Team

Jason Lees

Jason was born in the North of England, grew up in Southern California, and has lived and worked in the Bay Area for over twenty-five years. His background includes furniture and accessory design, interior design, woodworking, graphic design and writing.

In 2003 Jason launched his own company, Jason Lees Design, an Oakland-based studio that designs handcrafted modern furniture and accessories made in the Bay Area. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Craft and Design and featured in numerous publications including San Francisco Magazine, 7×7, The San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, The World of Interiors and Interior Design Magazine. A former music writer, Jason loves music, art, film, design and travel, and gets inspired by the artisans and creative entrepreneurs whose passion for their work helps make their communities and our world a more interesting, and better place.

Janet Lees

Janet has decades of experience working at the intersection of entrepreneurship, manufacturing, and economic development in the Bay Area. She has provided direct technical assistance to hundreds of manufacturing and artisanal businesses including many of the region’s most well renowned and respected brands.

As the co-founder of SFMade and Chief Program Officer, Janet led all the organization’s programs and services. She has particular expertise in the sewn products sector and served as the chair of the City of San Francisco’s Fashion Initiative. Prior to SFMade, Janet served as the Program Director and head of the Women’s Business Center at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center in San Francisco, helping to launch and sustain small businesses and leading the organization to numerous awards for program innovation and excellence.

Pierre Couerdeuil

Pierre lives and breathes operations. At Climax Foods, he helps set up the production facility and systems and prepares for a successful scale-up (partnerships, marketing, sales). Prior to Climax, Pierre was the Advising and Education Director at SFMade, where he provided specialized and tailored technical assistance to growing manufacturing companies, and co-founded Petit Pot, a dessert manufacturer.

Claire Michaels

Claire Michaels is a workforce and program development expert who has been advising small businesses in New York and the Bay Area for the past 12 years. She spent 7 years leading workforce programs at SFMade, where she started a youth internships program, worked with almost 100 small manufacturing businesses and makers, and launched an advanced manufacturing training program. She specializes in helping businesses with hiring and talent management pain points ranging from the tactical to the strategic. Notable past projects include Peer Training Program at Anchor Brewing, On-Site ESL Program at Cut Loose, and Fabrication Program at Tinkering Monkey.

Lauryn Menard

Lauryn Menard is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of PROWL. Her professional background has spanned the worlds of furniture, footwear, future forecasting, and material innovation in a global arena. She has worked with brands of all sizes such as Adobe, Apple, Google, Specialized Bikes, Concreteworks, Nike, Coalesse, MASH, Facebook, and others. Lauryn is also a professor of BioDesign in the MFA Design program at CCA.

FLIGHT DESIGN Co.

FLIGHT DESIGN Co. is a small strategy and graphic design studio based out of the SF Bay Area. Serving artists and entrepreneurs, thought leaders and innovators, our team of four help translate big ideas into real world application by partnering creative strategy with high-quality design.

Quarry Hill Consulting

Quarry Hill Consulting is a strategic marketing and PR firm that focuses on digital marketing, social media and partnerships. Founder Hilary Sessions has over a decade of experience in interior design, business management and marketing. QHC is a full-service public relations and marketing agency offering consulting and branding services to interior designers and luxury brands.

Wescover

Wescover is the place to discover unique art and designs—made by local Creators and small brands. We’ve seen a creative shift in the world: art isn’t reserved for museums and disposable objects are disappearing. Modern spaces are full of unique creations—from the handmade ceramics in coffee shops to the locally designed chandeliers in hotels. These objects, whether they’re functional or decorative, are integral to the spaces where we spend our daily lives. However, unlike a museum or showroom, the creators behind them remain a mystery. We are here to put Creators on the map.

Patrick Brennan Photography

Patrick Brennan is a photographer based in San Francisco who specializes in interiors, architecture, and all things design. Living in the Bay Area for the past 15 years, he has been honored to work with many local business owners since starting his photography business in 2019. He photographs projects for designers, builders, architects, and other creative professionals. He loves working in the world of design and enjoys photographing natural landscapes on the side.

Nicola Parisi

Nicola Parisi is a freelance photographer and graphic designer based in San Francisco. Over the last year, she has particularly enjoyed documenting people in their homes and studios – spaces that show a lot of character and enable people to be most at ease. When she’s not behind the camera or computer, you’ll usually find her making jewelry, refurbishing skateboards, cooking without recipes, riding her bike, or making chocolate from scratch.

San Francisco Design Week

San Francisco Design Week is an essential week long, citywide festival that showcases the unique intersection of ideas, design, business & entrepreneurism that makes the Bay Area the birthplace of the future. Through studio tours and events, SFDW celebrates this spirit of newness by providing unique access to exhibitions and conversations with the designers who are shaping the future — from architecture to fashion, product design to digital services, and everything in between. SFDW featured our 2020 virtual exhibit “Bay Area Made: Making a Sustainable Future” and our 2021 virtual and in-person exhibit “Bay Area Made: Small Batch & Made to Order”.