged back to Gensler in New York. In New York, she led projects for two of the firm’s highest revenue workplace projects: IBM and Google. 

Most recently, Tari has returned home to Gensler Miami with the intent of elevating design and sharing her vast storytelling and HQ experience.

2023 Research (Academic) Jurors to be announced...