City of Hope Launches Designer Council to Unite Interior Design Community in the Fight Against Cancer
New leadership initiative brings together influential design professionals to inspire philanthropy, collaboration and industry impact
LOS ANGELES (August 25, 2026) —City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, announced the formation of Design for Hope, a new group that brings together influential voices from across the interior design profession to advance cancer research, patient care and philanthropic engagement.
The Designer Council was established to unite the interior design community around a shared commitment to making a meaningful impact through philanthropy. By bringing together designers, firms, manufacturers, suppliers and other industry partners, the council will cultivate new opportunities to raise awareness, inspire giving and support City of Hope’s lifesaving mission.
City of Hope is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that is ranked among the nation’s top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report. Its uniquely integrated model spans cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and a broad philanthropy program that powers its work. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas.
“For me, this is about bringing our industry together around something that touches every family,” said Erin Weir, co-founder of The Pearl Collective and a founding leader of the Design for Hope group. “Behind every medical breakthrough is a family hoping for more time, more memories and more milestones together. As designers, we create homes where life unfolds. I believe we also have an opportunity to come together in support of something even greater.”
The inaugural leadership team guiding the development of the Design for Hope group includes Weir, Jessica Duce, founder of Vacation Rental Designers, and Laurie Laizure, founder of Interior Design Community. Together, they will help establish the council’s vision, recruit industry participation and develop future initiatives that encourage philanthropy, networking and collaboration throughout the design community.
The founding leadership team brings together three respected voices from across the interior design industry, each with extensive experience building communities and advancing the profession.
Weir has built a reputation for fostering meaningful connections among designers while championing collaboration across the industry. Having witnessed both cancer and diabetes affect her own family, she is passionate about creating opportunities for the design community to make an impact far beyond beautiful spaces.
Jessica Duce, founder of Vacation Rental Designers, understands firsthand how cancer affects entire families. After watching both her father and stepmother battle stage 4 cancer just weeks apart, she has made supporting others through their cancer journeys a deeply personal mission.
“Every family has a cancer story,” Duce said. “Supporting others through that journey has become a personal mission that I am honored to be part of.”
Laurie Laizure, founder of Interior Design Community, has spent years connecting design professionals around the world. After experiencing City of Hope’s compassionate care during her mother’s cancer treatment, she believes the organization’s mission reflects the generosity and compassion that define the design profession.
“I’ve seen how many businesses across our industry have chosen City of Hope as their charity, and it speaks to the compassion that defines our community,” Laizure said. “City of Hope is more than a hospital. They advance research, support families and work tirelessly to defeat disease.”
The Design for Hope group will make its debut this October during Pink Out High Point, where it will lead its first industry-wide effort to raise awareness and rally the interior design community in support of City of Hope’s lifesaving mission. The initiative will provide designers, design firms and industry partners with an opportunity to get involved while helping establish a lasting culture of philanthropy within the design profession.
Designers, firms and industry partners interested in participating in the Designer Council or learning more about Pink Out High Point are encouraged to contact Loren Boyko at 626-222-9764 or .
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