Symposium

Keynote speaker Grace Jun is a tenured associate professor at the University of Georgia (UGA), where she examines the intersection of disability and collaborative design processes. In this space, she researches how accessibility is created and negotiated within graphic design and fashion, spotlighting how creative making in these fields actively constructs inclusive practices. Jun was recently named in the Vogue Business inaugural “100 Innovators” of 2025.

Jun has held different positions in the tech industry, academia, and entrepreneurial business. This has influenced her work to be interdisciplinary, leading her to become a founding member of the national award-winning disability nonprofit Open Style Lab. She has been asked to speak about disability and design in numerous settings around the world and has been featured in Forbes, The Washington Post, and The New York Times’ style section.

Jun is a proud alumnus of both Parsons School of Design and RISD, majoring in design and technology (MFA) and graphic design (BFA), respectively.

Yannick Benjamin, a New York City-based sommelier, is both the co-founder of Contento Restaurant in East Harlem and Beaupierre Wines & Spirits in Hell’s Kitchen. He is also a co-founder and director of development for Wine on Wheels, an organization of wine lovers and sommeliers who have come together to harness a love of great wines to benefit charity.

In 2003, a car accident left Benjamin paralyzed, but he pursued his dreams to attend college and become a sommelier. Having worked in his early years at Le Cirque, Jean-Georges, Felidia, and Atelier at the Ritz Carlton, Benjamin and partners opened Contento with the ethos and tagline “accessible for all.”

Jake J Brotter is an architect and educator with decades of experience in the design and construction industry. In 2024, he established a full-service architectural, interior design, and planning practice in New York City. He aims to deliver spaces that promote health, comfort, and well-being, arising  from the firm belief that all humans deserve a livable planet and healthy, inclusive space.

Brotter is an adjunct instructor in Interior Design at FIT.

Jennifer Carpenter is a founding principal of Verona Carpenter Architects, a Manhattan-based architecture and interior design firm. Through built work, research, and teaching, the firm works at the intersection of physical and social sustainability, with an approach that centers neurodivergence and disability to design for the widest range of minds and bodies.

Carpenter is a registered architect and LEED Accredited Professional. Current research initiatives include Sensory Schools: Reimagining Learning Spaces for Neurodiversity, an NYSCA + Architectural League grant, and The Neurodiverse City, winner of the Design Trust for Public Space “Restorative City” RFP with WIP Collaborative. 

Adam El-Sawaf is senior adaptive designer and fabricator at Adaptive Design Association, Inc. (ADA). El-Sawaf joined ADA in 2016, after a six-month internship, upon completing his BFA in industrial design. Both his junior and senior theses centered around medical support devices, and he was eager to continue developing his practice of creating thoughtfully designed solutions for often overlooked problems.

As a proficient fabricator specializing in cardboard carpentry, CAD, and 3D printing, El-Sawaf promotes access, equity, and inclusion through ADA workshops for parents, teachers, and professionals.

Eric Gottschall is an alumnus of FIT’s Sculpture program. Since 2021, his work as a designer and fabricator at (Adaptive Design Association, Inc. (ADA) has allowed him to investigate one’s autonomy within space, continuously working with clients to find new spatial intervention methods. It’s this critical dialogue between Gottschall, the client, and the needed adaptation that drives his constant thirst for innovation. Gottschall is a recurring adjunct faculty member at Rutgers University, where he earned his MFA in design.

Christina Jameson is the director of workplace at OFS, leading sales enablement for the private-office and open-plan portfolios. With over a decade of experience across design, dealership, and manufacturing, including eight years at OFS, she brings a strategic, well-rounded perspective to workplace design and sales enablement. A WELL AP and FSU alum, Jameson served six years on the IIDA Orlando board and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her impact on the design community.

Komal Kehar is a New York–based designer and researcher whose work bridges architecture, cultural criticism, and object storytelling. She is the founder of Mira Projects, an interior design and construction management studio specializing in evocative spaces for clients, including Aesop, Thom Browne, Estée Lauder, and Design Miami. Komal holds a Master of Architecture from Parsons and an MA in Design Research, Writing, and Criticism from SVA. She has taught at Pratt Institute and is an adjunct instructor in Interior Design at FIT.

Larissa King is a designer and educator, passionate about sustainability, inclusivity, and ethical manufacturing, with over two decades of lingerie industry experience. She holds a BFA in Fashion Design with an intimate apparel specialization and an MA in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice with a curatorial concentration, both from FIT.

Keith Kirkland is a designer, artist, engineer, and entrepreneur pioneering touch-based wearables for accessibility and movement learning. He is the founder of The Haptic 9 Co. and co-founder of WearWorks. His haptic navigation device, the Wayband, guided the world’s first blind runner to complete the New York City Marathon without sighted assistance. Kirkland’s work, featured by TED, SXSW, Discovery Channel, and major design museums, centers on using the skin as a communication channel to deliver information more intuitively to the body.

