NextGen AIA MN is powered up and ready to go! Complete the form below to become a part of it today!
Formally launched at the AIA Minnesota Conference on Architecture on November 3, 2025, this strategic initiative focused on Emerging Professionals (EPs) – those in the final years of architecture school and the first ten years of architecture practice – has been developed by EPs, for EPs.
The goals and objectives outlined by the NextGen AIA MN Strategic Task Force were unanimously, enthusiastically approved by the AIA Minnesota Board of Directors in October 2025. View the full set of goals and objectives here »
The goals of NextGen AIA MN are to:
Create a strong ecosystem of community, mentorship, and resources to further:
1. Successful transitions from student to professional.
2. Meaningful connections and learning among Emerging Professionals* and across generations.
3. Accessible and rewarding pursuit of licensure.
4. Compensation and paths to promotion that are fair and transparent.
5. Reasonable workloads that support healthy lives.
The Board reinforced the Task Force’s framing of the effort: to create a strong ecosystem of community, mentorship, and resources. This ecosystem includes:
• Emerging Professionals themselves;
• Volunteer leaders and staff of state and local chapters of the AIA in Minnesota and the Minnesota Architectural Foundation;
• Firm leaders at all levels;
• Faculty and administrators of Minnesota’s schools of architecture; and
• Leaders of our collaborative associations of architects, architectural designers, and students (e.g., MSP NOMA, AIAS, WIASO, NOMAS).
The Board committed AIA Minnesota to a five-year intensive focus on plan implementation, starting with an EP-focused area of the new AIA Minnesota website, which is set to launch in February 2026.
Board members also recognized that we are not starting from a blank slate. There are many great efforts led by architecture firms, schools of architecture, the MAF, and the state and local chapters of AIA in Minnesota that already support community-building, create mentorship opportunities, and provide resources to Emerging Professionals. The NextGen AIA MN Initiative will work to strengthen what is already happening, learn from past efforts, and renew collaborations that move Emerging Professionals and the entire architecture community forward for years to come.
We aim to be a national leader in supporting Emerging Professionals and their success in architecture. New groups to finalize the implementation plan and get to work will be formed in the months to come.
Will you join us? We want your ideas! We want you involved!
Share Your Interest & Ideas
Thank you for your interest in the NextGen AIA MN Initiative! Add your contact info at the end of the form to be contacted about opportunities to help make this plan a reality. Complete this brief form to share your thoughts and sign up to help make this plan a reality.
These are the goals and objectives of this effort:
Create a strong ecosystem of community, mentorship, and resources to further:
1. Successful transitions from student to professional.
2. Meaningful connections and learning among Emerging Professionals* and across generations.
3. Accessible and rewarding pursuit of licensure.
4. Compensation and paths to promotion that are fair and transparent.
5. Reasonable workloads that support healthy lives.
Click here for the full list of goals and objectives »
Many thanks to these volunteer leaders for their work over many months to create this initiative, and to its first implementation on the new AIA Minnesota website. Your efforts are already making a difference!
NextGen AIA MN Strategic Task Force
Co-Chairs
Nathan Anderson
Nicole Bauknight
Nathan Davies
Nicole Kiel
Members
Patrick Cipriano
Madelyn Gulon
Kayla Ignatowicz
Kenos Leong
Isabelle Marty
Anukriti Misra
Georgia Perry
Elizabeth Ponto
Garrett VanRoekel
Valeria Sassi
Olivia Sprosty
Lamia Tasnim
Elizabeth Thomas
Claire Thompson
Chidiebere Uguru
Ashley Vanden Bosch
Ye Yong
Ellie Ziaie
NextGen Website Working Group
Nate Anderson
Nicole Bauknight
Olivia Breuer
Christina Gallarello
Kayla Ignatowicz
Nicole Kiel
Karianna Larson
Anukriti Misra
Alicia O’Neill
Connor Shanahan
Elizabeth Thomas
Chidiebere Uguru