About
NYCxDESIGN

Pascale Sablan, FAIA, NOMAC, LEED AP is a visionary architect and CEO of Adjaye Associates, New York studio. As the 315th living African American woman registered architect in the U.S., Pascale embodies excellence, innovation, and sustainability. She founded Beyond the Built Environment to empower women and BIPOC designers, and she recently served as the Global President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (2023–2024), becoming the fifth woman to hold this role.

Pascale’s advocacy has earned her the Architectural League 2021 Emerging Voices award and the 2021 AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Award. She is the youngest African American inducted into the AIA College of Fellows. Pascale has lectured at RIBA, the United Nations, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, and Forbes, and she was recognized by Oprah’s Future Rising platform. With degrees from Pratt Institute and Columbia University, Pascale Sablan is shaping the future of architecture.

Emanuela Frattini Magnusson is a Milan-born architect and designer based in New York. She is the founder and principal of EFM Design, an award-winning, multi-disciplinary practice established in 1991, focusing on architecture, interiors, product design, and brand development.

Currently consulting as Design Director at Howard Hughes Development, Emanuela has also served as Design Director at Related Hudson Yards and Global Head of Design at Bloomberg LP from 2013 to 2017, where she shaped the company’s international corporate culture.

Emanuela co-founded Gianfranco Frattini Studio to promote her father’s architectural legacy and curated exhibitions and authored a book published in 2023. She is also the founder of Articolo, creative director at Spinneybeck, and the founder of Manù, a luxury leather goods line.

A former Board Member and Treasurer of Operation Design, she has created award-winning products for leading manufacturers like Knoll and MoMA. She has taught at Parsons and Yale, with her work published widely in the U.S. and Europe.

Emanuela holds a degree in architecture from Milan Politecnico, an MBA from NYU Stern, and is a LEED-accredited architect in both NY and Italy.

Elan Cole is an accomplished creative strategist with expertise in design, writing, and filmmaking. Over his 30+ year career, he has led and collaborated with teams to deliver award-winning brand strategies, identity and content systems, campaigns, products, stories, and films—earning accolades that include multiple Emmys, Webbys, and more.

As part of his brand consultancy practice, he created On/Brand, a workshop for design students and emerging creatives demonstrating how branding tools and frameworks can strengthen creative careers. He has conducted workshops at the School of Visual Arts, the University of Michigan’s Stamps School of Art and Design, Brigham Young University’s Design Department, and others.

Previously, Elan served as the Executive Creative Director of New York City Tourism + Conventions for over seven years, guiding the city’s tourism industry through the challenges of the pandemic and rebranding of NYC for a global audience.

Other career highlights include co-founding Johnson & Johnson’s Global Strategic Design Office, where he played a pivotal role in driving impact across iconic global brands. He also directed brand communications for The Museum of Modern Art, and initiatives for leading brands including Infiniti Motors, JetBlue Airlines, Timberland, Budweiser, and many more. 

Michael Cohen is a global marketing and communications executive with a passion for the arts, design, and creative collaboration. His innovative approach to brand engagement across disciplines has led to the development of global advertising campaigns, corporate brand architecture and design, digital marketing, film and video production, event management, and on/offline publication creation. Most recently, he served as Managing Director and Global Head of Marketing and Communications at Tradeweb Markets, where he was a member of the Executive Committee and led initiatives that elevated the firm’s brand through multimedia content, strategic partnerships, and purpose-driven programming.

Michael’s career spans leadership roles at the New York Stock Exchange and MF Global, where he modernized legacy brands and launched innovative programs that combined data, design, and narrative to engage diverse audiences. Earlier in his career, he shaped consumer and corporate messaging at Sony, Grey Advertising, Deutsch, and Saatchi & Saatchi, gaining a strong foundation in creative strategy and integrated marketing.

His work has been recognized for excellence by leading industry groups including the Financial Communications Society (FCS), the Advertising Club of New York, PR News, and the International Association of Business Communicators, receiving multiple awards for brand innovation, integrated campaigns, content strategy, and corporate communications.

