Introducing a new ongoing series, Champions of Design Entrepreneurship, created in partnership with Serena Martin of 24/7 Creative Agency, which offers a rare, intimate look into the minds of industry trailblazers. Featuring first-person accounts from renowned designers, architects, artisans, and industry veterans, each story is a reflection of how they interpret what it means to be both a ‘champion’ and an ‘entrepreneur’ in our field. This second installment features President and CEO of the High Point Market Authority, Tammy Covington Nagem:

Tammy Covington Nagem on the ways The Point at High Point Market champions a diverse array of design entrepreneurs

As president and CEO of the High Point Market Authority (HPMA), I’m committed to supporting interior designers—who represent over half of each season’s 70,000 visitors to Market—with programming that helps them build business connections and grow as entrepreneurs.

When I conceived of The Point, the goal was to establish a Market-branded venue for expert and peer-led educational events. Now in its sixth year, designers attend sessions like “Process to Profits: How A New Generation of Designer Procurement Groups Can Better Your Business,” and “The Brand Advantage: How to Build an Iconic Interior Design Brand,” both scheduled [for this] October [market]. 

Inspiring keynote presentations are staged in the High Point Theatre, including this fall’s panel discussion, “How Luxury Design Clients Are Living Today,” with accomplished designers Sasha Bikoff, Corey Damen Jenkins, Kim Scodro and Barclay Butera sharing their insights.

Additionally, our Diversity Advocacy Alliance (DAA) nurtures professional development of emerging designers in the BIPOC community with its Insider Access Experience, in which they can shadow established design pros like Mikel Welch, Erika Hollinshead Ward and the aforementioned Jenkins.

Read more features from Champions of Design Entrepreneurship here.