“You just have to surround yourself with the best people you possibly have, and empower them with the knowledge we have (…) and so you are never afraid if somebody in your team will surpasses you — you want them to. We constantly tell our project architects or designers, ‘We want the client calling you.’ That’s the next succession. If they are calling you for a commission, that’s a wonderful thing. We are not afraid when that happens.” – Dave McCarroll
Today, I’m speaking with Dave McCarroll, one of the founding partners — and the “M” in KGM Architectural Lighting (Kaplan, Gehring, McCarroll).
KGM is a multidisciplinary lighting design studio with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Since the mid-1980s, they’ve been crafting lighting that elevates architecture — thoughtful, technically sharp, and deeply human. Their portfolio spans casinos, stadiums, cultural landmarks, interiors, residential, and commercial projects, across a wide range of scales and geographies.
As a founding force behind the firm, Dave has shaped not only KGM’s design legacy but also its business philosophy — grounded in trust, transparency, and a commitment to education that fuels team growth and expertise.
In this episode, Dave shares:
Stories from KGM’s early days
How the firm evolved and expanded
The art of building something that lasts
Insights on mentorship and leadership
Strategies for scaling creative teams
Preparing the next generation of designers and leaders
Welcoming new partners while preserving the firm’s values and legacy
It’s an inspiring conversation about vision, culture, and the lasting impact of great leadership.
Enjoy my conversation with Dave McCarroll.
---
The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or Instagram.
"Its up to you to try something in order to improve yourself - it reinforces the notion that failure isn't the end of everything." - Martin Van Koolbergen
In this episode, I’m joined by Martin van Koolbergen, partner at KGM Architectural Lighting and head of KGM’s New York office.
KGM — short for Kaplan, Gehring, McCarroll — is a multidisciplinary lighting design firm with studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Since the mid-1980s, they’ve been creating transformative lighting designs for spaces across the globe.
Martin joined KGM in 2000 after working as a licensed architect, a background that deeply shapes his approach to lighting. Over his career, he’s led projects in more than 20 countries and has been instrumental in building KGM’s reputation in stadium and sports entertainment lighting.
Our conversation covers:
Career growth and mentorship
Scaling creative teams
Succession planning in design firms
The role of travel in expanding creative perspective
Building a studio culture centered on collaboration and curiosity
How mentoring builds confidence, capability, and trust
It’s a wide-ranging and insightful discussion, full of wisdom on leadership, design, and the future of the profession.
Please enjoy my conversation with Martin van Koolbergen.
---
The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or Instagram.
“When I started there, I didn’t know what I was doing. I had some idea what I liked and what I thought lighting design was about… but I didn’t really have people watching over me to help. It was kind of working a bit in the dark and fighting my way.” — Stephen Margulies
Today, Stephen Margulies is widely recognized as one of the leading figures in architectural lighting design—with over 35+ years of experience as an award-winning designer, firm founder, and gifted storyteller, he has touched countless projects, peoples lives with light, and mentored countless individuals.
I’ve always admired One-Lux Studio. Years ago, I even applied for an internship (spoiler: I didn’t get it 😅). But since then, I’ve only heard amazing things about their culture, design excellence, and Stephen’s extraordinary ability to communicate and lead.
After some overlapping educational engagements, we finally sat down for a conversation.
Here the top 5 learnings I drew out for myself:
💡 Get ahead of project challenges — anticipate challenges before they happen and prepare. The best leaders don’t wait for issues to escalate.
🤝 Manage client relationships by leaning into challenges — loyalty is earned not when things are easy, but when you step up and help fix problems.
🔄 Do the right thing even when it feels small — today’s small choices often become tomorrow’s defining moments.
🎯 Be selective and clear on your targets — success comes from focusing on the right clients and opportunities, not trying to be everything to everyone.
🏢 Managing the business is life — building and leading a design practice is an ongoing, evolving journey, not just a job.
If this conversation sparks your curiosity, give it a listen—and I’d love to hear your takeaways. There’s so much more wisdom packed into this episode, thanks to Stephen’s experience and insights.
If you’d like to learn more about One-Lux Studio, Stephen Margulies, and his partners Jack Bailey, IALD, IES, LC, LEED AP and Fernando Soler, visit 👉 oneluxstudio.com
---
The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or Instagram.
