WIL Global Gathering 2021

Global thought leader, speaker, creative strategist, founder and director of Molten Immersive Art, Dorothy Di Stefano leads a collective of experiential artists who create large-scale, site-specific, digital immersive experiences. As an ambassador for the arts, Dorothy sits on many cultural committees and is a Founding Circle Member of the World Experience Organization (UK) a Visual Arts Committee Member of the Della Leaders Club (NYC Chapter) and the International Partner, Representing Australia for the World Business Angels Investment Forum (Istanbul).

She is the only Australian representative on the ‘Experiential Design’ judging panel for the prestigious ADC 99th Annual Awards in New York and was awarded LinkedIn’s Top Voice for 2019. Dorothy has a worldwide following on this platform which she uses to highlight the importance and impact of art on our world and to showcase global artists to a business-focused community.

After renovating numerous private properties, Fay was trained at Michael Popper Associates, a multi-disciplinary Mechanical and Electrical consultants and gained experience from the basics of emergency lighting to producing bespoke fittings for award winning projects. Fay worked as Senior Designer at John Cullen Lighting in London specialising in high end residential lighting design as well giving lectures on lighting and effects to architects, interior designers, landscape designers and the general public. Fay has written articles for various magazines including House & Gardens, House Beautiful and Build It. Fay  appeared on Karen Le Blancs show The Design Tourist (USA) to discuss energy efficient lighting.  Fays ultimate passion is for architectural history which has led to lighting buildings such as The Jerusalem Chamber at Westminster Abbey, and The Forum Theatre Melbourne Australia. Sharing knowledge of lighting effects and the impact that lighting can have on architecture and people is a favoured subject.

Kyra Xavia is a researcher, writer, and dark skies advocate based in New Zealand. She helps educate decision-makers and the public about the importance of responsible lighting, nocturnal placemaking and the value of darkness. She’s a member of ILLUME, an interdisciplinary research group at the EcoTech Center part of Gdansk University of Technology (GUT), Poland, a delegate for the International Dark Skies Association (IDA), a dark skies ambassador for the International Astronomical Union (IAU), and leader of the Dunedin Dark Skies Group. Recognised in New Zealand and abroad for her advocacy, Kyra has co-authored research papers and published articles specific to the impact of artificial lighting on humans, flora and fauna.

Michela Bonzi is an independent architectural lighting designer with a background in architecture and daily passion for lighting. Over 15 years of experience in lighting design projects convey into a “from a pin to an elephant” approach & dealing with hospitality & residential, retail, art and outdoor lighting projects.

“It all began with two main elements of my childhood: the passion for photography and the connection to a natural environment. Both dealing with light & shadows, the changing of colors, daylight effects, atmopsheres & emotions. Lighting has pretty much everything to do with creating the right sort of atmosphere.

Light is emotion & a building material for our practise.”

Jörg Frank Seemann is an independent architectural lighting designer with two decades professional experience in applying lighting to culture, nature, art and design.

Frank’s passion for light and understanding of its power began in the theatre as a result of writing, directing and designing his own plays and performances. Driven by storytelling as the basis for how design decisions are made, the applications soon broadened from lighting theatre, dance, opera & concerts to exterior spaces and events including temporary architectural and urban installations. The desire to work in more permanent, wider accessible venues, not to speak of his love of daylight, had him stumble upon and plow in the field of architectural lighting - where from kindergartens to urban masterplans, art projects to high end retail and hospitality he keeps learning and pushing the still moving frontiers of the human visual perception.

Baldieri Lighting Design started its business in 1968. The early-stage lighting design is offered as a support to the designer to help the sale, the design component increasingly integrates with the commercial one. The experience gained over the years and the variety of assignments leads the company on top of lighting market, and change to a lighting design company, Massimiliano also received international recognition for his projects, IES Awards of Merit 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018. Professor from 2012 to 2014 at IED in Rome, and from 2010 to 2014 at Università La Sapienza in Roma in Lighting Design at the Exhibit Master.

He was working from 2014 to 2017 in New York, now back in Italy he is working at several projects, residential and hospitality, due to the opportunity to live and work in Rome he is working for ancient heritage landmark.

Emilio Hernandez

Emilio originally worked in natural daylight design but now works predominantly in artificial lighting design. He has worked on a diverse set of projects with experience in residential, mixed use commercial, hospitality, schools and urban regeneration projects.

