Leadership across architecture, design, and construction is evolving.
More women are stepping into visible leadership roles and reshaping how firms and brands operate. They are building organizations rooted in trust, collaboration, and purpose while influencing how companies communicate their value in the marketplace.
Firms and manufacturers that understand how leadership, brand voice, and organizational culture intersect will be better positioned to build stronger teams, stronger partnerships, and stronger businesses.
Join UpSpring for a live, one hour panel discussion with leaders who are redefining authority and influence in the built environment.
What You’ll Learn
Caroline Schillaci is the Vice President and Chief of Staff at UpSpring, where she guides strategic direction for the agency and drives results for a diverse portfolio of clients, from global firms to emerging design studios and organizations. Caroline leads campaign development and media strategy, bringing a distinct blend of creativity, precision, and empathy to every project. She’s passionate about uncovering the emotional and cultural narratives behind design and translating those into meaningful, measurable PR strategies. Caroline is also known for fostering a mentorship-driven, people-first culture at UpSpring.
Melissa Hanley is a co-founder and partner at Blitz where she serves as a guiding force for the studio’s creative vision. A strategic thinker and creative problem-solver, she ensures each project is not only visually stunning but highly functional, economic successes as well. Melissa’s work with industry leaders like Google, L’Oréal, Lucid, and Okta has earned her national and international acclaim as an architect and workplace strategist. A maker at heart, she channels her passion for creating into her personal life through hop farming with her husband, gardening, and painting in her studio.
Erica Holborn is the Chief Executive Officer of SANDOW DESIGN GROUP, a collective of design media and services brands within SANDOW, the holding company behind a portfolio of category-defining businesses spanning media, technology, and logistics.
Holborn joined SANDOW as Chief Strategy Officer in 2013 and was named President in 2016, overseeing a broad portfolio of luxury and design assets under founder Adam Sandow. In 2020, she was appointed CEO of the newly formed SANDOW DESIGN GROUP, which brings together a dynamic ecosystem of design media and services brands, including Interior Design, LUXE Interiors + Design, Metropolis, Azure, and ThinkLab, a research and strategy firm focused on the intersection of business, design, and human behavior.
Under Holborn’s leadership, SANDOW DESIGN GROUP has evolved from a collection of influential media brands into a broader platform that connects the architecture and design industry through creative production, original content platforms, and engaging industry experiences, including The Studio by SANDOW, DESIGNTV, SURROUND, and FutureGen - an umbrella program encompassing events, content, and recognition initiatives designed to identify and elevate the next generation of design and architecture leaders while fostering connections with brand partners.
Today, SANDOW DESIGN GROUP reaches more than 20 million people across its platforms worldwide.
Prior to joining SANDOW, Holborn served as President and Chief Operating Officer of TrialGraphix, a national litigation consulting firm providing discovery management, trial and jury consulting, litigation technology, and courtroom presentation services to leading law firms engaged in complex domestic and global litigation.
Holborn has also served on the boards of several organizations, including Sharing & Caring, Fred Segal, The Worth Group, Material Bank, and NYCxDESIGN.
As Lead Visionary, Chaya Krinsky brings a global design perspective shaped by her travels, culture, and the lived experience of being both a mother and a woman in the industry. Her eye for expressive, confidence-boosting design guides every collection and helps TOV create pieces that feel personal, inspiring, and true to the way real people live.
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