Fluidity: The Intersection of Culture

Written By BIBI Banous in Building Industry

I’m Mani Helene Ardalan Farhadi, an Iranian-American Muslim Woman – a ‘Triple-Threat’ minority. My story is YOUR story too. How many of you live at the intersection of race, culture, religion, ethnicity, background, nationality, and gender? This is a story for all of us. 

#EQXDV (Equity by Design - Voices, Values, Vision Symposium 2018) brought together a kaleidoscope of perspectives. Honored to be a “Thought Leader,” I addressed “Intersectionality and Intercultural Intelligence” for the first time with fellow trailblazing panelists Prescott Reavis and A.L. Hu, facilitated by Rosa Sheng. On November 3, 2018, threads knit together into a tapestry, as we shared personal stories. 

BIBI Banous in Building Industry

BIBI (Banous In Building Industry) is an informal circle of Iranian-ancestry professional women dedicated to providing support, networking, mentorship, advice and camaraderie to other women in our industry, whether locally, nationally and globally. We represent a grassroots group of female-identity professionals in planning, architecture, interiors, engineering, landscape, construction, lighting, academia, and the arts, who elevate each other. Our group will maintain a comprehensive range from students to entry-level to mid-career to senior level to partners to retirees, in order to expand our reach and to mentor each other. We aim to stay fluid and evolve over time, serving as a model for other professional groups and as a design resource to the community.

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