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Joseph Cephas

@j_cephas

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Senior VP at @novitapr
Chicago | PR

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A look back at the 2026 NYCxDESIGN Festival 2026.✨ the action was spread across the boroughs with more events, exhibitions, talks, showroom activations than ever before.

Huge shout out to the @nycxdesign board and executive director @ileneshaw for her brilliant leadership and to my colleagues @novitapr and on the steering committee as we all worked together to support the promotion and planning on this vibrant global network of designers, innovators, cultural voices, brands, makers and emerging talent.

Some highlights included, visiting Shine, the special @NYCxDesign lighting exhibition, hearing @Calatrava speak about his work, going on a night time boat ride with lighting experts @infooidg and @hervedescotes to learn about their work in their sparkling NY waterfront, the opening day events in Times Square and Fidi, client activations and launches.. not enough time in the day!!!! #iloveny

The final numbers are not yet ready but based on last year’s attendance number over 163,000 attendees, the scale, quality and exuberance of the festival reinforced the organizers’ decision to remain committed to the spring time frame, even with the eventual pivot of ICFF to the fall.

Also a moment to recognize @melissastroll and @maiarellistudio for the great 2026 guide.. and Giona for the new Festival creative and website!!!

#NovitaPR #NYCxDESIGN #DesignConnectsUs

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This Thursday marks the highly anticipated start of @nycxdesign, and in it's honor, we’ve rounded up our favorite spots scattered across NYC’s key design districts — from DUMBO and NoMad to the Lower East Side and beyond.

Save this post for where to grab an afternoon cocktail, settle into a cozy dinner, or take a chic detour between all the exhibitions, installations, and design buzz happening across the city. 🍸🗽✨

Pictured above:
(1) @abckitchen
(2) @frenchettebakery
(3) @brandylibrarynyc
(4) @upland_nyc
(5) @sunkenharborclubnyc
(6) @eliosnyc
(7) @theportraitbarnyc
(8) @moss.nyc
(9) @longobrosnyc

#NovitaPR #NYCxDesign #NYC #DesignDistricts #FoodAndDrinkGuide

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Big news at Novità! 🥂

We are thrilled to announce the leadership promotions of two long-tenured team members who have been instrumental in shaping our culture and driving our firm’s success.

✨ Danielle McWilliams has been promoted to Principal. From intern to agency leader, Danielle’s 25-year journey is a testament to her strategic vision and deep industry relationships. She will continue to lead high-level strategy across the product and event teams—bridging the gap between the commercial, residential, and consumer design markets. In addition to her work across these sectors, she will continue scaling our digital and social media teams to ensure our clients lead the conversation in an ever-changing landscape.

✨ Joseph Cephas has been promoted to Executive Vice President. Joseph’s growth mindset and expertise have been the driving force behind securing major partnerships with leading global brands. Drawing on his deep-rooted designer relationships, Joseph brings a unique perspective to how brands connect with the design community. In his elevated role, he will continue to direct client strategy, drive new business, and manage staffing across multiple teams.

Please join us in congratulating Danielle and Joseph on these well-deserved milestones! 👏

#Leadership #Promotion #DesignIndustry #AgencyLife #Growth #InteriorDesign

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Neocon Highlights! ❤️
➡️ Hosting Alice Rawsthorn at @mobilemakers_chicago
➡️ Women of Color in Design Meetup
➡️ Seeing lots of out of state friends
➡️ Paved States exhibition at @themartchicago
➡️ Designing a Better Chicago celebration at @secristbeach
➡️ Ending the night with a burger at @estelleschicago

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We were in Milan last week for Salone del Mobile, a global celebration of design, creativity, and innovation ✨

Our Director of Business Development, @marinagunn, represented Plural to connect with visionary thinkers, and gather inspiration from some of the world’s most exciting voices in furniture, interiors, and beyond!

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//////////////// GREATNESS //////////////////

At a time when the progress we’ve made toward equity feels at risk, and hard-fought successes seem to be unraveling, I’m beyond proud to hold GREATNESS: Diverse Designers of Architecture in my hands and share it with my community!

