Lina Alvarez

Lina took Redesigning Work & Workplace: Space, Technology, and Culture with us in July 2025, and we asked her a few questions about her experience after.

Why did you choose to sign up for this program, and how was your experience?

I signed up because my team is small and I was missing the chance to connect and learn from others in the workplace strategy space. When I worked at a global design firm I loved having exposure to lots of different companies and projects. Moving in-house I lost some of that visibility, so I started looking for programs and this one stood out as one of the only workplace design strategy specific options.

The in person format was a huge highlight. The charrettes were great, and so were the informal conversations in between. I learned so much from my peers, from how their teams are structured to the tools and vendors they rely on.

It was amazing to be able to speak the same language and learn from each other even though we came from really different industries.

I also appreciated how much the instructors grounded everything in practice and real world experience. Their perspective as practitioners made the content feel relevant and useful. The mix of expertise, peer learning, and community made the whole experience super inspiring

One of our favorite parts of this program is the rich learnings that come from workplace professionals sharing insights. What stands out from what you learned from your fellow participants?

I loved how we had representation from every part of the industry, including designers, strategists, real estate, and workplace experience. People had all worked on incredible projects, from new headquarters to research labs to hospitality spaces, and there was something relevant to me in each of their projects.

What I appreciated most was how rooted in the day to day the lessons everyone shared were. People shared feedback on tools and vendors, like which platforms look good on the surface but are clunky on the back end, and which vendors truly went above and beyond.

Everyone shared so openly, in the same way that conversations with close friends can give you insights you would not have had otherwise. That kind of honest perspective is rare, and it gave me practical takeaways I can apply right away.

Workplace strategy exists at the intersection of design and organizational behavior. How did you become a workplace strategist, and what does your day-to-day work look like? Do you find yourself pulling from different kinds of experiences throughout your career?

I always joke with my peers that none of us grew up dreaming of becoming workplace strategists, the work somehow finds us. That was my path too. I started in international business and public policy and eventually went back to school to pivot into design, focusing on user research and service design. Those skills proved valuable to the workplace strategy team at a global design firm that brought me on. That was where I first began exploring workplaces and expanding from strategy into space.

I still draw on my earlier career all the time, especially when it comes to engaging stakeholders and working with leaders and teams. Workplaces are emotional, and a big part of my role is keeping lots of people aligned and approaching those conversations with clarity and diplomacy.

My day to day is a mix of forward looking strategy, stakeholder engagement, leading a team, and finding creative ways to improve our spaces. I truly love the work.