KBB’s 2024 Person of the Year
Alena Capra, CMKBD, Founder of Alena Capra Designs LLC
Alena Capra said her goal for this past year was to truly engage herself in as many different facets of the K&B industry as possible, which she achieved with flying colors. She believes in always furthering her education and sharing her knowledge with homeowners and industry professionals, as well as spotlighting the work of others.
Above photo: Capra is behind the scenes at a video shoot at the Armina Stone gallery in Miami showcasing Blue Cristallo quartzite. Photo credit: Armina Stone
The designer has divided her time among many ventures, including hosting the weekly TV show, SoFlo Home Project; writing a monthly design column for Aventura Magazine; serving as a judge for the DPHA Product of the Year Awards; keynoting the Greater Orlando Builder’s Association’s Woman’s Alliance Group event; being a Robern Brand Ambassador; and hosting innovative programming on the NEXTStage during KBIS 2024.
“I was the host on the day the 2023 KBB Person of the Year was interviewed at KBIS last year, and I was so inspired by the discussion with Nureed Saeed,” said Capra. “Winning this award has been a full-circle moment for me. I have been involved with NKBA for 21 years – my entire career – and it was really special to have that role at KBIS 2024.”
In 2024, Capra also returned as the Coverings Ambassador for the 10th year, began a new position as a spokesperson for Armina Stone’s new Miami location and was selected as a member of Milestone’s Designer Advisory Council.
Read on to learn more about this industry go-getter, her latest endeavor and why we felt she was highly deserving of the coveted title of the 2024 Person of the Year.
Photo credit: Darryl Nobles
Charity Participation
Capra says donating her time to organizations and people in need is important to her because she believes our talents as human beings should be shared and used as a resource. When these opportunities arise, she approaches them like she would a design makeover show, planning the designs and orders in advance and setting an installation date of two days. This allows her to fit these projects into her tight schedule, and her favorite part are the reveals. Capra features these projects prominently on her website so visitors can learn what her firm is about and what some of her passions are.
Plans Today & Tomorrow
When we did our interview for the Person of the Year, Capra was attending Design Edge in Nashville. She and some fellow designers are on a mission to bring the concept of full interior design to kitchen and bath designers – and vice versa – and they developed a panel discussion on the topic. As for the designer’s future plans, she intends to keep learning, immersing and connecting. She also wants to continue to hone her craft in designing, speaking and writing.
Praiseworthy Picks
Photo credit: Sophia Kozo Photography
Amanda George, CKBD, ASID Associate, Owner, Amanda George Interior Design LLC & AMG Design+Build, Seattle
Amanda George is an advocate for the next generation of design professionals. As a representative of student membership on the NKBA’s Puget Sound Chapter Council, she developed the Student Innovation Summit in collaboration with BLUM and Canyon Creek. The summit provided an immersive experience, giving students a deeper understanding of the challenges and needs of those who are aging in place. Through the development of the summit and participating in student career days at local colleges, George has helped increase her chapter’s student membership by more than 50% in the last year. She also supports women-owned businesses in our industry by showcasing their work on her social media platforms and recognizing them at working events.
Photo credit: Aaron Skyler
Jessica Davis, Allied ASID, Founder, Atelier Davis & Founder & Creative Director, Nest Studio
Jessica Davis was recognized in Elle Décor’s annual A-List Awards as one of the most impressive interior design talents of the year. She was also honored by the 2024 Wallpaper* USA 400 in the Community Builders category as a co-founder of the Asian American Pacific Islander Design Alliance, an organization that engages, promotes and empowers Asians and Asian Americans working in our industry. Better Homes & Gardens honored her as a 2024 “Color Star,” one of the top 10 designers known for their creative use of color. This year, Davis also took part in designing for three show homes, something she enjoys because it gives her the opportunity to flex her creativity and collaborate with other talented designers.
Photo credit: Sarah Martin
Jennifer Hutton, Creative Director & Principal Designer, Grau Design Studio, Durham, N.C.