Kicking off the book tour at @themartchicago THE MART was an unforgettable (though chilly!) experience, thanks to the incredible support of @momentum_textiles_walls Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering and @neocon_shows NeoCon (NeoConshows). The event featured a book signing and a powerful discussion with the amazing @jpugh15 Jason Pugh, NOMAC, AIA, AICP, LEED AP of Gensler and @d_scully_photo Dawveed Scully, AIA, AICP, NOMA of The Chicago Department of Planning and Development moderated by the one and only @j_cephas Joseph Cephas.

We even SOLD OUT of our books that day!

A sincere shoutout to Nubia Henderson for making this incredible event happen—you are truly my superhero! And to the Novità Communications team, your talents are immense, and I am eternally grateful!

But the journey doesn’t stop here. The The New York Times Best Seller list deadline is fast approaching, and we need your help to reach our goal by February 2nd!l

Every page of GREATNESS celebrates the relentless spirit, talent, and inspiration of diverse architects and designers worldwide. This book is a testament to their craft, resilience, and impact.

Ready to be inspired? Pre-order your copy today: http://bit.ly/4fEsWaF. Any and all support is deeply appreciated!

Let’s amplify this message and continue building visibility for diverse talent in architecture and design!

#GreatnessInArchitecture
#PascaleSablan
#NYTBestseller
#WomenInArchitecture
#DiverseDesigners
#BIPOCDesigners
#BlackDesigners
#ModernArchitecture
#ArchitecturalHistory
#ResidentialArchitecture
#UrbanPlanning
#EqualHousingOpportunity
#InclusiveCommunity
#SAYITLOUD
#VisibilityMatters

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//////Grateful//////
Thank you so much to the @rimadesio_official team for hosting my very first GREATNESS book event! It was such a pleasure to connect, discuss, and share with this incredible audience who trekked in the rain to join me in their stunning showroom and supported.

GREATNESS is deeply rooted in the mission we have cultivated together at @beyondthebuilt Beyond the Built Environment: celebrating the contributions of diverse designers and advocating for equitable communities. As an expression of this work – and the 1,130 featured diverse designers of the GREAT Diverse Designers Library – the book offers a beautifully illustrated collection of stories highlighting the brilliance of 47 visionaries shaping the future of our industry.

Published by @oro_editions, GREATNESS highlights social justice, sustainability, and community well-being. The publisher committed to co-create a stunning book and ensure the entire team was diverse, aligning with our mission. Already topping multiple new release categories on Amazon, it is a celebration of diversity and a testament to the power of inclusive design that inspires, uplifts, and calls us all to action. Pre-order your copy on Amazon. It is important to pre-order the book and encourage your network to support it so we can make the New York Times bestseller list. Our deadline to make this happen is fast approaching!

I am deeply grateful for your support and the incredible contributions of the Beyond the Built Environment’s members.

Thank you for believing in this mission.

Be Revolutionary!

#GREATNESSinArchitecture
#PascaleSablan
#WomenInArchitecture
#DiverseDesigners
#BIPOCDesigners
#BlackDesigners
#ModernArchitecture
#ArchitecturalHistory
#ResidentialArchitecture
#UrbanPlanning
#EqualHousingOpportunity
#InclusiveCommunity
#SAYITLOUD
#VisibilityMatters

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Happy International Dog Day to all our adorable, loving furry friends! 🐶We clearly all love dogs here at Novità! Share a pic of your pup and let’s celebrate together! #InternationalDogDay #DogLovers #NovitàPets

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We are still savoring our memories from a stellar @neocon_shows 2024. We’ve been covering our client intros and activations - but we want to take a few minutes to celebrate the people behind the show magic.

The Novità team was all over @themartchicago - running the press room, supporting talks, awards and events and connecting our clients with media and industry leaders. We love capturing moments of design excellence… and most importantly, experiencing, learning and connecting at North America’s biggest and best platform for commercial interior design.

A shout out to our beloved show and #bestofneocon partners - @neocon_shows @maiarellistudio , @artonthemart and @themcmorrowreports for making all of the hard work fun!

And we couldn’t do it without the support of our extended Novità family! Thanks so much to the amazing @_nic013_ and @j_cephas for a delicious team dinner crafted with so much love & dedication and set in a gorgeous home setting. We are already looking forward to NeoCon 2025!
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#neocon #neocon2024 #commercialdesign #partnershipgoals #teamappreciation #novitapr #publicrelationsnyc

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