Seven Female-Led Lighting Accounts to Follow for Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History month and to celebrate and support I wanted to share with you some of the accounts that I find inspiring and informing which are led by woman.
The Individuals
Jane Slade
No one in the lighting space has done more to publicly advocate for the need for dark skies more effectively than Jane Slade. Using her platform @anatomyofnight she’s made it her mission not to just communicate to lighting industry professionals but to the general public about the need for darker nights. Light pollution diminishes the quality of life not just for us but for countless specifies ranging from fireflies to sea turtles to unknown forest and sea creatures. Jane’s advocacy ranges from the highly technical as she works to interview lighting professionals to the emotionally impactful. It’s that balance of head and heart that I believe will slowly turn the tide in the battle for dark skies. Jane’s advocacy comes from passion and you’ll be swept up too, go follow her.
Ketryna Fares
Ketryna is the current president of the IALD in NY and a Senior Lighting Designer with HLB. Her mind is always working and her leadership is evident. What I admire about Ketryna’s work online is that despite her obviously deep knowledge as a lighting designer she is seeking to educate those *outside* of the lighting sphere through her discussions of lighting and design through her social media work. She’s a must-follow for those passionate about light and design - find her at @ketrynafares
Erin McDannald
Erin is the CEO of Lighting Environments and Environments by LE. Her agency is leading the way in thinking about how lighting and controls will remake environments in the 21st century. She is also the only lighting professional I am aware of who’s deeply thinking about the metaverse and what it means for the art, science, and business of design. Erin gives me a model for the future that is hopeful, inclusive, and a seamless blend of the “analog” and the digital. Erin’s public leadership is pushing the industry forward and I admire her bravery for being way out in front on something most of us aren’t even seriously thinking about yet - follow her posts on LinkedIn.
The Organizations
At both the national and the local levels, no organization has evolved more quickly or become more vital than WILD. WILD has emerged as a voice for equality and a conduit for open and honest dialogue which is still imperative to improving the working lives of women in the lighting industry. If you’re not already following WILD then you need to get on that. I’m also a supporter of my local chapter, so if you’re in NY you need to jump in there.
SDA Lighting and Female Leadership
I cannot finish a post about female-led organizations and accounts to follow without mentioning Melissa Deutsch of SDA Lighting and Controls. Yes, ok, she’s my boss, but she’s also an example of female leadership in the lighting industry. Tough when she needs to be, but also fiercely protective of her people, Melissa doesn’t brag much about what’s she’s accomplished with our agency, but those of us fortunate enough to work with her know how smart, loyal, and fair she is…she’s active on Instagram, but you can also follow SDA to see what we’re all up to.
