Welcome From David Sprouls

David Sprouls

This issue contains a special section on design entrepreneurism. We’ve profiled several alumni who are leading firms that are growing and hiring: Susan Lin ’21 (AAS), founder of Susan Lin Design; Susan Marinello ’95 (AAS), founder of Marinello; and Brooke Lichtenstein ’10 (BFA) and Yiannos Vrousgos ’10 (BFA), founders of INPUT. Choosing which three companies to include was a daunting task because so many of our alumni have founded their own successful firms. Ultimately, we selected the founding principals of firms at various stages of development, in three cities, who have recently hired NYSID graduates (see “Strategies of Successful Interior Design Entrepreneurs.”)

People say entrepreneurship can’t be taught, and there’s some truth to this, but we are clearly doing something right by instilling an entrepreneurial spirit at NYSID. Our students sit at the feet of some of the most successful design entrepreneurs in the business: as mentees, interns, and audience members of our lectures and Dialogues on Design series. They see that such careers are rare and hard-won, yet possible. Many of our faculty members become role models of successful firm owners with specialized knowledge, as is the case with Ian Gordon, co-founder of e+i studio, who shares his expertise in exhibit design.

Some assume that design schools do not teach business. The opposite is true at NYSID where the business of design is taught in professional practice courses, and business principles are woven into studio projects. Our unique MPS in the Design of Healthcare Environments even offers a course in the Business of Healthcare Design taught by senior hospital administrators.

Nowhere was the strength of NYSID’s relationship with the interior design community more apparent than Gala 2026, which raised more than $737,720 in support of scholarships, making it the highest-grossing fundraiser in our history. The event honored William Sofield, founder of Studio Sofield, with the Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award; Ken Fulk, founder of his eponymous firm, with the Larry Kravet Design Industry Leadership Award; and NYSID alumni Brooke Lichtenstein ’10 (BFA) and Yiannos Vrousgos ’10 (BFA), co-founders of INPUT, with the Rising Star Award (sponsored by The Shade Store). Special thanks are due to gala co-chairs Ingrid Edelman, Alexa Hampton, David Kleinberg, and Betsey Ruprecht, and NYSID’s Board Chair Ellen Kravet. It struck me that many of the designers who attended give our students not only financial support, but also their time, as mentors, first employers, guest critics, and more.

Industry engagement helps NYSID evolve our programs and projects, and lead in interior design education. One example of the way NYSID is constantly innovating is a project we recently updated in the BFA, which challenges students to create a respite center for the caregivers of patients with serious illness, addressing a movement to serve caregivers in healthcare design. Hear about this from the students in “Design that Comforts Caregivers.”.           

What our interior design community brings to a NYSID education is invaluable, and we thank you for it. We hope your summer is not all business, and you get a chance to slow down and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us.

Warm regards,,

David Sprouls
President