Quinn Evans has achieved certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE).
In 2022, Quinn Evans announced that the firm had transitioned to majority women ownership, a move now validated by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Under the leadership of President and CEO Alyson Steele, FAIA, LEED AP, 36 women now collectively own 56% of the firm. This is significant in an industry where only 18% of registered architects are women.
The WBE certification arrives during a period of significant growth and high-profile projects for the firm, including modernizing the National Air and Space Museum and redeveloping Michigan Central Station. In 2024, Quinn Evans was honored with the AIA’s Architecture Firm Award, and two of its women principals were inducted into the AIA College of Fellows.
“It’s already been a banner year for Quinn Evans, and WBE certification is the cherry on top,” says Steele who leads more than 200 team members, making Quinn Evans one of the largest women-owned and women-led design firms in the nation.
Beyond Steele, the firm’s leadership includes women serving as chief financial officer, chief marketing officer, director of sustainability, director of diversity and inclusion, and three regional directors.
“I’m proud to see the culmination of so many long-term efforts happening all at once. I thank my predecessor Larry Barr, FAIA, for working to grow diverse leaders at Quinn Evans, which led us to organically become a majority women-owned firm,” Steele says. “I’m excited to leverage the insights and innovation of this exceptional team to advance our profession by doing the work we love: reinventing existing places to become ever more sustainable, equitable, and resilient.”
