Melissa is dedicated to increasing the visibility of women in the architectural profession by showcasing their expertise and thought leadership.
Make it stand out. Make a difference.
AIA Women’s Leadership Summit - (2023)
Women’s Leadership Summit, founded by AIA, is a premier event that brings together the industry’s largest network of diverse women in architecture, design, and the allied building industries. It exists to support and empower women on their leadership journeys and break down the barriers that get in their way. Focused on networking, leadership training, business development, gender equity, and personal empowerment, WLS helps women manifest the careers they want while making a difference in the world.
Panel discussion: Historic Frontiers | Legacy of People & Place
This inspirational panel will unlock forgotten innovations of our collective pasts, with particular emphasis on the contributions of underrepresented communities to the built environment. This session moderator is Tiffany D. Brown, Assoc. AIA, executive director at the National Organization of Minority Architects. Panelists include Billie Tsien, FAIA, partner at Tod Williams Billie Tsien; María Bellalta, FASLA, head of landscape architecture at North Carolina State University, Melissa R. Daniel, Assoc. AIA, Creator and Host of the Architecture is Political Podcast; and Tamara Eagle Bull, FAIA, AICAE, professor at Arizona State University.
Riding the Vortex- Year 2020-2022
The number of African American Women practicing architecture is increasing exponentially, but the aggregate number is so low that this phenomenon is barely perceptible by the profession and the public. Riding the Vortex has showcased a number of Black Women Architects and Architectural Professionals for over a decade. For the 2020 through 2022 year, Melissa was actively involved as a presenter for several organizations including NAACP CESBS, AHG 2020 Summit, NTA 2020 Stem Conference, AIA Virginia ArchEx and NOMA 2020 Conference.
Vortex collaborators, Kathryn Tyler Prigmore, Melissa Daniel , Katherine Williams, Kathy Dixon and Barbara Laurie. Photo Credit: Christian Carter-Ross
The American Institute of Architects has named the organization Riding the Vortex as the winner of the 2022 AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Award.
Women in Architecture Series (2013-2017)
In 2013, Melissa developed the Women in Architecture (WIA) Lecture Series to inspire change in the architecture profession. For 6 years, the lecture series has showcase countless women and has shed a spotlight in the diversity of projects, alternative careers and ethnicity.
2014 WIA Series
This extremely successful DC Metropolitan area series has been offered over the course of four weeks during Women's History Month. The most engaging aspect of the series is that it gives a voice to a dozen or more women (and others who support WIA issues) who would not ordinarily be asked to speak on topics related to professional development. The WIA series reaches a diverse spectrum of women (and others) in all aspects of the profession - students, emerging professionals, new licensees, seasoned professionals and those on the cusp of retirement.
2013 WIA Series
Checkout the website, dcwiaseries.wordpress.com, for past presenters and presentations. Throughout the series, Melissa was able to connect with the audience and met inspirational and talented women architects. As a supplement to the series, the website’s blog portion served as a platform to feature a diverse group of women offering their personal narratives highlighting childhood, architecture and a global perspective.
Equity By Design [EqxD]
Equity by Design is a call to action to realize the goal of equitable practice for everyone, advance the profession and communicate the value of architecture to society.
In 2015, the EQxD Get Real challenge was sparked via twitter about how women architects don’t stand in their truth. Melissa contacted her women colleagues, (which ranged from single to married; infants to teenage children; sole proprietors to mid-size firm employees) to blog about the realness of their lives and how balancing it with architecture works for them.
Moments like these is what Melissa strides for. Whether she’s writing a blog about an awesome woman architect or encourage others to tell their story, she is getting their names out for the world to read about them.
Video created by Melissa Daniel
In 2018, Melissa was among five extraordinary women to participant in the EqxD session, 'Building an Equitable Workplace from the Bottom Up’.
The traditional “top-down” approach, where all key decisions are made by senior leadership has a trickle down effect on staff. Starting from the “bottom-up”, however, means finding your voice through action. This becomes a grassroots movement that harnesses the power of the many to break down barriers and bring about change. The cumulation of small victories builds the momentum for success. As a result of an immersive and dynamic experience, participants will demonstrate their voice. Through an illuminated installation, the session attendees pledged to take to change their firms, colleagues, and career journeys with aggregates daily actions, initiatives, and proclamations.
To the left, Melissa Daniel, Morgan Pegus-Thomas, Natalie Tse, Samantha McCloud, Lilian Asperin and Julia Weatherspoon
2017 AIA Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS)
As part of the AIA Northern Virginia Women in Architecture Committee that has been selected as the host for the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS) 2017. Along with 4 other co-chairs, Melissa served as executive co-chair.
Former WLS webpage Melissa created using Wix web-builder
WLS is a national event that supports professional leaders by providing a forum to recognize, inform and champion the work of women in architecture. The 2017 WLS theme of “Creating Tailwinds,” explored new paths to practice, community leadership as well as insight on the issues and challenges facing women in the industry today.
WLS Promotional Video created by Melissa
As Communications Chair, Melissa created all WLS social media content. The results included increasing the number of followings on both Twitter and Facebook through strategic postings.
Melissa had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Dina Griffin, FAIA, an award winning architect. As part of WLS evening lecture. Griffin gave insight on the importance of mentoring and outreach to students and young professionals.