Vayle Khalaf, grew up in New Orleans, is of the Iraqi diaspora and has always been drawn to the arts. After attending the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and studying interior design at Louisiana State University, she honed her focus on creating inclusive, sustainable environments. She earned two master’s degrees in architecture and interior architecture from the University of Oregon.

Now teaching at the University of Washington and working with Third Place Design Co-operative, Vayle incorporates equity into design to intentionally organize, advocate, and create spaces of environmental and social justice. She recognizes the impact design has on communities and approaches it as a tool for collective liberation. This comes with a love for facilitating community dialogue to create meaningful change through building collective power. She believes that our ways of living, working, healing, and thinking are the critical connection between us and our visions for an equitable future.