Lights, Grit, and Taking the Leap — with KATE MACNEILL of Concord Custom Lighting

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AVD INSPIRE with Aly Velji

Alykhan Velji Designs

17 episodes

2 days ago

AVD INSPIRE is where global interior design meets unfiltered creativity. Hosted by designer and creative director Alykhan Velji, this podcast goes behind the scenes of the design industry with editors, makers, and artists redefining the spaces we live in. Each week, Aly lights a candle to spark the creative process and dives into raw, inspiring conversations about staying creative through the chaos. From big wins to flops—this is interior design with heart, humor, and zero ego. Think weirder. Design better. Trust your gut again. This isn’t just a podcast—it’s your creative spark.

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All content for AVD INSPIRE with Aly Velji is the property of Alykhan Velji Designs and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

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Lights, Grit, and Taking the Leap — with KATE MACNEILL of Concord Custom Lighting

AVD INSPIRE with Aly Velji

20 minutes 24 seconds

3 months ago

Lights, Grit, and Taking the Leap — with KATE MACNEILL of Concord Custom Lighting

This week on AVD Inspire, Aly sits down with lighting designer and creative entrepreneur Kate MacNeill, founder of Concord Custom Lighting — the all-female Canadian studio known for crafting bespoke light fixtures for luxury residential and high-end hospitality interiors.

In this episode, we dive into:

How Kate built a women-led lighting design studio from scratch
The behind-the-scenes process of custom lighting manufacturing
How to turn a design vision into a functional, code-compliant product
What it really takes to thrive as a female founder in the design industry
How to overcome imposter syndrome and trust your creative instincts

Kate opens up about leaving behind a commerce degree and stepping into the world of industrial design, fabrication, and creative business ownership. Her lighting work has been featured in Architectural Digest, House & Home, The Globe and Mail, Dezeen, and The Local Project (Australia) — and we get into the raw, real moments that shaped her journey.

Plus, we chat about our recent commercial design collab, why Canadian-made design matters, and the beauty of building a brand that empowers creativity, collaboration, and craftsmanship.

“Sometimes you just need to take the leap… because the pain of living out of alignment becomes too heavy to carry.”

Connect with Kate MacNeill & Concord Custom Lighting

Website: thisisconcord.com
Instagram: @concordlights

Presented in Partnership With Napoleon FireplacesNapoleon Fireplaces, a Canadian owned and operated manufacturer, combines smart design with standout style, offering gas and electric fireplaces in a wide range of sizes, styles, and price points. Built for easy installation and long-term performance, their innovative portfolio gives designers flexible, customizable options for any space, from traditional to contemporary and everything in between.