Canoa Discusses Accessible Design on Practice Disrupted Podcast Episode 132: Architecture, And: Ownership, Mergers, and Tech Startups

On this episode of Practice Disrupted, Alma Lopez (Head of Creative) and Elizabeth Wert (Head of Brand) discuss their journey from business owners to merging with Canoa. They highlight the use of technology to make good design accessible to everyone and the impact of Canoa in the design and tech startup world. They also emphasize the importance of problem-solving and diversity in building and growing a startup.

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First, we hear how Alma and Liz decided to start their business, Aditions, together in 2021 from a human-centric approach to leverage community as a way to locally source design pieces. They illustrate how the merger with Canoa gave them an opportunity to use technology to make good design accessible to everyone.

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“Do we stay and go the traditional route and scale our studio, and keep working with the 1% that can actually afford our services? Or do we go and build software with an amazing team that actually helps the interior design industry do better through technology? It was kind of like a no-brainer. We got to help everyone.” - Liz Wert

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Then, we dive into Canoa: its impact in the design and tech startup world, how it challenges the industry to be more efficient, and why it serves as a reminder that design is never done alone. Alma and Liz share their specific roles and the ways that their background and skill sets overlap to support each other and the business. Plus, we learn about Canoa’s current user base and the possibility of international reach.

To wrap up the episode, Alma and Liz share why their love for problem-solving is essential for building and growing a startup, and how diversity in the profession will support the future of Canoa (and the architecture and design industry) as a place for discovery, education, building community, and promoting sustainability.

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About Practice Disrupted:

The evolution of architectural practice has been relatively slow towards change, yet modern shifts in business and design management have prompted today’s leading architects to rethink how they work. On Practice Disrupted, Evelyn Lee, an architect, design strategist, and Senior Experience Designer at Slack, and architecture business strategy consultant, Je’Nen Chastain, set out to illuminate the future of the profession to help architects remain relevant and valuable in a changing world.

They will explore how technology, cultural shifts, and emerging best practices are prompting firm owners to assess their business models and make adjustments in their studios. Each episode features an industry leader, and together our hosts will explore the new frontier of architectural practice.

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