Michael Ford, Assoc. AIA, is a finalist (and a recently added keynote speaker) and will be showcasing how hip-hop can be a catalyst to engage underrepresented groups in the field of architecture.

“I will be sharing my concept for the Universal Hip Hop Museum mobile experience," he says, "which was developed alongside hip-hop pioneers. We plan on touring in various cities with the mission to showcase hip-hop culture while also collecting regional specific, undocumented hip-hop histories and their relationship to the built environment.”