Skills That Transfer: Lessons Learned Through Remote Work

Susan Chang is the co-founder of Shimoda Design Group, a boutique studio specializing in bespoke design solutions for leading companies across the U.S. Susan's breadth of experience in workplace, retail and residential projects have been integral to the development of the multidisciplinary design practice. Under her leadership, the studio work is diverse with a common strength in its narrative unique to each client and company brand experience. In 2000, Susan and Joey Shimoda founded Shimoda Design Group at a live/work warehouse in the burgeoning Arts district of downtown Los Angeles. The firm steadily gained a reputation for innovative workplace interiors, history-conscious building renovations and bold, forward-looking creative mixed-use campuses. Their eclectic sensibilities merge with a unique client culture for engaging, enlivening, transformative design as exemplified by collaborations with Steelcase Inc., Tishman Speyer, TOMS Shoes and Bloomberg.

AJ Paron is serving the design community in her role as executive vice president and design futurist for the SANDOW Design Group, focusing on the contract design brands: Interior Design, Metropolis, and ThinkLab. She is widely respected as a creative thinker, innovative leader, and engaging speaker and panelist. AJ’s experience includes creating and leading a multimillion-dollar award-winning design/build firm,  developing ground-breaking research in design for autism, and author and writer. As a design professional, she has specialized in workplace design, environmental initiatives/LEED + WELL, and change management. 

Laura is the principal interior designer for Thurman Design Studio, a Nashville-based interior design firm specializing in residential and commercial development projects. She is well known for a global aesthetic filtered through a modern lens. Laura has received numerous industry honors recognizing her emergence as a fresh voice and influencer in the industry.

A seasoned design leader with professional experience across multiple industries, Elizabeth Von Lehe leads HDR’s efforts to advance a holistic approach to design, embracing not only the built form, but branding, curation and the development of user experience from every angle. Von Lehe previously worked at ICRAVE Design, where she served as director of strategy, brand and architectural design for more than seven years. Before that, she worked in design for both Target and Lands’ End. Her experience includes developing product collections for both fashion and furniture industries as well as guiding master plans and interior design concepts.

Based in New York, New York, Von Lehe is well known throughout the design professions as a leader in the field of experience design. She is a regular keynote and workshop speaker at the national and chapter levels for the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), advocating for experience design to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and integration beyond what most designers usually practice. Von Lehe currently serves as a Director on the national board of ASID, and is a regular graduate mentor and panelist for her alma mater, Columbia University. Her work has been featured in several industry publications and she has been interviewed by national outlets such as Bloomberg and NPR.