BAC Talks 2026 Schedule of Events
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, sessions will be available virtually. Thursday, April 9, 2026, sessions will be held in person at the BAC and available virtually.
BAC Students can receive up to 9 Practice Hours (1 hour per session). Please contact alumni@the-bac.edu for more info.
*These select sessions have each been approved to offer 0.5 AIA CEU credits. Please contact alumni@the-bac.edu for approval of your CEUs by April 30. Please include the sessions you attended and your AIA registration number.
Day I | Wednesday, April 8, 2026
12:00PM | "An Inconvenient Education" Presentation*
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Mahesh Daas, BAC President and ACSA Distinguished Professor
Location: Virtual
Education today rewards clean answers to messy problems, but the world now demands the opposite: messy, urgent problems that force new forms of thinking, making, and collaboration. This talk argues for an “inconvenient” education that dismantles passive learning and replaces it with entrepreneurial, materially grounded design intelligence.
1:00PM | "Reenergizing Building Envelopes" Fireside Chat*
Featured Speaker:
Anas Kassas, M.Arch'17, Founder and CEO, INOVUES
Location: Virtual
In this fireside chat, INOVUES Founder and CEO Anas Al Kassas shares how innovative retrofit technologies are transforming building façades to improve energy efficiency, comfort, and sustainability, while reflecting on his journey from architect to greentech entrepreneur.
2:00PM | Haozhuo Yang Presentation*
Featured Speaker:
Haozhuo Yang, Co-Founder, TangibleEmpact and BAC Adjunct Faculty Member
Location: Virtual
Haozhuo will share TangiblEmpact's journey building AI-powered planning tools and lessons learned from pilot projects with government agencies and developers. He will demonstrate how our platform transforms complex urban data sources into an evaluation environment for scenario building, then discuss key insights from real-world implementation.
3:00PM | "Designing Innovation for Real-World Impact" Interactive Workshop
Location: Virtual
This interactive 90-minute workshop builds on insights from the BAC Talks sessions with Anas Al Kassas and Dr. Mahesh Daas, inviting participants to explore how innovation and critical thinking can shape the future of design education and practice. Through facilitated discussion and breakout groups, attendees will reflect on key themes from the talks and collaborate on ideas for translating bold concepts into real-world impact.
Location: BAC
Please join us for the Celebrating Our Champions Reception, scheduled immediately before the Hive Week Keynote and the Alumni and Friends Awards Ceremony. Help us honor the BAC’s most loyal supporters—our dedicated donors, partners, and volunteers—who form the foundation of our college’s thriving community.
Featuring:
Taniya Nayak, MSIA'03 Principal, Taniya Nayak Design and Television Host
Location: BAC
Join us the evening of Wednesday, April 8, 2026, following the Celebrating Our Champions reception, to hear BAC Alumna Taniya Nayak featured as the 2026 Hive Week Keynote. Please stay after to celebrate this year's 2026 Alumni and Friends Award winners. Taniya will join President Mahesh Daas for a candid fireside chat reflecting on her professional journey as an entrepreneur, creative process, and perspective on the future of design. The conversation will open to audience questions, creating an opportunity for meaningful dialogue and connection.
Location: BAC and Virtual
We invite you to join us for the BAC Alumni and Friends Awards Ceremony, a tradition that has been celebrated for over two decades. Presented by the BAC Alumni Advisory Council, this special event honors distinguished alumni and friends for their achievements in the design community.
Day II | Thursday, April 9, 2026
11:30AM | Presidential Luncheon and Presentation: "Entrepreneurship Through Design"
Featuring:
Dr. Stephen Spinelli Jr., MBA'92, PhD, President, Babson College
Dr. Mahesh Daas, President, Boston Architectural College and ACSA Distinguished Professor
Location: BAC and Virtual
Join us for the Presidential Luncheon beginning at 11:30AM, and enjoy the presentation "Entrepreneurship through Design" featuring Dr. Stephen Spinelli Jr. and Dr. Mahesh Daas beginning at 12:00PM.
1:00PM | Women’s CEO Roundtable: Partnerships that Drive Change*
Featuring:
Lori Cowles, AIA, B.Arch'98, Principal, HMFH Architects
Natasha Espada, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP BD+C, Founder and Principal, STUDIO ENÉE
Diana Nicklaus, FAIA, President & CEO, Saam Architecture
Location: BAC and Virtual
2:00PM | From Idea to Enterprise: Stories from BAC Innovators*
Featuring:
Tania Aguilar, M.Arch'22, Arch. Designer & Owner, TAN Design Studio
Collin Bray, President of Sales, Century 21 Cityside
Anddie Chan-Patera, MIA'18, Principal, A Square Design
Abby Gordon, M.Arch'13, Co-Founder & Director of Design, Adaptiv
Location: BAC and Virtual
3:00PM | Designing for Impact: Social Innovation and Community Entrepreneurship*
Featuring:
Kamilah Ain Welch, M.Ed, MDS-DHH'25, TiD-B, BAC Adjunct Faculty
Mark S. Goldman, AIA, B.Arch'89, Mark Goldman Architect, Arroyo Seco, NM
Monica Martinez Avila, MDS-RED'23, Project Manager - Boston Housing Authority
Bill Peterson, AIA, NCARB, B.Arch'13, Principal Architect, Derby Square Architects Inc. & USAF Captain
Location: BAC and Virtual
4:00PM | Industry Disruptors: Innovation, Emergent Tech and AI*
Featuring:
Isra Banks, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, WELL AP, M.Arch'17, Boston Arch. Studio Manager, GFT
Amr Raafat, M.Arch'10, CIO Windover Construction
Nicole Voss, AIA, LEED BD+C, WELL AP, M.Arch’14, Director of Sustainability and Associate Principal, isgenuity
Location: BAC and Virtual
Location: Dillon's at 955 Boylston St., Boston
We invite you to join us for the Hive Week Happy Hour on April 9 at 5:30PM at Dillon's as we raise a glass to a week full of design-focused seminars, receptions, and award ceremonies showcasing and celebrating our vibrant community of BAC alumni, faculty, partners, and friends.
