Women’s History Month 2025 | Showcasing Industry Leaders
In keeping with our annual Women’s History Month tradition, we spent March celebrating four women who have successfully founded and now lead their own firms within the architect and design industry. All from different regions but each with the same dream, these women broke the mold in a male-dominated field to create a company with their own vision, and build teams that dream and execute together. Check out a recap below of the insight these women have given for women in business.
Tiffany Miller-Baker | Founder & Principal of Eleventh Floor Design
What’s one decision that has shaped your business’s success?
I believe that my big change came when I decided to move to New York. So much unfolded for me after I took the leap from Arizona to NYC. The city’s energy and excitement play a significant role in my experience, and I absolutely love it.
Can you share recent professional win or proud moment?
We are incredibly proud to be working on a New Construction boutique hotel project in sunny West Palm Beach! After dreaming of a project like this for ages, it’s finally a reality. We’re absolutely thrilled to be part of this adventure and we’re enjoying every fabulous moment of the design process.
Most fun project and why?
The Bentley Hotel in Southampton was among our initial boutique projects and was so much fun to work on. It was an incredible experience to transform an old mid-century hotel into a vibrant and unique destination. We are grateful to our client for placing their trust in our vision and design for this cool spot in the Hamptons.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Take bigger risks! I’d say go after the things you feel excited and scared to pursue. And then be willing to put in the hard work.
What’s a non-traditional skill you or your company has that helps you succeed?
Fun! I believe it is a skill and a choice. While design can be a challenging field, our passion for our work drives us to celebrate every achievement. I choose to surround myself with positive, energetic, and dedicated people, both in my team and my personal life—there’s truly no other way I’d want it.
Describe your home aesthetic.
I would say timeless, bold and colorful. Our apartment on the Upper West Side is a blend of styles, however, the mid-century vibe truly stands out.
Holly Bosler | Owner of HBC Design Group
What’s one decision that has shaped your business’s success?
I worked for other women-owned design businesses before venturing out on my own. Seeing other boss ladies in action gave me the confidence in my design talent as well as my ability to lead a company.
Can you share a recent professional win or proud moment?
HBC has been given NEWH Top ID awards for our work in multifamily design. It is nice to be recognized amongst peers.
Most fun project and why?
My most recent project, The Cecil in Bethesda, MD has been the most fun. We took a field trip to NYC to get inspiration. Overall, we really achieved that high-end hotel aesthetic, bridging modern and vintage design.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Stay confident in your abilities and follow your gut instincts. Also make sure and enjoy the ride.
What’s a non-traditional skill your company has that helps you succeed?
Humor. Although we take our job seriously, finding humor in any situation is helpful. I also think it strengthens the bond we have with our clients. Who doesn’t love a good joke to break the ice?
How do you prioritize work/life balance as a leader?
It is a challenge. Having amazing designers working beside you and able to run their own projects frees up time for family and personal time.
Best part of your professional journey?
Completing projects you and others are proud of. Projects become your babies and when they are finally done, and the last accessory is placed, it’s a wonderful feeling.
If you could collaborate with anyone (past or present) who would it be and why?
Probably a fashion designer like Diane Von Furstenberg. Her design is classic and timeless but she’s not afraid to pull in bold patterns and color.
Describe your home aesthetic.
I want my personal space to be warm and calm. I would say it’s a casual modern look.
Design trend thoughts for 2025?
Definitely seeing more of the warm neutrals coming back verses super modern cold grays. I think bringing nature inside is a trend that will not go away either.
Jennifer Farris | Bandura Design Owner
What’s one decision that shaped your business’s success?
Prioritizing the well-being of my team members first has been a key driver from day one for me in running Bandura Design. I wanted to create a space where people could grow professionally while still having the time and emotional space to explore other aspects of their lives. Relationships, family, and hobbies are such an important place where we can grow and expand our life skills, and being able to fully show up in those spaces and then bring everything you learned back into your work environment helps support a healthy team. When people are not facing burnout they can show up as their full creative selves and the quality of work created thrives.
Can you share a recent professional win or proud moment?
One of my proudest moments was the renovation of our office. We purchased the building at the end of 2019, and then walked into Covid, which really disrupted our plans for the future. After we got through the recovery on that, we were able to regroup and move out of the space to do a major renovation. We were gone for about 11 months, but then we had an amazing space that we had fully designed to meet our functional needs and also our style and aesthetic. It has been the greatest joy of my life to be able to grow with this team and have this amazing office space.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Life is not linear, you should explore every opportunity. Turn over the stones, figure out what’s around each corner, and live life with curiosity. In my experience now looking back, I think I thought that there was one right path and what I’ve found is that every corner, everything I’ve discovered has led me to something greater than what I ever wanted or what I thought was out there for me, and I really just needed to be open to that journey.
