Meet our collaborative team of designers, strategists, storytellers, technologists, artists and problem solvers who are on the job from day one until it's done.
Elinore manages various NBBJ | ESI Design projects throughout all phases from concept design through launch, working on clients such as Delta, HSBC, and Beacon Capital Partners. As an esteemed architect and interactive/exhibit designer, Elinore has a diverse background in architecture, interior design and graphic design directing projects globally in Israel, France, Canada, and the United States. Before joining ESI Design, Elinore was the lead designer for the Liberty Science Center, and holds an MA in Exhibition Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a BA in Architecture & Urban Design from the Technion – Machon Technologi Le’ Israel.
Katie approaches her role as both strategist and storyteller. Working mostly with ESI’s corporate clients, Katie begins a project by absorbing all the information she can about a client, and then synthesizes and interprets her learnings to create memorable narratives. She advocates for both story and design, working with the client and ESI’s interdisciplinary team to realize engaging, meaningful experiences.
Prior to joining ESI, Katie worked as a Content Strategist for another leading exhibit design firm in New York, where she developed content for films, interactive experiences, and data visualizations for clients ranging from AT&T to the government of Kuwait. For AT&T, Katie worked closely with network and security specialists to conceive of and develop original media experiences for the Executive Briefing Center at the company’s headquarters in Dallas.
Katie began her career at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum and Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where she developed exhibits and digital media. She earned her M.A. in Museum Studies from New York University and graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in History from Abilene Christian University. In her free time she enjoys traveling, reading exhibit catalogs, and playing video games with her godchildren.
Lisa is the main liaison between clients and project teams at NBBJ | ESI Design. With a focus on client service excellence, Lisa plays a key role in ensuring designs and project trajectories are aligned with client goals and expectations. With over a decade of experience in the arts and design industry, Lisa has extensive experience managing complex projects across multiple industries including Delta Airlines, Charter Communications, Verizon, and Beacon Capital Partners. Prior to ESI, she worked in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of Sotheby’s auction house as an Exhibition Manager and Registrar, where she managed teams, resources and schedules to prepare and install monthly exhibitions.
Brooke collaborates with clients to ensure their experiential and operational goals are achieved on projects. Prior to ESI Brooke’s professional experiences included community development, public space advocacy, and business development strategy at non-profits and a direct healthcare provider. She is passionate about how space can be used to connect, to celebrate, and to heal.
Layne drives the creative vision of the practice and ensures design excellence across all experiential projects. Layne is a trailblazer of the modern experiential design movement known for his ability to innovate by merging digital trends, high design, technology, physical space, art, and culture to reflect the human experience. This formula creates a truly ownable emotional connection with audiences ensuring each experience is unique, market-relevant, and culturally transformative. Layne was previously the Founder and CCO at Fake Love, an award-winning international experiential design agency before it was acquired by The New York Times Company. A coveted thought leader in the innovative design field, Layne won 7x Cannes Lion and 2x Clio awards and spoke at leading symposiums such as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, TEDx, Adobe 99U, and more.
Cara leads the project management and production teams to ensure project milestones from concept through installation are delivered on time and within budget. In her work with corporate, commercial and tourism clients, Cara’s refined eye and exemplary experience in media production and digital media bring projects’ design vision to life. Previously, Cara was the Head of Production for the Visual Effects Society Award-nominated film, The Wolf of Wall Street.
As the Creative Technology Director, Adam oversees development of the custom high performance software which drives the media-intensive experiences designed by the ESI team. He draws upon his 8 years of expertise in creative technology and software design to create robust frameworks for dynamic, engaging user experiences. He is fluent in C++, C, Swift, Objective-C and Python, specializing in computer vision and realtime interactive media.
Before joining ESI Design, Adam was a Lead Creative Technologist at Fake Love, an innovative experiential advertising agency that is part of The New York Times, working on campaigns for clients including IBM and Samsung. He was also the Lead Engineer at Knit Health in San Francisco, working on computer vision algorithms for health monitoring and video streaming.
Adam earned a B.F.A. in New Media from Ryerson University in Toronto. In his spare time, he contributes to the open source community as a project maintainer for openFrameworks, an open source C++ toolkit for creative coding.
As a Senior Physical Designer at ESI Design, Andrew is responsible for the space planning and overall design direction for elements in the environment. He designs the physical space and creates visualizations of it through 3D modeling, renderings and drawings.
Prior to joining ESI, Andrew worked at Second Story, where he created immersive brand experiences for leading brands including Lululemon and Comcast Xfinity, and Potion Design, where he was faced with the unique challenge of making the Constitution fun and interesting for visitors at the National Constitution Center.
