Danie Cesario

Danei Cesario is the 333rd Black woman in American history to earn her architectural license. She is an internationally licensed architect, project manager, and public speaker. Danei is a Project Manager at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), overseeing dynamic mixed-use development and healthcare projects. Her passion for architecture and advocacy has led Danei to become a champion for design professionals and a sought-after speaker. Her diverse experiences in healthcare, equity and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) paired with working in global environments have yielded speaking engagements at numerous national and international conferences and private sector events, including the United Nations, SXSW, Royal Institute of British Architects, AIA National Conference and the New York Building Congress. Danei served as chair of AIA New York’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee for over five years. Currently, she serves on the AIA New York State Board (representing nearly 10,000 members across 13 chapters), the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization and the AIA New York Nominating Committee. She is an ambassador to organizations vested in equity, diversity and inclusion including Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and nycobaNOMA Executive Board. Danei is dedicated to fostering mentorship, sponsorship and leadership within the design community. She founded WALLEN + daub to expand on these principles.