TSA CONNECT 2026: Alternate Career Paths

Ade Bodunrin is a licensed architect with over 18 years of experience in architecture and transit infrastructure. He has led design review and delivery for major projects such as the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension, Ontario Line and Scarborough Subway Extension, combining design expertise with project management and stakeholder engagement. Ade’s career demonstrates how architectural training can translate into impactful roles beyond traditional practice.

A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Master of Architecture program, Amanda discovered early on that her favourite part of the design process wasn’t necessarily the construction drawings—it was communicating the impact a building had on its users and environment. During her time at U of T, a fascination with visual communication and publication design sparked a realization: the same optimism and “what-if” thinking used in the studio could be used to champion the future of the built environment. Rather than leaving architecture behind, Amanda translated her design toolkit into a career dedicated to the art of the pitch, treating every proposal as a creative project in its own right.

Over the past 14 years, Amanda has built a career at the intersection of brand strategy and business development. From navigating complex public bids to building strategic partnerships, she demonstrates that an architectural education provides a versatile toolkit for navigating the business of design. As the Marketing Director at Gow Hastings Architects, her focus is on the “why” behind the work, using market research and storytelling to win projects and grow firm impact. Amanda is dedicated to helping the next generation of graduates realize that the path less travelled is not just a viable alternative, but a critical component of a thriving, multi-disciplinary practice.

As a Senior Designer at Entro, Celia Guzman brings over a decade of experience in experiential design, with a focus on projects in the aviation and healthcare sectors. Her work has focused on wayfinding strategy and design storytelling, where she applies her combined knowledge of graphic design and architecture to create clear, intuitive journeys for complex environments.

Celia is a graduate of Humber College’s Graphic Design program and has also studied architecture at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Her background in architecture has given her a strong understanding of how people move through physical spaces, and has informed an approach to design that is rooted in human experience and interaction.

Eric Mutrie is a Senior Editor at Azure magazine. After studying architecture in university, he developed a lasting enthusiasm for telling stories about design and the built environment. Over the course of his media career, he has interviewed industry titans like Frank Gehry and Faye Toogood, identified new talents and trends at international furniture fairs, and cast a spotlight on the social and sustainable changemakers who are moving the world forward. Eric has over 10 years of editorial experience, including previous positions as the Managing Editor of Sharp and Associate Editor of Designlines.

Jessica is a licensed architect and University of Waterloo graduate, holding both a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Architectural Studies. Her career has taken her to Boston, New York, and Toronto, giving her a broad perspective on how design, people, and process come together.

Spanning nearly two decades at Diamond Schmitt Architects, most recently as a Senior Associate, Jessica led multidisciplinary teams and coordinated the diverse interests of project partners on large-scale public projects, including the National Arts Centre Rejuvenation in Ottawa, Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, and York University’s Markham Campus.

Her passion for working at the intersection of owners, designers, and builders—combined with a commitment to team building and a deep appreciation for respectful workplace culture—led her to Bird Construction, where she holds the role of Design Manager on Peel Memorial Hospital Phase 2. Jessica’s career demonstrates how the skills and mindset cultivated through architectural education and experience—creative problem-solving, strategic thinking, and effective collaboration—translate into leadership roles that guide complex projects, shaping not only buildings but also the teams and processes that drive success across the broader professional landscape.

Jordan Bischoff is an Associate Vice President and team lead of Steer’s Design for Movement team, an international spatial user experience design and wayfinding team. He provides design direction and growth management for the North American team’s current projects and ongoing new business. 

A diverse roster of partnerships include Amazon, University of Denver, MTC, CAMH, University of Pennsylvania, Land Collective, Deloitte, Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, RioCan, Lifetime Developments, Madison Group, Dream, Four Seasons Hotels, Oxford Properties, and süperkul Architects. His practice brings together his architectural training with transportation planning and design strategy. 

Allowing this collision of graphic and industrial design with movement planning, a new skillset arrives that helps people navigate and understand their everyday environments. His work has been featured in Dezeen, Under Consideration, and the SEGD.

Julie Bogdanowicz is an Architect and Senior Urban Designer with over 20 years of professional experience including 15 years at the City of Toronto, where she works in the Urban Design section of City Planning. She is currently the urban design lead of projects at the mouth of the Don River in the Port Lands including Ookwemin Minising (formerly Villiers Island) and McCleary District. She has also worked on the Rail Deck District development, Mirvish Village and the reconfiguration of the Six Points Interchange in Etobicoke. She co-led the Study: Planning for Children in Vertical Communities which resulted in Urban Design Guidelines. She has a Master of Architecture from UBC and has worked internationally in New York and the United Arab Emirates for Asymptote Architects, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects, KPMB Architects, CSP Architects and Hodson Baker Boniface Haden Architects.