Emmanuel (Manny) Curling is a seasoned Financial Advisor with over 13 years of experience at UBS, specializing in comprehensive wealth management and financial planning. Manny works with a diverse clientele, including athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs, helping them navigate complex financial landscapes to achieve their goals.

Holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Advertising from Syracuse University, Manny is also a Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®), Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ (AAMS™), and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™).

Beyond his professional achievements, Manny is deeply committed to community involvement, mentoring aspiring professionals through organizations like the Black Innovation Alliance and Exodus NYC.

Lastly, he has curated an event series called Bridging the Gap. BTG fosters a community and builds inclusivity by creating events that connect and inspire through insights from industry leaders, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds to grow and thrive together.

Born in Milan, Italy, he holds a Master’s degree in Global Media and Communications, a program taught jointly by the London School of Economics and the Annenberg School at USC.

He has a 20+ year career in marketing and communications, having worked for prestigious, global luxury brands such as Ferrari, Maserati, Baume et Mercier, amongst many. 

At Related he is a VP of marketing, focused on place-making and community-building initiatives and projects, from the launch of Hudson Yards in 2018 to the re-launch of Wollman Rink in 2021, to the soon-to-open Grand LA, and he helms the company’s brand content efforts, telling the many stories of people and communities brought together and supported by the Developer.

He is also the co-founder and senior sponsor of Related Pride ERG, the LGBTQIA+ employee group that has been partnering and creating employee volunteer opportunities with local organizations such as the Hetrick Martin Institute and the Ali Forney Center.

Alan M. Siegel, Esq., Hon. FASID has 50+ years of legal experience within the design and architectural industry and has represented the interests of interior designers, architects, product designers, and industry resources. For over twenty years, Alan served as national legal counsel to ASID, and is the author of the ASID interior design form contracts. For his years of service with ASID, Alan was named an ASID Honorary Fellow.

Alan is a trustee of the Angelo Donghia Foundation. He has also served as a member of the National Board of Directors of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of NYCxDesign, Inc. He is the co-author of “A Guide to Business Principles and Practices for Interior Designers,” and a frequent lecturer and contributor to the design industry and trade publications.

Kimberly Weinrick leads Strategic Communications for FinTechs and Investment Managers; firms include Ninety One, Xponance, Aapryl and TIFIN, along with the biotech, Cytogel and the nonprofit Rock The Street, Wall Street, bringing the M in STEM to high school girls. Previously, as Head of Public Affairs for OppenheimerFunds, she served as Corporate Spokesperson and guided the firm’s messaging and Philanthropy & Community initiatives. Prior, Weinrick managed executive communications for J.P. Morgan’s Investment Banking business and Global Commodities. She is a past President of the Financial Women’s Association and has served as a senior advisor.

Sonia Park is an expert strategist in the creative economy with expertise in fashion, manufacturing, and gaming. She creates and executes tangible outcomes to build eco-systems, set up efficient supply chains, improve delivery of product/programs, increase profitability and efficiencies, develop partnerships, and advance the development process to create increased opportunity. Park’s advisory role is to ensure that New York City and NYCEDC continue to be involved in the programming.

Ilene Shaw has devoted her career to championing exceptional design and expanding its public and cultural impact. Born in New York City and educated at Parsons School of Design, she began as a product designer and quickly recognized design’s power as both a discipline and an industry in need of strong platforms and global visibility.

She conceived and co-developed the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) with GLM Management at a pivotal moment for the American design market, shaping its concept and guiding it through its formative first decade, as a premier North American showcase for contemporary furniture.
Shaw founded and produced Design Pavilion, a public design activation, and created Design Talks, a platform for leading design thinkers. An advocate for public art, she is a senior advisor to CODAworx and co-spearheaded the internationally acclaimed CODA Awards. She is also a frequent presenter on the CBS series America ByDesign, hosting interviews with leading voices in architecture and innovation worldwide.  Shaw served as Executive Director of the Worldesign Foundation, a nonprofit launched by the Industrial Designers Society of America.