Meet The Judges
Our judges are all highly respected in their fields including architecture, design and product development.
Douglas Weinstein
Doug is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Technology Designer Magazine and the Technology Insider Group. A thrity-year veteran of the consumer technology industry, he is the Co-Founder and past Executive Director of the Elf Foundation, a non-profit organization creating Room of Magic entertainment theaters in children’s hospitals across North America.
George McClure
George is a Senior Editor for Technology Designer Magazine and the Technology Insider Group. Previously he was the General Manager of Fidelity Communications and most recently a Marketing Manager for Denver-based ListenUp.
Toni Sabatino
Toni is an award-winning interior designer, cabinetry specialist, furniture designer and spatial planner serving the renovation and new construction markets throughout the New York Metropolitan Area, Palm Beach, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando, Vermont and other resort locations. Toni believes in a kitchen-centric building and remodeling philosophy, championing open floor plans that honor the foodie, the entertainer and most simply, the family. Toni believes that good design should have a user experience to equal the aesthetic. NKBA AKBD and CLIPP certified, Toni believes all homes should be safe, accessible and comfortable. Toni is past-President of the NKBA Manhattan Chapter, currently serves on the Chapter Leadership Committee and is the proud recipient of the NKBA Chapter Star Award for Best President 2019. Toni is a member of the Kitchen and Bath Business Editorial Advisory Board and she is the designer of the Retro Collection of bath furniture for Baden Haus, SPA. Published works include kitchens, home libraries, radiant refrigeration wine rooms, storage solutions and custom baths.
David Santiago
David is an award-winning designer and Owner of Casa Santi Interior Design established in 2011. His signature trademark “Strictly Santi” brand was created to be as diverse as his repertoire of talents. David has lighting and wallcovering collections catering to hospitality and residential markets and is also a home furnishings industry ambassador. He is a guest designer on the NBC hit television series “George To The Rescue” and design and lifestyle correspondent for “The Donna Drake Show” on CBS NY. Most recently, he joined the TiedIn Media team after designing their studio and now in public relations, directing and producing. He is the Artistic Director for MyFace Celebrates at MyFace.Org, dedicated to transforming the lives of children and adults with facial differences, as well as a Board Trustee. David is also the performing arts contributing editor for Metropolitan Magazine.
Heather Squire
Heather is the President of PITT Cooking America. PITT produces a range of high-end integrated cooktops for the global market. Prior to joining PITT, Heather spent over 20 years as a senior executive in the consumer technology industry where she helped grow brands from startup mode to billion-dollar companies, including Flip Video/Cisco and GoPro, where she served as VP of Sales – Americas and Global accounts. Heather recently joined PITT Cooking America to help invigorate and grow the brand in the United States and Canada.
Nathan Kipnis
Nathan Kipnis is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Principal of Kipnis Architecture + Planning, based in Evanston, Illinois and Boulder, Colorado, recently named ‘Best Chicago Residential Architect’ by Better Magazine and was also awarded Illinois Green Alliance’s prestigious Emerald Award. A founding member of the AIA’s 2030 Commitment Working Group in 2009, National Co-Chair from 2018 to 2019, he was also on the AIA’s national Sustainability Leadership Group and the Committee on Climate Action and Design Excellence. He now serves at the national level on the Executive Committee of the AIA’s national Small Firm Exchange. Mr. Kipnis is the Founder of NextHaus Alliance, a new design/build concept to provide ‘net zero’ sustainable, resilient and healthy homes. A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, he received his Environmental Design degree in 1983 and obtained his Master of Architecture degree from Arizona State University, with emphasis in Energy Conscious Design.
Kristin Bramer
As a Realtor at award-winning 8z Real Estate, Kristin specializes in design aspects to assist sellers prepare their homes to appeal to the most buyers and by helping to identify and achieve all the potentials and possibilities in the home, whether buying or selling. Kristin has a degree from University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Masters Degree from San Jose State, California, and an Interior Design Certificate from Sheffield School of New York.
David Cohen
With years of experience in the design industry, David founded Artistic Design Works, a multi-faceted company that provides custom art, artistic products and product licensing. The company creates visibility for unique artists in hospitality projects and facilitates collaborations between designers and manufacturers to create new designer product lines, marketing opportunities, and distribution channels. With expertise in brand building, product development, customer interaction and market channel distribution, he has an uncanny ability to connect with people in the industry to forge meaningful relationships geared towards mutual business growth. David has extensive experience with interior designers in both hospitality and residential design, overseeing projects ranging from luxury homes to the Palms Casino.
Allyssa Baird
Allyssa comes from a well-versed background with 20 years of experience in design and marketing. She has worked with the custom integrator buying group, ProSource, along with its dealers for over seven years. Allyssa is the Owner and Founder of High Velocity Creative, a full-service marketing company, and she also actively designs and remodels real estate projects.
Franklin Karp
Franklin is the Founder of consumer technology business management consulting firm FranklinKarp & Co., bringing over 30 years of experience in operations, budgeting, product development, full cycle marketing, and sales leadership, with a focus on the custom integration and retail sectors. Previously, he was COO of Audio Video Systems and CEO of Harvey Electronics, as well as the former President of the Home Technology Specialists of America.
Sam Runco
Sam’s name is literally synonymous with home theater – he actually trademarked the term in California, and his namesake company, Runco International, became the most innovative and highly respected projection television maker in the world. Sam has always been active within the industry, serving on the Board of Directors for the Consumer Electroncis Association (CEA) and the Electronics Industry Association (EIA), as well the Board of Focus Enhancements, Inc. and the Board of Directors for Summit Semiconductor and Wireless Speakers & Audio (WiSA). He has been honored with the CEA Hall of Fame, CEDIA Lifetime Achievement Award, DealerScope Magazine Hall of Fame, and the AVS Forum Lifetime Achievement Award.