Cost
Free
Location
Zoom
Program Overview
We want to hear from you.
What are your struggles with entrepreneurs and small business owners as clients?
What do you wish your clients knew about the design process?
How can we as architects more effectively communicate our value to clients?
How can we get the word out to small business development organizations?
What resources have you used to explain architectural services and values?
Join us for the first in a three-part series where Erin Curley (AIA Toledo), Matt Toddy (AIA Columbus), and Sarah Kleiner (AIA Cincinnati) will lead the discussion around the above questions. What are your pain points? Where have you found success? The results from the conversation will be documented, organized, and presented in Part 2.
Part 2 (summer 2026) will center around a resulting one-page document that can be used as a guide for discussions with current or potential clients, or given to those in the business development arena to facilitate the discussion before small business owners get in trouble.
Part 3 (autumn 2026) we will take a deep dive into what AIA Toledo has done to get the word out, see the presentation made to small business ecosystem builders, and share their online guide to development in Northwest Ohio.
About the Small Firm Exchange (SFx)
The mission of the Small Firm Exchange (SFx) is to advance the mutual interests of architects practicing in small firms. SFx representatives connect small firm leaders in their local and state components to the national organization.
Ohio’s Small Firm Exchange (SFx) representative Sarah Kleiner, AIA hosts virtual SFx coffee chats and programs so small firm leaders can engage with one another, discuss issues facing small firms today, and see what the AIA can do to support Ohio’s small firms. AIA members practicing in small firms are encouraged to reach out to Sarah to discuss how the AIA could better support their practice.
Sarah is a principal at Envisage Architecture LLC, in Cincinnati, a firm she co-founded in 2016. They have seven employees that range from part-time to full-time. Their practice focuses on commercial projects, particularly retail, as well as multi-family projects. They recently renovated their own LEED Silver multi-family, multi-use building that will include eleven apartments with their office on the first floor.
During this program, photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By attending this program, you consent to interview(s), photography, audio recording, video recording and its/their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for news, web casts, promotional purposes, telecasts, advertising, inclusion on websites, social media, or any other purpose by AIA Cincinnati and its affiliates and representatives. Images, photos and/or videos may be used to promote similar AIA Cincinnati in the future, highlight the program, and exhibit the capabilities of AIA Cincinnati.
Continuing Education Details
Course Number: 2026.G1
Instructional Delivery Method: live
AIA CES Program Approval Expiration Date:12.18.28
Prerequisites: none
Program Level: beginner
Advance Learner Preparation: none
AIA CES Provider Statement
AIA Cincinnati is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number 088. All registered AIA CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs. Any questions or concerns about this provider or this learning program may be sent to AIA CES (cessupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3).
This learning program is registered with AIA CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.
AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.