Born in San Francisco, my journey followed the hippy 60’s through a ‘reverse migration’ to my ancestral homeland. Raised in Iran, the pro-western years of monarchy transformed into the tumultuous Islamic Revolution. Emigrating to Boston, an eye-opening college education and early professional years in Massachusetts culminated full-circle back to the Bay Area in CA. Encountering decades of ethnic bias, I’ve grappled with choosing sides. I ask you: Why do we have to pick? There’s value in both. Can’t we accept the middle ground? BE FLUID. I define myself in the #fluidity of moving seamlessly between cultures…

In the first event of the 2019 WIA event series, Megan Blaine, AIA and Angshupria Pathak, AIA led a workshop that helped participants build skills for articulating experience and advocating for themselves in the workplace. Megan and Angshupriya kicked off the event by presenting their own self advocacy journeys and explaining how these experiences have shaped their careers. Angshupriya outlined how advocating for herself allowed her to make the difficult decision to leave her job to pursue a position more aligned with her personal and professional goals, and Megan explained how her advocacy journey ultimately led her to start her own firm.

“Raising EQ: Getting smart about our Emotional Intelligence”, an interactive workshop held by two talented women. Catherine Houdek, a professional business coach originally from New Zealand who works with bay area executives and their teams to co-create smart strategies for growth. Mary Welty Dapkus, a professional intuitive and certified life coach, works with clients to develop, integrate and activate a dynamic relationship with their authentic selves. Both their specialized experience reflected in the workshop. The topic Emotional Intelligence was explored and discussed in relation with personal and professional life. We understood theoretical and practical aspects of Emotional Intelligence through various exercises.

WIA’s Chair, Angshupriya Pathak, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, kicks off our first Woman in Architecture Spotlight with an interview with Anne Torney, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Partner of Mithun. They cover the important topics of inequity, mentoring, leadership, and advocacy, while also highlighting some of Anne’s latest design work and offering advice for future leaders.

OVERVIEW

“Negotiating Compensation with Confidence” featured two speakers from opposite sides of the table relaying strategies for salary negotiation in a collection of earnest, considered, and open conversations. One year prior, Mani A. Farhadi had negotiated her position as Project Director at Taylor Design, where Laurie Dreyer is the current Director of Development. Each explored and exposed dynamic, behind-the-scenes elements that contribute to negotiation including differences and decisions in career trajectories, business development, and communication modes. By the end, it was evident to participants that salary is more than just a number; it is an expression of complex fiscal, personal, and career considerations at a given moment in one’s life and in the context of socio-economic developments.

Due to uncanny timing, the event coincided with Farhadi’s announcement of her departure from Taylor Design to a position at Stanford University. This led to a particularly unique structure for the presentation, as well as demonstrated to the audience that one must remain professional at all times, regardless of adjustments and transitions in one’s career.