After initially studying accounting at UCLA, he discovered architecture through an extracurricular class and switched tracks to earn his B.A. in Architectural Studies, then his M.Arch. at South California Institute of Architecture. His freelance projects include designing the set for Sprint’s iPhone 6s TV commercial.
Jonathan develops user interfaces, animations, and interactive communications tools for iconic projects such as a digital sign in the heart of Times Square, WarnerMedia Headquarters, Delta Terminal at LGA, and the Statue of Liberty Museum. Jonathan earned his MPS in Interactive Telecommunications from NYU, which enabled him to bring a deeper understanding of what makes a successful product to his visual design. With a holistic approach to design, he arrives at unique and thoughtful visual solutions that remove barriers between the user and the client’s desired outcome.
Baldur creates the design, animation and prototypes of digital media experiences, from concept through installation. Previously, Baldur worked at acclaimed advertising agencies and design studios such as Digitas, Ogilvy and karlssonwilker where he worked on campaigns and brand experiences for global companies including American Express, The New York Times, CNN, and Samsung. Baldur earned a B.F.A. in Mixed Media from the Iceland University of the Arts.
Once NBBJ | ESI Design projects launch, Aaron ensures the installation and AV systems perform their best throughout time. Aaron provides comprehensive project maintenance and oversees daily media operations, software service, hardware service and support coordination with integration partners. Aaron has diverse experience in AV technology and production working at art institutions including the American Repertory Theatre, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Santa Fe Opera Company. He is a Certified Technology Specialist from AVIXA.
With over 25 years of experience in finance and operations, Susan oversees business operations, success, and growth for NBBJ | ESI Design. Previously, Susan held similar roles at Biscotti & Company and Tactics, Inc., where she was instrumental in transforming both companies from small entrepreneur ventures to successful acquisitions.
Aaron is a technical designer working at the intersection of design and technology. With more than a decade of experience in lighting and electronics design, at ESI Design he works to find creative ways to advance our concepts with tangible visual and audio solutions. He also serves on the steering committee for ESI’s in-house research and development program, “Explore,” to innovate new and emerging approaches for experiential design.
Prior to joining ESI Aaron spent much of his professional career designing lighting and electronic creations for the performing arts. From supervising electrician on Oprah Winfrey’s 2014 tour, to concepting lighting fixtures for consumer markets, to developing audio visual and automation systems for major Broadway shows, he is comfortable working behind the scenes and collaboratively with all other disciplines.
Aaron earned his Master of Professional Studies at Tisch NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program and his B.F.A at Purchase College in Theatre Design and Technology, with a concentration in Lighting Design. He is currently an adjunct professor at Tisch NYU. In his free time he enjoys designing and making circuit boards.
Caroline leads the media production on projects from design concept to launch. Working with high-profile clients such as Major League Baseball, Verizon, eBay, and the Statue of Liberty Museum, Caroline manages the project budgets and schedules across the media, software, and technology teams. An esteemed organizer and communicator, Caroline manages the project budgets and schedules across the media, software, and technology teams. She worked on high-profile clients such as MLB HQ, Verizon, the Statue of Liberty Museum and eBay. Her experience prior to joining ESI Design includes work in programs and collections for the 9/11 Tribute Center in New York and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection in Washington, D.C.
Kristen ensures projects are on the right path throughout all the phases of the design cycle: concept design, production, installation, and launch. Dedicated to exemplary project management, she facilitates the process and communication to assure projects are delivered on time and aligned with the budget. Kristen worked on high-profile clientele throughout her career including Verizon, WarnerMedia HQ, Major League Baseball, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Kristen has a Master’s Degree in Interior Architecture, and her personal work was showcased at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and the Museum of Art and Design.
Emily is an award-winning designer focused on media architecture and immersive environments. Working with world-class clients and design teams on experiential projects, she sets the creative direction and leads the conceptual development process. Emily is responsible for iconic NYC landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty Museum and the digital activation at Laguardia Airport’s Terminal C. Her unique cross-market expertise ranges from retail, cultural and technology clients, to healthcare, corporate and commercial projects. She is innovation-focused, leveraging the panorama of interactive technologies to help clients tell their story by creating engaging, immersive, and meaningful experiences. A sought-after thought leader, Emily has presented at high-profile conferences such as Fast Company’s Innovation Festival, NYC X Design Festival, and WORKTECH, and her insights have been featured in media outlets including Business Insider and WWD.
Matt oversees the overall experience design direction for physical spaces. He sketches ideas, creates concept diagrams, models 3D environments, visualizes, and documents spaces from both an experiential and pragmatic point of view. Matt has played an essential role on a wide range of projects including Verizon, HSBC, and the Statue of Liberty Museum, and prior to joining ESI Design, the NCAA Hall of Fame and Washington National Monument.
