September 2, 2021

LightFair has announced the 11 mentees in its first annual mentorship program, a six-month program which enables emerging lighting professionals to connect with experts in the industry to learn about lighting design and architecture.

“LightFair’s Pilot Mentorship Program is expanding educational and networking resources past the trade show floor, providing access to up-and-coming professionals that help shape the future of the lighting industry,” said Dan Darby, show director. “Our 11 mentors, handpicked from IALD, IES and leading design firms, have been meeting with our mentees since April, giving them one-on-one direction. We are excited to see this program grow and benefit the future of lighting.”

The mentee Class of 2021, carefully selected from a pool of qualified applicants on the LightFair website, includes: Daphne Agosin, MFA candidate for Lighting Design at Northwestern University; Tyler Dellea, assistant engineer at CHA; Mark Ekberg, project designer at Aurora; Elizabeth Kline, lighting designer at Shop12 Design; Justin Kobayashi, electrical engineer at Clark Nexen; Elaine Liang, lighting designer at WATT Lighting; Grace Mennell, junior lighting designer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; LeeAnne Osborn, designer and deputy director of strategy at UNOLAI Lighting Design & Associates; Nathalie Quadrio, lighting designer trainee at Licht Kunst Licht; Ryan Seffinger, junior designer at Electrolight; and Nishat Tasnim, lighting designer at STANTEC.

Each of these 11 mentees was placed with one of LightFair’s expert mentors based on their area of learning interest.

The 11 mentors, introduced in March, are: Lee Brandt, principal, HLB Lighting Design; Jessica Krometis, senior designer, Hartranft Lighting Design; Mark Loeffler, principal, Mark Loeffler Design Consulting, LLC; Caitlin Mulligan, specification sales manager of business development & key accounts, SCI Lighting Solutions; Giulio Pedota, partner, Schuler Shook Theatre Planners / Lighting Designers; Kathy Prysgoda, founding principal, Light Studio LA; Lisa Reed, founding principal, Envision Lighting Design; Daniel Salinas, president | lighting design systems designer, Salinas Lighting Consult; and Chrysanthi Stockwell, associate vice president, senior lighting designer and engineering market leader HGA.

Participants in the Pilot Mentorship Program can take part in LightFair’s Mentorship Panel, moderated by Sam Koerbel at The Designery on Oct. 29 at 10:30 a.m. Information on panel participants will be released in coming weeks. Admission to the Mentorship Panel is granted with LightFair registration.

LightFair 2021 will showcase the newest designs in commercial and industrial lighting, Oct. 27-29, 2021 (Conference Oct. 25-29) at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York.