Owner/Principal, Kovacs-Wesner Design Group
After graduating from Syracuse University, Alecia Wesner joined George Kovacs Lighting as an in-house designer, contributing to the creation of hundreds of lamps while directing the company's product development. In 2002, she co-founded The Kovacs-Wesner Design Group with George Kovacs, licensing the brand to The Minka Group (now Ferguson Enterprises), where Alecia serves as licensor and designer. Her designs adorn homes, hotels, and various global applications. In 2008, she launched a jewelry business, with proceeds supporting Type 1 Diabetes Research. Her jewelry designs often serve as a launch pad for her lighting projects as "jewelry for the home."
Despite her success, Alecia remains dedicated to advocating for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) awareness, fundraising, and participating in clinical trials for the past decade. Alecia has shared her trial experiences in medical publications and on CNN. Now a Clinical Trial Education Volunteer, she strives to connect T1Ds with trials for medical advancement. In 2022, Alecia realized a lifelong goal by launching the Healthy By Design Podcast, blending her industrial design career, T1D journey, and commitment to medical research.
Light at the End of the Tunnel?
Alecia’s journey from novice lighting designer to a potential vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy is a testament to her resilience. Amidst designing lighting, furniture, and jewelry, she used her projects to contribute to diabetes research, intertwining her passion for design with a cause. Having faced a health crisis, she paid-it-forward by actively participating in diabetes clinical trials, sharing her unique perspective as both a participant and a designer in the medical space. Navigating the changes in the décor design industry, Alecia’s dedication to health advocacy led her to host the Healthy By Design Podcast, showcasing stories of industrial designers pursuing “health benefits” through their work. This platform became a conduit for her evolving perspective, inspiring her current focus on enhancing user health through innovative lighting designs in areas such as circadian rhythms. Alecia’s narrative encapsulates a journey of overcoming obstacles and utilizing design as a force for positive change in health and lifestyle.
The Audience Will Learn:
