Why I Give: Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller
Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller. Photo by Brittany Ambridge
Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller, founding principals of Carrier and Company Interiors, are renowned for interior design that is elegant, comfortable, and rooted in the story of the client and place. The married couple, who met as undergraduates at FIT, have been named to the Architectural Digest AD100 and ELLE Decor A-List. In 2025, NYSID honored them with the Larry Kravet Design Industry Leadership Award. What’s less known about this duo is that they are philanthropists who channel their giving through the design community. The Carriers have been involved with Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club since the early days of their firm (The cause is close to Miller’s heart because her mother was a Bronx public school teacher, and Kips Bay programs serve schools her mother taught in). They are supporters of NYSID Scholarship Funds, as well as mentors in the college’s Student Mentorship Program. They often hire interns from NYSID. Carrier and Miller discuss why they give back here.
NYSID: Why are scholarships for design education one of your philanthropic priorities?
Jesse Carrier: We met at FIT and have always been proud of the education we received there. Designers who are business owners hire, and it’s important to us that people in our field have foundational tools and skill sets. There is so much more to this profession than “good taste.”
Mara Miller: Yes, we are talking about understanding scale, color theory, and design history, and gaining technical skills.
Jesse Carrier: Also, scholarships like the ones at NYSID open up the industry to people who may not otherwise have access to it. Talent isn’t reserved for people at the top who can access opportunities that lead them to artistic careers. Educating designers is core to our values. When students are given the resources to fully engage with their education, the entire design community becomes richer, more thoughtful, and more resilient.
NYSID: Why do you give to NYSID, specifically?
MM: NYSID does a very good job of integrating into the community of design, much like Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club does. This connection to the industry can lift up a new designer. Students get more from a NYSID education because the institution plugs them into the industry. They’re a present and active member of a design community from the start.
NYSID: Among the ways NYSID connects students to the industry is the mentoring program. Will you tell me about your experience of mentoring NYSID MFA1 student Kortney Klingert this year?
MM: We love mentoring and find it very rewarding. I’m happy to be working with Kortney. She’s an MFA student and a career changer, so she is focused, and wants to know how to be a successful, productive employee and designer. At this point in our careers, it’s predominantly our staff members who are training the interns at Carrier and Company. So these mentorship moments, when we’re communicating directly with students, are refreshing. An internship relationship is more transactional: We’re providing the students with exposure to the trade, and they are helping us execute the tasks we need accomplished. The mentor-mentee relationship is personal. It allows a mentee to be candid with us, so we are getting insight into what our junior employees’ concerns and goals might be. Mentoring keeps us connected to what motivates employees. Seeing students gain clarity, confidence, and a stronger sense of their own voice over time is deeply meaningful.
NYSID: Who were your mentors?
JC: As a student at FIT, I interned for Thomas O’Brien and Bill (William) Sofield, who were then both co-principals of Aero. Thomas and Bill are still very much in my head, in terms of aesthetics and business practices. After Aero, I went on to work for Jeffrey Bilhuber for a good decade, and it was there that I honed my skills. Lessons from these three mentors are still top of mind.
MM: My first internship was at Modern Bride magazine. Homemaking was part of our beat, because the editors realized people who were getting married were about to make a home. Shopping for and styling several looks for each photo shoot exposed me to tabletops, furnishings, and antiques. I acquired knowledge of the accoutrements of design. I then went on to intern for the architects John Ike and Thomas Kligerman (when they were partners), and to work for designers Sara Bangur and Marcy Masterson. I learned so much along the way.
NYSID: What is your best piece of advice for an interior designer at the start of their career?
JC: I encourage designers to take some time to work for the people they admire. Apprenticeship is powerful. After a design education, there is so much more information to learn in the workplace, working for others.
MM: I agree. Be patient with the process. There’s much to learn from custom craftsmen. The flip side of custom design is that it can be a tremendous liability. A mistake with one detail can be exorbitant. You are collaborating with these craftsmen to create something one-of-a-kind, and you want to make sure it’ll be structurally sound, that it’s not going to warp or bow. This level of expertise can only be acquired in the workplace. A strong design voice takes time, discipline, and a lot of looking, learning, and doing.
Get Involved with NYSID as a Student Mentor
If you are an alum and/or design professional who would like to get involved with NYSID’s mentoring programs for students, please reach out to Samantha Fingleton, NYSID’s development and alumni services manager, at samantha.fingleton@nysid.edu.