Elinore manages various NBBJ | ESI Design projects throughout all phases from concept design through launch, working on clients such as Delta, HSBC, and Beacon Capital Partners. As an esteemed architect and interactive/exhibit designer, Elinore has a diverse background in architecture, interior design and graphic design directing projects globally in Israel, France, Canada, and the United States. Before joining ESI Design, Elinore was the lead designer for the Liberty Science Center, and holds an MA in Exhibition Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a BA in Architecture & Urban Design from the Technion – Machon Technologi Le’ Israel.
Katie approaches her role as both strategist and storyteller. Working mostly with ESI’s corporate clients, Katie begins a project by absorbing all the information she can about a client, and then synthesizes and interprets her learnings to create memorable narratives. She advocates for both story and design, working with the client and ESI’s interdisciplinary team to realize engaging, meaningful experiences.
Prior to joining ESI, Katie worked as a Content Strategist for another leading exhibit design firm in New York, where she developed content for films, interactive experiences, and data visualizations for clients ranging from AT&T to the government of Kuwait. For AT&T, Katie worked closely with network and security specialists to conceive of and develop original media experiences for the Executive Briefing Center at the company’s headquarters in Dallas.
Katie began her career at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum and Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where she developed exhibits and digital media. She earned her M.A. in Museum Studies from New York University and graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in History from Abilene Christian University. In her free time she enjoys traveling, reading exhibit catalogs, and playing video games with her godchildren.
Lisa is the main liaison between clients and project teams at NBBJ | ESI Design. With a focus on client service excellence, Lisa plays a key role in ensuring designs and project trajectories are aligned with client goals and expectations. With over a decade of experience in the arts and design industry, Lisa has extensive experience managing complex projects across multiple industries including Delta Airlines, Charter Communications, Verizon, and Beacon Capital Partners. Prior to ESI, she worked in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of Sotheby’s auction house as an Exhibition Manager and Registrar, where she managed teams, resources and schedules to prepare and install monthly exhibitions.
Brooke collaborates with clients to ensure their experiential and operational goals are achieved on projects. Prior to ESI Brooke’s professional experiences included community development, public space advocacy, and business development strategy at non-profits and a direct healthcare provider. She is passionate about how space can be used to connect, to celebrate, and to heal.
Layne drives the creative vision of the practice and ensures design excellence across all experiential projects. Layne is a trailblazer of the modern experiential design movement known for his ability to innovate by merging digital trends, high design, technology, physical space, art, and culture to reflect the human experience. This formula creates a truly ownable emotional connection with audiences ensuring each experience is unique, market-relevant, and culturally transformative. Layne was previously the Founder and CCO at Fake Love, an award-winning international experiential design agency before it was acquired by The New York Times Company. A coveted thought leader in the innovative design field, Layne won 7x Cannes Lion and 2x Clio awards and spoke at leading symposiums such as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, TEDx, Adobe 99U, and more.
Cara leads the project management and production teams to ensure project milestones from concept through installation are delivered on time and within budget. In her work with corporate, commercial and tourism clients, Cara’s refined eye and exemplary experience in media production and digital media bring projects’ design vision to life. Previously, Cara was the Head of Production for the Visual Effects Society Award-nominated film, The Wolf of Wall Street.
As the Creative Technology Director, Adam oversees development of the custom high performance software which drives the media-intensive experiences designed by the ESI team. He draws upon his 8 years of expertise in creative technology and software design to create robust frameworks for dynamic, engaging user experiences. He is fluent in C++, C, Swift, Objective-C and Python, specializing in computer vision and realtime interactive media.
Before joining ESI Design, Adam was a Lead Creative Technologist at Fake Love, an innovative experiential advertising agency that is part of The New York Times, working on campaigns for clients including IBM and Samsung. He was also the Lead Engineer at Knit Health in San Francisco, working on computer vision algorithms for health monitoring and video streaming.
Adam earned a B.F.A. in New Media from Ryerson University in Toronto. In his spare time, he contributes to the open source community as a project maintainer for openFrameworks, an open source C++ toolkit for creative coding.
As a Senior Physical Designer at ESI Design, Andrew is responsible for the space planning and overall design direction for elements in the environment. He designs the physical space and creates visualizations of it through 3D modeling, renderings and drawings.
Prior to joining ESI, Andrew worked at Second Story, where he created immersive brand experiences for leading brands including Lululemon and Comcast Xfinity, and Potion Design, where he was faced with the unique challenge of making the Constitution fun and interesting for visitors at the National Constitution Center.
