10.11.22

IIDA 2022 Leaders Breakfast Recap – From Impossible To Possible

This past Friday, the IIDA Southern California Chapter wrapped up another successful Leaders Breakfast. Recognize design leadership, honor our lost friends and celebrate our diverse community of designers and industry members. Here are photos from the event.

Leaders Breakfast was launched in 1989 by the IIDA New York Chapter and has since expanded into an International Event series.

This year, the Southern California Chapter hosted the event on Oct. 7th at the Sheraton Grand, honored the Leadership of Barbara Bouza, President of Walk Disney Imagineering, and presented her with the iconic red Eames stool.

Exclusive only to Leaders Breakfast honoree recipients, the award is a special icon of modern design that is attributed to the legacy of Charles and Ray Eames. This special edition stool is made from sustainable ash stained in a signature translucent aniline red, a favorite color of the Eameses.

An acclaimed keynote speaker, Ben Nemtin has headlined business conferences and Fortune 100 leadership teams around the world and is the Keynote Speaker for this year’s event. His keynote topic: Impossible to Possible, asked the audience the hard question “ what would you do before you die.”

Ben and his three childhood friends started THE BURIED LIFE in Victoria, British Columbia in 2006. They made a list of 100 things to do before you die. For every bucket list item they accomplished, they helped a stranger cross something off their bucket list. Since then, they have crossed off “Write a #1 New York Times Bestseller”, “Make a tv show (on MTV)”, “Be Interviewed by Oprah” and have helped reunite a father and son after seventeen years and surprised a young girl with a much-needed bionic arm.

Ben has crossed off 96 of 100 dreams and has helped countless people achieve their dreams.

“It was great to see everyone back at events and interacting together. It is inspiring to hear Ben’s[speaker] perspective regarding approaching your personal goals the same way as your professional ones, and you will achieve both. […] The IIDA Leaders Breakfast is an event that demonstrates the opportunity where both are harmonized.”

– Rob Jernigan, Senior VP – Clayco

Over 270 industry professionals gathered to celebrate the 2022 Leaders Breakfast in person after a 2-year hiatus. Each participant walked away with valuable insight applicable to both their personal and professional lives. We are looking forward to 2023—another year filled with amazing networking opportunities, noteworthy educational experiences, and the celebration of design industry leaders.

A special thanks to our international benefactors MillerKnoll and Media Partner Interior Design.