Quinn Evans

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Quinn Evans, a leading national design firm established 40 years ago, offers services in architecture, historic preservation, interior design, landscape architecture and preservation planning. Led by President & CEO Alyson Steele, FAIA, LEED AP, the company employs 210 people and is 56% women owned.

Quinn Evans is committed to gender equity in architecture, actively supporting women in leadership roles and assisting team members in pursuing licensure. The firm’s efforts have resulted in 49% of its registered architects being women, more than double the industry average.

What does it mean to you to be a women-owned business?

For us, being women owned means we’re embracing the sea change toward gender equity in our profession. Women and men are now graduating from architecture school at similar rates, and our hiring practices have reflected this demographic shift. Because we provide ownership opportunities to deserving team members at all levels, we have gradually and organically become a majority women-owned firm. We’re proud to be at the leading edge of progress in our industry.

What challenges have you faced as a women-owned business?

The challenges we’ve faced don’t have to do with our being a women-owned firm, but with the systemic barriers facing women in our profession. Today, less than a quarter of registered architects are women. High among the reasons for this disparity is that the licensure process, a yearslong effort requiring candidates to gain work experience and pass a series of six exams, coincides with the time of life when many people are starting families.

This profile is part of The Daily Record's In the Lead: Best Women-Owned Businesses in Maryland list for 2024. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at thedailyrecord.com.