NY11+ Design Fundraising Event & Luncheon at the United Nations

April 22, 2026

On April 22nd, World Creativity & Innovation Day, PID Floors was honored to return to the United Nations Headquarters once again as both participant and premier sponsor of the NY11+ Design Fundraising Event and Luncheon. This was a day of joy and impact spent celebrating the exceptional work of New York State interior design’s next generation, bringing together talented students from NY11+ member institutions, and recognizing visionary leaders and educators whose influence continues to shape the future of the design industry and discipline.

Left to Right: Alexandra Neji – Gardiner & Theobald, Terri Mills – Gardiner & Theobald, Todd Poisson – BKSK Architects, Ilya Meltser – PID Floors, Holley Geddes – PID Floors, Jeffrey H. Lynford - Vice Chairman, Port Authority NY/NJ, Shannon Culhane – Audemars Piguet, Edward Curry – PID Floors

Rose Novak – Senior Associate, Gensler, Hans Galutera – NY11+ Vice President and Acting Treasurer and CEO HG DesignWorks

Left to Right: Stephen Shkreli, Tania Sofia Branquinho - President, NY11+; Assistant Chair, Pratt Institute, Myron Johnson – Film Entertainment and Cultural Arts Manager of the Port Authority NY/NJ PABT& Board Director, Times Square Alliance and Garment District Alliance

The 2026 theme for the NY11+ Fundraising Design Event & UN Luncheon was Critical Interiors: Design for All, emphasizing the profession’s expanding responsibility to shape environments that support dignity, inclusion, and quality of life across diverse populations.

It was an inspiring afternoon of design, dialogue, and community, gathering UN delegates, global mission representatives, students, and top design industry leaders to collectively highlight the transformative power of interior design in addressing accessibility, ageing, health, and social equity across communities.

The day’s exciting program, hosted in partnership with the International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC), was emceed by Hans Galutera—CEO HG DesignWorks and PID Floors’ Director of Educational Outreach—featured student presentations and organization spotlights, alongside recognition of respected design industry leaders whose work reflects leadership in inclusive and socially responsive design. This year’s honorees included: Jennifer Graham from Perkins&Will, Kiki Dennis from TenBerke, Rose Novak from Gensler, and keynote speaker Joel Sanders from JSA/MIXdesign.

Left to Right: Tania Sofia Branquinho - President, NY11+; Assistant Chair, Pratt Institute, Hans Galutera – NY11+ Vice President and Acting Treasurer and CEO, HG DesignWorks, Sandra Reicis - Program Chair, Villa Maria College, Rose Novak - Senior Associate, Gensler, Kiki Dennis - Principal, TenBerke, Jennifer Graham - Managing Principal, Perkins&Will

As a premier sponsor, PID Floors was honored to contribute $5,000 in student scholarships supporting this year’s awards and advancing NY11+’s commitment to inclusive design education. Student scholarships were awarded to eight remarkable interior design students from participating NY11+ member institutions including: Fashion Institute of Technology, New York Institute of Technology, New York School of Interior Design, Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute, School of Visual Arts, Syracuse University, and Villa Maria College.

Student Award Recipients Included:

Fashion Institute of Technology — Kendall Ballode
New York Institute of Technology — Mozaiah Tibbs
New York School of Interior Design — Monica Bittenbender
Parsons School of Design — Hanyan Sun
Pratt Institute — Stephen Shkreli (group project) with Soohyun Ahn, Kai-Chi Chiu, Arianna Correa, Anajali Shailesh Dave, Henry Domst, Elizabeth Hammett, Hang Min, Megan Pulling, Brissa Ramos, Pornpitcha Ruampongpattana, Katherine Oliver, Jiahui Tang, Leah Toscano, Minqi Wu
School of Visual Arts — Ye Chen Tong
Syracuse University — Kenji Frazier (group project) with Holly Ishiro Randall, Pinyi Wang, Isabel Lamporte
Villa Maria College — Autumn Enright

Rebecca Frisch – Post Brothers, Jennifer Kelly – Post Brothers, Ives Silver – Gucci, Charles Kelly – Gucci

Joel Sanders – FAIA, founder of JSA/MIXdesign

We were thrilled to have the following special guests join PID Floors’ table:

Ives Silver, Gucci
Charles Kelly, Gucci
Chris Young, MillerKnoll
Anita Durst, Durst
Shannon Culhane, Audemars Piguet
Terri Mills, Gardiner & Theobald
Alexandra Neji, Gardiner & Theobald
Todd Poisson, BKSK Architects
Rebecca Frisch, Post Brothers
Jennifer Kelly, Post Brothers

Our family company has always been about more than just hardwood flooring—it is about crafting extraordinary design experiences and sharing our knowledge with others. Three generations and more than 37 years later, we aspire to continuously inspire, excite, and educate the next generations of the design industry while making sure to focus on sustainability as a tandem goal.

Thank you, NY11+, for another extraordinary day at the United Nations!

About NY11+:
NY11+ represents leading interior design programs across New York State and serves as a collaborative platform connecting education, professional practice, and public advocacy.