Karl van Es is the founder of Åvontuura, an independent publisher of architecture guides, with more than 40 titles released or currently in development. His work has been featured at Monocle stores worldwide, the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, and the World Architecture Festival in Miami. Prior to founding Åvontuura, Karl was a licensed architect based in Toronto, with 18 years of professional experience across low-, mid-, and high-rise residential projects. He worked with leading practices including BDP Quadrangle, Diamond Schmitt, SUSTAINABLE.TO, and FARO Architecten in the Netherlands.

As Senior Manager, Project Development, within University Planning, Design and Construction at the University of Toronto, Laragh is responsible for the coordination of budget, schedules and scope and the procurement of architectural services for architectural, engineering and landscape projects. Laragh guides a wide variety of university client groups from development, through consultant selection and launch of major capital projects. Laragh works closely with clients and departments across the three University campuses, University Planning and the Capital Projects implementation team. Her goal is to support the development of projects that demonstrate a high calibre of design innovation, that improve the University experience, meet the University’s climate goals, and that ultimately provide environments both functional and inspiring.

Prior to joining U of T, Laragh was a practicing architect for over a decade, specializing in institutional and non-profit sector projects. She also believes in the importance of design education and has taught third-year design studio in the Faculty of Design at OCADU. Acting as a Mentor in the Rose Patten Learning Program, she also actively supports the career development of mentees who have recently joined the University.

Laragh is a member of the Ontario Association of Architects, and a graduate of McGill University (BA.Hons.) and the University of Toronto with master’s degrees in art history and architecture (MA, MArch).

Mélisa Audet is a licensed architect in Ontario with more than 20 years of post‑graduate experience in architectural design, construction, and project management. Since 2019, she has served as the Manager of Practice Advisory Services at the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), working alongside the Practice Advisors to coordinate a broad range of services that support both architectural practices and the public.

Mélisa earned her Bachelor of Science (Architecture) and Master of Architecture degrees from McGill University in Montreal. In 2014, she completed a Certificate in Project Management (Construction) from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Fully bilingual in French and English, Mélisa has gained extensive project experience through her work with private practices in Toronto and Montreal, federal government agencies, and a construction management firm. She brings practical insight informed by multiple perspectives within the industry.

She was elected to OAA Council in 2017 and served as Vice President, Regulatory, from 2018 to 2019. Mélisa has also been an active contributor to the profession and her community, serving on the McGill Alumni Board of Directors in Toronto (2014–2018), McGill’s Alumni Communities Funding Committee (2023-2025) and the Toronto Society of Architects (2017–2018). She has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity GTA.

Monika has always been fascinated by dynamic cities and believes that technology can be used to build more liveable cities through better access to urban data.

After 15 years in the architecture profession, Monika co-founded Ratio.City, a proptech company that helps city builders make data-driven decisions for urban transformation. Since launching in 2018, Ratio.City has become a trusted source of information for some of Canada’s largest real estate companies, municipalities, and asset managers. Ratio.City was acquired by Esri Canada in 2023.

Monika now leads Esri Canada’s Planning, Housing & Land Division. The PHL Division’s mandate is to provide innovative and data driven products, services, and solutions to support both public and private sector professionals making complex land use decisions.

Roberto Grillo has fifteen years of specific experience in concept design, design development and construction management for architectural projects in the areas of environmental graphic design, signage, wayfinding and signage strategy and planning. He has expertise in conceptual design, stakeholder and client presentations, technical detail design, construction documentation—including shop drawing review and site deficiency review, and developing and implementing universal accessibility and code compliance standards to signage programs.

Ryan is an architect and artist passionate about communal stories that connect people to materials and city-building. His work is informed by his art practice which explored printmaking through material circularity, local repair, and exchange in Hamilton. This context reveals the social and environmental impact and opportunity of building, a perspective Ryan brings to project design strategy. Ryan oversees creative pursuits and research, specializing in thoughtful design and technical rigor. He has extensive experience with feasibility studies and residential design. As a co-founder of Ha/f, he has advanced life cycle assessment in architectural offices across Canada to drive immediate carbon reduction in residential construction. Ryan also leads the Ha/f Research Seminar at the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture.