Founded in New York by four partners, Kristina O’Neal, Adam Farmerie, William Harris, and Greg Bradshaw, AvroKO has earned a reputation as one of the world’s most innovative design firms, due in large part to its integrated design process and focus on creating emotionally-connected experiences through Hospitable Thinking. The firm’s critically hailed portfolio includes restaurants, bars, hotels, retail, residential and mixed-use projects from New York to Hong Kong, all characterized by a unique convergence between the ideals of the past and an off-beat, forward-looking sensibility. Over the past 20-plus years, the firm has grown globally to five offices (New York City, Bangkok, San Francisco, London, and Miami) working on projects in over 40 countries.

Flick Mars is a Dallas-based interior design firm specializing in the creation of transformative hospitality and leisure environments around the world. Founded in 2005 by James Flick and Matt Mars, the firm brings more than 71 years of combined expertise in the design of lifestyle hotels, resorts, spas, and restaurants. With a client roster that includes nearly every major full-service and lifestyle hotel brand, Flick Mars is recognized for delivering thoughtful, immersive guest experiences through design.

At the core of the firm’s philosophy is a collaborative, team-driven approach. Every project is led directly by both founding partners—from the initial client meeting to the final installation—ensuring a consistent creative vision, design continuity, and high level of design integrity. This boutique structure allows Flick Mars to offer personalized service while delivering world-class results.

With a carefully assembled team of talented designers, Flick Mars values creative diversity and continuous studio collaboration. The result is a portfolio of distinctive, timeless spaces that inspire, delight, and leave lasting impressions.

Aliya Khan is the vice president of global design strategy and product development at Marriott International, where she oversees the creative direction for over 30 brands across the premium, select, midscale, and outdoor portfolios. With a background in both architecture and industrial design from Pratt Institute, she has built a reputation for translating brand strategy into thoughtful, resonant guest experiences at scale.

Throughout nearly two decades in the hospitality space, Khan has played a key role in launching and evolving brands that have shaped the hotel landscape. Her leadership was central to the expansion of the iconic W Hotels brand in the mid 2000s; served as a driving vision for the pioneering, select-service design-led Aloft Hotels in partnership with the Rockwell Group; and led the development of new concepts such as Apartments by Marriott.

Aliya also plays a key role in shaping flagship properties and creative partnerships that push design forward. From Moxy Banff with Workshop/APD and the Westin DC Downtown with Parts and Labor Design, to the award-winning Bentley Suites collaboration with St. Regis, she consistently curates design relationships that elevate both the brand and the guest experience.

Award-winning chef, restaurateur, author, and activist Marcus Samuelsson is the esteemed chef behind many restaurants worldwide, including Red Rooster Harlem and Red Rooster Overtown in Miami; Hav & Mar in the Chelsea Arts District; Metropolis at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in Downtown Manhattan; Marcus restaurants in Atlanta, New Jersey, and DC, plus several international locations including the Bahamas, Canada, and Ethiopia as well as numerous Streetbird and Vibe BBQ outlets in the U.S. and Bahamas.

Samuelsson was the youngest person ever to receive a three-star review from The New York Times. He has won eight James Beard Foundation Awards and was the guest chef for the Obama Administration’s first state dinner. Samuelsson is a longstanding judge and TV personality on the hit Food Network show Chopped, head judge of Top Chef: Family Style, and an Iron Chef on Netflix’s rebooted Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, and makes frequent appearances on Scandinavian TV. He is also the author of multiple books including The New York Times bestseller Yes, Chef: A Memoir as well as the critically acclaimed The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.

To complement his professional commitments, Samuelsson is co-chair of Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which focuses on helping underserved youth. He participates in lectures globally, most recently with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The New York Times during Climate Week NYC 2024.