- April 3, 2024
- Ellie Gott
Designhounds are coming out of the KBIS bubble, and reminiscing on the good fun we had in Vegas! From the Changemakers Conference, to KBIS Uncorked, the BASH nightclub party (oh…and the show), we share many sweet moments from the February trip. One however- takes the cake. Let’s tell the tale of the donation for one of our own: Alyce Lopez.
At the Changemaker Conference over 85 members of the Designhounds Influencer Network, industry experts, and sponsor brand representatives gathered for a day of conversations, thought leadership and creative workshops centered around human-centric design and a return to our own “why.” We were guided by our theme, #DaretoDesign, and kicked-off the day with our fearless leader, Veronika Miller, and sponsor participants in a panel discussion exploring this topic.
The Panel Players:
- Donille Perrone – Senior Brand Manager at Signature Kitchen Suite
- Sarah Lograsso – Director, Marketing and Product Management at Westlake Royal Building Products, Stone and Roofing,
- Martha Orellana – VP of Marketing and Sales at MrSteam
- Jean-Jacques L’Henaff – VP for Design at Lixil Water Technology America
Veronika had moved the conversation with sponsors away from brand messaging and focused them on their own personal stories. (Refreshing we know, and we think we’re on to something there). However, in true Oprah fashion, there was a surprise donation announcement that the sponsors had pledged $2,500 each to Designhounds member, Alyce Lopez, and her company The True House.
The Donation Why:
Alyce had recently faced some severe flood damage at her one-month-old shop, from record-breaking rainfall on January 22nd in San Diego. The damage was not covered by Alyce’s insurance, as it was considered a flood-insurance specific issue as “ground-up” water. Flood insurance is not generally necessary or required for the area, so the damage was a heavy hitter.
The donation was a beautiful moment in the Designhounds community, and as said by our founder, Veronika Miller:
“In line with our ‘Dare.to.Design’ theme and discussion on emotion/human-centric design, this was a serendipitous demonstration of when humanity supersedes corporate strategy. Sometimes business rationale gets set aside, and you just say yes. That’s where the real community is and I was proud to witness it.”
Here are the sponsoring companies who donated:
Westlake Royal Building Products
Interior & exterior products — Westlake offers a complete line of durable and low-maintenance exterior home products. Siding, roofing, stone, trim & moldings.
Mr. Steam
MrSteam manufactures state-of-the-art steam shower systems and steam shower accessories for residential and commercial steam bathing experiences.
Grohe
Grohe is a German plumbing fixtures manufacturer with luxury fittings for bathrooms and kitchens.
Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS)
Signature Kitchen Suite crafts built-in appliances, featuring leading-edge technology that provides more flexibility to prepare meals “True to Food.”
We are so proud to have curated a community that can support each other. Thank you to Donille, Sarah, Martha, and Jean-Jacques for your generosity, and thank you to the Changemaker Conference attendees for being there to witness the moment.
To end on the happiest note, here’s a quote from Alyce herself: “We are grateful for the community that rallied beside us with online orders and donations while we got back on our feet. We are currently wrapping up the final touches and hope to open in April.”
