Women Need More Opportunities,
We’re Creating Them
MISSION
The Female Design Council (FDC) is the premier professional membership network and advocacy organization for women in design, architecture, and the applied arts.
The FDC’s mission is to champion equity and tangible gender parity in the design industries and provide our members unparalleled access to professional advancement.
MEMBERS
FDC Members include architects, curators, interior designers, graphic designers, woodworkers, industrial designers, textile designers, sculptors, glassblowers, metalworkers, jewelry makers, sales executives, real estate developers, design writers, ceramicists, educators, archivists, gallerists, and hundreds of other professionals in the business of design. The FDC is open to women in the business of design at all levels, from a new designer a few years out of school, to mid-career professionals, to founders/principals of major creative firms. Our members make meaningful connections with fellow industry trailblazers which transform into amazing collaborations, career opportunities, new clients, sales, and more.
PROGRAMS
The FDC produces networking events, designer showcases, panel discussions, exhibitions, and more. Our flagship free programs include the FDC Grant Program, which offers financial support and professional development to Black, Latina, Indigenous and AAPI designers, and our Mentor Match Program, which offers mentoring, free of charge, to aspiring designers. The FDC generates and promotes exhibition and collaboration opportunities, media exposure and mentorship.
INCLUSIVITY
At the FDC, inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do. We prioritize creating opportunities for designers and artists of color and underserved communities through initiatives such as grants, free mentorship programs, and gratis memberships. The FDC has also always been trans and non-binary inclusive. Our commitment to equity extends to all our programming, ensuring that diversity and inclusivity remain a central focus as we work towards shaping a better future for the design industry.
“Being a member of the Female Design Council has significantly impacted my professional growth and expanded my opportunities. The collaborative environment and connections have led to unique learning experiences and invaluable partnerships. For anyone considering joining, DO IT!“
Tom Lerental, Tomma Bloom
“The Female Design Council is a guiding light. The community of talented female makers, artists, creators and developers from around the globe is a creative lifeline for me. The FDC has been the single-most valuable professional organization that supports our international interiors business.”
Melissa Bodie, Melissa + Miller Interiors
BOARD
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Estelle Bailey-Babenzien
Founder of Dream Awake Interior Design, Co- Founder of NOAH Clothing
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Stephanie Beamer
Co-Founder of Egg Collective
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Nina Cooke John
Founder of Studio Cooke John Architecture and Design
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Hilary Sample
IDC Foundation Professor of Housing Design, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
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Michaella Solar-March
Chief Marketing Officer and Creative Director of Two Trees Management
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Helen Toomer
Founder of Upstate Art Weekend and Stoneleaf Retreat, Co-Founder of Art Mamas Alliance
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Emilia Vincent
Founder of Studio V & Cultural Affairs Director of Salon Art & Design
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Tiana Webb-Evans
Founder of ESP Group, Yard Concept & Jamaica Art Society
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TEAM
Lora Appleton • Executive Director + Founder
Lora Appleton is an internationally recognized curator, designer, and leading advocate for gender equity in the design industry. As the founder of the Female Design Council (FDC), she has built a platform that meaningfully advances underrepresented voices through initiatives such as the FDC Grant for Women of Color and the FDC Mentor Match program for design and architecture professionals. Through exhibitions, public programming, and critical dialogue, she has championed and amplified the work of hundreds of contemporary women designers, shaping a more inclusive narrative within the field.
Appleton is also the founder of GLO Modern Gallery, an experimental design gallery located in New York City’s Two Bridges neighborhood, and kinder MODERN, an award-winning gallery and product line dedicated to contemporary and vintage design for children. Her curatorial vision has positioned these programs at the forefront of collectible and conceptual design. Works from her collections have been exhibited at major international art & design fairs and are included in, or have been shown by, institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Museum of Arts & Design, and the HBC Global Art Collection, among others.
In addition to her entrepreneurial and curatorial work, Appleton serves on the Steering Committee of NYCxDesign, contributing to the strategic direction of one of the city’s most influential design initiatives. Her contributions to the field have been widely recognized, earning honors including the ICFF Award from the American Society of Interior Designers, the Change Maker Award from Apartment Therapy, the Clever Award from Architectural Digest, and Best of the Year Honoree from Interior Design.
Photo by Soraya KosharAngharad Coates • Director
Angharad joined the Female Design Council in 2023 as its inaugural Director, bringing a deep background in strategic development, nonprofit board relations, organizational growth, partnerships and programming. In her previous career in marketing and communications, she held leadership positions as a Managing Partner at Camron, a global design-focused agency, and a Director at the New York Academy of Art, a leading cultural institution in downtown Manhattan. Angharad's expertise in strategy for art, design and culture has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Vogue and Fast Company.
Ivana Brenner • Membership + Special Projects
Ivana Brenner is a Buenos Aires-born, Brooklyn-based artist. She has exhibited individually and collectively in galleries, museums, and biennials across the world. Her recent shows include Bronx Calling: The Sixth AIM Biennial, at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, NYC; Contemporary Clay: Seven new voices in American Ceramics, at Emma Scully Gallery, NYC; Le Dégel, at Julio Artist-Run Space in Paris, and Work & Worth, at the 6th Biennale de Portneuf, in Québec. As an artist, Ivana has been awarded international residencies such as at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, and fellowships such as the 2022 Bronx Museum AIM fellowship. As a designer, she is the founder of Domingo Ceramics, a porcelain & gold tableware line that dialogues with her sculpture. Ivana has an active teaching and mentoring practice, and is a mentor in NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Mentorship Program. Her published writing includes a catalog essay for the Art Institute of Chicago published by Yale University Press. Ivana has worked in New York, Paris, Chicago, and Buenos Aires, and brings half a decade of both nonprofit and commercial management experience in the arts, as well as over a decade of experience as an exhibiting artist, designer, and community builder.
Photo by Carlos LedesmaCarter Teng • Social Media and Events
Born in Manchuria and raised in the American South, Carter is a Brooklyn-based speculative fiction writer and social media manager with five years of experience in marketing and event planning. Under the pen name of Yunyu Teng, she primarily writes in the self-termed genre of Sino Gothic, a descendant of Southern Gothic literature exploring themes of diaspora, family, and placemaking, colored by elements of the supernatural and Chinese mythology. Carter received her Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and Political Science from Duke University and will be receiving her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from The New School in 2027. Before joining the Female Design Council as the Marketing & Events Coordinator, Carter worked as the Social Media & Content Manager at leading racial justice organization Color Of Change and the Senior Digital Associate at DC-based advocacy organization The Hub Project.
Izzy Kross • Graphic Designer
Born and raised in NYC, Izzy received her BA in Film Production from Bard College and studied animation at Les Récollets in Paris, FR through CCA/MICA. Before coming on-board as FDC's in-house graphic designer, video editor, and animator, she founded Lefty, a slow-fashion brand specializing in one of a kind, hand-printed fabric, garments, and homegoods.
BRAND PARTNERS
CULTURAL PARTNERS
GALLERY PARTNERS
CONTACT
Contact us to learn more about ways to collaborate with and support the Female Design Council.