Bryan C. Lee Jr. Speaking Fee: $20,000 to $30,000

Bryan C. Lee Jr. is an architect, educator, and design justice advocate based in New Orleans. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Ohio State University in 2006 and his Master of Architecture from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2008. Early in his career, he contributed to firms like Eskew+Dumez+Ripple and served as Director of Place + Civic Design at the Arts Council of New Orleans. In 2017, Lee founded Colloqate Design, a nonprofit multidisciplinary practice committed to expanding community access to social, civic, and cultural spaces through design justice. At Colloqate, Lee has led initiatives such as the Paper Monuments Project, which reimagined public monuments in New Orleans to reflect marginalized histories, and the Claiborne Cultural Futures Project, aiming to revitalize the Claiborne Corridor with community-driven development. He also co-founded the Design As Protest Collective, a global movement addressing systemic inequities in the design professions through direct action and advocacy. Additionally, Lee chaired NOMA's Project Pipeline, developing a design justice curriculum that has introduced over 20,000 students to architecture and its potential to address systemic inequities. Lee's contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the 2025 Whitney M. Young Jr. Award from the American Institute of Architects, the Architectural League's Emerging Voices Award, the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, and recognition as a United States Artists Fellow. He has been featured in publications such as Fast Company, Architect Magazine, and CityLab, and serves as a Design Critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In 2025, Lee was appointed president of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), where he continues to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the architectural profession. His work bridges practice, education, and activism, challenging the status quo and inspiring architects and communities to envision and build a more equitable future.