Market: Consumer Experiences

People Make the Place: Leading the Way at MG2

MG2 is thrilled to announce the promotion of over 40 employees across our studios and offices. With a culture rooted in recognition and appreciation, MG2 celebrates not just the advancements of those within leadership, but those of every single team member. There are no small roles here; without the outrageous talent and unwavering dedication of all our employees, we would not be the firm we are today.

2020 promotions grid of photos and quote

It’s with great pride that MG2 fosters creativity, acknowledge achievements, and promotes from within, and with that, we’re excited to introduce you to this year’s rising stars who are paving the way for our future across design, operations, program management, and more:

Irvine

  • Nubia Herrera | Promoted to Associate 2
  • Mackenzie Gibbens | Promoted to Associate 3
  • Meadow Pirigyi | Promoted to Associate 3
  • Jessica Labac | Promoted to Associate 4
  • Isaac Perez | Promoted to Associate 5

WASHINGTON, D.C.

  • Gabriella Santostefano | Promoted to Associate 2
  • Hazel Ventura | Promoted to Associate 2
  • Krysten Gormly | Promoted to Associate 3
  • Ishana Mistry | Promoted to Associate 3
  • Paola Moreno | Promoted to Associate 3
  • Behbood Vatani | Promoted to Senior Estimator
  • Meridyth Cutler | Promoted to Senior Associate 1

MINNEAPOLIS

  • Ryan Hartsuff | Promoted to Associate 5
  • Monica Russell | Promoted to Associate 5
  • Liz Aiello | Promoted to Senior Associate 1

SEATTLE | COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTS

  • Jacob Southard | Promoted to Associate 2

SEATTLE | CLIENT PROGRAMS

  • Sarah Bertis | Promoted to Associate 2
  • Whitney Gomes | Promoted to Associate 2
  • Morgan Nestegard | Promoted to Associate 2
  • Marina Sosner | Promoted to Associate 2
  • Connor Dimick | Promoted to Associate 3
  • Trevor Gunderson | Promoted to Associate 3
  • Darren Mobley | Promoted to Associate 3
  • Kyle Bembenek | Promoted to Associate 4
  • Willie Mak | Promoted to Associate 4
  • Brian Dobry | Promoted to Associate 5
  • Fiona Cutner | Promoted to Senior Associate 1
  • Amy Hart | Promoted to Senior Associate 1

SEATTLE | CONSUMER EXPERIENCES

  • Bridget Arnold | Promoted to Associate 2
  • Robyn Burgos | Promoted to Associate 3
  • Elle Reinhard | Promoted to Associate 3
  • Howard Schulien | Promoted to Associate 5
  • Min Jae Kwon | Promoted to Senior Associate 1

SEATTLE | OPERATIONS

  • Abbie Drake | Promoted to Senior Graphic Designer
  • Kelli Cook | Promoted to Program Manager
  • Natasha Windle | Promoted to Program Manager
  • Chelsea Pagdilao | Promoted to HR Specialist

Amongst our leadership team, MJ Munsell has been promoted to Chief Creative Officer. And, in addition to two new Principals — Risa Yuki and Mark Taylor — and two new Associate Principals — Scott Owen and Mitch Pride — we’re also excited to welcome two additional Shareholders: Melissa Gonzalez and Nick Caputo, who recently joined the MG2 family through our merger with The Lion’eqsue Group.

2020 promotions grid of photos and quote

Retail Architecture Design Leader MG2 Merges with Experiential Retail Design Firm The Lion’esque Group

Stella & Dot pop-up

International architecture firm MG2, known for its work with leading retail brands such as Target, PCC, DSW, Anthropologie, Costco, and Tommy Bahama, has officially merged with The Lion’esque Group (TLG): a New York-based experiential retail firm focused on immersive pop-up stores. This partnership enables both MG2 and TLG to offer a more extensive, scalable, and complementary array of services to their clients.

This merger is an industry first, and a direct reflection of visible trends within retail: a rapidly-evolving marketplace demanding that brands be agile and flexible enough to create immersive spaces that are interwoven with technology and designed as an interactive, community-driven story. Having both worked with forward-thinking clients such as Nordstrom, Amazon, and Shape Properties, MG2 and TLG are now combining their expertise across experiential design, operational strategy, and architectural services to create a holistic, end-to-end design practice that will help their partners shape and define the future of retail.

“From my initial conversations with Melissa and Nick, the alignment between our values, goals, and what we are most passionate about was clear, as was our mutual focus on creating memorable and transformative experiences for our clients’ customers. At the same time, I have tremendous respect for the unique perspective and expertise TLG brings to MG2 and our clients. I am excited to see what the future brings for both of us.”

—Mitch Smith, CEO, MG2

The Lion’esque Group, founded in 2009 by Melissa Gonzalez and whose clients have included Purple, Brandless, Puma, the RealReal, Citizenry, and Thrive Global, will continue their work on retail strategy and pop-up retail while working with established bricks and mortar brands to transform their spaces into personal, dynamic shopping experiences. The team will become MG2’s New York office, maintaining The Lion’esque Group brand while expanding their global footprint.

“This decision wasn’t just about expanding our capabilities and resources; it was also about aligning ourselves with a partner that shares our vision, entrepreneurial spirit, passion for transformative design, and a nimble approach to learning and adapting to an ever-changing industry. Like TLG, MG2 imagines bolder futures for their clients and helps shape the design solutions to get them there.”

—Melissa Gonzalez, CEO, The Lion’esque Group

MG2 Partner PCC Becomes First Grocery Store to Commit to Developing Stores to Living Building Challenge Standard

PCC Community Market Burien

PCC Community Markets (PCC), the nation’s largest community-owned food market, announced it will be the first grocery store in the world to pursue Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal Certification. The Living Building Challenge, run by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), is the world’s most rigorous green building standard. To date, no other grocer has successfully pursued LBC certification.

Read more at PCC Community Markets