Q&A global entrepreneur and philanthropist Sheila Johnson

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["em"],["strong"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"She co-created Black Entertainment Television (BET) to provide a media platform for Black artists and a network to elevate issues effecting Black people. She purchased ownership in the NHL\u2019s Washington Capitals, NBA\u2019s Washington Wizards, and the WNBA\u2019s Washington Mystics to give women more opportunities to work in professional sports. She continues expanding Salamander Hotels \u0026 Resorts, her international portfolio of luxury properties, to offer spaces where guests \u201calways belong, always feel welcome, respected, appreciated, and special.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Sheila Johnson, the first Black woman in America to become a billionaire, is the architect of her own success. The global entrepreneur and philanthropist, who has invested millions to support students pursuing careers in art and design. During Women\u0027s History Month, we ask the 2023 AIA\u2019s Leadership Summit keynote speaker about taking risks, making architecture a more diverse profession, and how design can help create a more just society. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"What is the biggest risk you have taken professionally? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Along the way people are going to try to tell you to compartmentalize your life. That\u0027s never going to happen.\u202f As such, the bravest thing I did professionally was also the hardest thing I did personally. After a difficult divorce, I emerged from my own personal darkness and as a result, I found something I loved: hospitality. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Everything about hospitality I learned on the fly. I followed my instincts and hired the best team who shared my vision and goals. From my equestrian-inspired Salamander Resort \u0026 Spa, in Middleburg, VA, which has gone on to achieve both Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond ratings, to the innovative buildings that I funded at such institutes of higher learning as the Parsons School of Design and SUNY Morrisville, is a product of one of those two things, or more likely the marriage of the two. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"You have created job opportunities for under-represented people in a number of industries. How can architecture firms create opportunities to diversify the profession? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Architecture firms must be intentional about setting diversity goals, just like the profitability goals that they have. The metrics really do matter, and they must be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that progress is being made. Like in many industries, there are challenges to recruiting diverse talent due, in part, to a lack of awareness of how to connect. The strongest architecture firms will figure that out and demonstrate why they have the best environment for diverse talent to grow and be successful over the long term. It\u2019s also very important for young women and people of color to see themselves reflected in leadership at their firms. It may seem like a minor issue, but it\u2019s actually extremely impactful to have diverse leadership at the top of the org chart.\u202f "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"How have the architects you\u2019ve hired played an important role in building or renewing properties for your business and philanthropic pursuits? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I currently serve as campaign chair for the Trust for the National Mall on their all-new U.S. Park Police Horse Stables and Education Center in Washington, D.C. The Trust\u0027s mission has always been to restore and preserve the Mall and to keep it essential, while giving it even greater meaning for Americans everywhere.\u202f Now, not only am I a dyed-in-the-wool horse lover from way back, but my daughter used to compete in equestrienne events for years, so getting behind this initiative, one designed to give these incredible animals, most of whom have spent their lives in service to our country, a clean and livable home was something of a no-brainer. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"On this particular project, I had the distinct pleasure of working with the remarkable Tasos Kokoris (and, by the way, our team recently completed both the design and construction, and did so on time and within budget).\u202f As a result, we are eagerly anticipating cutting the ribbon this fall 2023 and showcase the project and sharing it with the world. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"For those of you who don\u0027t know, Tasos Kokoris is an incredibly insightful and passionate designer.\u202f And his goal going in was to conceive and design a truly innovative and beautiful building in an iconic space -\u202f in this case the National Mall - a structure that would incorporate many of the best practices in the fields of sustainability and energy conservation; including, of course, the capturing of stormwater, the innovative incorporation of multiple types of lighting, and the use of healthy and efficient airflow and quality management and other advances in the growing field of wellness. More than that, though, Mr. Kokoris just seemed to bring to the table a deep, almost savant-like understanding of the horses and their riders. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"How can design help create a more just society?"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Design is an incredibly powerful tool that must be used to elevate the human experience. In my business, people must immediately connect with our design aesthetic to make them feel like they have transported themselves into a better version of their reality. While my resorts are classified as luxury, I firmly believe that everyone deserves access to a built environment that fosters well-being. We see such drastic disparities in this country, and it\u2019s important that we take a close look at how we can help protect people from the harmful impact of living without secure housing. Developing solutions to our current housing crisis is crucial to our future success as a nation. Leveraging the power of design thinking to adaptively reuse existing properties and sustainably build new housing is just one way to help improve society. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"What inspires your investment in emerging art and design students? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"It\u0027s about seeing the fire in a young person\u0027s eyes or hearing it in their voice. I see my job as not so much managing a young person\u0027s career or steering them in one direction or another.\u202f I believe my job is to give them the creative headroom and wherewithal to do what they\u0027ve chosen to do with their lives, and to support and nurture them in that quest. That is why I have invested in the education of young people to lead this important work well into the future. Let\u2019s not underestimate the value of design and investing in talented designers to deliver solutions to our most pressing challenges.\u202f "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"How does the Shelia C. Johnson Design Center reflect your social conscience? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I believe that in any true and impactful philanthropy, just as in any and all great art, when all\u0027s said and done the person doing the giving\/creating leaves a bit of his or her soul on the canvas. That\u0027s the way I\u0027ve always tried to operate.\u202f I just don\u0027t necessarily want my name attached to the projects I believe in, or my picture hanging on the wall of the building I help make possible. I want a little piece of my soul - a little part of me - visible in just about project I undertake. The Sheila C. Johnson Design Center allows creativity to flow by providing space for galleries and even a wider open space to showcase the work of these young minds to the public. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"Fill in the blank: Great design always has.... "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Great design has always been the blissful marriage of function and inspiration, with neither of those two things any more important than the other. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0," "]]]]}