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| 19 Aug 2026 | |
| DP JADE |
| Rebecca Johnson | Ballinger | FCA | FIFTEEN Architecture + Design | Ian Smith Design Group LLC | |||||
| Perkins + Will | SITIO architecture + urbanism |
After nine weeks, DesignPhiladelphia proudly celebrated the six members of the 2026 JADE Summer Fellowship cohort and the completion of a summer focused on leadership and creating a more inclusive future for the design professions.
The JADE (Justice Alliance in Design Education) Summer Fellowship Program was created around the belief that supporting a diverse cohort of students from Philadelphia-area colleges and universities can help build a stronger community and culture for emerging designers. By building relationships and engaging directly with professionals, Fellows are encouraged to advance their own career growth while contributing to a more just design community.
Guided by Rebecca Johnson, Executive Director of DesignPhiladelphia, and Michael Spain, Director of Design Education, the Fellows spent the summer meeting with professional designers, community advocates, city officials, and organizational leaders. During their visits, they heard candid stories about career paths, professional challenges, advocacy, and the responsibility designers have to shape the communities around them.
We extend our sincere thanks to our JADE Champions who generously shared their time and experiences:
Throughout the fellowship, students were encouraged to reflect on their own experiences and challenges and think about how those experiences could shape the future of design. Those conversations became the starting point for their capstone projects, giving them space to explore ideas for making design education and the profession more accessible and inclusive.
The summer culminated at the Village of Industry and Arts (VIA), where the Fellows presented their capstone projects to a packed room of family members, mentors, educators, professionals, and supporters. They shared thoughtful ideas for creating more welcoming and supportive environments within design education and the profession.
We’re proud to celebrate the 2026 JADE Summer Fellows:
Deanna Brown, Thomas Jefferson University, 2027
Who are you when you’re not performing:
Code-Switching in Professional Environments
Lauren Johnson, University of Pennsylvania, 2027
Representation as a Foundation for Better Design:
Architecture, Community, and the Built Environment
Patricia Martinez, University of Pennsylvania, 2027
Here to Stay:
Building Community without Sacrificing Identity
Janet Ifeoma. Drexel University, 2029
What If Every Designer Could Thrive?
Rethinking Design Education, Representation and Opportunity
Nateara Fireall, Thomas Jefferson University, 2027
Designing Futures:
Learning Beyond the Classroom Through Storytelling, Place, And Community
Andre Quispe Pacheco, Thomas Jefferson University, 2027
The More You Share the More You Know:
Bridging, cultivating, and reinforcing community that celebrates our histories.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THEIR CAPSTONE PROJECTS
The fellowship doesn’t end with the summer. With ongoing support, Fellows will have the opportunity to keep developing their capstone ideas and, when possible, bring them to life. Through the JADE Fellowship, we’re supporting emerging designers while helping build a more diverse design community in Philadelphia.