In the last year, Jennifer Hutton was awarded a spot on the Triangle Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2024 and has been accepted as an Allied ASID member. She also overcame several project challenges and launched The Grau Studio Showroom as a venue in which to inspire her clients and provide a style they can relate to. Hutton started an annual “Fill-a-Van” food drive in 2021 to benefit local food banks, and 2023 was the most successful year, resulting in more than 2,000 pounds of donated food. The designer has obtained four NKBA badges and plans to earn the remainder to stay abreast of topics on which she may not regularly focus.
Photo credit: Peter Loyd-Vuolo
Elizabeth Lord-Levitt, CMKBD, CLIPP, Principal Designer, Elizabeth P. Lord Residential Design LLC, Denver
After 20 years as a residential designer, Elizabeth Lord-Levitt created the Built4Design Residential Academy which provides construction education curated specifically for interior designers through workshops and eCourses. As vice president of the Interior Design Society Denver Chapter, Lord-Levitt has helped increase membership more than 100% in the last year through engaging and innovative events. She was also appointed to the Thermador Design Council this year as one of 18 members who provide insight into product design and functional features. Elizabeth is also a mentor for Thermador’s Diversity in Design scholarship program and is an ambassador for the She Built Foundation, which promotes females in the home building industry through their children’s book “The House That She Built.”
Photo credit: Erica Eichelkraut, City Lights Studio
Lauren Schulte, President & Principal Designer, Monarch Kitchen Design Studio, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
Lauren Schulte was the president of the Oliver Street Merchants Association for the last four years. Over her term, the association achieved 501c3 status, which allowed it to acquire a $12,000+ grant to beautify the community. Schulte has also collaborated with local politicians to help local business owners obtain facade grants they can use to improve their building exteriors. She says it is amazing to see her little lower-income area starting to thrive with this funding available to small businesses. Schulte recently won a Best of 716 Award for her female-owned K&B showroom. She was part of the founding group of the NKBA’s Women to Women Conference and recently participated in the NKBA’s first lighting study.
Photo credit: Tony Taafe
Jake Slatnik, CEO, FreePower, Phoenix
Jake Slatnik is the creator of game-changing, wireless charging technology for our industry. FreePower for Countertop, which was launched at this year’s KBIS, has won a number of awards, including Best of KBIS 2024 for Best in Show. The new offering also won Kitchen Product of the Year and the Smart Technology category in KBB’s 2024 Product Awards. Slatnik has brokered a deal on “Shark Tank,” and his company has been named one of the world’s most innovative by Fast Company. He is now rolling FreePower out across the U.S. in partnership with hundreds of kitchen and bath showrooms, countertop fabricators and homebuilders. Two new wireless chargers will be on display at KBIS 2025.
Photo credit: Spark Interiors
Megan Thompson, Principal Designer, Spark Interiors, Denver
Megan Thompson has been developing her Interior Design greenList platform for the last two years, and it fully launched this summer. The platform offers an interactive sustainable vendor directory for those design professionals interested in achieving eco-friendly projects, as well as accredited continuing education units. Thompson says the project was born out of her frustration with the lack of resources available to make going green easy to understand and implement for designers. At KBIS 2024, she participated in the “Low Impact Is a Good Thing” panel and was a presenter for the NKBA Capital Chapter meeting on “Navigating Sustainable Sourcing.” Thompson also received a Green Business of the Year nomination from the city of Wheat Ridge, Colo.
Photo credit: Stephen Moore, Moore Visions
Rosa Santiago Zimmerman, Founder & CEO of RSZ Design + Development, Freeport, Fla.
Rosa Santiago Zimmerman has created the Build with Rosa YouTube channel to educate her audience on what she calls the reality – the good, bad and ugly – of renovation projects – while providing some entertainment along the way. The Build with Rosa YouTube channel takes viewers on an unfiltered journey through the entire process. Zimmerman is also developing a bilingual children’s book and animated series to educate youth on the construction and design industries. She says the inspiration behind both came from her own personal story: a Latina girl finding her place in the world of design and construction and working hard to set herself apart and shine.
