Kate Thuesen, AIA, is the Vice President and Director of Business and People Partnerships at CannonDesign, where she works to design employee experiences and partners with leadership to align their business and people strategies. Her global perspective shaped by living and working on three continents, deepens her approach to creating spaces that bridge cultural and social divides. A passionate mentor, she has worked tirelessly to build platforms for emerging professionals, notably through her role as the national Director of Strategic Vision for the Young Architects Forum (YAF). Her contributions also include strengthening partnerships across organizations like the NOMA and the Large Firm Roundtable. In 2022, she also founded the LFRT/YAF Future Forward Grant, which awards $10k for innovative practice.