A Discussion With the 2024 KBB People of the Year
On our most recent From the Tap podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking to the winner of our 2024 Person of the Year competition, as well as our eight Praiseworthy Picks. We got a bit more detail as to what makes these people stand out from their peers and learn what’s to come for them in 2025. Meet the 2024 KBB People of the Year!
Jessica Davis, Allied ASID, Founder, Atelier Davis, Atlanta
This designer has been honored as a co-founder of the Asian American Pacific Islander Design Alliance, and she told us what that means to her. She has also been organized in several show homes over the years and shared her favorite part of being involved in those. She also told us of an important goal she hopes to accomplish in 2025.
Amanda George, CKBD, Allied ASID, Owner, Amanda George Interior Design LLC & AMG Design+Build, Seattle
The designer cultivates and supports a network of women-owned construction and design professionals to further the acceptance and diversity of the industry. In our podcast, she shared an example of how she does this. She also developed the Student Innovation Summit for NKBA’s Puget Sound Chapter’s student membership. Find out what’s in store for her this year.
Jennifer Hutton, Creative Director & Principal Designer, Grau Design Studio, Durham, N.C.
Hutton recently opened her Grau Studio Showroom and told us what the main goal of this launch was. In 2021, she started an annual “Fill-a-Van” food drive to benefit local food banks, and 2023 was its most successful year. She has already obtained four NKBA badges and tells us if she plans to earn the rest of those in 2025.
Elizabeth Lord-Levitt, CMKBD, CLIPP, Principal Designer, Elizabeth P. Lord Residential Design LLC, Denver
This designer is an ambassador to the She Built Foundation. She also helped grow the Interior Design Society inaugural chapter from 20 members to more than 200 in 12 months. She shared with us how she did that and what’s in store for her in 2025.
Lauren Schulte, President & Principal Designer, Monarch Kitchen Design Studio, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
Schulte said it was instrumental for her career and business to be in the NKBA’s first Women to Women mentoring conference. In our podcast, she shares the reasons why. She has been president of a local business merchants association in North Tonawanda for the last four years and told us about her biggest accomplishment.
Jake Slatnik, CEO, FreePower, Phoenix
Slatnik launched FreePower for Countertop at last year’s KBIS. He told us how that product won the KBB Kitchen Product of the Year award and the Best-in-Show winner at KBIS – both in 2024. Before FreePower was introduced at KBIS, he went on “Shark Tank” and shared his most memorable part of that experience. Find out what’s on tap for FreePower in 2025.
Megan Thompson, Principal Designer, Spark Interiors, Denver
This designer specializes in sustainable design and shared her reasons behind this passion on our podcast. She recently launched the Interior Design greenlist platform and told us how it assists design professionals. Find out what’s in store for Thompson this year.
Rosa Santiago Zimmerman, Founder & CEO of RSZ Design + Development, Freeport, Fla.
Zimmerman shared her inspiration behind her “Build with Rosa” YouTube channel, as well as her bilingual children’s book, which launched recently, and her animated series, which will launch later this year. She also shared a lesson learned in 2024.
KBB 2024 Person of the Year: Alena Capra, CMKBD, Founder of Alena Capra Designs LLC
Capra has been involved with the NKBA for 21 years and shared some of her biggest achievements. This year will be her 11th as the Coverings Ambassador, and she told us what this honor means to her. She is a huge advocate of being involved in various charity initiatives and told us about one of her most memorable initiatives. Capra’s goal for 2024 was to engage herself in as many different facets of the K&B industry as possible. She shared with us how she will top that in 2025.
