Lionel Ohayon is a vibrant entrepreneur who founded iCrave ten years ago. He studied Architecture at the University in Waterloo’s School of Architecture in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and it was that school which inspired many of his current working methods. iCrave redefined the airport experience with their design of the JetBlue and Delta terminals at JFK; they’ve built some of the most iconic nightclubs in NYC, LA, Miami and Las Vegas; started a successful restaurant chain which recognized the need for a steak restaurant for women and they continue to re-think experience as the seed for creating design.

Lionel’s foremost interest in collaborative and cross-disciplinary work and in promoting ‘fearlessness’ to encourage his own design team, reflects the aspirations of the MFA Interior Design program and of the School of Constructed Environments at Parsons.

The methodology employed at iCrave is one of listening to people, to society, to current desires, allowing them “read what society needs” and imagine new design paradigms for contemporary culture.  Lionel’s passion to engage students along with his collaborative imaginative method based in a belief of designing experiences above all else, will be shared with the MFA Interior Design program in Spring 2012.