LIGHTING25: Most Influential People 2025

Neil Ashe has built a career at the intersection of technology, commerce, and leadership, guiding organizations through transformative change with clarity and purpose. As CEO of Acuity Brands, he has strengthened the company through disciplined execution and a series of strategic acquisitions that expand its technology, controls, and lighting capabilities. His earlier leadership at Walmart and C-Net reflects a consistent ability to modernize systems while empowering teams. Colleagues often note his steady, forward-looking approach—an ability to see both operational detail and the broader strategic horizon. Neil’s work reflects a conviction that progress is intentional and transformative.

Morris Feldman leads Lumenwerx with a rare combination of technical depth, design sensitivity, and business discipline. As Founder and CEO, he has built a company widely admired for its relentless, enviable pace of new-product introduction — consistently delivering thoughtfully engineered, architecturally refined solutions that elevate every environment they touch. Under Morris’s guidance, Lumenwerx has become a trusted partner to designers and specifiers, known for quality, responsiveness, and true collaboration. His steady leadership and commitment to excellence continue to shape both the company and the broader lighting community in meaningful ways.

Jeff Parker has transformed Luminii from a focused architectural lighting manufacturer into a diversified, design-forward platform that continues to redefine what’s possible in premium illumination. Under his leadership, Luminii has strategically acquired Senso, Optic Arts, iLight Technologies, and other specialty brands—expanding both capability and creative range while preserving each company’s craft. Jeff brings a builder’s mindset to the industry: thoughtful, disciplined, and relentlessly oriented toward long-term value. As Luminii’s CEO Jeff doesn’t simply grow organizations; he grows opportunities for designers, partners, and teams to thrive. His vision continues to elevate our industry’s trajectory.

Rogier van der Heide has consistently pushed lighting beyond convention, inviting the industry to think bigger, bolder, and more human. As a designer, creative leader, and educator, his work bridges imagination and execution, blending technology, storytelling, and emotion into luminous experiences around the world. Rogier challenges assumptions and seeks to expand what’s possible, by encouraging designers and manufacturers alike to see light as culture, communication, and catalyst. His influence is felt not only in landmark projects, but in the curiosity, courage, and creative confidence he inspires across our industry.

Lee Brandt brings a rare blend of technical mastery and artistic intuition to architectural lighting, shaping spaces with a sensitivity that feels both rigorous and deeply human. Lee remains dedicated to advocating, mentoring, and sharing her expertise, not only in design, but in business and life. Her work reflects decades of experience across design, project leadership, and guiding clients toward solutions that elevate how people live and move through the built environment. Lee approaches every project with clarity, restraint, and a commitment to collaboration, revealing light as both a tool and a narrative. She doesn’t simply design illumination—she creates environments that resonate, endure, and inspire.

Randy Burkett has long advanced a design philosophy rooted in clarity, purpose, and respect for the built environment. Randy approaches light as an essential architectural material—one that should reveal form, guide movement, evoke emotion and elevate human experience. His work across cultural, civic, and institutional projects shows a disciplined commitment to restraint and intention. Through teaching and mentorship, As the founder of Randy Burket Lighting Design, now Reed Burkett Lighting Design, Randy has ensured that his philosophy, and approach will not only continue, it will flourish. Randy has shared that philosophy widely, influencing how countless designers think about light, space, and the responsibility of shaping both.

Hervé Descottes has redefined how light can shape architecture, emotion, and memory. As a lighting designer, educator, and founder of L’Observatoire International, his work blends poetic sensitivity with technical precision, revealing the expressive power of light across cultures and continents. Hervé approaches each project as an act of inquiry by listening deeply to place, history, and intent before responding with restraint and clarity. Beyond his designs, he is a generous mentor and global ambassador for the discipline, elevating lighting from a technical service to a true art form.

Andrea Hartranft has spent her career revealing how thoughtful lighting can transform the way people experience space. As founder of Hartranft Lighting Design and a former IALD president, she brings a rare combination of technical mastery, design sensitivity, and generous mentorship to our field. Her work bridges architecture and human behavior, illuminating environments with intention and restraint. Andrea’s leadership has shaped not only award-winning projects, but generations of designers who carry her values forward. She doesn’t simply design light—she elevates the profession.

Carrie Hawley brings a rare blend of artistry, precision, and empathy to lighting design—shaping environments that feel both beautifully composed and deeply attuned to human experience. As Senior Principal + CEO at HLB Lighting Design, she has guided influential projects across a wide range of sectors while mentoring emerging designers with generosity and clarity. Her work reflects a belief in light’s quiet power to transform how people move, gather, and feel within the built environment, revealing the subtle relationships that make places meaningful.

Chip Israel has shaped the global landscape of lighting design for more than three decades. As founder and CEO of Lighting Design Alliance, his work spans continents and project types, each guided by his belief that light should clarify architecture and elevate human experience. Chip’s influence extends far beyond his award-winning portfolio—he is a generous educator, mentor, and longtime leader within professional organizations, helping advance standards, ethics, and the next generation of designers. His steady advocacy and expansive vision continue to strengthen the profession worldwide.

Christopher Knowlton has strengthened the global lighting design community through thoughtful, mission-driven leadership as CEO of the International Association of Lighting Designers. He has advanced the IALD’s role—expanding education, deepening technical resources, and championing professional guidelines that support designers across continents. Christopher is committed to elevating the practice, building consensus, and fostering collaboration among members, partners, and policymakers worldwide. His steady vision and emphasis on training, ethics, and global engagement continue to shape a more connected, informed, and forward-looking lighting profession. 

