Architectural + Interior Designer, and Visionary Entrepreneur

Trystin Kier Francis is a multi-faceted architect, designer, and entrepreneur whose work seamlessly blends cultural storytelling with modern innovation. With a career spanning architecture, interior design, and product development, he is the founder and design principal of House of Kier (HOK)—a creative studio that produces luxury plateware, retail collections, and compelling media content. Born and raised in New York City, Trystin’s journey has been marked by resilience, transformation, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. He grew up during the 1990s, a time when the crack cocaine and heroin epidemic deeply impacted his community.

Trystin is a three-time HBCU graduate, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, a Master of Architecture, and an Executive MBA. His professional experience spans technical design, project management, and education, having served as an adjunct professor for nearly a decade before stepping into secondary education administration. In 2024, House of Kier debuted its first product line, "Equations in Africa," an exquisite bone China plateware collection inspired by the intersection of history, art, and African heritage. This launch marked a significant milestone, leading to a prestigious invitation to the Kaleidoscope Exhibition at renowned luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman, where House of Kier is now a vendor.

Trystin’s influence extends beyond design—his work is rooted in cultural preservation, business innovation, and mentorship. His faith, discovered in college through gospel music, has played a critical role in shaping his discipline and vision. Throughout his career, Trystin has remained committed to uplifting emerging talent and advocating for greater representation in design and media. His work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Ethos Luxury Magazine, Bold Journey, Voyage LA, and Canvas Rebel. Whether he is designing spaces, curating retail experiences, or producing content, Trystin Kier Francis continues to redefine the boundaries of creativity, ensuring that every endeavor tells a meaningful story.

Theatre Administrator and Educator

Grant Emerson Harvey is a seasoned theatre professional, educator, and arts administrator with over 15 years of experience in the performing arts. With a BA in Theatre Arts from Morgan State University and an MFA in Acting from The Actors Studio at Pace University, Grant has dedicated his career to fostering creativity and nurturing talent in diverse educational settings.

Grant's teaching portfolio is extensive, having instructed courses in Theatre History, Acting, Scene Study, and Sound Design at renowned institutions including Towson University, New York University (Atlantic Studio), Atlantic Acting School, New York Film Academy, and AMDA. His work has spanned across the United States and internationally, enriching students from the DMV area to California and Taiwan. Currently, he teaches at Morgan State University, where he continues to inspire and mentor emerging artists. Grant's professional journey has also seen him excel as a stage actor, with notable roles on stages up and down the East Coast; most recently on stage at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, MD.  

In addition to his academic contributions, Grant is the Programs Manager for Theatre Major LLC, an education consultancy that supports high school students as they navigate the college application and audition process for theatre programs. His role involves strategic planning and program development, ensuring that students are well-prepared and confident in their artistic pursuits.

Beyond the classroom and stage, Grant Emerson Harvey is committed to building bridges between education and the arts. His work is centered on creating opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and growth within institutions and the broader community. Emphasizing the transformative potential of the arts in education, he is dedicated to fostering environments where creativity can thrive and lifelong learning can flourish.

Global Marketing Communications Manager

Meagan is a global marketing communications manager with experience in the higher education, finance, fintech, healthcare, and global law industries. With 15 years of experience in building brands and developing marketing and communications strategy plans, she is currently a Senior Global Marketing Communications Manager. She is also an adjunct professor of Mass communications and has been teaching on the college level for over 10 years. As a leader in her field, Meagan has developed multimillion dollar digital marketing campaigns for non-profit, finance, and major global organizations. She has also helped spearhead strategies for popular brands you may interact with everyday such as Geico, Google, X-Games, Hilton hotels and more. Most recently she has been focused on developing marketing strategy for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion model that will be used globally in the legal industry to benchmark and grow DE&I efforts. Meagan is extremely passionate about developing marketing strategies that enable organizations and brands to not only reach their intended target audiences, but exceed their reach goals by connecting with consumers in the most creative ways. Meagan received her BS from Norfolk State University in Mass Communications and her MS from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter also in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Advertising and Communication Strategies. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

IT and Financial Management Advisor

Mr. Derrick Taylor is an experienced Public and Private Sector strategy, assurance, information technology (IT), and financial management (FM) advisor. He is a graduate of Hampton University, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, and currently publicly serves as a Senior Program Manager with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) United States Secret Service (USSS).

His comprehensive portfolio focuses on delivering leadership, strategy, program management, assurance and compliance, audit management, policy management, robotic process automation (RPA), FM solutions, business process reengineering (BPR) and business process management (BPM), IT operations and integration, system and process implementation, contract acquisition and management, business proposal development and review, community service, and youth athletic training. He became a champion of comprehensive diversity and inclusion based on his socialization, collegiate matriculation, and professional collaboration and continental U.S. (CONUS) or domestic travel.

During his 16+ year Public and Private career, he obtained multiple Public Sector and Department of Defense (DoD) professional internal controls, IT assurance, and leadership certifications. In the last five years he has sat on multiple DoD audit panels and completed the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) DoD DSS, now DCSA, Leadership Development Program and Graduate School USA Executive Potential Program (EPP) Leadership Development. Additionally, Mr. Taylor has led organizational teams and chaired committees in college, his social fraternity, local public-school classrooms and school boards, residential real estate, community organizations, youth sports, entertainment and promotion companies, and church. He has gained direct financial services experience and investment opportunities from working with his licensed financial advisors and hosted multiple community knowledge sharing events. Mr. Derrick Taylor’s diverse professional experience makes him well-versed, capable of bridging gaps, and a thought leader of the future.