Jessica Liang is a seventh-semester Interior Design student at FIT. She is an intern at Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors and a tutor at FIT’s Academic Skills Tutoring Center. Most notably, she is a recipient of the prestigious 2025 Angelo Donghia Foundation scholarship.

Estela Lugo is a disability, inclusion, and universal design consultant, and program director at Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation (HNF). Her journey with disability began at age four with a diagnosis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), a progressive neuromuscular disease. Drawn to the arts, Lugo earned a BFA in Interior Design from FIT in 2002. A decade into her career, she was inspired by the documentary Bernadette to merge creativity with disability advocacy. Now a leader in universal design, she speaks and consults across sectors. In 2023, she partnered with Trend Bible to produce the first “Allclusive Trend Report and Application Guide,” embedding inclusion into future trend forecasting. She is an adjunct instructor at FIT and co-led FIT’s first Universal Design Day in 2024.

Ethan Lu is an associate professor and the assistant chair of Interior Design at FIT. He has taught architecture and interior design courses at Columbia University, Parsons, NYIT, and NYSID, specializing in design technology. He is currently working on building performance analysis with his FIT students. He holds a BS in architecture from the University of Michigan, a Master of Architecture from Harvard University, and a Master of Science in architecture and urban design from Columbia University. He is a Registered Architect in New York and New Jersey, NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer, and LEED Accredited Professional.

Natalia Mendez is the founder and executive director of Women on Wheels, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and empowering women with spinal cord injuries. She currently serves as the vice president of the United Spinal Association’s New York City Chapter and brings over 14 years of experience as a youth advocate for children with disabilities. Recently, she earned her Master of Arts in disabilities studies from CUNY School of Professional Studies.

In addition to her professional roles, Mendez acts as a peer mentor for individuals who have recently sustained injuries. She is deeply passionate about promoting awareness and inclusivity for people of all abilities, with a particular focus on women. Furthermore, Mendez is a classically trained chef, who advocates for accessibility and inclusivity within the food service industry.

Helya Mohammadian is the founder and CEO of Slick Chicks, an adaptive apparel brand focused on empowering people with disabilities through accessible design. A graduate of FIT, Helya launched Slick Chicks to bring dignity and independence to getting dressed. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and Forbes.

Tamara Morgan is community partnerships coordinator at  Adaptive Design Association, Inc. (ADA). She holds a Master’s Degree in creative art therapy from New York University and, in August 2025, became one of the first women with osteogenesis imperfecta type 3 to hike Mount Kilimanjaro. At ADA, Morgan supports children with disabilities and their families through advocacy, public speaking, and community outreach, while overseeing all community-building initiatives. She sits on the boards of  Philanthropy Leaders; Southern California University of Health Sciences; and Museum, Arts and Culture Access Consortium.

Chloe Paplin is a seventh-semester student in the Interior Design BFA program, looking to specialize in residential design. After graduating this coming spring, she is going to work full time at Palmray Interiors Design Studio on Long Island. She aims to build meaningful client-designer relationships as she helps clients turn their homes into intentional and stylish spaces.

Kevin Santana is a recent Entrepreneurship graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology, now working in venture capital, where he supports bold early-stage founders. He also advises startups on strategy, growth, and brand development. Kevin is a co-founder of Comphie, an adaptive children’s wear brand designing sensory-friendly apparel for kids with SPD, ADHD, and anxiety. Comphie was recognized as a PETE Prize for Entrepreneurs finalist for its innovation and meaningful impact.

Haley Schwartz is the founder of Vertige Adaptive, a fashion-forward, adaptive clothing brand for women with chronic conditions and disabilities, inspired by her own experience struggling to find clothing to conceal her heart monitor growing up. While studying Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, she participated in and won an entrepreneurship competition. Schwartz was awarded an initial investment, which she used to launch her brand in March 2024.

Amy Sperber is an assistant professor at FIT with over 20 years of experience in fashion design. She holds a BFA and an MFA from FIT, where her research focuses on developing inclusive, adaptive garment systems using 3D scanning and parametric modeling. She integrates digital tools and accessibility into her teaching. Sperber founded fashionavatars.org and collaborates on garments that support cancer treatment. Her work bridges sustainability, inclusivity, and innovative patternmaking methods.

Barbara Weinreich is an assistant professor of Interior Design at FIT. She is a registered architect and an NCIDQ certified interior designer, and was a founding principal at MNA a leader in retail design, whose clients included Ralph Lauren, Patagonia, West Elm, and Bergdorf Goodman. She has taught at Pratt, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and New York School of Interior Design, where she also held the positions of director of undergraduate programs and director of graduate programs.