Golsana Heshmati is an architect, lighting designer, and educator who founded The SEED (Studio of Embodied Experience Design), a women-owned lighting design studio based in New York City. With a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a Master’s in Architectural Lighting from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, she brings a multidisciplinary approach to her work.
Before establishing The SEED, Heshmati held positions at firms such as HLB Lighting Design, Callison Architects, and AGF in San Francisco, as well as working with design studios in Barcelona.
She is also a professor at Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute, and the New York School of Interior Design.
Recognized as one of the “40 Under 40” top lighting design talents in 2017, she continues to contribute to the field through her involvement with the Illuminating Engineering Society’s education committee and as a jury member for the International Association of Lighting Designers’ awards program.
Please enjoy, get inspired and learn, listening to the conversation I had with Golsana Heshmati, Founder The SEED.
The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or Instagram.
Charles Foster is a Senior Director at Lightswitch and one of the key leaders at Lightswitch’ NYC office location. With decades of experience in lighting design across the globe, Charles has built a distinguished career with a diverse portfolio that spans event, entertainment, and architectural lighting design. He graduated summa cum laude from Francis Marion University with a B.A. in Theatre Design & Technology, and further advanced his expertise with a Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design from Boston University.
Charles’s exceptional talent quickly earned him recognition as a sought-after designer. His guiding philosophy—that successful lighting design starts with a deep understanding of the end-user—has solidified his reputation for delivering outstanding results and exceeding client expectations.
Charles and I first connected through a project in NYC, and now we sit down for an in-depth conversation on lighting design, intention, project priorities, authenticity, and commitment.
Please enjoy, get inspired and learn, listening to the conversation I had with Charles Foster, senior director of LightSwitch.
The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or Instagram.
Shilpa Suresh is a Senior Associate at the prestigious Rockwell Group, an award-winning, interdisciplinary architecture, interior, lighting - and design firm specializing in hospitality, culture, healthcare, education, and many more fields.
Shilpa holds a BA in Architecture and a Master’s in Fine Arts in Interior Design from Parsons New York, where we first met. This conversation is particularly relevant as Shilpa’s expertise spans interior design, architecture, and lighting design.
In addition to leading her own team of ten talented designers, Shilpa dedicates her after-hours to running a mentorship program for students entering the design industry.
In our discussion, we delve into her upbringing in India, her journey to New York City, and her experiences as a female person of color in the design industry. We explore how her immigrant background has shaped her unique design perspective. Please enjoy this enriching 🎙️ conversation with Shilpa Suresh.
...
The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or Instagram.
"That was an art project, for me it was very important, but also the reaction of the people was amazing, because everyone was very intrigued about the project. This idea, to have an element, that brings you to think about something else." Gabriele Negro
"I highly admire people who have an idea, an obsession, particularly one friend who is a film director, he talks over and over about this idea, until you are into the idea and then he makes a movie. Wow! That kind of mental process, I love that type of conversation, when people are obsessed with ideas.", Paola Pietrantoni
This week on Light Lounge, I had the pleasure of speaking with the dynamic co-founders of Studio Atomic, Paola Pietrantoni and Gabriele Negro. Our conversation took place in their vibrant lighting design studio in Dumbo, New York City, where I experienced their hospitality, creativity, and boundless energy firsthand.
Paola and Gabriele shared their incredible journeys, their passion for design, and the importance of friends, mentors, and connecting with people. We delved into their love for objects, writers, filmmakers, color, fashion, and how bringing diverse expertise together fuels their inspiration.
Please find their website here: https://studioatomic.net/
Tune in to this inspiring episode to learn from these creative powerhouses and be inspired by their stories and insights.
The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or Instagram.
"We all have ideas that come because we are social beings and in our exchange about ideas we all profit more than hiding anything (...) There is a lot of magic and if we know about it as the experts for light we can do a lot of magic."
In this weeks Light Lounge I speak with Ulrike Brandi. Ulrike is one of the most prolific lighting designers in the world, leads her own practice Ulrike Brandi Licht GmbH in Hamburg Germany and works on the most prestigious project all over the world.