Martin Lupton has helped shape how lighting is taught, understood, and practiced across generations. As a designer, workshop facilitator, author, and advocate, he brings clarity and curiosity to a discipline that sits at the intersection of art, science, and human experience. Martin’s work with the Light Collective emphasizes fundamentals—light, perception, and intent—while encouraging critical thinking and lifelong learning. Known for generosity and intellectual rigor, he has influenced students and professionals worldwide, not by chasing trends, but by grounding design in understanding.

Naomi Miller has quietly shaped how our field thinks about light. As a lighting designer, researcher, and educator, she has spent decades advancing understanding of visual quality, glare, flicker, dark-sky responsibility, and the human and environmental impacts of illumination. Her work bridges science and design with unusual clarity, influencing standards, practice, and education worldwide. Naomi approaches lighting not as a commodity, but as a discipline grounded in care—for people, place, and the night itself.

Leela Shankar is redefining what sustainable design can mean in practice. As Sustainability Director at Design Lab, she blends rigorous analysis with a deep commitment to human wellbeing—ensuring that environmental responsibility and design excellence advance together. Her work spans material research, lifecycle assessment, and global strategies that help organizations translate climate goals into real, measurable outcomes. Leela leads with quiet clarity and infectious curiosity, inviting teams to think more deeply about the impact of every choice. She doesn’t just champion sustainability; she equips others to build a more resilient future.

Acharawan Chutarat brings a quiet clarity to lighting design that is felt long before it is noticed. Her work reflects a deep sensitivity to place, people, and culture. She balances technical rigor with a refined artistic sensibility. Across projects and collaborations, she is known for thoughtful leadership, intellectual curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to design integrity. In her decades of teaching, Acha’s influence extends beyond Thailand, setting a standard for care, discipline, and purpose for her students that continues to elevate our industry.

Lauren Dandridge is reshaping how the next generation understands light. As a practitioner and educator, she brings a rare blend of technical rigor, cultural insight, and human-centered design to every project. Through her work at Chromatic and her influential teaching at USC School of Architecture, she champions lighting as both a craft and a catalyst for equity—helping designers see the social impact embedded in every lumen. Lauren doesn’t just illuminate spaces; she illuminates people, expanding how our industry thinks, learns, and leads.

Mariana Figueiro has fundamentally reshaped how we understand light’s relationship to human health. Through decades of rigorous research, she has translated circadian science into practical frameworks that influence architecture, healthcare, workplace design, and policy worldwide. Her work bridges neuroscience and the built environment, giving designers and decision-makers tools to improve sleep, alertness, and well-being through light. Beyond her scholarship, Mariana is a generous educator and collaborator, known for clarity, integrity, and intellectual rigor. Her influence extends far beyond the lab, quietly improving lives wherever light is thoughtfully applied.

Tina Halfpenny has become one of the most influential voices in advancing high-performance lighting and energy efficiency. As Executive Director and CEO of the DesignLights Consortium, she has transformed the DLC into a collaborative, science-driven force that accelerates market adoption of quality, efficient, and increasingly connected lighting. Tina’s leadership is defined by her clarity of mission and her ability to convene utilities, manufacturers, and policy leaders around common goals. Her work reflects a steady conviction that better standards—and better collaboration—can meaningfully improve environments, reduce energy use, and support a more sustainable built world.

Colleen Harper has strengthened the Illuminating Engineering Society with a clarity of purpose that reflects her deep commitment to collaboration, standards development, and the broader lighting community. As Executive Director and CEO, she has guided the IES through a period of modernization—expanding its reach, elevating member engagement, and championing the role of quality lighting in shaping human experience. Colleen leads with steadiness and empathy, bringing people together across disciplines and viewpoints. She doesn’t simply steward an organization; she cultivates a shared sense of mission that moves our industry forward.

Ruskin Hartley has become one of the most influential voices shaping the future of lighting in the exterior realm. As CEO of the International Dark-Sky Association, he has brought clarity, urgency, and collaboration to the global conversation around responsible lighting, human health, and the protection of night skies. Ruskin combines policy insight with an ability to unite scientists, designers, municipalities, and manufacturers around shared goals. His leadership reflects a deep respect for both people and planet, demonstrating how thoughtful lighting can enhance safety, sustainability, and wonder without compromise.

Amy Oliver brings both wonder and rigor to the study of the universe. At the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, her work reflects a deep commitment to advancing scientific understanding while supporting the collaborative ecosystems that make discovery possible. With a background that bridges science and lighting, she brings a unique sensitivity to how light enables observation, shapes inquiry, and connects discovery to human experience. Known for intellectual curiosity and strong leadership, Amy approaches science as stewardship—of knowledge, people, and institutions and helps shape how discovery is practiced, illuminated, and shared with the world.

John Palk has guided SESCO Lighting with a clarity of purpose that reflects his deep industry experience. As President & CEO, he has continued SESCO’s growth trajectory well beyond its Florida roots, expanding into multiple states and territories while preserving the culture that defines the organization. John’s career—from specification sales to executive leadership—mirrors his belief that people are the true engine of progress. He builds teams the way SESCO builds partnerships: intentionally, with integrity, and always with long-term impact in mind. His leadership continues to shape our industry’s future.

Jim Williams has been a recognized presence in the lighting and controls community for decades, known for his steady leadership at KSA Lighting & Controls and his later work advising manufacturers through JAW Advisory. In late 2024 he launched JAW Lighting, a multi-state rep agency that assembled a committed team and recruited talent from multiple regions during the first half of the year. The venture reflected his willingness to pursue new models in a changing rep landscape. JAW Lighting closed unexpectedly in June 2025, and Jim retired shortly afterward.