BEYOND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT LEADERSHIP
//////////////////////////////////////////// Board of Directors ////////////////////////////////////////////
Venesa Alicea-Chuqui AIA, NOMA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, an Architect, Educator and Advocate, is Founding Principal of NYVARCH Architecture, a NY/NJ based collaborative Architectural Practice focused on building community and equity through design. She recently became an Equity in Action Presidential Postdoctoral fellow at Kean University, School of Public Architecture, Michael Graves College in New Jersey, where her research will be focusing on resiliency, energy equity and community power. With over 15 years of experience designing multi-family sustainable affordable, and supportive housing developments and civic projects, she is committed to working with local communities to develop good design, both sustainable and socially conscious. She is President of the Architecture Alumni Group of the Alumni Association of the City College of New York, her alma mater (B.Arch ‘05). Committed to design justice in the built environment, she’s an active contributor to Dark Matter University, Design as Protest, and a former co-chair to the AIANY Diversity & Inclusion and Emerging New York Architects committees. She is past chair of the AIANY Puerto Rico Resiliency task force, an active member of the AIANY Planning and Urban Design Committee, and a 2019 Fellow of the Association for Community Design.
Jason Pugh AIA, AICP, NOMAC, LEED AP is a licensed architect, certified planner, and a Principal at Gensler where he serves as the Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. His diverse training and expertise allow him to take a unique approach to complicated projects centered on cultural connectivity and participatory community design. His portfolio spans both foreign and domestic projects, and includes transit-oriented developments, mixed-use residential, commercial office, retail, and affordable housing. His favorite projects include those which afford opportunities to directly engage with end-users and the extended community as he oscillates between the macro and micro scales to progress projects from preliminary master planning concepts through full construction.
Pugh has a passion for developing underserved communities and the next generation of designers and architects. He is the Immediate Past National President of NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects), and a member of the NOMA Council, the highest honored elevation in the organization. Jason also serves on Chicago’s Executive Board for the ACE Mentor Program.
Pugh has a Bachelor of Arts from Howard University, one of seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities with an architecture accreditation, and a Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University.
//////////////////////////////////////////// Founder ////////////////////////////////////////////
Bolanle Williams-Olley is the CFO and co-owner of Mancini Duffy, a national design firm with over 100 years of history and a tech-forward approach based in New York City, where she oversees the firm's financial and operational performance. She has over 15 years of experience working in the AEC industry with a strong background in financial analysis and strategic initiatives. She is also the founder of four impact organizations serving children in low-income communities in Nigeria, women, small firms and creating awareness about NGOs across Nigeria.
As the author of Build Boldly: Chart Your Unique Career Path and Lead with Courage, she is passionate about helping individuals lean into their full potential at each step of their career, from applying to the first job to becoming a leader who empowers others. She urges leaders to challenge the status quo of what the corporate world should look like, introducing new methods to foster space for open voices, collective growth, and meaningful connections.
She is married with two kids, passionate about service and is obsessed with throwing really fun themed parties.
Pascale Sablan, FAIA, NOMA, LEED AP, a visionary architect with an impressive track record of transforming the built environment. As Chief Executive Officer, New York Studio at Adjaye Associates, she brings over 15 years of experience and an unparalleled passion for designing structures that serve society.
Pascale's achievements are numerous, including being the 315th living African-American woman registered architect in the United States. She is an activist architect who has made it her mission to address the inequitable disparities in architecture. In pursuit of this goal, she founded the Beyond the Built Environment organization, which has become a beacon for women and BIPOC designers seeking to make their mark on the field.
As the Global President of the National Organization of Minority Architects, Pascale has become a trailblazer in the industry. She is the fifth woman to hold this prestigious position in the organization's 52-year legacy, a testament to her unwavering commitment to progress.
Pascale's advocacy efforts have earned her numerous accolades, including the Architectural League 2021 Emerging Voices award and the 2021 AIA Whitney M. Young. Jr Award. She has also been inducted into the AIA College of Fellows, the youngest African American to receive this honor in the organization's 167-year history. Additionally, Pascale has received the Graham Foundation Grant and the Architects Foundation Grant for her research and exhibitions with affiliated programming.
Pascale's influence extends far beyond the United States. She has given lectures at colleges and universities nationally and globally, including prestigious institutions like the RIBA, the United Nations, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
In the media, Pascale has been described as a "powerhouse woman" and a "rarely missed opportunity to note the importance of the connection between the professionals conceiving and constructing our environments and the people they should serve." Her work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, and Forbes magazine, and she was recognized by Oprah's Future Rising platform for Black trailblazers.
Pascale's educational background includes a Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute and a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. With her unique perspective, unwavering dedication, and undeniable talent, Pascale Sablan is poised to continue shaping the future of architecture for years to come.