Two Helixers Garner Leadership Roles with IIDA Mid-America, AIA Kansas City

Two Helix designers have ascended to leadership roles at IIDA Mid-America and within AIA Kansas City‘s Pillars Leadership program. Having both recently relocated to Kansas City, Interior Designer Sofia Acosta and Project Architect / Project Manager Tanvi Sanghvi bring a new perspective to their positions and a desire to become immersed in their new hometown. Learn more about Sofia and Tanvi below.

Sofia Acosta, IIDA

Interior Designer Sofia Acosta was named President-Elect of the IIDA Mid-America chapter. Sofia continues a long-standing history of Helix involvement with IIDA, including previous chapter presidents, recipients of regional and national leadership awards, and Helix President Erika Moody’s current tenure as IIDA International Board President. Having been featured on Madame Architect, Imagine A Place, and several panels, Sofia has generously shared her passion for place-making with audiences nationwide. Now, she brings her perspective to IIDA Mid-America.

What made you want to get involved in IIDA?

Moving back to Kansas City after starting my career and establishing a professional network in Houston, I wanted a way to grow my design community. I love that IIDA brings together designers with all kinds of experience, so it made for a great way to build a community.

What are you most excited about for the coming year?

I am looking forward to the regional opportunities the position provides; I learned a lot just from working in two different cities, so getting to connect with chapter leaders across the country on a more regular basis provides so much perspective I wouldn’t get otherwise.

Who is someone whose leadership you admire and why?

I admire Erika’s leadership and her desire to be involved in IIDA at the international level. There are plenty of times I have been encouraged by senior designers to “get involved,” but seeing her actually do so and speak so highly of the way it has shaped her career really got me excited to have an opportunity to be on the board. I have also always admired Doug Shapiro’s (Imagine a Place) leadership in the way that he connects people professionally. He is always able to say “you should meet this person, they’re great at [this],” and it has been such an example of effective and personal leadership.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue the same role?

Show your desire to be involved by volunteering or being active in committees — the connections you make just through events, planning, and meeting are so valuable and it allows you to find where you would fit best on the board.

Tanvi Sanghvi, AIA

Project Architect and Project Manager Tanvi Sanghvi, AIA, was accepted as a member of this year’s AIA Kansas City Pillars Leadership program. Admired at Helix and by our clients for her meticulous attention to detail and ability to inspire others, Tanvi has quickly become a leader within our firm. She also regularly shares her time and talents with the community, as an outstanding Big for Big Brothers Big Sisters KC, and a previous participant with the Architecture – Construction – Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program of America.

What made you want to get involved in Pillars?

I’ve been wanting to get more involved with AIA Kansas City as an organization, and I noticed this program in one of their Building Blocks emails. It seemed like an exciting way to get involved and be a part of AIA KC, and build a bigger professional network, since I am still fairly new to Kansas City. What I liked is that it had focused areas of interest, which almost made it more digestible instead of saying, “I wanted to learn about all of Kansas City.” The topics in Pillars seemed very interesting to me, and I could see myself enjoying the research part of it, as well as the participation and engaging with others and businesses outside of our industry.

What do you hope to learn from this position?

I want to be a leader in the community, and Pillars is a great way to do that. Starting from the very first session, you’ll be pitching ideas and learning to be a leader. I’m hoping to learn a lot from my peers but also bring my point of view to Pillars.

Who is someone whose leadership you admire and why?

I’ve had several mentors over the years who have really shown to be a leader — they’ve truly led the way. They’re natural leaders in situations both good and bad. In particular, Mallory Ortman is one who has really shaped my perspective on what it means to be a good leader on a project as well as in the industry. Her patience, her ability to take control of any situation and the way she put others first is inspiring and something I wish to emulate. I’m also grateful to the leadership at Helix for encouraging me to pursue this opportunity, and setting a good example of what it means to be a leader in your community.

What advice would you give to someone who also wants to be a part of Pillars?

To be successful in our field, it’s important to have other experiences beyond the day-to-day. Being a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters and doing ACE — it’s extending yourself in a way to be a part of the community at large, and not be so focused on just our field. I’d push people to take every opportunity that they see and go with their instinct on what to do.