Do you split your time between cities, travel frequently, or work bi-coastally?
WILD members can be affiliated with multiple chapters and join additional chapter mailing lists to stay connected to events, networking opportunities, and programming in the regions most relevant to them.
Best of all — your membership cost remains the same regardless of how many chapters you participate in.
Whether you’re commuting between coasts, traveling for projects, or simply expanding your professional network, WILD makes it easy to stay engaged wherever you are.
The following applicants have been awarded the first iteration of the WILD Spark Scholarship will receive a fully funded scholarship to a qualifying lighting conference/event or educational opportunity of their choosing.
Congratulations to the following Scholarship Recipients! Please take time to say hello to them at their respective events they are attending under the WILD spark scholarship.
Thank you so much for this incredible news! I am truly honored to be selected for the WILD Spark Scholarship and so grateful for the opportunity to attend IES26 in Denver. It means so much to have your support for my professional development within the lighting and design community.
I’m incredibly excited for this opportunity and look forward to learning, connecting with other professionals, and making the most of this experience. Thank you again for this honor and for all that WILD does to support young women like me.
Olivia Hayes
Thank you so much for the exciting news! I’m really honored to be selected for the WILD Spark Scholarship and truly appreciate your support.
This opportunity means a lot to me, and I’m looking forward to continuing to learn, grow, and stay engaged with the lighting and design community.
Thanks again for everything, I’m so grateful!
Best, Sarah Chaplick
What is a Spark? A Spark can be described as a deep inner enthusiasm for something, driving creativity and a willingness to fully engage.
The WILD Spark Scholarship
Description:
The WILD Spark Scholarship is a scholarship award for WILD members at the Student and Emerging Professional tier of membership. The award is intended to further professional development and to promote the impact that the awarded individual has within the WILD community.
Through a blind review process, awardees will be chosen by a liaison committee based on their applications and commitment to WILD’s mission for equity, dignity and autonomy for all members of the lighting industry.
Scholarship Award:
Awardees of the WILD Spark Scholarship will receive a fully funded scholarship to a qualifying lighting conference/event or educational opportunity of their choosing. See below for qualifying event.
Scholarship Amount:
Varies by qualifying event.
Qualifying Individuals:
Must be a Student or Emerging Professional member of WILD. If you are not currently a member, apply today to qualify.
*If there are other events not listed that you are interested in, please list the event in your application.
**Awardees will be required to work 1 hour at a WILD booth of the qualifying event.
What is WILD’s mission? Our mission is to provide the lighting industry an inclusive and open environment to engage in conversations and inspire action. We are committed to empowering our members by increasing representation, amplifying their voices, and providing a safe and supportive network for personal and professional growth through connection, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing. Our purpose is to advocate for equity, dignity, and autonomy for women and the benefits of a gender-balanced industry. We welcome all women in lighting and our allies to be part of our community. Together, we are WILD.
WILD will once again be present and active at many events during LEDucation this April in New York City. Be sure to sign up to Volunteer or stop by our table during the show to say Hello. We’d love to see you.
Our Annual WILD Kick Off Event to LEDucation will be held this year at Parsons’ – The New School. It will directly follow the popular Edison Report’s – Lifetime Achievement Awards presented by designing lighting magazine and Edison Report.
Monday, April 13th – 6:30 PM – WILD Kick Off Event – The Soiree (Parsons)
Tuesday, April 14th – LEDucation Expo – Stop by and visit us at the WILD table
Wednesday, April 15th – “On Wednesday’s – We Wear Pink” – don your best pink attire in support of WILD and Women in Lighting and Design everywhere. Stop by our table to receive a special giveaway while supplies last.
MONDAY, APRIL 13TH – 6:30 pm
Join us for a WILD LEDucation event that’s more than just networking—it’s a celebration of legacy and the launchpad for tomorrow.
This year’s WILD kick-off event is all about bridging connections. Mingle with the next wave of industry leaders and have candid conversations with the esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award Winners. This is a rare opportunity to meet the pioneers who shaped our industry. It’s also a chance to engage with the innovators defining its future. Come prepared to build, learn, and have fun as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and light the way forward together.
Thank you to Edison Report and Coronet for their support of this event.
WILD MEMBERS – please look for your email with your Special PROMO CODE to join us.
Be sure to join WILD at “The Connections Section” during the show to learn more about how to get involved in the Canada Chapters with the leaders listed below.
If you’re headed to IALD Enlighten in Arizona in October, be sure to join the WILD Chapter members present during the Friday Lunch for an informal “Advocacy Meet Up”.
