Episode Notes

Imagine meeting an impressive mentor at age seven and then following a dream to be an architect that takes you from Brazil and Arizona to Minnesota. Damaris Hollingsworth reflects on the grace and grit embedded in her journey to becoming a multicultural communicator, inclusive thought leader, and principal architect and founder of Design By Melo.

The American Institute of Architecture (AIA) notes Damaris Hollingsworth “as someone who forges cross-cultural communication skills among architects through her design projects, advocacy efforts, and mentorship programs. Her empathetic nature and ability to listen closely inform her compassionate approach, highlighting the importance of cultural fluency for the profession.” Her energy, brilliance, and authenticity filled the space we occupied at Life Time Work, a new co-working space in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

Damaris designs from an equitable and inclusive viewpoint. We talk about what inclusivity feels like in a space. “Our behavior is influenced by our reactions to our surroundings: color, textures, compositions, mass, void, nature or the absence of nature,” says Damaris.

Design by Melo emphasizes the need for places and spaces to expand beyond functionality to include values of global engagement, cultural competency, inclusion, sustainability, and human performance. We discuss each value with examples of how they can work together in community spaces.

At age 14, Damaris’ entrepreneurial aspirations emerged when a desire arose to have a coming-of-age party equivalent to her sister’s, even if her Dad was retired. She found a solution through her self-employed Aunt.

Early experiences of grit and determination earned Damaris a label of being ‘stubborn.’ Entrepreneurial leaders are more than stubborn; they have a strong internal drive and determination uncovering every constraint to realize their dreams through business ownership. The dream seems out of reach to others; most people thought that about Damaris’ initial dream, her architectural passion. You see, Damaris grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in a loving home, a poor neighborhood, and a huge Pentecostal church community. A common belief was that poor people don’t become architects.

Had Damaris not explored her youthful dream to become an architect and harnessed her internal drive toward earning an architectural degree at the University of Sao Paulo. She would not have fulfilled her next dream to attend Arizona State University College of Design and her next dream to start and build her firm, Design By Melo in Minnesota, and her next set of aspirations. A community seems to rise around Damaris, as does happen with thought leaders who have a vision beyond themselves to create a better world.

Damaris is living her passion by designing inclusive and equitable community spaces. Bringing community values and economic realities into consideration of the design. She has learned how to marry an architectural passion with her spiritual calling by finding solutions rooted in the people who use the community space.

Damaris has a prominent voice in the architectural arena. She was honored with a 2020 AIA Young Architects Award. This award recognizes those who demonstrate exceptional leadership and make significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers.

Our conversation has the kind of profundity that encourages living with purpose, authenticity, and determination. Enrich your mind and listen in on our conversation. DOWNLOAD

NEXT STEP after listening: Challenge yourself and do the Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring (C.A.L.M.) Activities are below.