Best part of your professional journey?
The relationship building. I’ve had the opportunity to be in the hospitality industry for well over 20 years now and the people who have mentored and supported me have meant everything. I think being able to have community around me – designers, sales reps, and clients – that really keeps me grounded. As a business owner, I’m gonna have highs and lows, successes and failures. The people who are there for me, to help support me through fears and enjoy those wins, that’s what really has made the difference, so that’s what I value the most.
What’s a non-traditional skill your company has that helps you succeed?
Moving through things with a sense of fearlessness. We’ll never know what unexpected challenges we’ll face in the next day, the next week, the next year. We don’t know how people will respond to our design ideas, or what unexpected site problem we’ll have. But when we move forward with fearlessness, we can tackle any challenge that comes our way. We can learn the new skill set, we can come up with a creative solution, we can push the boundaries forward, and that’s what makes our team special. Keep pushing forward, don’t let the fear hold you back, come up with an idea you haven’t tried before. This is how we’re going to grow and do the unexpected and create the moment of surprise and delight for our clients, and that’s really our goal.
Most fun project and why?
The project I am most excited about right now is a new construction apartment building in Fort Wayne, IN. The original General Electric plant, operating during WWII, was decommissioned in 2015 and a re-development of the campus includes a very exciting mixed-use development with offices, a very cool food hall, and our multifamily apartment building coming online early 2026. The reason I love this project so much is the history of the place that we are able to weave into every aspect of the design. For decades, the campus was a hub of innovation, producing electric motors and other groundbreaking technologies, while fostering a strong sense of community with sports, clubs, and gathering spaces for workers and their families. We are able to tap into the rich history at the same time as finding a vision for the future of this thriving community.
Shannon Musselman | Founder & CEO of Musselman Tailored Finishes
How do you prioritize work/life balance as a leader?
Everything revolves around my family. As a family owned business, family is the most important. I wouldn’t be successful if it wasn’t for the support and love of my husband. He has empowered me and really encouraged me to do this, I came to him a year and a half ago not sure if I could make a career change, but I knew I wanted to be in the field of construction, I wanted to be a flooring specialist and I wanted to give it my all, and he said “Why wouldn’t you start your own business, you’ve been at this for 30 years?” And here I am today, with the love and support of my husband. That’s how I balance everything, with his love and support.
If you could collaborate with anyone (past or present) who would it be and why?
I would pick a force of women that shine down on me from heaven above. My sister, my aunt Vivian, and my mother. They would stand behind me so proud of what I’ve accomplished. I know that with their spirit, every day working in a male-dominated industry, I’m going to be empowered and I’m going to accomplish because I have the force of angels behind me that love me and give me strength.
Most fun project and why?
Two years ago, I decided to step back into the construction industry – I had a 10 year sabbatical after I got married, and I struggled with going back to work but I accepted a position with a male-owned and operated company. I wanted to impress those men, so I went after a very high profile job called Valhalla, and I worked with the designer on the project to get the specifications changed so they would use our flooring, and I accomplished that goal and to date, Valhalla houses that beautiful hardwood flooring. After a year with that company, I decided to go out on my own. I’ve been at it for 30 years, and I knew that if I could come back in as strong as I did getting that specification changed, I knew I would make it on my own. That’s how Musselman Tailored Finishes came to be.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Set goals. Make it a point to look at a maximum goal, and then make generational goals. Make a 10 year plan, make a 20 year plan, or a five year plan. Have some set of goals that are ascertainable, something that you can work towards. As you check those things off your list, you’ll feel accomplished, and you’ll see the progress you’ve made through the years. Because after all, we are an evolution.
Check out past WHM Highlights!
ABOUT SPARTAN
Spartan Surfaces is a specialty flooring supplier headquartered in Bel Air, MD. Employing over 250 team members, Spartan prides itself on taking a human-centered approach to business. We put people at the forefront of everything we do – our clients, our suppliers, our communities, our team, and our families. Spartan holds warehousing and offices in Maryland, Minnesota, and Upstate New York with showrooms in D.C., New York City, and Chicago. Its geography spans the contiguous United States with continued expansion on the horizon. We are great people dedicated to great products, great families, great friendships, and great happiness. Whatever you’re working on, we’ve got you covered!