Listen to more podcast episodes from the editors of ARCHITECT here.
When Curtis Moody, FAIA, reflects candidly on the obstacles he faced when starting his firm as an African American in the early 1980s—namely, discrimination and an economic downturn—his optimism and resilience shine through. Nearly four decades later, his determination has paid off: Moody Nolan is now the largest African American–owned architecture firm in the U.S., with 12 locations, including its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Moody's leadership skills and ambition likely rubbed off on his son Jonathan Moody, AIA, who took over the firm as CEO in January 2020.
In this episode, Curtis and Jonathan share their paths to finding success in architecture, a profession in which they have literally stood alone in a room full of design leaders as the sole African Americans. They also discuss their hopes for Moody Nolan's future, and their firm's role in paving a road for other AEC firms led by people of color.
Episode 53: Curtis and Jonathan Moody on Being Leaders, African Americans, and Family Members in Architecture, featuring Moody Nolan chairman Curtis Moody, FAIA, and CEO Jonathan Moody, AIA, is also available on SoundCloud, iTunes, and GooglePlay.
Curtis Moody, now chairman at Moody Nolan, wrote the op-ed “Business First, Break Barriers Second,” which appeared in the March 2020 issue of ARCHITECT.
This podcast episode was produced by Wanda Lau and Rob Grauert.