On her way to the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) conference in Banff at the end of last year, Ulrike stopped by in New York City for a wonderful conversation. She shared exclusive insights from her recently launched book: ‘Light Nature Architecture: A Guide to Holistic Lighting Design’ (published by Birkhäuser), which is available now.
This comprehensive guide not only reflects her beliefs, experiences, and enthusiasm for light and lighting design, but also delves into the most relevant topics in the field today. Reading through the book, personally I think it is providing a lot value, thoughts, ideas and knowledge for anyone interested in light, at all levels.
I felt our conversation was both enlightening and inspiring, covering beautiful personal stories and a wide range of important themes, including nature, culture, sustainability, health, atmosphere, magic and much more. And as always the value of good design and excellence in lighting design.
The book is a reference work and source of inspiration for professional planners, architects as well as laypeople. Available in English and German (Light Nature Architecture, ISBN 9783035624083) - available anywhere you can get books.
The Light Lounge podcast was founded in 2018 as an art project, me interviewing and talking with the best lighting designers in the world, to learn from them and get inspired by their stories. In this episode: Ulrike Brandi.
Howard Brandston was one of the most influential lighting designers to have ever lived. He founded the world-renowned Howard Brandston Lighting Design practice in 1965 and was a founding member of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) in 1969. His impact on our field was immense.
The podcast interview with Howard Brandston is online now, ready for you to listen to and be inspired by one of the most influential lighting designers in the world. Rest in peace, Howard.
The Light Lounge podcast was founded in 2019, as an art project, me interviewing and talking with the best lighting designers in the world, to learn from them and get inspired by their stories.
Live from the IALD Enlighten 2019 Conference in Albuquerque. Please say hi if you are here! Looking forwrad to see you very soon!
Best Thomas
Jordana Maisie Design Studio recognizes the phenomenal in the everyday.
JMDS creates architecture, installation, furniture and lighting design projects with a dedication to concept, craft, detail, durability, play and an overarching commitment to a heightened user experience.
The studio founder, Maisie, began her career as an installation-based Artist, she holds a BFA in Photography and a Masters in Video Production and Sound Engineering. Maisie’s work has been shown in galleries, museums and festivals throughout Australia, Asia and Europe, for which she won the ANZ Private Bank and Art & Australia Contemporary Art award. About her practice, Art & Australia Magazine wrote, "Maisie consciously allows her audience and inventions to influence the form, she heralds a fresh relationship between interface and viewer - one that is intuitive, unlimited and, above all, equal.”
Maisie earned a Master of Architecture and MFA in Lighting Design from the Parsons School of Design during which time she combined her expertise as an installation-based artist with the tools of architecture. Out of this synthesis JMDS was born.
After graduation Maisie brought her unique approach to the office of world-renowned architecture studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
JMDS has gone on to design and execute critically acclaimed residential and commercial builds such as the Feit retail spaces at Prince Street Nolita, Greenwich Ave West Village and Jackson St, San Francisco locations, for the Contra Restaurant Group on Orchard Street LES, and Wardrobe.NYC’s inaugural SoHo retail location. JMDS is currently completing a number of residential projects on both the East and West Coasts, and together with Jo Garst Design and their collaborative practice, Social Studios, a multi-family social housing project in Nevada City CA.
You can also find the Light Lounge Podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcast. In order to promote professional lighting design, please help spread the word, leave a great rating on Apple Podcast or say hi on Instagram
@thomas_mnich
More info: hhttp://www.thomasmnich.com/podcast
Enrique Peiniger was formally trained in the fields of architecture and social sciences, his manifold way of thinking defines all his work. As a humanist and engineer, Enrique articulates a project’s historical and cultural context while devising state-of-the-art technology developed to achieve economy of work. Enrique designs with sensitivity, clarity, and logic, integrating originally-engineered lighting into his aesthetically sophisticated solutions.
Enrique’s contribution to OVI’s practice has produced work that is timeless. His cutting-edge lighting technology befits historical, contemporary, and avant-garde projects seamlessly activating space and materials for the benefit of the user. Utilizing his former experience in the lighting industry, Enrique is known to spearhead collaborations with manufacturers to develop custom luminaires for one-of-a-kind projects that incorporate specialized finishes, advanced fabrication techniques, and emerging light sources. Two of OVI’s recent projects, the winning solution for the new ‘modular’ LED Streetlight for New York City and the Canadian Parliament’s highly specialized optical design, showcase Enrique’s scientific dexterity.
