This year, six CallisonRTKL professionals participated in the annual Arcadis Global Shapers Program to explore the topic of mobility: Adam Naeem, Astrid Garcia, Juan Alonso Cantu, Omran AlMohamad, Alli Giacometto and Laura Lewi. Participants were tasked with solving four different future mobility issues in major cities, which they later presented to international CEOs with their work-track groups. President and CEO Kelly Farrell attended the Grand Finale presentation in Birmingham, England.
Global Shapers: Generation 2019 from CallisonRTKL with CallisonRTKL CEO Kelly Farrell during the Grand Finale presentation in Birmingham, UK. From left to right: Adam Naaem (Dubai), Omran AlMohamad (Dubai), CEO Kelly Farrell, Alli Giancometto (Dallas), Astrid Garcia (Seattle), Laura Lewi (New York) and Juan Alonso Cantu (Mexico City).
“The program gave clarity into the evolution & potential of our profession as architects,” says Adam Naeem, designer in CRTKL’s Dubai office. “By meeting skilled Arcadians with contrasting professional expertise, I’ve been inspired to involve data mining and visualization, technology and alternate thinking processes in my daily tasks. This exposure and openness to change will allow me to enrich my designs here at CRTKL.”
“Global Shapers helped me grow as a professional and problem-solver,” says Laura Lewi, senior designer in CRTKL’s New York office. She continues:
“The program is a great networking tool, you get a lot of face-to-face time with the leadership, but I think the more valuable networking was with my peers from around the world. It was incredible to be amongst so many cultures, and I keep in touch with a ton of people from the program. There was a “wow” wall to give others anonymous compliments that you read after the program, which was one of my favorite take-aways– it really reminded me the value of positive feedback. As an introvert, the public speaking practice also helped me to face my fears and build this professional skill. This ‘professional summer camp’ was one of my favorite experiences throughout my time at CallisonRTKL and I cannot sing enough praises for the program overall.”
Laura Lewi – CallisonRTKL New York presenting outcomes of the program during the Grand Finale in Birmingham, UK.
“I learned that communicating effectively and listen to others’ ideas is vital in the success of a team and the delivery of a project.” says Astrid Garcia, a designer in CRTKL’s Seattle office. “We all have something to contribute and being open and able to listen is the key for a great idea to flourish into something real.”
“I was fortunate enough to be selected among 100 great minds that I’ve got the chance to meet & connect with. I appreciate the opportunity to work smart and efficiently with diverse individuals on our work tracks dealing with mobility problems to deliver solutions that would impact our daily lives,” said Omran AlMohamad, a designer in our Dubai office. “This experience highlighted how capable we are in contributing to the organization, and the talented skillset we have in our network.”
Global Shapers from all over the globe getting to know each other. Selfie taken by Omran.
“I had no clue what to expect going into Global Shapers,” says another participant– Alli Giacometto, senior designer in CRTKL’s Dallas office. “and the experience was more than I could have ever imagined.” She continues:
“It’s an incredible program that Arcadis and the Lovinklaan Foundation provides, and think we need to shine more light on it in the CRTKL world. The program allowed us, from CRTKL, to see what Arcadis is doing around the world and how the company is truly making an impact on a global scale. In the short week that I was there I meet people from all walks of life; from Water Engineers in the United States, Mass Transportation Planners in Europe, to Civil Engineers & Urban Developers in Australia. In the end, all of us took with us a network of 100 co-workers/ friends that we still reach out to for industry specific inquiries (and travel questions).”
“Global Shapers was one of the most fulfilling professional experiences I’ve ever had,” said Juan Alonso Cantu, a designer in CRTKL’s Mexico City office. “Having the opportunity to collaborate with such a diverse group of driven and forward-looking professionals will remain as an absolute staple on professional collaboration. I have no doubt in my mind that something great will come out of this program.”
By Astrid Garcia