WILD has been actively involved in ArchLIGHT Summit since its inception 4 years ago. Several WILD members serve on the Advisory Board and help with the direction and support of the event. WILD is supported by the event organizers to provide several opportunities for membership growth and development.
WILD has been the official host of the ArchLIGHT Summit Welcome Reception since its inception 4 years ago. This year, the WILD Dallas, Austin, and Houston chapters took the reins and helped to drive additional support from the following sponsors. The event hosted a record number of guests with people showing up to attend 30 minutes before the event actually officially began.
Like many others in this industry, I discovered my passion for lighting purely by chance. While studying interior design, a required fundamentals of lighting course happened to coincide with visiting an immersive exhibit by artist Olafur Eliasson. I was captivated by Eliasson’s masterful use of light to transform space and alter perception and intrigued by the potential to use light as a medium to shape our experience of the built environment. Returning to my lighting class with newfound enthusiasm, my professor recognized my growing interest and provided me with additional resources to learn more and encouraged me to get involved in the lighting design community. This pivotal moment became instrumental in shaping my career trajectory. Thanks to a spark of inspiration, my professors guidance, and the welcoming atmosphere of the lighting community, I ended up pursuing a master’s degree in illumination design, setting me on the path to becoming a lighting designer.
My personal experience highlights the importance of early exposure in shaping future lighting leaders and I’m deeply committed to nurturing that spark in the next generation. Through my position as Outreach Chair on the Board of Directors, I’ve had the opportunity to launch WILD’s student outreach initiative this past year, kicking off a successful pilot program with California College of the Arts (CCA). In partnership with educator and WILD member Margo Majewska, we’ve explored ways to utilize the WILD network to foster connections between faculty, students, and industry professionals. One highlight of this collaboration was a tour of the SF Lucifer Lighting showroom for CCA students, made possible by the efforts of WILD Portland and SF chapter leaders Julia Redfern, Maryanne Berger, and Leslie Siegel. The tour was a resounding success, receiving glowing reviews from students and faculty.
We’ve since begun developing partnerships with more lighting and related programs across North America and hope to continue to grow in the future. By curating tailored initiatives for students and forging strong local partnerships through our WILD chapter network, we aim to create a more inclusive and equitable industry, inspiring future generations to pursue careers in lighting.
Building on this momentum, we’re actively seeking volunteers to help us grow in the following areas:
Lighting Manufacturers open to hosting tours of showrooms or manufacturing facilities for students to learn about lighting firsthand
Lighting Professionals interested in sharing their expertise through participation in guest lectures or student reviews
Educators seeking ways to enrich your lighting curriculum
Students curious about the world of lighting design and WILD
Student outreach is only the first step in this journey, ongoing support and mentorship are equally vital for professional growth. Following the success of the pilot program, WILD is thrilled to expand our peer-to-peer Mentorship Program, aiming to connect women at all stages of their lighting careers and create a safe and supportive space for WILD members to navigate their professional journeys, overcome challenges, and reach their full potential. Join us at the upcoming membership meeting on August 19th to find out more.
In closing, I want to express sincere gratitude to all the volunteers who have made these programs and initiatives possible. Your dedication and passion are instrumental in our mission. And to our student and educator members, welcome to the WILD community! We’re excited to have you join us.
Applications for the peer-to-peer WILD Mentorship Program, open to all WILD members, will open August 14th!!
The goal of the program is to connect women at all stages of their lighting careers through peer-to-peer style mentorship, with participants taking on the role of both mentor and mentee. If you are interested in participating at a more involved level, there will be a portion of the application open to share your interest in becoming a group liaison. The group liaison will be guiding the small group through finding a meeting time, asking questions to get the ball rolling and remaining the connection point between the Mentorship Committee and the small group.
We are so excited for the formal launch of the program at the Annual Membership Meeting! Stay tuned for application release on August 14th. Contact wildmentorshipprogram@gmail.com with your questions.
Sharing our passion for lighting and design — WILD Board member Haley Laurence worked with WILD Portland Committee member Julia Redfern (Lucifer) and WILD SF Committee members Maryanne Berger and Leslie Siegel (both ALR) and WILD SF members Margo Majewska and Margaux Schindler (both educators at CCA). Photo from CCA.
As part of our new student outreach initiative, WILD Board member Haley Laurence worked with Portland member Julia Redfern and San Francisco members Leslie Siegel, Maryanne Berger, and educator Margo Majewska to organize a tour of the Lucifer Lighting showroom for students from California College of the Arts. The students were able to engage with industry professionals while learning about lighting fundamentals in a fun and interactive environment. This was a wonderful opportunity to utilize the connections within our network to inspire the next generation of lighting designers!