A discerning innovator devoted to advancing culture through catalyzing conversations and collaborations across design fields, Enrique Peiniger is dynamically shaping the lighting design field.
This is a brief episode sharing why Lighting Design matters to me personally!
Find the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zUZ6qqyfByM
What is your why in Lighting Design? Please let me know and say hi on Insta: thomas_mnich
Mark Major trained and practised as an architect prior to focusing on the unique relationship between light and architecture. He has worked on a wide range of award-winning lighting projects including the Millennium Dome, 30 St. Mary Axe, Beijing International Airport, the refurbishment of Royal Festival Hall and the re-lighting of the interior of St. Paul’s Cathedral. He is a specialist in the field of urban lighting and was named as a key city advisor by Monocle in 2013. Mark acted as the Lighting Design Advisor to the Olympic Delivery Authority for London 2012 and was appointed to the Mayor of London’s Special Assistance team for the Outer London Fund in the same year. With an active interest in architectural and lighting education Mark has lectured extensively in the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, U.S. and Australia. He was the co-creator of an educational project ‘Made of Light – the Art of Light and Architecture’. Mark is a corporate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the International Association of Lighting Designers and a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. He was created a Royal Designer for Industry in 2012.
http://www.speirsandmajor.com/
Mark and I speak about challenges in the lighting profession, education and the art of communicating with clinets and building strong teams. I am very excited to have Mark Major on the show. Please enjoy this weeks episode!
-
You can also find the Light Lounge Podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcast. In order to promote professional lighting design, please help spread the word, leave a great rating on Apple Podcast or say hi on Instagram thomas_mnich
More info: hhttp://www.thomasmnich.com/podcast
Claudia Kappl Joy is Co-Founder, Creative and Managing Director of CLL - Concept Lighting Lab founded in 2013. The Tucson based lighting design studio consists of a team of energetic and motivated Lighting Designers and Architects with more than fifteen years of experience. - Our fascination with the ephemeral quality of light and its essential role when creating atmospheric space is at the base of our approach. We search for high quality lighting solutions with the goal to achieve an all encompassing experience - from emphasizing the designers vision, revealing the intended character and (co-)creating the mood; all creating a cohesive atmosphere and atmospheric space - a space that moves us psychologically and emotionally. We value the close collaboration with our partners and clients, who like we, are passionate about lighting. - http://www.cll-conceptlightinglab.com/
You can also find the Light Lounge Podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcast. In order to promote professional lighting design, please help spread the word, leave a great rating on Apple Podcast or say hi on Instagram thomas_mnich
More info: hhttp://www.thomasmnich.com/podcast
Mr. Stone’s parents sent him to the Harrisburg Community Theatre, hoping to keep him out of trouble while Charles was trying to become a singer and trombonist in a rock band. And there, at the stage door, he was transfixed by the Magic of Light: Lekos and Fresnels, colored gel and dimmers – emotion and passion. From that day, whether on, off, or backstage, at science fairs, or writing term papers in school, it was always about the power of light to change the human experience. His parents continued to worry for another 25 years that he might never have a career.
Mr. Stone received an AB in English and a special Certificate for Lighting Design from Princeton University in 1976. He is Lighting Certified by the NCQLP, a LEED AP BD+C, a Fellow and Past President of the International Association of Lighting Designers, a member of the IESNA, serves on the IESNA Lighting for Outdoor Public Spaces Committee, and serves on the Project Candle advisory group at Penn State University. Mr. Stone’s Traveling Light speaking tour visits universities and professional conferences around the world, and has landed in 20 countries since its founding in 2005. In addition to lectures, Charles regularly serves as a leader for educational and public outreach workshops including Ålingsås, Sweden, and cities worldwide with The Lighting Detectives. Mr. Stone joined FMS in 1983, became President in 2003, and has led design teams on hundreds of successful and award-winning projects with loyal and satisfied clients on five continents.