After initially studying accounting at UCLA, he discovered architecture through an extracurricular class and switched tracks to earn his B.A. in Architectural Studies, then his M.Arch. at South California Institute of Architecture. His freelance projects include designing the set for Sprint’s iPhone 6s TV commercial.
Jonathan develops user interfaces, animations, and interactive communications tools for iconic projects such as a digital sign in the heart of Times Square, WarnerMedia Headquarters, Delta Terminal at LGA, and the Statue of Liberty Museum. Jonathan earned his MPS in Interactive Telecommunications from NYU, which enabled him to bring a deeper understanding of what makes a successful product to his visual design. With a holistic approach to design, he arrives at unique and thoughtful visual solutions that remove barriers between the user and the client’s desired outcome.
Baldur creates the design, animation and prototypes of digital media experiences, from concept through installation. Previously, Baldur worked at acclaimed advertising agencies and design studios such as Digitas, Ogilvy and karlssonwilker where he worked on campaigns and brand experiences for global companies including American Express, The New York Times, CNN, and Samsung. Baldur earned a B.F.A. in Mixed Media from the Iceland University of the Arts.
Once NBBJ | ESI Design projects launch, Aaron ensures the installation and AV systems perform their best throughout time. Aaron provides comprehensive project maintenance and oversees daily media operations, software service, hardware service and support coordination with integration partners. Aaron has diverse experience in AV technology and production working at art institutions including the American Repertory Theatre, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Santa Fe Opera Company. He is a Certified Technology Specialist from AVIXA.
With over 25 years of experience in finance and operations, Susan oversees business operations, success, and growth for NBBJ | ESI Design. Previously, Susan held similar roles at Biscotti & Company and Tactics, Inc., where she was instrumental in transforming both companies from small entrepreneur ventures to successful acquisitions.
Aaron is a technical designer working at the intersection of design and technology. With more than a decade of experience in lighting and electronics design, at ESI Design he works to find creative ways to advance our concepts with tangible visual and audio solutions. He also serves on the steering committee for ESI’s in-house research and development program, “Explore,” to innovate new and emerging approaches for experiential design.
Prior to joining ESI Aaron spent much of his professional career designing lighting and electronic creations for the performing arts. From supervising electrician on Oprah Winfrey’s 2014 tour, to concepting lighting fixtures for consumer markets, to developing audio visual and automation systems for major Broadway shows, he is comfortable working behind the scenes and collaboratively with all other disciplines.
Aaron earned his Master of Professional Studies at Tisch NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program and his B.F.A at Purchase College in Theatre Design and Technology, with a concentration in Lighting Design. He is currently an adjunct professor at Tisch NYU. In his free time he enjoys designing and making circuit boards.
Caroline leads the media production on projects from design concept to launch. Working with high-profile clients such as Major League Baseball, Verizon, eBay, and the Statue of Liberty Museum, Caroline manages the project budgets and schedules across the media, software, and technology teams. An esteemed organizer and communicator, Caroline manages the project budgets and schedules across the media, software, and technology teams. She worked on high-profile clients such as MLB HQ, Verizon, the Statue of Liberty Museum and eBay. Her experience prior to joining ESI Design includes work in programs and collections for the 9/11 Tribute Center in New York and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection in Washington, D.C.
Kristen ensures projects are on the right path throughout all the phases of the design cycle: concept design, production, installation, and launch. Dedicated to exemplary project management, she facilitates the process and communication to assure projects are delivered on time and aligned with the budget. Kristen worked on high-profile clientele throughout her career including Verizon, WarnerMedia HQ, Major League Baseball, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Kristen has a Master’s Degree in Interior Architecture, and her personal work was showcased at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and the Museum of Art and Design.
Emily is an award-winning designer focused on media architecture and immersive environments. Working with world-class clients and design teams on experiential projects, she sets the creative direction and leads the conceptual development process. Emily is responsible for iconic NYC landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty Museum and the digital activation at Laguardia Airport’s Terminal C. Her unique cross-market expertise ranges from retail, cultural and technology clients, to healthcare, corporate and commercial projects. She is innovation-focused, leveraging the panorama of interactive technologies to help clients tell their story by creating engaging, immersive, and meaningful experiences. A sought-after thought leader, Emily has presented at high-profile conferences such as Fast Company’s Innovation Festival, NYC X Design Festival, and WORKTECH, and her insights have been featured in media outlets including Business Insider and WWD.
Matt oversees the overall experience design direction for physical spaces. He sketches ideas, creates concept diagrams, models 3D environments, visualizes, and documents spaces from both an experiential and pragmatic point of view. Matt has played an essential role on a wide range of projects including Verizon, HSBC, and the Statue of Liberty Museum, and prior to joining ESI Design, the NCAA Hall of Fame and Washington National Monument.
