Moderated by Sydnie Kohara, Emmy Award-winning Broadcast Journalist and Former News Anchor, Founder, Kohara Goup LLC
Sydnie is passionate about helping leaders and legends tell their stories. An Emmy award-winning international journalist who has covered business news around the world, she now helps companies and entrepreneurs tell stories that shine. Her communications consulting practice includes strategic messaging and leadership positioning as well as building executive presence in the digital world. An in-demand moderator and host, Sydnie has helped develop and produce webinars, leadership and management programs and special events for Fortune 500 companies.  She's no stranger to the AIA SF community, having hosted the organization’s annual Design Awards and moderated “The Divergent Practice”, an important conversation starter on women and the architecture practice.
 

Christina Cho Yoo, AIA, PE, LEED AP BD+C | Co-founder, Atelier Cho Thompson

Christina is co-founder of Atelier Cho Thompson, a multidisciplinary design and concept firm, engaged in architecture, interiors, graphics, brand strategy, furniture, and exhibitions. Christina received a BS & MS in civil & structural engineering and construction management at Stanford University and received a M.Arch. at the Harvard GSD. She was a structural engineer at the international engineering company Arup & worked on projects such as the LEED-Double Platinum California Academy of Sciences, hospitals, labs, bridges, and various other projects. She went onto work at architecture firms worldwide including Kao Design Group on Richard Branson's Eco-Island, SHoP Architects on the Google HQ, Neri & Hu, Mass Studies, and BCJ on Apple stores, the Apple iAd office, and the Square HQ. Her work has spanned typologies from single-family residences, hospitals, labs, museums, innovative workplaces, hospitality and food service, to retail, exhibits, furniture, and graphics for various organizations. She has lectured at Harvard and served as a critic at Parsons, Stanford, Harvard, & the California College of the Arts. She has also been a Senior Lecturer at the CCA, teaching Integrated Building Systems.

  

Karen Cribbins-Kuklin, AIA, LEED® AP BD+C | Studio Director, Principal, Gensler

Karen brings more than 35 years of experience leading complex projects. She has strong management skills in all phases of project development, from programming and feasibility studies to construction administration. Karen excels at leading multiple client organizations and multi-disciplinary user groups to coalesce around shared goals and create win-win solutions. She received extensive leadership training and is highly effective at managing interdisciplinary groups to address and resolve difficult challenges. Working in collaboration with the design and construction team, Karen delivers buildings with long-term value to her clients. Key clients include the University of California, Berkeley; the Sonoma County Junior College District; and San Francisco International Airport.

 

Lisa Smzurlo, LEED AP | Project Manager, BCCI

Lisa has a Bachelor of Architecture degree, a love of interiors, and brings over 20 years of experience as a project designer and technical expert. Prior to joining BCCI to help start its design-build group, Szmurlo was a technical director at Gensler where she collaborated with BCCI on a number of tenant improvement projects in the San Francisco Bay Area including the Gensler headquarters, and offices for Bingham McCutchen, The Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation and the Rogers Family Foundation. Her experience on the design side, and now on the construction side allows her to bring a truly unique perspective to each project.  Szmurlo's particular expertise will help BCCI further streamline the preconstruction and construction process and deliver consistently innovative solutions to the company's clients.

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