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ELEVATE YOUR DESIGNS: Ethical Sourcing with Room & Board, Grace Farms Foundation and Material Bank

Join us for a lively, fast-paced, and insightful panel discussion moderated by ASID NY Metro President Maria Lomanto, as we delve into how interior designers can influence and drive positive change through ethical sourcing.

We’re thrilled to have three distinguished champions of change on our panel and to uncover the resources available to elevate your expertise.

From understanding B Corp certification to exploring efforts to combat forced labor in the materials supply chain, attendees will gain valuable insights from Emily McGarvey, Director of Sustainability at Room & Board (Certified B Corp), Sharon Prince, CEO & Founder of Grace Farms Foundation, and Rebecca Best, EVP Sustainability at Material Bank. Don't miss this opportunity to contribute to the conversation shaping the future of ethical design. Reserve your spot today!

Attendees will enjoy Grace Farms Foods’ exquisite organic teas sourced from their global partners and have the opportunity to take home a canister of tea from the organization.

MARIA LOMANTO
ASID NY Metro President

Maria Lomanto is an award-winning designer and founding principal of DesignGLXY LLC, the visionary firm she founded in 2019 dedicated to health, wellness & sustainability in the built environment. Maria creates immersive experiences and is a passionate advocate, catalyzing people to make design choices that positively impact health, wellness, and the planet. She is a WELL AP, Living Future Accredited, Fitwel Ambassador, and Healthy Materials Advocate with a certificate from Parson’s Healthy Materials Lab. Maria co-founded the Health, Wellness, & Sustainability Committee of ASID NY Metro and the Alliance for Healthy Design. She served on the ASID Advocate by Design Council as Chair of the Sustainability & Wellness sub-committee. Maria is currently Co-chair of the NY Metro Advocacy Committee and previously served as the Chapter Advocacy Chair. Her work has been featured in Design, Time Out New York, BehindtheScenesNYC.com and she has been quoted in articles for AD Pro, Design, The Robb Report, and Forbes.

REBECCA BEST
EVP Sustainability, Material Bank

Rebecca brings two decades of expertise in shaping corporate sustainability and marketing strategies across construction & design industries. With an extensive track record of leveraging tech innovation to drive climate awareness, she's passionate about melding CSR, sustainability, and ROI objectives into strategic business decisions. As EVP Sustainability at Material Bank, Rebecca oversees corporate sustainability commitments. She also leads the growth and implementation of sustainability programs and platform features directly impacting workflow tools, enriching value for the design industry.

SHARON PRINCE
CEO, Grace Farms Foundation

Sharon Prince is the CEO and Founder of Grace Farms Foundation and leads the Design for Freedom movement to eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain. Prince launched Design for Freedom in 2020 with the publication of a groundbreaking report on how forced labor is embedded into the very foundations of our buildings. In 2022, at the inaugural Design for Freedom Summit, Prince released the Design for Freedom Toolkit, a resource that professionals can use to integrate Design for Freedom Principles into their practices. She has also mobilized more than 100 leaders of the built environment to come alongside Grace Farms in this work as a part of the Design for Freedom Working Group, and regularly guest lectures and presents Design for Freedom to universities and industry associations around the world. Prince is also a social entrepreneur who co-founded Grace Farms Foods, a premium tea and coffee certified B Corp that educates the public about the work of Grace Farms and demonstrates what the Foundation advocates for: ethical and sustainable supply chains. Grace Farms has garnered numerous awards for contributions to architecture, environmental sustainability, and social good, including the AIA National Architecture Honor Award and the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize. Prince’s leadership and humanitarian work at Grace Farms and Design for Freedom has been widely recognized. She received the NYC Visionary Award from AIA-NY and the Center for Architecture and Fast Company named her one of the Most Creative People in Business for “cleaning up construction.”

EMILY McGARVEY
Director of Sustainability, Room & Board

Emily McGarvey is the Director of Sustainability at Room & Board. She is responsible for implementing social and environmental strategies that further advance Room & Board's mission of delivering quality furniture through sustainable practices that prioritize American craftsmanship. At Room & Board, she established strategies and measurable goals for the betterment of people, products, and the planet which has resulted in successfully sourcing 95% of its wood sustainably, reaching over 70% renewable electricity usage in stores and operations, and contributing 2% of profits. Emily also led the achievement of B Corp certification, solidifying Room & Board’s long-standing commitments to sustainability and the community. Emily has over 20 years of experience leading social and environmental strategies with a focus on product, operations, and branding. In 2018, she founded Star Impact Consulting, where she provided purpose-driven strategy and branding for both for-profit and nonprofit business sectors. As Target Corporation’s Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, she played an integral role in developing the corporation's sustainability program, rolling out enterprise-wide initiatives including climate and circularity policies and goals. Before leading social and environmental initiatives, Emily held various roles in buying, sourcing, and product development. Emily received her Bachelor of Arts from Concordia College where she studied business and English writing.

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