Hannah Chung is an author-illustrator, design leader, and entrepreneur. As a storyteller, she loves creating stories with a sense of wonder and warmth. This fall, she published her debut picture book, THE MOST PERFECT PERSIMMON, with Astra Young Readers. As a design leader and entrepreneur, Hannah centers people’s emotions and experiences at the heart of design and strategy. She co-founded two award-winning organizations: Sproutel (children’s health) and Design for America (student innovator network). Her work has won numerous awards, including National Design Award, CES Best of Innovation, and Time Best Inventions. She is an adjunct professor at RISD and an advisor to nonprofits and startups. 

I’ve been making maps for over a decade. I studied environmental science at the University of New Hampshire and took a Geographic Information Systems course that turned into a summer job, then an Americorps position in the Coal Country of West Virginia, then to California where I settled in making maps of neighborhoods in Brazil for Apple Maps, maps of ground water contamination for environmental consulting firms and maps of power lines across Northern California for one of the largest utility companies in the world.

When Andy Nosal, the third owner of The Map Center, offered me the opportunity to be the fourth, I loved the idea of shepherding this local institution through its next chapter serving a community that loves being the home of New England’s oldest map store.

Andy still comes by every week or so to have lunch and catch up.

Bryan Michie is an architect and founder of Michie Design and Build. As a City Commissioner in Providence, Rhode Island, he is committed to creating inclusive spaces, demonstrated by projects like Michie House and Dancing Cats Bar, which provide affordable and welcoming environments. His journey exemplifies the impact of hard work, vision, and resilience, focusing on creating mindful architecture that enhances the city and supports the community.  Michie Design and Build is more than just a business; it is a symbol of hope and opportunity, promoting diversity, celebrating inclusivity, and aiming to make a positive impact on the community.

Adam E. Anderson is a registered Landscape Architect and Founder/Principal of Design Under Sky. His twenty years of experience have included hospital healing gardens, residential gardens, master-planning, campus plazas, rooftop gardens, and urban parks, as well as commissioned public art works.

His recent works — 10,000 Suns, The Living Edge, and the Roger Williams Park Gateway—have received critical acclaim at the local and national level and have contributed to the transformation of the urban landscape of Providence.

His work negotiates with the ever-changing landscape by understanding the unique phenomenological qualities and cultural influences inherent in a site and then deploying interventions to embrace, reveal and often embellish these qualities. “Nature” is abstracted in his projects, culminating in a celebration of wonder found in both the technological and ecological. He continues to maintain several of his projects in the city, viewing maintenance as a “sculptural act” and redefining the role of “weeds” as a collaborative partner in re-wilding spaces in the city.

He received his Masters in Landscape Architecture (MLA II) from the Rhode Island School of Design where he was an Olmsted Scholar and Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from The Ohio State University. He has taught at RISD in the Graduate Landscape Architect Department since 2014 and currently also at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In 2021 he was inducted into the DESIGNXRI Hall of Fame as an emerging designer. Adam also serves on the board of the Downtown Providence Parks Network as well as PVD World Music Organization.

He is a licensed Landscape Architect in RI, MA, CT, NY, and PA

Danielle Sturm is Co-Founder of The Nest. Her deep passion for secondhand clothing and thrifting–mixed with a love for the local and underground art scene–has led to a personal mission to change people’s mindset of how we consume and support our local communities.

Danielle graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports, Entertainment, and Event Management and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Johnson & Wales University Providence. She got her start working in marketing and communications for startups and nonprofits in the medical technology and life science industries. Through her work, she has also produced two podcast series.

Danielle has interest in encompassing communication and culture, specifically through how music, sound, art, and history bring communities together. At The Nest, she has found the perfect avenue to successfully connect people over a sustainable cause and create a community of inclusion, culture, and fun.