Lead, Grow, Thrive: Advancing Your Career & Practice

WED-C08: Start with Yes: A Superpower for Small Practices

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

1:15 PM - 2:30 PM PT

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW

Speaker(s)

Haley Waterson, ASLA (she/they)

Founding Principal
Plural
San Francisco, California
Jennifer Ng, ASLA

Business Development Director
Klopfer Martin Design Group (KMDG)
Boston, Massachusetts
Danica Liongson, ASLA, PLA (she/her/hers)

Associate
Merritt Chase
Indianapolis, Indiana

As small practices, we have the choice to “start with yes” - with our projects, operations, business development, and design culture. This mindset fuels creativity, research, and discovery. Three firms share how we “say yes” to projects and practice, and how success is measured through shared mission, values, and collaboration.

Learning Outcomes:

Critically reflect on how the “saying yes” mindset can drive project selection, enhance the design process, build collaborative studios, and encourage experimentation.
Examine how saying yes shapes firm culture and design identity, particularly in small, collaborative practices.
Identify operational strategies that enable small practices to support mission-driven work.
Develop business development strategies and frame your small practice as a value-add strength during interviews for larger projects.