In this weeks Light Lounge Charles and I speak about the challenges in the lighting design industry, how to set up a culture for success and what is important in life to be successful. https://www.fmsp.com
-
You can also find the Light Lounge Podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcast. In order to promote professional lighting design, please help spread the word, leave a great rating on Apple Podcast or say hi on Instagram thomas_mnich
More info: hhttp://www.thomasmnich.com/podcast
Light Collective consists of Sharon Stammers and Martin Lupton who have both been involved in the lighting industry for over 20 years. Based in the UK and essentially architectural lighting designers, their portfolio of work has diversified in many different directions – light activism being one of them.
Women in Lighting is an inspirational digital platform that profiles women working in the field of lighting design. It aims to promote their passion and achievements, narrate their career path and goals, celebrate their work and therefore help elevate their profile in the lighting community.
There is a need to increase the profile of successful women working in lighting to help encourage, support and inspire the next generation. There is no doubt that women currently have a lower professional profile despite making up approximately 50% of the lighting design profession. Let’s change this.
I was fortunate to sit down with Sharon and Martin on a rooftop in New York and get their insights about their work and women in lighting. More information under https://lightcollective.net/ and https://womeninlighting.com/
-
You can also find the Light Lounge Podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcast. In order to promote professional lighting design, please help spread the word, leave a great rating on Apple Podcast or say hi on Instagram thomas_mnich
More info: hhttp://www.thomasmnich.com/podcast
Paul Gregory is the founder and president of Focus Lighting, an architectural lighting design firm based in Harlem, New York (www.focuslighting.com). He was trained in theatrical lighting at the Goodman Theatre School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Paul has been awarded numerous honors in recognition of his design work, including over twenty Lumen Awards, IALD Waterbury and ASID Awards, Lighting Dimensions International's "Lighting Designer of the Year" Award, and induction into Architectural Lighting Magazine’s Hall of Fame. In just over 30 years, Focus Lighting has designed lighting for hundreds of projects across the globe, approaching each with the primary goal of ensuring that when a patron enters a restaurant, hotel, or retail shop, or when a passerby first looks at a lit façade at night, the initial impact is as stunning and memorable as the moment the curtain rises on a Broadway stage.
You can also find the Light Lounge Podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcast. In order to promote professional lighting design, please help spread the word, leave a great rating on Apple Podcast or say hi on Instagram thomas_mnich
More info: hhttp://www.thomasmnich.com/podcast
Sean O’Connor recognized the power of light and shadow as a student of architecture. Since establishing his firm in 1997, Mr. O’Connor has developed an award-winning body of work by defining spaces and their character, identity and beauty through the use of light. https://www.seanoconnorlighting.com/
Mr. O’Connor works in close collaboration with architects, interior designers and owners to implement integrated lighting systems that strengthen a project’s vision. Unique within the lighting design community, Mr. O’Connor is an avid collector of 20th century and contemporary art, furniture and decorative arts. He is also an active member of the art and design communities, having served on committees at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sean also contributed to the curation and design of the “ICONS” exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. These passions and experiences inform every project, creating a like-minded vision and common vocabulary amongst design teams.
You can also find the Light Lounge Podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcast etc. In order to promote professional lighting design, please help spread the word, love and leave a good rating on Apple Podcast and say hi on Instagram: thomas_mnich
More info: http://www.thomasmnich.com/podcast
Charles Marshall is the Design Director and a principal of Parc Office. Marshall utilizes his background in industrial design to create interactive environments and develop innovative ways of integrating digital information in physical spaces. Prior to Parc Office, Marshall ran the Lab at Rockwell Group, designing experiences and innovation labs for Coca Cola, Google, YouTube and Tata Industries. Marshall is a graduate of Falmouth College of Arts, an alumnus of The British European Design Group and a mentor at NEW INC, the New Museum’s art and tech incubator. https://parcoffice.com/
"Our practice is driven by a desire to seamlessly integrate digital technology within physical environments. At the heart of each project is a belief that design can, and should, foster significant, meaningful interactions and experiences."
Charles and I met 2016 at Parsons in New York. He was teaching a class for interaction design in space. In this episode, we speak about his way to design, becoming a design business owner and challenges along the way.
You can also find the Light Lounge Podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcast. In order to promote professional lighting design, please help spread the word, leave a great rating on Apple Podcast or say hi on Instagram thomas_mnich
More info: hhttp://www.thomasmnich.com/podcast
