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We Imagine Future Cities

Our global perspectives set the stage for vibrant experiences.

Social Impact Initiative

Clarence Lacy Headshot

“We are duty-bound to fortify the community through advocacy, participation, and education to bring people together peacefully in difference and diversity.“

— Clarence Lacy, Project Director + SII Council Member

What we're doing

We envision a future built environment where everyone is welcomed, uplifted, and encouraged to be their authentic self.

As part of our collective vision at RIOS, we organized a group dedicated to creating a future where one can move through space with dignity and safety — where our collective stories and experiences are reflected in the built space.

The Social Impact Initiative (SII) is a framework of measures that embeds diversity, equity, and inclusion into the RIOS culture. These terms guide our decision making and project approach, based on a commitment to Action, Accountability, and Authenticity. SII underscores our ability to prioritize social, environmental, and spatial justice in its work and daily operations – with the goal to advocate for a safe and equitable future for Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.

Community Makers Workshop at Leimert Park Village, Los Angeles

Community Building

Defining Our Terms

What this means

Diversity as Representation

We seek to ensure that the faces of the company reflect the spirit of individuality. Emphasizing, celebrating, and finding opportunity in our differences.

Equity as Opportunity

Fostering, valuing, giving opportunity and emphasizing the importance each person has in achieving company goals. A conscious and intentional effort to ensure voices are heard in all aspects of the company, internally and externally.

Inclusion as Collectivism

Ensuring that everyone has equal access, potential, and opportunity. These are fundamental shifts to being an advocate and being celebratory of the community of identities we have created at RIOS.

Los Angeles locals standing in front of the RIOS office wearing masks and giving a thumbs up

Voting Center Volunteers outside of RIOS office, Los Angeles

Our Approach

How we're doing it

Our core principles guide our work and helps us cultivate a culture of action. Through positive action, we frame impactful project selection, fruitful relationships with our community, and an inclusive office culture. We remain accountable to our diversity, equity, and inclusion goals by addressing our biases, making progress for our collective betterment, and following through with our promises.

Authenticity

We believe in the call to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. We enter this work with a passion for making our firm and profession better.

Action

We take genuine action to create and foster relationships, build community partnerships, support employee activism, and create a safe and supportive space for social impact.

Accountability

Our Council holds us accountable by reporting our achievements and outcomes, giving us the ability reflect on lessons learned and check on our performance.

The Team

Who we are

Social Impact Initiative establishes and embraces leadership that transcends professional disciplines and established office hierarchy. Emphasizing lived-experience, diversity, and commitment as areas of expertise, this organization can provide those who typically aren’t in leadership roles to have the opportunity to make firm-wide policy and cultural shifts.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council

A leadership body made up of employees of all disciplines, and professional position to serve as a policy making body. This group leads the discussion and direction of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts for the office.

Committees

Committees are the tactical groups made up of the office at large. They are responsible for managing programming to reach goals set by the Council.

Naseema Asif Headshot

Naseema Asif

Senior Architect

External Mentorship

Betilla de Baudiniere Headshot

Bertilla de Baudiniere

Designer

Community Building

Eric Chin headshot

Eric Chin

Designer

Community Building

Jessamyn Davis Headshot

Jessamyn Davis

Co-CEO

Business Operations and Development

Melanie Freeland Headshot

Melanie Freeland

Creative Director

External Mentorship

Camilla Gaisie Headshot

Camilla Gaisie

Human Resources Director

Recruiting/Internal Mentorship + Personal and Collective Work

Erin Gehle headshot

Erin Gehle

Chief Marketing Officer

Business Operations and Development

Bob Hale Headshot

Robert Hale

Creative Director

External Mentorship

Sherry Jowhersha Headshot

Sherry Jowhersha

Executive Assistant

Personal and Collective Work

Yessenia Juarez Headshot

Yessenia Juarez

Designer

External Mentorship

Clarence Lacy Headshot

Clarence Lacy

Project Director

SII Council + External Mentorship

Andy Lantz Headshot

Andy Lantz

Creative Director

Community Building

Xixi Lee Headshot

Xixi Lee

Planning Analyst

External Mentorship

Alex Marchinski Headshot

Alex Marchinski

Designer

Business Operations and Development

Mark Motonaga Headshot

Mark Motonaga

Creative Director

Recruiting/Internal Mentorship

Mark Rios headshot

Mark Rios

Creative Director

Community Building + Business Operations and Development

Jisela Rodriguez Headshot

Jisela Rodriguez

Human Resources Coordinator

SII Council + Recruiting/Internal Mentorship

Sebastian Salvado headshot

Sebastian Salvadó

Creative Director

External Mentorship

Jon Sharp Headshot

Jonathan Sharp

Designer

Community Building

Kyle Stuart Willis Headshot

Kyle Stuart-Willis

Project Director

Business Operations and Development

Mimi Yang Headshot

Mimi Yang

Project Designer

SII Council + Community Building

Betilla de Baudiniere Headshot

“We imagine a built environment where everyone is welcomed. In this objective, one can move through space with dignity, safety, and our collective stories and experiences are reflected in the built space.”

— Bertilla Baudiniere, Designer + SII Council Member

Objectives

What we will achieve

Each objective of the Social Impact Initiative is a means to a more inclusive, just, and equitable thumbprint. The objectives serve as aspects of our current business practice and how we examine their symbiotic efficacy in creating spaces where everyone can be their authentic self. Each objective has a series of tasks to support the diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and targets of the Initiative.

Personal and Collective Growth

Through a critical evaluation of our values and culture, we work to create a safe, collaborative, and inclusive office environment that prioritizes justice and anti-racism.

Recruitment and Retention

Beyond hiring a diverse team, we embrace the importance uplifting, supporting, and promoting Black, Brown, and other underrepresented professionals within the office. We work towards a leadership that is reflective of the diversity of the world we impact.

External Mentorship

RIOS has the capability to broaden exposure and the opportunity to design and entrepreneurial disciplines for Black, Brown, and other underrepresented communities. Part of our service is sharing our knowledge and expertise, knowing a diversity of thinkers and lived experiences benefits the built environment and the profession.

Community Building

We imagine our design collective as an engaged and embedded partner in our immediate community of Leimert Park, as well as larger Los Angeles. As a steward in designing for communities, we strive for authentic and meaningful relationships through listening, uplifting community voices, and providing a platform to support social and environmental advancement.

Two RIOS employees working at a computer together with plants in the foreground

Business Operations and Development

We emphasize meaningful selection of projects and collaborators that give our work a lens of justice and equity. SII serves as an accountability arm to ensure our design work is conscious of impacts to underrepresented communities and optimizes policies that improve social equity and enhance employee engagement.

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