After 15 years in lighting design in London (just as he was starting to get the hang of it) Emilio recently moved to Sweden and co-founded ‘Ström’ (with his partner Anna Sandgren). This move has provided the independence to form partnerships to help develop & promote the sustainable lighting design values needed as we head to a net zero carbon future.

As an active member of the lighting community Emilio has spoken at design conferences and provided CPD’s and is one of several founding members of the Green-Light Alliance and current sitting chair. 

Anna Sandgren

Anna originally comes from an Interior Design background having graduated from University of the Arts London with a degree in Interior and Spatial Design. In 2011 Anna completed her MSc in Light and Lighting at the Bartlett, UCL. She joined the then newly founded Nulty where she spent 9 years progressing to Associate Designer leading a wide range of award winning projects and gaining experience working in the Middle East, Asia and American markets.  

After 16 years living in the UK Anna moved back to Sweden at the end of 2020 where she co-founded Ström with her partner Emilio Hernandez. 

Anna is also a founding member of the new initiative Green Light Alliance (GLA) which is a passion project run by like minded designers and manufacturers in the lighting industry with an aim to promote circular design.

Anne Militello is the Founder of Vortex Lighting in Los Angeles and Head of Lighting Programs at the California Institute of the Arts. Ms. Militello is a renown theater and architectural lighting designer as well as an educator and fine artist with a career spanning all aspects of creating with light. Her career began in theater and music clubs in New York City and eventually to Broadway, international opera, and touring concert stages. She was a Show Lighting Designer at Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Studios before starting her own company which focuses on architectural projects.

She received the OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence, the Paul Waterbury Award of Distinction from the IESNA, an IALD Award of Merit and Themed Lighting Designer of the Year from Lighting Dimensions International among others.

She has been featured in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Newsweek, Time Magazine among others and was the subject of the BBC Documentary.

The experience of working for some of the world’s leader companies in Lighting Design and Lighting Controls gave me the impulse and inspiration to start my own Design Firm.

As a Designer I have explored some of the most exciting landmarks of the profession, from Interior Design in México, Historical Building Restoration in Italy to Lighting Design World Wide.

10 years ago I specialized in Lighting Design as profession and passion. I’ve worked hand in hand with some of the most important Architectural Firms, Interior Designers and Property Managers to develop projects from Conceptual Design to Construction Administration.

As a Creative Director in AH Consulting I have designed and developed more than 500,000 m2 in residential and commercial projects. Including Coporate offices,high-end retail and Airports.

I strongly believe aesthetics, sustainability and wellness are key concepts to be included in all our successful projects, which is why I got accredited as a LEED GA with the USGBC (US Green Building Council one of the top notch sustainability certifications worldwide) and I’m getting involved with WELL AP Accreditation.

One year ago I founded and ONG, Light without Borders Mexico and LATAM, as branch of “Concepteurs Lumiere Sans Frontiers” to work as a team address Social Design and projects following and integrative and inclusive methodology for people who can’t access this kind of resources.

Monica Luz Lobo
Architect and lighting designer, Monica has founded and is currently the creative director of LD Studio, a lighting design Studio based at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Her work features in many local and international publications, and she has won a number of awards at home and abroad.

Being committed to the development and dissemination of the profession, she is co-founder of AsBAI – Brazilian lighting association, member of the international committee of EILD – Encuentro Iberoamericano of Lighting Designers, a professional member and part of the board of IALD – International Association of lighting Designers and a CLD – Certified Lighting Designer since 2017.

On 2020 she has been nominated and elected to be the next president of the IALD.

Pascal Chautard
Self-taught lighting designer with 30 years of experience, Pascal began his approach towards lighting design in Paris theatres. He formed his independent lighting design studio in 1993 and move to Chile in 1996.

Founding member and former president of DIA (professional association of Chilean lighting designers)

Professor of the graduate workshop on architectural lighting at the Pontifical Catholic

University ́s School of Design in Chile between 2011 and 2018.

Creator and organizer of EILD (encounter of Ibero-American lighting design) 2010, Valparaiso, Chile

Participated in the steering Committees of EILD 2012 Querétaro, Mexico. EILD 2014 Medellin, Colombia EILD 2016, Outro Preto, Brasil and EILD 2019 Colonia ,Uruguay.

His studio team Limarí was recognized with several lighting design awards during last years.