About

Our challenge is to promote women’s leadership in the sector, promoting their visibility for the active development of a society with equal opportunities.
Founded by interior designer Harsha Kotak in May 2018, Women in Office Design is a platform for architects, designers, manufacturers and dealers, specifiers, space planners and workplace strategists from around the world to connect, share knowledge and discuss ideas within a dedicated design community.
Harsha noticed the disparity in numbers of women executives in the workplace design industry and these statistics were surprising, if not disconcerting.
She questioned, what do we want our industry to look like in the future and how do we get there? Harsha recognised the urgent need for a strong network that can support and foster women’s career growth in the industry. A unique environment where women can inspire and get inspired, and where idols become accessible mentors.
Men are welcome to join and attend WOD events; we encourage them to join us in changing the conversation. But the group was created as Harsha noticed that women were less likely to network compared to men which hinders female professionals’ career growth.
She wanted to create a design network that would encourage more women to connect with their peers.

Women in Office Design warmly welcomes individuals, companies and groups who are looking to connect with dynamic design professionals.

International Chapters

Women in Office Design began in London, England, but was always intended to be a global network.
The Spanish chapter flourished in Spain where Harsha along with WOD co-founders Soledat Berbegal Roque & Gracia Cardona, hosted the inaugural Spanish Women in Office Design event at the prestigious Design Museum of Barcelona in May 2019. The Spanish chapter has since organised many local events in Barcelona, Madrid & Valencia.
WOD’s India chapter has was established in 2020 with Bangalore-based architect and workplace strategist, Payal Sandhu Khurana playing key a role in it’s formation. Regular events continue to be held across the country in collaboration with brands such as Humanscale, Andreu World and Steelcase.
The newest WOD chapter hails from Italy and was founded back in 2021. The majority of WOD’s events in Italy have taken place in Milan at venues including Interface and Gabriel Fabrics.
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UK Team

Harsha Kotak

Harsha, Founder of WOD, is an international Interior Designer and writer. With a lifelong passion for design, Harsha has worked in the workplace design industry for over 20 years and has practiced in the US, India and the UK.

Lauren Thompson

Lauren is an A&D consultant for Moroso. Her background is in Interior Design, with over 17 years of experience in the furniture sector she has worked for dealers, manufacturers and architectural practices in the UK and Italy.

Ashley Jones

With 14 years experience working for manufacturers including EGGER, Bolon, and most recently taking on the role as Head of Field Sales at Gabriel A/S, Ashley brings a broad range of experience from a manufacturer perspective.

Joanna Knight

With 30+ years experience in the furniture and interiors sector, Joanna was a founder director in 2001 of a groundbreaking company offering lifecycle management solutions for workplace environments. She is now an independent consultant; non-executive director at FIRA; advisory member of FISP; and chair of the climate change committee at The Furniture Makers’ Company.

India Team

Payal Sandhu Khurana

Payal is a Bangalore based interior architect and workplace strategist with vast experience in delivering workplaces of significant scale and stature. She is a well-respected member of the design community in India and is focused on using her leadership and networking skills to establish WOD’s India chapter.

Pooja Kadel

Sumita Sundaram

Italy Team

Veronica Nardelotto

Silvia Impelluso

TBC

Spain Team

Soledat Berbegal

Soledat Berbegal is a Board Member and Director of Brand Reputation at Actiu, a family business and 2017 National Design Award winner, specialising in the design and manufacture of furniture for work and contract spaces, present in more than 90 countries.

Gracia Cardona

Gracia Cardona is the founder and editor of DiarioDesign magazine and executive director of Decotherapy. Analytical and curious, she has always had a great passion for understanding how things work. And not just physical ‘things’ but complex systems from the human mind to business.

Mireia Cervera

Interior designer by training, Mireia works as a Consultant specializing in Commercial Strategies in the Habitat Design sector in the Contract-Hospitallity Channel. Founding partner of Kintsugi Consulting, a Consulting firm active in the implementation of commercial strategies and tactics for the industry with a commercial objective in prescription.

Arantxa Bernadi

Arantxa Bernadí is CEO of Bernadí and represents the third generation of this family business. They have been creating and designing workspaces for over 55 years where productivity, well-being and user happiness are at the heart of the project. They base their innovation on work cultures based on experience and know-how in industry trends, applying them to the conceptualisation and execution of new spaces.

Anna Boscá

Architect and director of the Department of Healthcare Architecture and Equipment at Ramon Esteve Estudio, a position she took up in 2019, after leading the Architecture Department since 2011 in the development of all types of projects. Her experience is focused on equipment projects: healthcare, educational, and sociocultural, developing an advanced level of specialization and accompanying the client from the first strategic decisions.

Maria Anton-Barco

María Antón-Barco is a PhD in Architecture and Director of the Degree in Interior Design at ESNE. University School of Design, Innovation and Technology. She combines management, teaching, research and the practice of architecture.

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