From Vision to Leadership: Empowering Women and Immigrants at AIA Aspire

The 2025 AIA Aspire Conference, held in Asheville, North Carolina, brought together architects, designers, and industry leaders for meaningful conversations around diversity, leadership, and the future of our profession. For a few inspiring days, the mountain city became a vibrant hub of design, advocacy, and community engagement.

The Immigrant Architects Coalition (IAC) was honored to be part of this transformative event. The conference’s theme,  “design outside the lines,” resonated deeply with IAC’s mission to break barriers and create new pathways for immigrant architects and designers to thrive and lead..

A Session That Sparked Change

“Building New Horizons: Advocating for Women and a Diverse Leadership” featured IAC collaborators Graciela Carrillo, Gozde Yildirim, Danei Wallen, and Taruna Gupta, who led a powerful dialogue on the challenges and opportunities facing women and immigrant professionals in architecture. 

The session was highly interactive, with over 20 participants actively shaping the conversation. Through live polling and real-time input, attendees contributed insights that helped guide the discussion organically.  This format transformed the session into a collaborative exchange, allowing diverse voices to be heard and reflected in the moment.

Key Takeaways: A Roadmap for Success

The panelists emphasized three fundamental principles that resonated throughout the session:

• Set Bold Career Goals: The speakers encouraged attendees to think beyond traditional career trajectories and envision leadership roles that may have seemed out of reach. They shared how to set ambitious goals, even when the path wasn't clear, which helped them break through barriers and create new opportunities in the profession.

• Build Strong Professional Networks: Networking was presented not as a superficial exercise, but as a vital tool for professional survival and growth. The panelists discussed how building authentic relationships within and beyond the architecture community opened doors to opportunities, collaborations, and support systems that proved invaluable throughout their careers.

• Seek Out Mentors: Perhaps the most powerful message was the cyclical nature of mentorship. The speakers emphasized how seeking guidance from experienced professionals helped shape their careers, while also highlighting their responsibility to mentor the next generation of architects and designers. This creates a continuous cycle of support that strengthens the entire profession.

Addressing Unique Challenges

What made this session particularly impactful was how the panelists addressed the intersection of being both women and immigrants in architecture. They acknowledged the additional barriers of navigating a new country's professional landscape while breaking gender barriers in a traditionally male-dominated field.

They offered practical resources and strategies tailored to these experiences—from understanding licensure requirements across different countries to building confidence when English isn't your first language. Most importantly, they emphasized that diverse perspectives aren't just valuable; they're essential for architecture's future.

Beyond the Conference Walls

The session's impact extended far beyond Asheville. Attendees left with renewed confidence and understanding that diverse leadership roles in architecture aren't just possible—they're necessary for creating a more inclusive profession. 

The stories shared served as living proof that, with resilience, strategic networking, and community support, immigrant architects and designers can reach the highest levels of leadership and success.

This conversation continues through IAC's ongoing initiatives, mentorship programs, and advocacy efforts, reinforcing our belief that elevating diverse voices elevates the entire profession.

Looking Forward: Continuing the Momentum

While conferences serve as powerful catalysts for change, the real impact unfolds in the weeks and months that follow. The connections made in Asheville, the strategies shared, and the inspiration generated will continue to ripple through the architecture community.

We encourage every immigrant architect and designer to take one concrete step this month: reach out to a potential mentor, set a bold career goal, or offer guidance to someone earlier in their journey. The leadership pipeline in architecture will only be as strong as we build it, together.

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